tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26824128431525143572024-03-20T03:00:41.211-07:00Chic at Ebbe's PlaceSL 2.0 and the evolving metaverseChic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-5007229801227986862018-08-17T20:42:00.001-07:002018-08-18T04:56:43.609-07:00Three Weeks InSo it's been three weeks in Sansar now and I have had a great time and learned a lot but ready to come back to SL (not that I really left). I proved a few points and made a few waves (all good as stagnant isn't a great place to be) but ---<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">homemade hair and glasses</td></tr>
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I gave myself a month and it will be almost that by the time I get all that I have made up in the store. I don't expect to sell a lot right now but it is good for folks to have choices. And that was part of my plan.<br />
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I suspect I will return in a bit to see how things are going and maybe build another experience. December (if you aren't doing the advent calendars) is fairly calm. Maybe then.<br />
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I made my experience much like it would be in SL. That didn't sit well for some folks that are deeply enmeshed in PBR and Phong (different look to the graphics) but personally I feel like the only way Sansar will "make it" will be by appealing to a wider audience that VR. My site is made for the desktop folks and I am happy to state that. It seems like The Lab has figured that out also judging by some changes of late.<br />
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It is definitely a fun place to vacation for free and play and learn some new skills. No argument there.<br />
So venture over if you want a change of scenery.Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-60732313145936625532018-08-17T20:41:00.002-07:002018-08-17T20:41:13.100-07:00Ranch LifeA little tardy, I am posting this here -- a copy from the forums.<br />
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A bit over two weeks of working everyday (with lots of things already made of course for SL) and I have published my first experience.</div>
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I was a bit worried as we all know about those 30 minute downloads and no one (NO ONE) was willing to give any hints on "Best Practices" and downloads. Happily the site seems to have an average download speed of about 15 seconds which is pretty much unheard of in Sansar :D. So I am a happy gal. I learned a lot and definitely got my feet wet. </div>
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<a class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image" data-fileid="36389" data-ipslightbox-group="g98056" data-ipslightbox="" href="https://content.invisioncic.com/Mseclife/monthly_2018_08/1128149717_RanchLifeAtlaswithdarkborder.png.0d28bd97364a41ddb366dfd3659596f8.png" rel="" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin-bottom: 15px;"><img alt="648322448_RanchLifeAtlaswithdarkborder.thumb.png.789fdaeb548ed55b9b4ad3fbb24309e0.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" data-fileid="36389" src="https://content.invisioncic.com/Mseclife/monthly_2018_08/648322448_RanchLifeAtlaswithdarkborder.thumb.png.789fdaeb548ed55b9b4ad3fbb24309e0.png" style="border: 1px solid rgb(226, 226, 226); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 1px; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
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The mesh is made in Blender with Cycles textures (natch) which is definitely NOT the norm for Sansar. I has a different look than the other experiences I have visited, more dreamy (my environment setting probably has a bit to do with that). I pretty much used my SL knowledge of how to build a fast loading an unlaggy site -- and happily it worked. </div>
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So stop by and wander around if you are out and about. I am happy to answer any building questions. </div>
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RANCH LIFE (not sure if I am supposed to put in an "outside" link here but you should be able to find it -- or poke me). </div>
Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-17701138556106954542018-08-10T19:23:00.000-07:002018-08-10T19:23:33.562-07:00Two Weeks In<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<i>This copied from a post on the SL forums for Sansar folks.</i><br />
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I have been working in Sansar every day all day for two weeks now. My experience (mostly items I had made for SL or other platforms and updated) is almost complete. I have had a great time building and I love the look. </div>
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To answer <a contenteditable="false" data-ipshover-target="https://community.secondlife.com/profile/1480352-animats/?do=hovercard" data-ipshover="" data-mentionid="1480352" href="https://community.secondlife.com/profile/1480352-animats/" rel="" style="background: rgb(255, 125, 37); border-radius: 2px; box-sizing: border-box; color: white; display: inline-block; padding: 0px 5px;">@animats</a> question more fully now that I know more -- I do not believe Sansar is any easier for uploading mesh than Second Life. Indeed the uploader is picker in that any unused materials OR UV maps (just discovered that today) left in your file when you make your model to export will cause grave issues. </div>
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That's not a bad thing. It is easy to fix those issues in a few clicks once you know they are required. And adding those steps to my workflow will make my blender files neater for both platforms. It's nothing you would see in a finished product, but neatness is a good thing. </div>
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I have built my first experience much like I would build a quarter sim installation in SL. Sometimes the textures were a bit larger and I added normal maps to quite a few items, but all in all I wasn't trying for "new", just "prettier". And prettier it is all because of the atmosphere. Turn that off (availability in edit mode) and SL looks better - LOL.</div>
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In general I made my build with "game assets" in mind. I believe it will load quickly even for those with less than stellar download speeds. I won't know that for sure until published. I doubt I will redo it if it is slower than I would like --- other than turning off some normal maps perhaps. Either way it is a good benchmark as to what you can do for good loading times. </div>
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And that brings me to my biggest worry about Sansar -- and nothing new here. The loading times can be painful even with a 20mps connection (very good for my part of the world). I went to a much advertised privately built experience this afternoon as a test of the cache system which someone told me would make it difficult for me to actually KNOW how fast my experience would load.</div>
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I clicked on ENTER and waited. I waited TWELVE FULL MINUTES with the "loading assets" only half way done before I gave up and went out to water the garden. When I came back 20 minutes later I had arrived. To TEST (you know how I like to test) I exited the scene, closed the Sansar viewer and waiting a minute or two then logged in again directly to that experience thinking it would load faster. The bottom line? Well I waited twelve minutes again and then closed the viewer.</div>
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IF this doesn't get better, I can't see Sansar going too far. The official Sansar Studios sites I have visited load in about two minutes for me -- this with a couple of SL avatars on as well. That's fine. I can live with that. Some private experiences were in that same timeframe. They were small and not too exciting but at least I wasn't going out making breakfast and washing dishes while I waited to visit.</div>
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I guess it is no surprise that some folks are going overboard on "pretty" and yes the sim was pretty, just not worth waiting half an hour for. So MIDDLE GROUND. That's what I am going for. I am hoping (and I will likely put in a request) that LL might add icons on the "desktop friendly" quickly downloading experiences. If not, I can see folks coming in to try and leaving lickety slipt. Honestly I would NOT have waited all that time for the scene to open had I not been testing. </div>
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I am still spending my entire month of August over there. I have a ton of stuff to upload to the store (figured it would be better to have a link to see things as I always like to SEE things). I don't expect to sell a bunch now. I am there for the future, much like Kitely keeps sending me checks most weeks *wink*. </div>
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After that I will play with more hair and jewelry just for fun.</div>
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PS. think I figured out the problem with the house from hell upload -- a multiple UV map thing and the Sansar uploader takes the FIRST of your UVmaps and not the one USED and turned on --- so now I know and I will likely remake. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe not :D. </div>
Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-75486749525118158632018-08-03T17:09:00.000-07:002018-08-03T17:18:28.654-07:00Philosophy and Landforms - Day 6<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lUHm-kbMn81Fk2l1A6OmG44N-rwkauT6XhXZfdpn49n5qNsm6J46tkbL6GqULwtGBWNFk3lO8hZUvpfLaCelq9wdqsk8aeAC7BVIMfODQxQPqKsfodcC59PoEi6mgWQJocDz6whlC9c/s1600/shed+and+shack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="1400" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lUHm-kbMn81Fk2l1A6OmG44N-rwkauT6XhXZfdpn49n5qNsm6J46tkbL6GqULwtGBWNFk3lO8hZUvpfLaCelq9wdqsk8aeAC7BVIMfODQxQPqKsfodcC59PoEi6mgWQJocDz6whlC9c/s640/shed+and+shack.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Six days of work and research minus one day of redoing pivot points (sigh). Click for larger photo.</i></td></tr>
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I decided yesterday to slow down some. Redoing a dozen or more items albeit not completely was not on my fun things to do list. I typically charge forth and work frenetically on new projects. Sansar holds no difference.<br />
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So instead of completing my first experience in a week, I will take two -- or more; who knows.<br />
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One of the problems with all unpoliced platforms is that it is easy to go overboard. Too many tris, too many textures -- they add up and you get those long load times. For me, if that progress bar isn't moving along quickly, it's simply too long.<br />
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So far my experience is loading very quickly (I have a 20mbps connection which isn't super speedy these days and have three avatars on hanging around and working in two platforms).<br />
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I want to keep it that way. I am adding normal maps to the builds as they seem to work better here and since we have the power to set the environment to our liking -- unlike Windlight which we have no control over -- it works.<br />
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I am impressed with Sansar's look and the tech. The viewer updates automatically and often but it doesn't take long. I crash now and then but getting back on is quick and easy.<br />
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I am not thrilled (meaning I will likely not use it) with the move from a regular forum to Discord. It is busy and cluttered, difficult to follow and generally very testosterone centered with that 20 something vibe. I haven't found any help there although I have tried.<br />
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There is a spiffy little Diagnostics bar (shown optionally) that helps you keep track of your build.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbq9oMJgXYenh1yiCYsSXZZfe9r2gC35A6g3UwwEECKfXvCHeClkhatq6R_mVorxQSE7Lyki2v5fzZIn5QmqMwjixQ1MZQHD91EgyXUXUaBwTH8mw1JAeyfxNTdykaCB30sLxUVssc78/s1600/diagnostics.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="71" data-original-width="569" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbq9oMJgXYenh1yiCYsSXZZfe9r2gC35A6g3UwwEECKfXvCHeClkhatq6R_mVorxQSE7Lyki2v5fzZIn5QmqMwjixQ1MZQHD91EgyXUXUaBwTH8mw1JAeyfxNTdykaCB30sLxUVssc78/s1600/diagnostics.JPG" /></a></div>
