Understanding Virtual Worlds » secondlife http://9scape.com and other things that connect us Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:56:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 en Sending Info to Wordpress using SLurlBlogger http://9scape.com/2009/08/20/sending-info-to-wordpress-using-slurlblogger/ http://9scape.com/2009/08/20/sending-info-to-wordpress-using-slurlblogger/#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:12:15 +0000 admin http://9scape.com/2009/08/20/sending-info-to-wordpress-using-slurlblogger/ Bristol Bay 180,105,25 - SLurlBlogger is a HUD made available from Ordinal Malprop that captures your coordinates in SL (SLurl) and allows you to post text to your blog or email address.

This could be used for taking notes on a class, conference, or even minutes from in-world meetings. Even copy/pasting conversation from chat is a quick and easy way to catch people up on what happened if they weren’t able to attend an event. I’ll be poking for the nuances of this HUD and will note what I find here an on my work blog - http://rhetorica.uaf.edu/christen

No Tags]]> http://9scape.com/2009/08/20/sending-info-to-wordpress-using-slurlblogger/feed/ Script Me, Baby http://9scape.com/2009/04/04/script-me-baby/ http://9scape.com/2009/04/04/script-me-baby/#comments Sun, 05 Apr 2009 06:29:12 +0000 admin http://9scape.com/2009/04/04/script-me-baby/ Building in Second Life. Looking for an LSL script that can give an object, change a texture, play a sound, or similarly simple action? It seems easy enough to look these things up in the LSL wiki, even for those of us who are not programmers… but why do all that work? Hilary Mason has created an autoscript that will figure all that programmy stuff out for you. Now you have time for those more pressing things, like enjoying your coffee.

I’ve had luck with the scripts I’ve created using it and have suggested it to faculty members (definitely not programmers) who have also found it easy to use. Super tool. Hilary also has a blog that has some interesting stuff in it. You should check it out.

No Tags]]> http://9scape.com/2009/04/04/script-me-baby/feed/ Insight Into SL Prims http://9scape.com/2008/12/05/insight-into-sl-prims/ http://9scape.com/2008/12/05/insight-into-sl-prims/#comments Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:13:10 +0000 admin http://9scape.com/2008/12/05/insight-into-sl-prims/ insightful summary of how and why primatives work the way they do in Second Life. The explanations are from the developer's perspective and include backfill on early decisions made when SL was still young. If you've ever wondered "Why?" while you were trying to build something, you'll get something from the article.]]> Avi Bar-Zeev from Reality Prime has written an insightful summary of how and why primatives work the way they do in Second Life. The explanations are from the developer’s perspective and include backfill on early decisions made when SL was still young. If you’ve ever wondered “Why?” while you were trying to build something, you’ll get something from the article.

No Tags]]> http://9scape.com/2008/12/05/insight-into-sl-prims/feed/ Philip Rosedale at TED http://9scape.com/2008/12/04/philip-rosedale-at-ted/ http://9scape.com/2008/12/04/philip-rosedale-at-ted/#comments Thu, 04 Dec 2008 22:29:02 +0000 admin http://9scape.com/2008/12/04/philip-rosedale-at-ted/ Philip Rosedale speaks at TED about virtual worlds, creativity, and possibility. Video below:

No Tags]]> http://9scape.com/2008/12/04/philip-rosedale-at-ted/feed/ Introduction to Second Life for GEO 493 http://9scape.com/2008/04/04/introduction-to-second-life-for-geo-493/ http://9scape.com/2008/04/04/introduction-to-second-life-for-geo-493/#comments Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:02:34 +0000 admin http://9scape.com/2008/04/04/introduction-to-second-life-for-geo-493/ Below are the presentation and links mentioned in my visit to John Bailey’s GEO 493 class:

Screenshot of the slideshow

The Presentation Images
http://9scape.com/slpres/demo.html

A Few Destinations:
Orange:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Orange%204/21/227/46
Vernian Sea (Airship Tower):
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Vernian%20Sea/204/65/106/
Sweden’s Virtual Embassy:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/swedish%20institute/70/212/30
GeoGlobe:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Commonwealth%20Island/193/83/315
Sculptie Earth:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Areumdeuli/111/121/214/
Top 20 List of Educational Locations in Second Life:
http://www.simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Top_20_Educational_Locations_in_Second_Life