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I used it today to watch the change in the build when I uploaded some quarter sim landforms. The default skybox templates are approximate a quarter sim SL area. You can apparently link to another "scene" but I am unclear at this point the difference between scene and experience and if the total prims and calls are for one section of the experience or all. </div>
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Doesn't matter. I am so not there yet!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwin7FTCxioaNgEh5UKF4v-g_4yLFKrzPbaZHRnihvhbO0WKAIPaNjgzyzmZwxgvBtIisP94UCmdHuFEaPc5eJJLfKJZd-CvwVzoARvzpOGeDcUUsLLJhzgpXtCKzTv7Ke8FlovcDAGJo/s1600/towet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwin7FTCxioaNgEh5UKF4v-g_4yLFKrzPbaZHRnihvhbO0WKAIPaNjgzyzmZwxgvBtIisP94UCmdHuFEaPc5eJJLfKJZd-CvwVzoARvzpOGeDcUUsLLJhzgpXtCKzTv7Ke8FlovcDAGJo/s1600/towet.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>very happy with the atmosphere and how the sky and hills seem to coexist in the same distance plane. </i></td></tr>
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Uploading an old quarter sim sized hilly area from Avination (don't even remember building it LOL; thank you SEARCH) I found it of course too heavy for my taste. It wasn't bad mind you but I wanted something bordering on low poly (that of course depends on one's definition).</div>
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After lots of testing and fiddling and lowering the vertices by a bunch I had a pretty good looking circle of mid distance hills. I watched the numbers on diagnostics as I uploaded different versions and ended up with one that only added 12 "prims"(?) to the mix. That would do nicely. It isn't perfect but it is the FEEL of the place that I am after. I don't need to see every speck of dirt or tiny crevasse. </div>
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Going back and forth between edit and building mode I noted that even though the diagnostics would lead one to believe there would just be a small change, it was taking longer. Not tons, but longer. This SEEMS to suggest that very large items will slow down the load time -- over smaller ones -- no matter how low poly.</div>
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I am pleased with the rate of my learning in Sansar. Most things that I am doing seem pretty natural now. </div>
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Here are a few other tips for those journeying over. </div>
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Of the things you need to think about if you are planning to upload to Sansar (currently -as we know things change) are:</div>
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The default skybox (the photo surround part of a build if you use that) is set VERY bright. So unless you are into blazing hot sunshine with washed out hues, you will want to turn that down.</div>
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Objects upload automatically with shine. This is called "roughness" for whatever reason. A small 2x2 or 8 x 8 graphic of plain blank white uploaded in that slot will fix the issue. Grayish will give you some shine --- etc. </div>
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I personally don't think it is a good idea o upload normal maps at full size. I cut mine to 25% most of the time and they still look good.<br />
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There are apparently issues with alphas. I haven't seen any on my uploads, but watch for that.<br />
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There are a variety of ways to upload the textures with your mesh. Standard works for most things. Some choices include alpha which you will need if you have any glass or similarly transparent area on your texture plane.<br />
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If you find yourself with your camera ALL messed up in Edit mode, DO NOT SAVE. :D; just exit Sansar. The position of your camera in edit is saved along with your scene. So leave your view in a somewhat reasonable position as you will be using it as a starting point on your next working visit.<br />
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If you are planning to sell on the Sansar Store then careful NAMING of both your file and mesh object are very important. Info on that in the knowledge base. You can edit the text and pictures in any listing but you can not update the mesh. So you need to make a new listing (presumably losing any good reviews).<br />
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Sure there are MANY more things that I am happy I now understand, but that's a start.<br />
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<br />Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-1795823269713443542018-08-02T20:48:00.001-07:002018-08-02T21:05:14.715-07:00One Step Back - Day 5<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpD6Q8H0tliP_8n3zP3nZ-1OTvnrhAMlinkVslSPzjbBip3nMvhteP_FumSUd7fricoEW6ZoZmVsMd1OMV_5zd7VCqckC84_2MTR71DoGaTjD05M_8NvBaQ3PdrcdJc7E3Wv9EMhCM40/s1600/day+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="782" data-original-width="1024" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpD6Q8H0tliP_8n3zP3nZ-1OTvnrhAMlinkVslSPzjbBip3nMvhteP_FumSUd7fricoEW6ZoZmVsMd1OMV_5zd7VCqckC84_2MTR71DoGaTjD05M_8NvBaQ3PdrcdJc7E3Wv9EMhCM40/s640/day+5.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>While you CAN move object around with the widget underground :D It only makes sense to set it for easy use inworld</i>. </td></tr>
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After so VERY many tries I returned my EDIT MODE (rules are different in each mode) viewscreen back to ground level. Oddly in order to get there I had to grab the screen with my left mouse button and drag the complete build seemingly towards me -- very slowly as it doesn't work all that well.<br />
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This may be something leftover from VR and before desktops were more in focus. Whatever the reasoning it is not the least bit intuitive (Really? Drag the screen towards you to move down to ground level?)<br />
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At least one navigation trigger on the official graphic available from the viewer entry screen seems to be very wrong -- I can't get anything at all to happen.<br />
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So I would say that all in all camera controls are the biggest issue for me. Day 5 and I think (THINK) I am good now. I can cam into a very tiny building around corners and such. But some hints along the way would have helped. This could likely be a deal-breaker for some folks.<br />
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The knowledge base is very informative but there are holes now and then, big ones.<br />
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I spent most of the day redoing my uploads. I had noted that my items rezzed with the movement widget in some very odd places -- like under the ground a long ways. I dealt with that thinking that it was just a "beta" thing. If there is any info on this --- especially in the creating mesh object info where it shoud be -- I somehow missed it on numerous readings.<br />
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So, for those of you that make mesh, in order to have the object rez properly on the ground with the "move me" widget on top of the mesh (oh so handy) you need to move your upload object to 0 0 0 before exporting. The PHYSICS model doens't want to be at 0 0 0 of course (well that's way too easy), you want it to be placed on top of the main mesh object. That unfortunately is not necessarily 0 0 0 placement (oh my).<br />
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Anyway a long and tedious day but everything is fixed. Hallelujah.<br />
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I also found out from my mentor that the reason I couldn't get shadows to shift by moving the sun (small arrows up in the sky that you can get to from the Scene Objects menu if you can't spot them) is because the skybox graphic is set WAY to brightly, hence the sun can't shine because it is already way too bright. I will work on that another day.<br />
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Tomorrow I plan to write out a list of important things content creators should know. I suspect that they are already on YouTube or whatever, but still ---<br />
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I am currently, as I type, baking a 2048 x 2048 graphic which takes a VERY long time (remember only one texture per mesh :D).<br />
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Rules change. We adapt.<br />
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Onward.<br />
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<br />Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-7867759917224279182018-08-01T15:42:00.004-07:002018-08-03T05:00:19.106-07:00LODs and ControlI have plenty to write about today but someone asked a question on the forums and I wrote a tome about the subject and more so taking the quick way out today and pasting that info in. It was a good question and deserves to be chronicled.<br />
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<blockquote class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic" data-ipsquote-contentcommentid="1776751" data-ipsquote-contentid="425676" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-timestamp="1533149279" data-ipsquote-userid="1480352" data-ipsquote-username="animats" data-ipsquote="" style="background: rgb(251, 251, 251); border-color: rgb(237, 237, 237) rgb(232, 232, 232) rgb(219, 219, 219) rgb(102, 102, 102); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 2px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #666666; font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 15px; position: relative;">
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<i>Now that you've been doing some building over there, could you please comment on the level of detail system? How much of the work do you do, and how much is done for you? Could we see your building at low-LOD? Thanks.</i></div>
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I can comment although my opinion may change as I get smarter. I have made and uploaded about a dozen things. Some jewelry (that vanity thing) and a home and decor set (new out today at a gacha :D) that will be my first "experience". </div>
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<a class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image" data-fileid="35590" data-ipslightbox-group="g29807" data-ipslightbox="" href="https://content.invisioncic.com/Mseclife/monthly_2018_08/image.png.6e5466ec62a09cf14995a3f194d8eb4c.png" rel="" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin-bottom: 15px;"><img alt="image.thumb.png.a33fd09e5886b246e95ca139229ed959.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" data-fileid="35590" src="https://content.invisioncic.com/Mseclife/monthly_2018_08/image.thumb.png.a33fd09e5886b246e95ca139229ed959.png" style="border: 1px solid rgb(226, 226, 226); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 1px; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
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This is what I am working on now. I am as far out in the default template as I can get. You can see everything that I have placed clearly including a small path light with lantern (you obviously can't see the lantern clearly as it is too far away).</div>
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Someone else (SL- Sansar - Cloud Party) mentioned LOD issues but I don't have any. I am guessing (mind you day 5 here) that the issue arises when someone uploads some heavy mesh (unfortunately that seems to plague Sansar too -- even at this early date). The uploader will try and optimize the mesh -- presumably so that a 4000 triangle stool doesn't upload at that obscene number <img alt="B|" data-emoticon="" height="20" src="https://content.invisioncic.com/Mseclife/emoticons/cool.png" srcset="//content.invisioncic.com/Mseclife/emoticons/cool@2x.png 2x" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" title="B|" width="20" />.</div>
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THAT could certainly cause issues. </div>
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I spotted that feature the first time I uploaded so I turned it off and it stays off unless you turn it on again. MIND YOU (that Universal you) I am FOR that feature. I make pretty low poly mesh, certainly lower than much of that produced in SL or likely Sansar from the screenshots I am seeing) -- not as low a ChinRey's of course, but still very low. </div>
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So, if youf topology is good and your mesh low density it doesn't seem like there is an issue. It uploads well. </div>
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<strike>On thing The Lab did in Sansar was to limit the texture loads. The largest png you can upload is 4096 which sounds huge and it is. But you can only upload<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;"> ONE texture per mesh object</span> (linksets can have more but they have their own issue of no physics (collision there) mesh. </strike><br />
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In fact while it IS a good idea to upload a single texture (fewer calls) you CAN use different textures for your items. THAT I figured out on day six and am fixing this post. So in reality that 4096 "could" be a good thing (one giant texture for an auditorium say with just one call) but it can also be used for CLARITY (OMG) causing framerates to plummet. </div>
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That's a GOOD thing I think but I am having to remap and sometimes rebake my mesh to get it there. If it is a simple object there would be no issues, but I didn't start out simply, I went for the challenging stuff first LOL.</div>
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I am not sure what happens to things on lower graphics settings (just of late (like the last update) you can lower you graphics settings to medium or low) but this seems to be a long time issue from comments that I hear so I am thinking that wouldn't change. </div>
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So YES, you do not declare your LODs on upload or make custom LOD models (I am well-known for avoid that anyway). Again, it all comes down to how well your topology was made for the object you are uploading. </div>
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You still need to upload physics models (optional but I do it on everything as I LIKE furniture you bump into and with no physics model - no bumping AND harder on the system). I am not sure if you need to align your physics model exactly to your mesh and apply location, rotation and scale but I have been doing it that way and successfully. You can SEE your physics easily in the editing choices by simply turning that on. Very handy.</div>
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So I really don't think it is any EASIER to make mesh in Sansar than SL. The rules are slightly different, but the basic rules of game asset mesh still apply --- as they would in any platform.</div>
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Hope that was useful info! </div>
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PS. That house and shed (one build) weighs in at 15 in SL so you know it is low poly. The landform which COULD be up to 5000 tris (I think it was tris) is 326 ^^. It uploaded super easily with no changes. I just attached a tiling texture (no tiling though) to it on upload. I may play around with that a bit later as there isn't a normal map (those work MUCH BETTER in SANSAR) and I could try a larger texture for finer detail. But still I was happy with it. Perfect physics and your feet turn at an angle to the slope (oh my). </div>
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PS2 (so much to say): According to the knowledge base LOD (I don't think it actually mentions LODs in the article) are made automatically dependent on SIZE AND COMPLEXITY (if I am remembering that correctly). Not exactly sure how that works at this point. My earrings in the photo are very very low poly mesh -- especially for earrings -- from Cloud Party (new textures) and I haven't noted them disappearing at any distance. </div>
Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-41494829788234807572018-07-31T20:20:00.000-07:002018-07-31T20:27:35.850-07:00Sunlight and Movement - Day 4<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaHxzVpGx_OXwOr852HKSdSGweuoDQgN92ZVf_uiAqw4k01tDfoyjDqL9tr0wfUaXBIqVTi0-jCylHc07TDh4essRt_Mt1WzyfsZIdXzRrlWTNTxYShkrPix7TOslx-seVerfjV9mc450/s1600/station+agent+shack+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaHxzVpGx_OXwOr852HKSdSGweuoDQgN92ZVf_uiAqw4k01tDfoyjDqL9tr0wfUaXBIqVTi0-jCylHc07TDh4essRt_Mt1WzyfsZIdXzRrlWTNTxYShkrPix7TOslx-seVerfjV9mc450/s1600/station+agent+shack+2.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>You won't believe ALL the steps needed to get this simple vendor photo. But I now have WORK FLOW --- the key. </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I am not planning on a long term diary here, but a chronicle of my first week seems doable.<br />
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It has been a decade since I had to learn how to move and cam in Second Life. Intellectually I remember the learning curve, but this week has brought those memories home in a visceral way.<br />
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The uploader looks daunting with lots of choices, but it was not nearly as hard to master as -- well, walking smoothly, teleporting ON PURPOSE and figuring out how to get a good camera angle.<br />
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Then there is the atmosphere (think Windlight that is not Windlight). I OH SO MUCH want to move that sun where I need it to be. Maybe there is a way or maybe that will come in time, but getting a good vendor photo is very difficult. That is easy to see really from the photos in the store. I get it. HARD.<br />
<br />
Eventually I found a workable work flow and along the way learned how to run -- by accident of course. I also appear to be the first one to sell a collision mesh (thinks physics model in SL) for a build that couldn't have one automatically. It ain't eloquent but it works and people can have their linkset and be able to bump into walls in a natural manner.<br />
<br />
So a very good day.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPqhF_B-U4XiB2IQdu9jGNQXLaqUIcCZejtBICKn1l1R0zAHCsStLTuiJ-U08NL_IuUff6oeG7wmBBUvk9fV7bPaFRNaxYiO61ZsZDIdxnUHWKENbTCIp62wC5u2ooQhWGBfQg1wt_Wvo/s1600/teleporting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPqhF_B-U4XiB2IQdu9jGNQXLaqUIcCZejtBICKn1l1R0zAHCsStLTuiJ-U08NL_IuUff6oeG7wmBBUvk9fV7bPaFRNaxYiO61ZsZDIdxnUHWKENbTCIp62wC5u2ooQhWGBfQg1wt_Wvo/s1600/teleporting.jpg" /></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Holding down the mouse wheel you can pan to find a place to teleport to -- then lift up and you are magically there! </i></td></tr>
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The atmosphere is more difficult to deal with as it seems to take its clues from the "skybox" surround that is a special 360 degree photo. They are impressive, no doubt but they seem to be more limited (right now anyway) than our hometown options with all the sliders.<br />
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I have one favorite experience with a lovely sky so I can copy that over when needed and of course I will likely learn more as time goes by. The movement controls (so very much NOT documented) are easier now and I can pan an shift and zoom fairly simply. Fairly I guess should be in quotes.<br />
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There are two separate modes in Sansar, one when you visit and experience and a different one when you work on your experience. The RULES of movement vary (well of course they do). I did find that in edit mode you can zoom in and cam to see details. That doesn't seem to be true in visitor mode. Hence vendor photos need to be taken while your coveralls are worn and hands and dirty.<br />
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So tomorrow I will work some more on my current experience and publish it soon!<br />
<br />Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-18356845204092510632018-07-30T21:52:00.001-07:002018-07-30T21:59:00.153-07:00Physics and All That Jazz - Day 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1Sk0LSoNaHzA-mOH0V0OhJv6OAMgyR6cDMm2tmcXsSj9DmOAUTzJAJAnqrpsB4TYfnbie14JDQebC-VPoVSL4v3qkPWOsFVxVkx-5D3Gg2RXWIhteSSLOCqNbpHi5N-_hVx8sYwq2og/s1600/station+agent+no+physics.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="908" data-original-width="1215" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1Sk0LSoNaHzA-mOH0V0OhJv6OAMgyR6cDMm2tmcXsSj9DmOAUTzJAJAnqrpsB4TYfnbie14JDQebC-VPoVSL4v3qkPWOsFVxVkx-5D3Gg2RXWIhteSSLOCqNbpHi5N-_hVx8sYwq2og/s640/station+agent+no+physics.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Today was a big project day with an attempt (successful) at uploading a building into Sansar. Since I hadn't made it with the Sansar rules in mind, I had a lot of remapping within Blender, but I like this little shack and wanted it in my new space.<br />
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I learned a LOT today about what you can and can't do with linksets. I also got a bit better at hopping around my scene via the mouse wheel teleport feature (a bit like double clicking in Firestorm).<br />
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Someone messaged me this morning wondering how I was doing in Sansar. She was in both SL and Sansar and had been in Cloud Party although I don't know if we were there at the same time. Lots of conversation and info which was welcome.<br />
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I joined Discord kicking and screaming (not a social media buff) simply because the Sansar forums are now on Discord. So that's where the action is and help when needed.<br />
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I basically worked things out on my own today; logic was the key. There are plenty of things that work well in Sansar and plenty of things that are missing -- like being able to link mesh pieces together (which would have solved my current problems :D). But patience is good and we will appreciate features when they become incorporated. My building in the top photo for instance looks great but has no physics since you cannot upload BOTH a linkset (needed since this wasn't a Sansar build and I had to improvise) and a collision model for the same object. So I will tackle that issue tomorrow. I have at least one idea. Sometimes ingenuity is all that is needed.<br />
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I have sold a couple of things on the store which is fun. I won't be getting rich this week, but still -- that made me smile. The Sansar store is very simplistic at the moment with only a few steps to list something. Photos need to be VERY basic with no text or anything distracting. 600 x 600 is the size.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL30GUvUJ4-NlKJH4K4NWjUjdCx5uwhODbcO4jyElWJwYDJ12dcjKMeBJgBapHYFqOVsKkDKKVClDfQyS5pizn7UVfMby6xVzCn_fLHkHNIGic8lJ-Z_MzpuWC-eypj-T0wEA1LizoD68/s1600/barrel+group+vendor.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL30GUvUJ4-NlKJH4K4NWjUjdCx5uwhODbcO4jyElWJwYDJ12dcjKMeBJgBapHYFqOVsKkDKKVClDfQyS5pizn7UVfMby6xVzCn_fLHkHNIGic8lJ-Z_MzpuWC-eypj-T0wEA1LizoD68/s1600/barrel+group+vendor.png" /></a></div>
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As mentioned by many folks, one of the high points of Sansar are the graphics. Normal maps look GOOD here and I am going to start adding them into my builds.<br />
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The UPLOADER is a dream come true. A little complex but all in one and your item comes into your inventory ready to go with absolutely nothing else to do but plop it down or send it to the store with a once click listing.<br />
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Navigation is still tricky for me but I AM getting better. There are ways I want the camera to move that doesn't seem possible, BUT I found some new angles today so maybe I will find more tomorrow.<br />
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<br />Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-88259705163739977392018-07-29T22:15:00.002-07:002018-07-29T22:15:59.819-07:00Day Two - Sky and Hills<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Day two began with an attempt to upload my Cloud Party hair of five years ago. I got the polycount low enough to upload but as I suspected hair needs to be rigged to upload and mine was not. I did upload it as an attachment but since you cannot go bald at the moment, that didn't work well. Not a biggie as it isn't wonderful hair. It would be nice to have a bald option though. I will put that on my wish list.<br />
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I did get some earrings uploaded (also from Cloud Party but with new Cycles textures) and placed as they should be, so I guess that attachments have been conquered. Ears, Glasses, Bracelet and Ring are the four spots you can attach to.<br />