Learn To Build and Script:
Torley’s Video Tutorials:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Torley
Linden Scripting Language (LSL) Wiki:
http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/LSL_Portal
Learn to Do Stuff in Second Life With Tutorials:
http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Video_Tutorials

Links & Inspired Reading
The Congressional Committee Meeting on Virtual Worlds:
http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110-ti-hrg.040108.VirtualWorlds.shtml
Digital Urban Blog:
http://digitalurban.blogspot.com/
UgoTrade Blog:
http://www.ugotrade.com
Not Possible in Real Life Blog:
http://npirl.blogspot.com

No Tags]]> http://9scape.com/2008/04/04/introduction-to-second-life-for-geo-493/feed/ Presentation about Second Life Using Stixy http://9scape.com/2008/03/07/presentations-using-stixy/ http://9scape.com/2008/03/07/presentations-using-stixy/#comments Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:40:11 +0000 admin http://9scape.com/2008/03/07/presentations-using-stixy/ Yesterday I gave a couple of small presentations about Second Life to small groups using Stixy instead of PowerPoint.There wasn’t a lot of time to prepare for these, so I collected images, some were mine and some I found on Flickr, included the proper attribution to the photos and was finished.

Unfortunately, for both presentations I ran into issues flashing my screen to the overhead projector and had to run it is if it were a second monitor. This created some navigation challenges during the presentation, but I thought it was an interesting way to approach the need for overhead display. Personally, I liked being able to see the rest of the images and I felt it gave me some “peripheral vision” as I talked. IT was nice to be able to move things around as I talked too. I’m not sure if the audiences cared either way in the end, though. During one of the presentations the display was way too dark and for the other I had to stand in a terrible location that didn’t allow me to see the screen very well. Those things may have made more of an impact than anything else. I will try this again though.

The presentation is available on Stixy if you’re curious. A note: I did have backup material with me just in case access to the internet wasn’t available during the presentations.

Second Life Presentation Using Stixy

No Tags]]> http://9scape.com/2008/03/07/presentations-using-stixy/feed/ Importing 3D Models Into Second Life http://9scape.com/2007/11/30/importing-3d-models-into-second-life/ http://9scape.com/2007/11/30/importing-3d-models-into-second-life/#comments Fri, 30 Nov 2007 19:41:24 +0000 admin secondlife http://9scape.com/2007/11/30/importing-3d-models-into-second-life/ || This post is updated regularly. ||
I’ve been gathering a list of resources on the conversion process for bringing existing 3D models on to the Second Life platform. I’m dumping them here so I have a way to get back to them - maybe they will be useful for someone else.
There are various tools people are focusing on as part of the pathway from digital model to Second Life import. There are two considerations when undertaking the import process:

  1. Can the current digital model be exported as data that can then be imported and read into the Second Life platform as prims (basic shape element)?
  2. Will the object exceed Second Life prim limitations once it is imported (approx a 15000 prim limit per island with no prim larger than 10m x 10m)?

Sketchup to SL
http://eightbar.co.uk/2006/09/29/google-sketchup-second-life-export/
http://www.3pointd.com/20060626/sketchup-blender-second-life/

SL to 3ds Max
Prim Composer - adds the ability to export prims from Second Life/OpenSim and import them into 3ds Max. You can also re-import a project into 3ds Max that was previously exported from 3ds Max using Prim Composer. In addition, you can create NURBS-based sculpties directly within Prim Composer.

AC3D to SL
http://www.inivis.com/secondlifetri.html (interesting video of actual conversion)

Maya to SL
http://www.sim-image.co.jp/sltk/en/specprice.php
http://www.qarl.com/qLab/?p=49

An example of successful Maya to SL conversion (no work flow - yet)

Pathways from Maya and 3D StudioMax
http://ai-designstudio.net/en/products/hensin-introduction.html

3D Studio Max (OBJ format) to SL
http://digitalurban.blogspot.com/2007/08/importing-objects-into-second-life.html

Blender to SL
Domino Designs Tutorial

]]> http://9scape.com/2007/11/30/importing-3d-models-into-second-life/feed/ Finding Textures for Second Life Projects http://9scape.com/2007/08/05/finding-textures-for-second-life-projects/ http://9scape.com/2007/08/05/finding-textures-for-second-life-projects/#comments Mon, 06 Aug 2007 01:49:51 +0000 admin resourcessecondlifetextures http://9scape.com/2007/08/05/finding-textures-for-second-life-projects/ Virtual worlds like Second Life make it easy to create our own content, but not all of us have the time or talent to create our own textures. As educators we often find our budgets rather limited too. In addition to the various free textures you can find in Second Life at flea markets and yard sales, there are quite a few sites on the web with great collections of textures available for download - free. The majority of these sites make their images available for personal and non-commercial use, but many allow commercial use or their content.