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I did some exploring and checked out all the readymade templates which are impressive, did lots more reading in the knowledge base and made a banner for my Sansar store. A really big graphic, it was tricky to produce using my eight year old logo but I managed and it looks good.<br />
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The best part of the day was uploading my walkable hills. Landforms need to be under 5000 tris if I remember correctly, a big number anyway. Mine is 326 and 64 meters :D. The instructions said NOT to use your main object file as your physics mesh as the physics mesh needs to be low poly. Well mine is about as low poly as you can get so I used the same mesh and have perfect physics. A simple tiling texture (not tiled) looks great on the 64 meter pad.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0NQVjPicI5YxoPwVjyUMp3i-UId6ewjMNPSoDP03QeXap1XhDkJXIvyefAJsx5jmBR8KPIP3aTnrraKcFx3xqOvza7WFuMOUvwhcyQqbD2kzRmcrW0jNosP89sJuwy5iXPPkkA5ENxbc/s1600/sandy+hills+on+grid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0NQVjPicI5YxoPwVjyUMp3i-UId6ewjMNPSoDP03QeXap1XhDkJXIvyefAJsx5jmBR8KPIP3aTnrraKcFx3xqOvza7WFuMOUvwhcyQqbD2kzRmcrW0jNosP89sJuwy5iXPPkkA5ENxbc/s1600/sandy+hills+on+grid.jpg" /></a></div>
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And 64 meters is bigger in Sansar or seems that way as the avatars are smaller. My landform covers a huge area of the empty building pad. I am standing in the exact center of this screenshot but I am SO tiny you can't see me. <br />
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I also changed the atmosphere and that was fun until I went to save and it took an hour to bake. Now, that was my fault as I chose the "premium" resolution rather than standard. It is a REALLY pretty sky though. <br />
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I learned about "skyboxes" which are actually 360 degree long and narrow textures in a special format. Since you need specialized programs for those, I will need to buy one if I decide to use that feature.<br />
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I learned how to move things around better and teleport within the scene and a few other important things, so a very fruitful day.<br />
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I also made 25 Sansar dollars which is about 80 lindens :D. Poco a poco.<br />
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<br />Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-50255394278546411972018-07-28T21:59:00.002-07:002018-07-29T03:52:52.657-07:00Day One at Sansar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
It has been almost two years since I typed on this blog, one originally made to chronicle the growth of Sansar and then turned into a more universal metaverse theme.<br />
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I hadn't ventured over before because of the Creator Agreement. At the very beginning it was<b> <i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">OMG are you kidding?</span></i></b> and then later still not something I was comfortable agreeing to. But now BETA is in effect and also the simplifying of agreements thing has deleted a lot of lawyer-speak which is always a good thing.<br />
<br />
I spent most of the day at Sansar and accomplished some things. The default avatars, while not pretty have some fairly nice clothes and I found a super cute Pride Overalls item for free on the marketplace.<br />
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<img src="https://help.sansar.com/hc/user_images/EUSW3KsDI9PZQmjIOEGW8g.png" /><br />
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There were ups and downs and lots and lots of reading in the knowledge base. I got stuck with uploading an attachment that was to be a bracelet. A couple of folks have tried to find the issue but so far no go. "Things may have changed with the new custom avatars" was one comment. So hopefully my "h-e-l-p" note to support will have the missing info needed.<br />
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On the plus side I uploaded that bracelet SO MANY times I have the steps indelibly etched on my memory cells.<br />
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I did manage to get some crates uploaded. That seemed fitting as my tutorials always start with a crate. These were some of the first items I made in SL but they look pretty good. I have my vendor photo all done and plan to put them on the marketplace for free tomorrow. The bangle will get there whenever that gets solved.<br />
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Marketplace vendor photos rules have them very neat and clean -- and easy actually. This is a render and not an inworld shot as while I did get my atmospheric settings changed a bit, they are not good for inworld shots yet. I read through all the photo info and hopefully this will be OK. If not, I will find out :D.<br />
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I really like the uploader and while there were lots of tiny issues and much sleuthing, it was all manageable and I feel like a good day could be jotted down on the calendar.<br />
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I not too keen on the movement key bit but all in all it was easier than I expected.<br />
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Early in the wee hours of the the next day I finally got the bangles working. The skeleton had some issues and the transform needed to be cleared.<br />
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<br />Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-46977771302989803612016-09-03T19:17:00.003-07:002016-09-03T19:17:51.660-07:00Rising Platforms - Sansar and Sinewave.space<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/lindenlab/29257463782" title="Sansar Screenshot 4"><img alt="Sansar Screenshot 4" height="360" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8435/29257463782_d1ce964ff7_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
It's been almost a year since I have written on this blog.<br />
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In the beginning I thought it would be good to document the changes in the metasphere, especially those regarding Project Sansar (now Sansar). I also thought that it would be handy to have an existing blog should I want to chronicle my adventures in that new platform and later feature some content from other creators.<br />
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It's been fairly quiet on the "what's happening" front this last year and I have been busy with other things -- creating and such. But, <a href="https://www.sansar.com/" target="_blank"><b>Sansar</b></a> welcomed the first of the beta testers mid month with the opening still slated for the beginning of 2017. That's not too far off.<br />
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Meanwhile, mid September promises a new (updated) kid on the block with Space (<b><a href="http://sinewave.space/">sinewave.space</a></b>). I had forgotten about Space since I applied for early entry last year and found they were in alpha. I am not an alpha gal. Then last week I was contacted again about testing now that they are in beta. I opted out of that after some thinking and remembering that SIMPLE is my key word this year. A trip over to <a href="https://modemworld.me/2016/08/31/lab-confirms-sansars-title-and-issues-first-creator-preview-invites/#comment-52465" target="_blank"><b>Living in a Modem World</b></a> added some new info on Sansar and entries in the comments mentioned SPACE again.<br />
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Along that journey of exploration I ended up at the older version of SPACE (sine.space) where I managed to change clothes at least. Later I found the high resolution settings and changed my building textures, but somehow those screenshots are wandering around my hard drive, hiding. <br />
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It took me awhile to figure out that I wasn't in the NEW platform, but in its precursor (still open). This is good really and I learned a few things that will likely be helpful AND got a bit of insight that will appear later in this discussion.<br />
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MEANWHILE, <a href="https://plus.google.com/106115943375300299121/posts/YyQDSR1DDi8" target="_blank"><b>Opensim folks are talking about breaking away from the SL paradigm</b></a>. I can see plenty of problems with this but I will be very happy if the folks in the we want to do our own thing in our own way camp prove me wrong :D. <br />
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All this got me to thinking -- well, of course it did.<br />
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I was remembering <b><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5526552282139067842#overview/src=dashboard" target="_blank">Cloud Party</a></b> which I really loved. Both Sansar and SPACE appear to have some similarities to that gone but not forgotten platform. It will be extremely interesting from my point of view to discover the parallels and contrasts. <br />
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The SPACE website has more information than the Sansar website, but then again SPACE is almost open for the masses and Sansar has many months before that happens. Sansar's Flickr photos are beautifully lit and artistically taken, but as a blogger I know that great lighting and snazzy camera shots can make less than stellar items appear awe inspiring. For me, the fairly plain shots with more natural lighting and no depth a field are more welcome.<br />
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From the SPACE website, the avatars do not appear to have been upgraded much (or at all) from their sine.space predecessors. Sansar's avatars look better if not up to par with the popular Second Life mesh bodies and garments of today. That's really OK on both counts ------- as LONG as some talented content creators fill in the gaps.<br />
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The first thing I do when I get to a new grid or platform is get myself looking like "myself". Now that can mean quite a few things as each platform is different. Still, I don't want to look like I just came out of the pod -- even if no one else will be seeing me. I do not think I am alone.<br />
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There needs to be enough content (free of buyable) available so that perspective citizens can feel good about their looks. There needs to be something for folks to do and places to explore and meet and chat and dance and all that jazz. Quite a ways down the road comes the need for houses, furniture, landscaping and decor.<br />
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No one is going to be interested in making a home, if they look like an earlier version of their virtual self. So from a business standpoint, I will be assessing the likelihood of sales and possibly hanging out and doing my own thing and waiting for an opportune time. Or, I might decide that "now" is just as good as later. <br />
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As a content creator I am eagerly awaiting the expansive landmasses that are promised on both platforms. I am looking forward to new and improved tech (although I am quite happy with SL's current abilities). I want to see how my existing products will transfer over -- what new rules will be in effect and how I (we) can work with those rules to make the best products for that platform.<br />
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I have to admit that I am still thinking in Cloud Party terms, but I will be very happy to see improvement on that 2013 model. I am wondering if I can use my Cycles skills and still bake glorious textures (I'm not seeing anything in the photos that leads me to believe I can). It would be a shame to abandon those skills.<br />
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I will of course be checking out the new platforms, testing and seeing where I might fit in.<br />
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I'll keep you apprised. <br />
<br />Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-33678771396030368132015-10-08T21:26:00.000-07:002015-10-08T21:26:25.529-07:00State of the VR NationI have been thinking about writing this post for some time now. I am not thrilled to be writing it, but in some ways I feel like an historian -- so here goes.<br />
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Statistics show that closed grids (all closed grids including Mother SL) are in decline and OpenSim is gaining in popularity. A shift seems to be happening but along with that an overall decline in VR interest.<br />
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While I do believe in statistics, I also know that they can be manipulated to "say" just about anything one wants. So for me, a personal barometer is best.<br />
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Here is what I have seen this last month.<br />
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SL mainland continues its move into wasteland status. There are very few non-maintenance lands adjoining any of the mainland parcels I use. Large commercial multi-sim areas that used to be fully occupied are now two thirds to three quarters yellow (for sale) with no buyers in sight.<br />
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High profile designers that used to have full sims have opted for 1/8th or smaller plots for their new stores. Some of this is due to the popularity of venue shopping; folks typically by at events or on the Marketplace these days. There are some exceptions who market their virtual brick and mortor stores well, but in general the inworld shopping experience is not the same as it was five years ago.<br />
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I have noticed -- this month in particular -- a lot of designers joining new venues that were previously not part of their marketing plan. I am wondering why the mass interest.<br />
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On a personal level, my sales are down a bit but fairly good considering the current state of affairs. I sell niche products however, many things that aren't available from others. So my retail gauge isn't really a fair one. BUT, it is very obvious that my design blog views are way down from the beginning of last summer -- over 33% I would say and that is a lot. The feeds that post their statistics have dismal numbers, some of the top bloggers have gone to one post a week; readership I am guessing is down overall.<br />
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Does this all both me? You betcha. This is not what I want to see. I have been in a handful of worlds on the steep decline slope -- some of which are no longer. They were good platforms, but they couldn't get and keep enough growth momentum.<br />
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I am not sure there is an answer, a magic pill that will solve the problems.<br />
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Over on Opensim there is a fairly noteworthy schism burgeoning. The "commerce" grids want more protection for their creators. The "free meta" sims want to protect old, free, pass along content. Having both sides happy is going to be tricky. Many are worried that an even wider rift will appear between the money and no-money camps.<br />
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After talking to quite a few folks that know much more than I, it seems unlikely the plans will come to fruition. There are just too many things that need to happen and some are in direct contrast to the needs and rights of others. So while folks are flocking to the $5 and $10 a month sims that are almost like SL, paradise is not without its issues.<br />
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Now there are lots of new platforms on the horizon. So far none has beckoned loudly enough to get my attention. I am sure they will each find their own followers, but replacing SL is going to be a tough act to follow.<br />
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As I write those words I find that I am not terribly convinced that replacement will happen. Even with a glorious new platform (it seems pretty obvious by now that we aren't talking "world" but indeed something more akin to a VR ISP) I am not really convinced that SL will die. To many people with too much invested -- both years and money -- will be hard to smother under the blanket of the new flavor of the month.<br />
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The next year may be one of the most important in VR history as new platforms open and population shifts occur, but looking at the number of mesh bodies and heads being sold in SL, I don't think too many folks are planning on jumping ship. <br />
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<br />Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-5862800171836614392015-09-23T13:38:00.000-07:002015-09-23T13:38:12.246-07:00A Divided Opensim - Export Filters<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMBBYcUJXi-bh8XKOub7ti1Sbyxm-7bkq9WOKo821MGLNy5-o4iU1V-MH2nk3QsMHyc8CFA5SCg9BKk59uavTu3Uw9Lkb4lJsj9kyLwolOWnpCs0oFggYN4K3Wwvx9LuBDUa2QGkmKsI/s1600/kitelymarket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMBBYcUJXi-bh8XKOub7ti1Sbyxm-7bkq9WOKo821MGLNy5-o4iU1V-MH2nk3QsMHyc8CFA5SCg9BKk59uavTu3Uw9Lkb4lJsj9kyLwolOWnpCs0oFggYN4K3Wwvx9LuBDUa2QGkmKsI/s1600/kitelymarket.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitely Chic in exportable outfit at the first Kitely Merchant Fair opening mid October.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Free versus commercial. Export or no? Content creators rights. Freedom.<br />
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There have been lengthy conversations going on in Opensim this week (links to posts at the bottom of this entry). Retailers, mostly of the newcomer variety, want more protection for their products. Those who have adopted the "free meta" version of Opensim worry that a huge (really huge) amount of free and transferable goods will no longer be in the public domain.<br />
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Many feel that Opensim may be on the verge of a schism.<br />
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For those of you not familiar with Opensim worlds, they include closed commercial grids such as Inworldz, free meta worlds such as Metropolis -- and many models in between. Opensim also includes private grids only accessible to groups or individuals, not open to the public.<br />
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Some grids are connected via a hypergrid, so that on a good day you can teleport via landmark to a large variety of sims and vars (larger than sims) as easily as if you were on the same grid. Simplistically? It is a bit like a long distance phone call or Skype. Aside from money and some items not being available, it is much like you just walked down the street to a neighbor's house.<br />
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This inner-connectivity opens up the possibilities of <b><a href="https://plus.google.com/+LaPisceanLiberty/posts/dNHK2bMLxiG" target="_blank">collaboration between artists and creators on various grids</a>. </b><br />
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Balancing the wonderful creative possibilities the hypergrid enables, there is a dark side. It is very easy to steal work, change permissions and rename the creator of items.<br />
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That brings us to now. <br />
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<br />
<br />
I am sure most of you aren't astrology buffs, but there are some interesting energies afoot which became more obvious last weekend.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i> ... a combination of tension and working out of certain issues ...</i><br />
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<i>This can be a destructive cycle and it can also place emphasis on creating solutions to problems that seem intractable. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>... the result of action or the choice not to act ...</i><br />
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<i>It’s a reminder that something is not true merely because you believe
it. It’s a reminder to answer the question, “Where’s your data?”</i><br />
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Quotes from <a href="http://members.planetwaves.net/where-ideas-meet-ideals-saturn-in-sagittarius/" target="_blank">Eric Francis: Where Ideas Meet Ideals</a> (membership material, but free to read a few articles). This is a long and technical but extremely good article. If you skip through the planetary material and just read the "outcome" of the energies, it will likely give you some insights.<br />
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I have been in VR for nine years now. I have lived, made art, and set up shops on a dozen platforms. Grids have booms and busts and now and then resurrections. The grid owner and citizens decide (sometimes peacefully, sometimes not) the future of the grid. Even the biggest grids have changed policies when faced with an overwhelming outcry from the populous. Other times, owners make the rules and those living on the platforms cope or leave.<br />
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It has been a heated time. Fingers have been pointed; lies have been told. It is difficult to see the other side of the issue -- the one that you do not accept as "correct".<br />
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I am in the leave things alone camp for several reasons. I have lived and sold in enough closed grids (and adding export filters so that items cannot leave the grid makes it difficult at best to hypergrid) to have watched them decline. Items may be better protected, but there are also fewer sales -- in essence from those that plan to use the product only on the grid where it is sold and never venture outside the grid.<br />
<br />
To be fair, creators will in theory have the ability to update their items and choose if they want to sell things that can still be exported. Generally, from people's comments, those asking for protection will not be selling exportable items -- at least not in the near future. Those that have gifts they want to export to the free meta will need to mark those items as such. <br />
<br />
What I have watched in the past on many grids seems likely to repeat. Some new, often mentioned as "better", creators come to various protected grids and set up shop. They sell things for awhile and then when they have sold to the resident population of those actually living on the grid, sales drop.<br />
<br />
Most of these "better" creators do not make a home on the grids; they simply leave their items and go back to the big grids. There is a short time when an influx of new folks make accounts and perhaps buy land. It DOES give the citizens of that grid the ability to buy from a larger variety of items. It does not typically enhance the general well-being of the grid.<br />
<br />
One of the biggest worries which as of this writing has not been addressed is what will happen to the myriad of freely giving to the metaverse items that float around hypergrid enabled Opensim. It appears it will break all that content, making it no longer "pass along" as it was intended to be.<br />
<br />
The closed commercial Opensim grids have been in decline for some time now. Some have recently shared their code and others have offered to share their code. This could be simply a magnanimous gesture, or it could be that they are looking for a way that would let them comfortably join the larger and definitely growing hypergrid community.<br />
<br />
I am stepping back and watching for awhile. Money has been raised to implement this new code. As of this writing it appears that when completed and working it will be added to at least some grids.<br />
<br />
How much this will divide the metaverse is the question of the season. <br />
<br />
<i> </i> <br />
<br />
DigiWorldz spearheads fundraising for export permissions fix:<br />
<a href="https://plus.google.com/106115943375300299121/posts/GqkLfAP3Yaw" target="_blank">https://plus.google.com/106115943375300299121/posts/GqkLfAP3Yaw </a><br />
<br />
Call for Crowdfunding:<br />
<a href="https://plus.google.com/116282894634212418726/posts/3qaKV7gzePZ" target="_blank">https://plus.google.com/116282894634212418726/posts/3qaKV7gzePZ</a><br />
<br />
New Record Highs for Opensim:<br />
<a href="https://plus.google.com/106115943375300299121/posts/MqBLkJppiN5" target="_blank">https://plus.google.com/106115943375300299121/posts/MqBLkJppiN5</a><br />
<br />
GCG to Filter Exports:<br />
<a href="https://plus.google.com/100190052320604204973/posts/CBfKo9TLSQc" target="_blank">https://plus.google.com/100190052320604204973/posts/CBfKo9TLSQc</a><br />
<br />
Avination donates code to Opensim:<br />
<a href="https://plus.google.com/115311229738787874690/posts/J88yEdqu6xK" target="_blank">https://plus.google.com/115311229738787874690/posts/J88yEdqu6xK</a><br />