  • TextureKing - A repository of photo textures of stone, paint, plants, and more. A project from REH3design.
  • StockVault - A photo-sharing site with free downloads for personal and educational use.
  • Image * After - Free photos available to download for personal or commercial use.
  • Grunge Textures - CreativeCommons-licensed photos for personal/non-commercial use.
  • CGTextures - Downloadable textures for use in personal and commercial use. The license on the images only restricts the reselling of unmodified textures or of derivative textures.
  • stock.xchng - A great photo-sharing community. Images are individually licensed, though most of them may be used in personal and commercial work.
  • ShareCG - Textures, animation, scripts, tutorials, and more
, , ]]> http://9scape.com/2007/08/05/finding-textures-for-second-life-projects/feed/ Configuring the 3Dconnexion SpaceNavigator for Second Life http://9scape.com/2007/07/27/configuring-the-3dconnexion-spacenavigator-for-second-life/ http://9scape.com/2007/07/27/configuring-the-3dconnexion-spacenavigator-for-second-life/#comments Fri, 27 Jul 2007 23:23:44 +0000 admin devicesecondlifetechnologytutorialtutorials http://9scape.com/2007/07/27/configuring-the-3dconnexion-spacenavigator-for-second-life/ Finally, the SpaceNavigator works in Second Life with the SL Viewer Joystick Flycam function. Huh? What does this mean? Well, it’s possible to use the SpaceNavigator for more smooth camera control than using a mouse while filming machinima. Note that the SpaceNavigator doesn’t give you as much control as a mouse does, but the camera does pan more smoothly.

Runitai Linden wrote the controls for the Flycam feature and instructions for getting it to work with your SpaceNavigator can be found on the Second Life Wiki. To set to the Joystick Flycam config window you will first need to access the Client menu in the SL Viewer. If you don’t see it in the drop-down menu across the top of the window use the key combination CTRL+ALT+D and it should appear.

It took me a few tries to get my camera under control. After a combination of setting the Joystick Flycam settings according to the wiki, restarting the SL client, and re-enabling the Joystick Flycam feature I was able to get things working pretty well without causing the camera to spin wildly. If you happen to find yourself in a tailspin, simply hit the ESC key to return to your normal trailing camera view.

Don’t forget to check that you have a current version of the SpaceNavigator driver. The easiest way to do that is to use the Update Wizard installed with the 3Dconnexion software.

Happy panning/zooming.

Photo courtesy of Rev Dan Catt on Flickr

, , , , ]]> http://9scape.com/2007/07/27/configuring-the-3dconnexion-spacenavigator-for-second-life/feed/ Webcasts from the MIT Media Lab http://9scape.com/2007/07/18/webcasts-from-the-mit-media-lab/ http://9scape.com/2007/07/18/webcasts-from-the-mit-media-lab/#comments Thu, 19 Jul 2007 01:10:33 +0000 admin communityeducationidentitylearningmuvesecondlifevirtualwebcastworld http://9scape.com/2007/07/18/webcasts-from-the-mit-media-lab/ There are links on Bob Sutor’s blog to the webcasts from the Virtual Worlds: Where Business, Society, Technology & Policy Converge Conference, presented by IBM and the MIT Media Lab in June of this year. There are some interesting thoughts on how virtual worlds will change how we think of identity in the future.

While digging around on the Media Lab site I also discovered webcasts from the h2.0: new minds, new bodies, new identities symposium held on 09 May. There hasn’t been time yet to listen to them but I’m very intrigued by the description:

“A one-day symposium exploring the innovative research focused on human 2.0—the new science of human adaptability, hosted by John Hockenberry.”

, , , , , , , , ]]> http://9scape.com/2007/07/18/webcasts-from-the-mit-media-lab/feed/