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<br />Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-68107901975421128892015-09-07T07:45:00.000-07:002015-09-07T07:45:36.775-07:00sinewave.spaceA busy but tenuous week with my computer always on now as the hard drive is on death's door. With a new be-still-my-beating-heart machine at the order desk, I have been blogging ahead at Phil's Place "just in case". With some group filming done (you'll here more about that later - not my story to tell) a sigh of relief was heard by all.<br />
<br />
Enter Virtual Open Google Group, +Inara Pey *wink* and <a href="http://sinewave.space/"><b>sinewave.space</b></a> (really a great name). Note that "space" is a domain extension. So many of them now, but this does seem fitting.<br />
<br />
Seemingly on the same wavelength (yes, a pun) as Sansar, Sinewave is opening for experienced creators now and further along the timeline towards opening.<br />
<br />
Once my new computer arrives I will be journeying over on yet another adventure --- and you know how I like those. And of course I will keep you informed as much as I can.<br />
<br />
I was thinking lately -- WAY back to when the web was new. For those of you too young to remember that time, there was a browser war going on. I was in the Netscape camp and very active on the web as a designer. Back then, you most often were greeted with a notice on the entry page of a website. "Best viewed in IE2", "Please use Netscape 3 to see these pages as intended" etc. It was messy.<br />
<br />
With so many contenders out there for the next generation of the web, it will be interesting to see who wins the biggest piece of the pie. But, as I wrote in a comment on Virtual Open last night, the public is really the winner as we are being given a choice. And choice is GOOD. Some will find a place to call home and settle in. Some will be vagabonds flitting from place to place and enjoying them all.<br />
<br />
I am guessing you know which camp "I" fit into.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://modemworld.me/2015/09/06/sinewave-space-a-further-contender-for-virtual-spaces/"><b>See the Living in a Modem World post here. </b></a><br />
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<br />Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-91714499703161548982015-08-26T16:31:00.000-07:002015-08-26T16:35:41.220-07:00The New Marketplace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What's a girl to do when frustration gets overwhelming? Well put on her skimpiest bikini and get in a little beach time.<br />
<br />
It started a couple of days ago when I read that a merchant had their store deleted during the upload process of the new marketplace.<br />
<br />
Now I was looking forward to the new and improved market. Admittedly, marketplace listing is at the bottom of my fun to do list in the retailer area, right above "networking" which I simply do not do. But still, improvements are good and I could see in part the wisdom of having store inventory kept in databases of the shop owners. Well it seemed like a good idea.<br />
<br />
Then I found out that a friend of mine who I work with sometimes had his store corrupted somehow. Now he cannot delete unlisted items (maybe he never could, I don't know if that is a feature or not) OR upload anything new (now that's a biggie). His numerous existing items seem to be OK -- at least for now.<br />
<br />
He is of course not happy and had that "leaving the building look" in his eye (OK, it was an IM but you get my drift). So he is taking a break in hopes that they fix things. Support was of no help. Many of us have been there before :D.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, I have been working my key combo fingers to the bone in Blender making a cycles rendered skybox -- not a simple thing and at the fineness of my renders it takes 40 minutes to process with many tries to get what I want. Lesson learned there -- well part way through and it was learned, but I am a stubborn gal and so I finished with many house cleaning breaks while Blender looked at numerous light sources and various textures in an attempt to be real.<br />
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I got my skybox finished and up on the Kitely Market in OpenSim. I had already tested much of the build in SL on the beta grid and even had most of the SL physics correct (First try! I was so happy). Planning to upload and use in SL and put in my store ...<br />
<br />
And here I am today.<br />
<br />
Do I want to take the chance of losing my 100 items store (for awhile most likely but awhile translates into dollars) OR the ability to upload items (again maybe short term, maybe not so short).<br />
<br />
A long time friend of mine of real world status who has been working in e-commerce backends from the beginning of e-commerce explained that the "live" nature of the market while pretty impressive makes it also very difficult to -- well "fix" works in layman's terms.<br />
<br />
Indeed my market store friend with the issues received continuous emails (many pages worth deleted) of "unlisted due to failed delivery" messages even after reporting -- and he apparently has marketplace notifications off. I don't want to deal with that either.<br />
<br />
Since I believe that stumbling blocks often offer opportunities I tried to look at the last few days in that light. So what could I do if I was unwilling to take a chance with the current state of affairs?<br />
<br />
Well I could, it seems, make a new account and upload things that way. I couldn't find anything saying that was against the rules although it might be in there somewhere. Could I have my alt (already with payment info on file and mesh upload certified) make a store? Much easier.<br />
<br />
Well NO, apparently not. She could not get the website to accept her acceptance of the marketplace terms. There is also a note on the marketplace front page stating that the viewer based browser won't finalize orders for some folks -- so apparently website problems. <br />
<br />
I could ask my RL ex to make a store (he has my RL credit card so that is about as trusting as ya get), but I didn't want to drag him into all this -- and what is to say he would have better luck making a store? I could possibly partner with a good friend who already has a store (although empty at the moment) and give her part of the profits for uploading hassles.<br />
<br />
None of these options are making me want to do a song and dance.<br />
<br />
Now I know there are always issues when a big change occurs. I know databases are often problematic; I have certainly lost plenty of virtual things over the years due to there quixotic nature. But in the back of my mind I kinda feel like the SL folks are being used as beta testers. Is this leading to the improved Sansar Marketplace?<br />
<br />
There seem to be many good changes, but at least in the old days a store owner could often fix their issues. With this new model, most of the power is with the tech folks running the show. I am not sure if I like the trade off.<br />
<br />
So, after a very long day and lots of thinking, I guess my plan is simply to do nothing so far as the Marketplace goes. I have noted lately that a lot of the big name folks are NOT on the market -- or are not uploading anything new. This was before the changes, so not due to that. Maybe it is the percentage deducted? I have no issue with that; the Marketplace is a service after all. Maybe the just don't like the extra hassle? Well I really get that one.<br />
<br />
Perhaps taking a step back to when shopping was inworld wouldn't be such a bad thing. There was a certain charm there. Exploring. Experiencing.<br />
<br />
And so ends my very long and frustrated musing of the day. May the issue rectify themselves soon. <br />
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<br />Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-62937853055468334532015-08-18T20:22:00.003-07:002015-08-18T20:22:49.737-07:00A Comment on a comment - SL versus OSJust for myself mostly, I wanted to repost (save) a comment I made on the blog of someone newly exploring Opensim. Over ten years old in SL, she does have some background in VR. She visited Inworldz and now Kitely, but has yet to actually discover what Opensim and the hypergrid is all about. *wink*<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Talla pretty much said it all. In my experience CURRENTLY Kitely is a much better choice than IW. From all accounts and the folks that I talk to still in IW (and login statistics) like most or all closed commercial grids, IW is in decline. SL is too of course, but it is so big and with THE BEST content creators that slow decline doesn't count for all that much.<br /><br />Most of us have been where you are, trying out worlds. The thing that may take you some time to understand is that the hypergrid OS "is" in many ways the equivalent of a grid such as SL. So while there may not be that many folks in Kitely, there is the WHOLE hypergrid that is actually part of your world. Things are very different here and there is no way to grasp that in a few weeks. <br /><br />IW has very little to do with OpenSim even though it is technically part of it due to the platform. They have a model much like SL only cheaper. That worked for a long while, but now there is plenty of evidence that shows the hypergrid is the growing part of the metaverse.<br /><br />Time will tell. I was in the alpha program at Hi Fidelity but there are MAJOR issues for content creators there that don't seem to be on the docket for change. That means it will be the hobbiest creators that make up the world. That isn't a bad thing, just that I don't see that we should expect top notch SL content there. When I was there briefly, well known designers were leaving in mass simply because publishing content there was much like giving it to the world (there is that issue in OpenSim in general also so I am not saying OS is better than HiFi in that regard *wink*). <br /><br />From all that I can tell, the studies I have done and people I have talked to. Sansar will be very different from SL. For some it will work, for others not. The same for Hi Fidelity. Honestly at this point, I don't see any clear winner. They all have their pluses and minuses and it will depend on the individual which one fits the best. <br /><br />And I don't see SL going away any time soon -- even five years as you say. Too many folks have too much invested and The Lab is doing a good job keeping things current and making improvements. True, it is old architecture, but it is amazing what folks on their own have figured out to make it as good as it can be. With my Maitreya body and Lelutka head, I look DAMN good *wink*. I am not sure what my inventory is worth at the moment but it could easily be $10,000 US and I have thrown about five times that or more away (I have been blogging for eight years). It would take a lot for me to abandon all that goodness. <br /><br />I love OpenSim for what it is. Free. Easy. Less drama. Creative. Sharing. It will never REPLACE SL for me. It is a different world with a different draw. I think there is room for both. </blockquote>
Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-1182770659680199442015-08-11T11:13:00.001-07:002015-08-11T11:23:09.482-07:00VR - A Look Mid YearThere is plenty to say about the trends in virtual reality this year, but as a friend of mine stated the other day, "we won't really know who the winners are for a couple of years." I think he is correct with that summation.<br />
<br />
With two new contenders in the wings, one with plans fairly well stated, the other a little more vague -- there will be possibilities. Hopefully everyone can find their perfect home.<br />
<br />
Hi Fidelity seems to be geared for the stated theme of the "3D web" with freedom being a big part of the equation. Sansar (SL 2.0) appears to have the content creator's safety as a high concern and will likely appeal to some of the big time designers. We can't really say how the platforms will unfold at this point; even those etched in concrete plans can take detours along the roadway to a completed project.<br />
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We CAN say that OpenSim is growing by leaps and bounds, both land and residents. The almost free nature of that platform has much to do with the popularity. Creation is mostly for fun and while there are a few lovely builds, much of the content is made for enjoyment rather than monetary gain. The big gun designers will not be journeying over any time soon IMHO, the citizens in general aren't the same addicted buyers that Second Life hosts -- they mostly build themselves or make do.<br />
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Second Life, still in steady but VERY slow decline seems to be having a very lazy summer. I honestly can't remember such a yawn-y one :D. That may just be my world, but I hear it from others and it isn't JUST Second Life -- it seems to be all or most VR worlds.<br />
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My business is quite good "for summer" -- especially since I gave up my demo area last month. But I sell "niche" in The Lab's domain. More mainstream designers seem to be feeling those summer woes. To either compensate or cope, some have upped their releases and event appearances -- others have taken August off. <br />
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Still, conversation on the SL forums is way down and events less often (or at least publicized less often). Some role play areas are doing exceptionally well with sims close to busting at times, but they seem to be the exception. It is all subjective of course. Some folks may be in their busiest August ever, building new sims or stores or creating art. My little corner of the world might simply be out of sync with others.<br />
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Back in the OpenSim camp, the big revelation this year was the embracing of hypergrid enabled (open) grids over closed commercial grids. Those based more on the SL model have been in marked decline -- generally speaking. Inworldz took a big hit this late Spring when the private marketplace, Inbiz, went down. Research hasn't found any info about the missing owner; I only have forums and resident input to go on. I lost money, but not much. Others who did not regularly take their Izzies out could have lost a substantial amount. <br />
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A new market is planned and underway and you can read about it on this thread. http://inworldz.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=21026&start=60 I won't be taking part. From all I know Wolf Hartnell is a very upstanding and honest man and my dealings with him were always pleasant and businesslike, but the process is too much energy expenditure for too little rewards. This whole issue points out how tenuous resident owned business can be -- on any grid. To me, it does seem safer when the marketplace is owned by the grid company as in Second Life or Kitely. <br />
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It will be interesting to see how the established worlds hold their own against the newcomers. I am thinking they might do quite well. There is something comforting about that well-worn and comfy velour shirt -- that one you just CAN'T seem to give up *wink*. <br />
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<br />Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-31987083033527037662015-08-08T08:43:00.000-07:002015-08-08T17:18:22.198-07:00Ebbe Speaks on Sansar <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kZA07duRir_Dgxy0kISoit654nJ0k_IWX2Sr-0V8gJkuhL-1irD-NRsmggtzrTk_lgRWBPKgnoqSbw6VfzZ3HDqc1GytBdKKGCJTMK0_mX8u2YGwNL_Em6teT0_zclHALoCWwTSZ8CU/s1600/maya.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="50" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kZA07duRir_Dgxy0kISoit654nJ0k_IWX2Sr-0V8gJkuhL-1irD-NRsmggtzrTk_lgRWBPKgnoqSbw6VfzZ3HDqc1GytBdKKGCJTMK0_mX8u2YGwNL_Em6teT0_zclHALoCWwTSZ8CU/s400/maya.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">screenshot from the autodesk.com website</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.slartist.com/discussing-project-sansar-with-second-life-ceo-ebbe-altberg_efb2dfbd5.html" target="_blank"><b>In a recent video Ebbe talks more about Project Sansar</b></a>. There were a few tiny new breadcrumbs of news as well as some reiteration of previously revealed behind the scenes info. Things still seem to be a year away for the general public folks with some handpicked intrepid testers joining the team soon.<br />
<br />
A few snippets of conversation seemed to be contradictory, but then we are looking in from the outside. The theme <i>more of a platform - less of a world</i> was echoed once more.<br />
<br />
What interested me most as a content creator was a passing comment about building in Maya and publishing directly into Sansar. This said alongside a comment about making the creation process easier. Seemingly a dichotomy? Again, difficult to say from our outsider perspective.<br />
<br />
In earlier reports Blender and other 3D softwares were to be supported eventually and hopefully this is still true. If not, the creator base will definitely be shifted. <br />
<br />
I looked up the cost of Maya. I have no plans to learn or purchase, but as I remembered the price was a hefty one. The license fee software will only be a monthly or quarterly charge in the future ($123 a month currently) with no perpetual license available. <br />
<br />
That means instead of paying high prices for land, content creators might be spending that money in order to access the tools needed for Sansar. A larger cut of sales will be going towards paying for the platform; that seems to be a certainty as the plan is repeated often.<br />
<br />
There was no longer a mention of tools for inworld building, but could there possibly be an integration with Maya for inworld use? That would level the playing field just a bit. At the moment it is the only answer I can come up with that blends the revealed parts of the puzzle. <br />
<br />
In the meantime I will just be working on my Blender skills, content with the VR worlds I presently call home. <br />
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<br />Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-13508077255886742015-07-31T23:32:00.001-07:002015-08-01T07:24:57.447-07:00Linden Labs Adds Adventure to SL 1.0 witih Paleoquest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><a href="http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Portal%20Park%201/133/119/23/" target="_blank">Paleoquest</a></b>, the new Linden Game opened yesterday. <a href="http://chicatphilsplace.blogspot.com/2015/07/paleoquest-beginners-guide.html" target="_blank"><b>See my report here. </b></a><br />
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There is plenty of adventure to be had in the five area theme park where you can win prizes and earn lindens. This isn't a new folks game in the theme of the Realms; it takes both skill and wits to complete the quests. <b> </b>I have to smile as I type those words; they reflect an assumption only since Lani's skills weren't quite good enough to grab the golden mask from the nest in the premier challenge.<br />
<br />
There are quite a few additions to this game that slow down adventurer's progress. Making the long trek to the monorail stop is one. The monorail time schedule is another. Once you reach Quest One there are brief pauses while you wait for dangers to pass and it appears that the quest object will have a time period to appear once it is grabbed by a lucky gamer.<br />
<br />
<strike>No matter how many hours you put in practicing, you can only pass one quest per week and quests must be passed before you can collect quest objects (in Quest One these are dinosaur eggs of various sizes). </strike> See the comment someone left on the review post (linked above). So The Lab is in some ways limiting -- or actually slowing down -- the amount of money paid out. It was not clear from the literature if you could repeat the quests once you had completed them (note: yes weekly but you need to complete all five; so not clear in video :D ), of it would be like Linden Realms where once you get all the canons afiring, that part of the game is over. <br />
<br />
This opening follows the rollout of the new inventory based marketplace model. That makes two BIG new additions to SL 1.0 in a week. Not bad, and a good sign that The Lab isn't forgetting about its flagship product.<br />
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<br />Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-52840933979158243702015-07-29T22:50:00.001-07:002015-07-29T22:50:45.678-07:00That Cart Before the Horse ThingThe viewer managed marketplace migrated today. Happily after the last big marketplace change and subsequent outcry, The Lab in its wisdom decided to do the work for the merchants -- this time. Hopefully this went smoothly; I haven't really checked, but I sold about the normal amount of goods today so I am guess that I at least am good.<br />
<br />
But, there is of course a "but". The new method has been put in use, but there is no official SL viewer with the ability to add new products, only a release candidate. Firestorm, leader of the third party viewers, announced that their devs are working to get the code integrated into their viewer, but you have to HAVE the code before you can integrate the code. <br />
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It looks like this new method may be a positive change. There are echos of the Kitely Market method which works nicely. But it SEEMS like it might have been a better move to have a (non-beta) viewer out and the code sent to developers to -- well develop, before switching over. As it is, some folks will be waiting awhile to add new products. <br />
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But after all it is mid summer -- and the living is lazy. <br />
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<br />Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-2585359883136969672015-07-21T21:11:00.002-07:002015-07-21T21:14:19.168-07:00That OTHER Grid - Well, GridsI haven't written on this blog in ages simply because there doesn't seem to be much news about the new world. The official reports are repeats of earlier revelations - nothing more.<br />
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Select Alpha testing is supposed to begin in August last I heard. And as I dutifully checked for any news releases or even rumors about the as yet not officially named grid, I find that like me -- no ones knows much.<br />
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Interviews rehashing the same info really don't count. <br />
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And, I am wondering if this no news policy is a good thing. Most of the folks that I know are in a 'ho hum - well we'll see when it happens' frame of mine. Originally that was supposed to be 2015 (for beta) with an all's hunky dory green light in 2016. OK. We are a patient bunch.<br />
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We have our new mesh bodies (well lots of gals do anyway) and many bright and pretty shinnies to keep us enthralled. When there is NO news at all? People kinda tend to lose interest. I am not sure that is the best plan.<br />
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Originally we were told that our mesh would port over. Later we found out there will be a proprietary file format conversion AND a different type of 3D file. This isn't boding well for "instant gratification".<br />
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Meanwhile, SL is reportedly in " slow decline" (<a href="https://danielvoyager.wordpress.com/category/sl-grid-status/" target="_blank"><b>one site with statistics is Daniel Voyager's blog</b></a>). According to the records, the downward trend is indeed gradual, but it is steadily downward and has been that way for a very long while. While the economy still seems to be strong, my mainland lots are almost completely surrounded by "maintenance land of Governor Linden". That makes for a nicer experience for ME, but tells a tale of the interest in land.<br />
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Long, long ago (maybe six years?) a friend of mine bought a couple of 512 lots on the mainland ocean. She paid 20,000 for one lot and 16,000 for the other. She sold them a few months later for a profit. I am currently renting a MUCH larger lot on the water in a lovely neighborhood with over 500 prims for basically a linden a prim per week. Things have definitely changed in the land department.<br />
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So does that mean that virtual reality is in a decline? <br />
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Nope, it does not. OpenSim (a collection of grids based on the SL like experience) has doubled its size in the last year. Now OS is not for everyone. There are no mesh bodies (although I found a very nice mesh HEAD today on the Kitely Market). Content ranges from "the good old days" to some fairly nice items, but nothing like the top content creators in SL produce. SL is the King of Content; I doubt anyone would argue with that statement.<br />
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BUT, for folks wanting to party and visit and "play house or store owner", OS is a perfect match. There are plenty of free places to move into (I have a quarter sim in a very posh estate (16 sims) in Kitely -- gratis. I also have a full sim on the Great Canadian Grid ($5 - $10 a month depending when you purchased -- and there IS no purchase price, just tier).<br />
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So for artists especially who just want to create (no upload costs) OS is a perfect match. There are writer's groups and weekly get together tours. There is the ability to visit thousands of sims via the <a href="http://www.slartist.com/hypergrid-traveling_52b6b1bcb.html" target="_blank"><b>hypergrid</b></a> (much like teleporting to another sim with a little bit of trickiness involved).<br />
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So you give up some of the pretties for almost free status. OS isn't quite as techie or smooth running. Not all SL scripts will work, sometimes there are "issues". But all in all it is MUCH like living in Second Life.<br />
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So as The Lab keeps quiet about what the future holds in regards to the new world, folks are moving to OpenSim. I know the newcomers are from SL and Inworldz because they are very upfront about their history. Many are like kids in a candy store with the free uploads and almost free sim costs. They are having fun.<br />
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Not all will stay of course, but there is no doubt that OpenSim is growing (<a href="http://www.hypergridbusiness.com/2015/07/land-traffic-drop-with-summer-heat/" target="_blank"><b>chart here</b></a>). <br />
<br />Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-50897894376566665752015-05-05T08:10:00.003-07:002015-05-05T08:10:50.477-07:00Alpha Homesteading at Hi FidelityOne of the problems (well for some of us) in the Hi Fidelity alpha world is that setting up your domain part. For some it is easy and for others not so much, and a few just really aren't interested in that part of the equation.<br />
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The whole theme of Hi Fidelity has always been the 3D web, and with that comes domains and "3D web pages" (well there is a correlation anyway). But while I have had many websites over the years, even back when people wrote code from scratch in notepad; I am SO not interested in setting up my own world on MY computer.<br />
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For the same reasons there are commercial grids in Opensim, it seemed logical that eventually there would be commercial domains in Hi Fidelity.<br />
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And reading the posts in the forums this morning I found it was already happening -- for the alphas. Kudos to the folks behind this!<br />
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Read more about the project <a href="http://lets3d.com/earth/" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>.Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-57561250649543419052015-04-20T21:23:00.000-07:002015-04-20T21:24:54.278-07:00Hi Fidelity - The Backdoor<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghwLkz9Z_TytP0WX0CQiQZKu3VKXrMc_ANY5-ZxLPphW1u4vho0ltYFowBiIvnHC_rgNwpvfcJwIOud1dLczaqWScL-tULZCs2oSr-0Ua1h6CG-Ujm70wZcgBpDTx7YUhLGr1_we81ojE/s1600/chicduo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghwLkz9Z_TytP0WX0CQiQZKu3VKXrMc_ANY5-ZxLPphW1u4vho0ltYFowBiIvnHC_rgNwpvfcJwIOud1dLczaqWScL-tULZCs2oSr-0Ua1h6CG-Ujm70wZcgBpDTx7YUhLGr1_we81ojE/s1600/chicduo.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open Sim --- Second Life</td></tr>
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I joined the Hi Fidelity Alphas when the call came. I got into world and explored and found a couple of very impressive builds -- way beyond "alpha" expectations. True, there was no physics yet, so you walked THROUGH stairs rather than up them, but still lovely and many possibilities are evident.<br />
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There are (or appear to be at this point) some security concerns for content creators. The forums concurred with my reading of the Google docs. So for those of you familiar with OpenSim, Hi Fedelity appears to be based on the "Free Meta" concept.<br />
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When the phrase "3D web" was mentioned, they were not kidding. Most anything you can see on the web, you can take. The theme seems to run true with Hi Fidelity. Now things COULD change, and perhaps if the "I don't care -- I give my stuff to the world" concept doesn't entice folks over, it may.<br />
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Still, there are plenty of people working at HiFi in the alpha state. I hang around the forums and read the posts -- most which are WAY over my head technically. Since I am now a seven month citizen of OpenSim -- a Canadian grid on the Hypergrid which means lots of travel, I understand the concept, but again "security concerns". I can see that some folks certainly will be willing to share their designs. After all, I give away thing to the "Free Meta" too. But long time making a living with my virtual products folks may balk at the exploit possibilities. <br />
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There has been a lengthy discussion over at Opensim Virtual (a Google+ group) about security and exports and the hypergrid. It has been a good one and I am pleased it will remain on my Google+ page for historical reasons. Most folks there believe in the "free" concept and so it is likely that Hi Fidelity will find its audience.<br />
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One thing of interest that I read on the HiFi forums this eve concerned avatars. Someone wanted their SL avatar in HiFi. You actually can build whatever you can imagine it seems -- if you have the skills. So it is possible if you want to take the time and effort.<br />
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We get SO attached to "ourselves" it is funny. I am in that camp, but still it amazes me. It seems to me that PART of the key to getting folks to accept a new world is to be able to take some of "yourself" along with you. There are many mentions of "ten years of this look", "Maitreya body" (I get that one) etc.<br />
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The Next Generation promises a "better avatar". Is that better than Maitreya? Wow if that is true. But at the same time, "better" needs to stay in that comfortable and familiar zone, at least that is the message I am getting from reading posts in many forums. <br />
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By the time the new year rolls around we may have a clearer picture of what the new platform will be like -- here's hoping. Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-50289552717992156672015-03-22T12:13:00.001-07:002015-03-22T15:37:13.803-07:00Mesh Content Creation in SL 2.0 Next Gen<i>NOTE that there are very differing reports relating to the info I referred to earlier. I have not found THE SOURCE of this info although I have been looking. So when found (hopefully) I will reference. </i><br />
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<i>MEANWHILE, my personal thought is that while those with Maya abilities will be FIRST on the scene simply for convenience of using the same program as The Lab, those using other programs will have the ability LATER. That only makes sense. Any other choice certainly seems to be retail suicide and since some sort of "tax on goods" is on the table, definitely not a smart move.</i><br />
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LATER: </div>
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After some research I found the original talk that folks were reporting on, or in some cases misreporting. So, I suggest that if you are interested you listen for yourself. The 39 minute mark starts the info on the new platform. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR_CBsP5nr0#t=150" target="_blank"><b>The YouTube link is here.</b></a></div>
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Mentioned in the talk, INWORLD BUILDING TOOLS are in the plan -- reported as NOT being a feature by someone :D. 3rd party tools integration is high on the list as is "easier dressing" (had to smile at that). After the initial ALPHA stages, other third party 3D tools WILL BE SUPPORTED. </div>
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A new program of AutoPay <b>is in the works</b> so that money can move out of Second Life "in hours rather than days". Lots of testing in the works apparently. </div>
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<br />Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682412843152514357.post-65872508106923699302015-03-15T13:19:00.001-07:002015-03-15T21:14:07.811-07:00Identity Crisis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Info on the status of The Next Generation SL (2.0) is pretty sketchy these days. I have found some breadcrumbs but nothing that I can call "facts". </i><br />
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<i>If you missed <a href="https://modemworld.wordpress.com/2015/02/16/we-are-building-a-new-product-in-addition-to-second-life/#comments" target="_blank"><b>Inara Pey's article from last month</b></a> (and I did) it is well worth a look, INCLUDING the comments (always interesting if seldom always accurate :D). </i><br />
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<i>I do have a couple of thoughts on the responses to her well thought out and documented post. They are simple and I will be brief (well for me).</i><br />
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<i>OpenSim cannot compare with Second Life except perhaps for Windlight settings and framerates. Honestly, there is VERY little content. There are definitely some good designers in OS, scattered amongst the grids with many on their own grid. But while they (and I) make our content and our own world, much isn't available to the general populous. </i><br />
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<i>It is very much (VERY MUCH) like going back in time to early SL days. So you have a $5 a month sim (I do), BUT unless you can make your own goods, it cannot compare to Second Life. I have a tiny wardrobe there and still probably one of the best in OS. </i><br />
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<i>Kitely is filling a gap nicely and some mesh clothes and hair makers have put up goods for export, HOWEVER --- the people complaining about costs should note that those really nice items can be up to ten times the cost of the equivalent in SL. So, cheap land? Little and very expensive good content. It is a trade off. For some folks it works; for others it would definitely not. </i><br />
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And now to what my post was going to be before I found Inara's article.<br />
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[Note: photo of new skin and info removed by request of the creator. Sorry as this makes less sense :D ] <br />
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It has been officially stated that TNG avatars will be much better than our over a decade old models. Most folks are reading that as mesh with a better skeletal structure so that we could actually sit with our knees up and not look like we are folded in half.<br />
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Mesh bodies are becoming commonplace in SL and happily I found my favorite last month, Lara by Maitreya. My head is still the same one I started out with seven plus years ago. I did however get a new skin recently courtesy of Skin Fair 2015. It is a lovely and beautifully made skin and quite impressive. I have been wearing it on and off for about a week.<br />
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And even though I know it is SO much better then the skin I have been wearing for two years, I am having a difficult time switching permanently. Now, why is that?<br />
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Do we get a picture of our pixel selves that we dare not change in case we would lose our identity? I think that must be partially true, at least for some of us. I look completely different in OpenSim. Well my shape is the same but that is all. I look very different in Inworldz and the pattern holds true for all the grids I joined and then left over the summer and fall.<br />
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And STILL, even though I feel just fine and "me" on OpenSim, I am hesitant to make a switch in Second Life. I am wondering how the new avatars will influence the general populous of SL 1.0 and their decision to move or share both worlds. It is an interesting phenomena to watch -- and I will be. <br />
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<br />Chic Aeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14397780350420980747noreply@blogger.com0