February 2013 – Page 4 – Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld

LEA AIR-4 application deadline extended

Posted on February 19, 2013August 31, 2013 by Inara Pey

The Linden Endowment for the Arts has extended the application deadline for the fourth round of the Artist-in-Residence (AIR) programme.

Originally schedule to close at Midnight SLT on the 19th February, the deadline has been moved to midnight on Sunday February 24th. The announcement of the extension reads in part:

While many well-known virtual artists have received grants, the LEA has also had the pleasure of hosting ‘younger’ AIRs and hopes to continue in that tradition. You need not have a great deal of experience, just some good ideas. The application is a bit more detailed to help guide you in thinking through your project, which we do expect at this point to be an idea in progress and not necessarily a portrait of the final result – more like a loose sketch! We also welcome applications from across the spectrum of the arts, for example performance groups that might want to embark on a bigger/longer term project than we can support at our performing arts space!

The LEA AIR programme seeks to promote and nurture the arts in Second Life, through providing limited term full-sim land grants to be used for creative projects and art installations over the course of a few months. Recipients can be individuals or groups interested in creating or curating art, or proposing cultural projects which would require/utilise a full-sim build and can be completed within the allotted time frame (5 months). The LEA is able to offer land grants through the generosity of Linden Lab.

Up to twenty regions, donated by Linden Lab and managed by the LEA, are generally offered under the land grant programme, and successful applicants will be granted the use of one full region for a period of six months. The region may then be used on an individual or group basis for such diverse activities as:

Full sim exhibitions and / or immersive installations
Curated projects, especially those which have a connection to physical exhibitions and events (augmented reality)

Applications are not limited to visual art but are welcomed from all areas of artistic expression, including performance, music, and film.

Preference is for submitted works to be original in nature, although curated projects may present extant works. Successful applicants will have up to four months in which to execute their build, and must have it open for public viewing for at least the last two months of the grant period. Artists may alternatively use the land for multiple exhibits, but it is imperative that projects will be ready within four months from acceptance, and this time-frame should be considered (and reflected) in applications.

So if you have not yet applied for the programme, there is still time to do so!

Key Dates

Applications open: February 5, 2013
Application deadline: February 24, 2013
Sim handover and public announcement: March 8, 2013
End of round: July 31, 2013

Applications forms can be found at the end of the LEA website announcement for Round 4, together with all other necessary information.

Teleports to the exhibits by the current Artists in Residence, which will be open until the end of the month, can be found at LEA 3.

Firestorm meeting 13th February, 2013 – video and transcript

Posted on February 19, 2013May 25, 2020 by Inara Pey

Update February 25th: As per a comment from Jessica Lyon, Firestorm have now merged the Server-side Baking code and updates to RLVa into one of their private repositories.

On the 13th February, 2013, the Firestorm team hosted a question-and-answer session so they could outline the current status of the Firestorm viewer, the issues the team (and SL) are facing, and outline plans for both the immediate future and longer-term as well as address questions from the audience.

While the meeting was recorded, the Firestorm team are aware that many of their users have hearing difficulties, and / or prefer to read text. It is because of this that this transcript has been provided, otgether with the original recording itself. When reading it, please remember:

This is not a word-for-word transcript of the entire meeting. While all quotes given are as they are spoken in the video, to assist in readability and maintain the flow of conversation, not all asides, jokes, interruptions, etc., have been included in the text presented here
If there are any sizeable gaps in comments from a speaker which resulted from asides, questions to other speakers or requests for images to be displayed, these are indicated by the use of “…”.
Timestamps are provided as guidance should anyone wish to hear the comments in full from any speaker on the video
Questions were asked in chat during the meeting and while speakers were talking. This inevitably meant that replies to questions would lag well behind when they were orginially asked. Therefore, to provide context for both questions and answers, questions have been included in the transcript and timestamped at the point at which each is addressed by a member of the Firestorm team
The meeting proper commences at 16:36 into the video, and this is the point at which the transcript starts.

Video courtesy of Northspring.

Continue reading “Firestorm meeting 13th February, 2013 – video and transcript” →

SL project news – week 8 (1): server releases, viewer, SSB load test, interest lists

Posted on February 18, 2013August 22, 2013 by Inara Pey

Server Deployments – week 8

The deployments scheduled for the week commencing Monday 18th February are detailed below. Please note that due to Monday 18th being a holiday in the United States (Presidents Day), the deployments will be taking place one day later than usual.

Main (Second Life Server / SLS) Channel

The Main channel should receive the following two projects:

The Interest List Improvement project, which has been on the Magnum RC channel for the past few weeks
Server-side support for materials processing.

Note that there is still no publicly available project viewer to take advantage of the materials project code, although there may be news on this later in the week.

This deployment should take place on Wednesday 20th February – release notes.

Bluesteel and LeTigre Release Candidate (RC) Channels

Baker Linden in a change from his usual rooster avatar

Bluesteel should receive Baker Linden’s object rezzing code changes, which were reported here in week 1. These updates have nothing to do with the interest list code changes. Baker describes the aim of the work as, “Hopefully significantly decreasing lag spikes when rezzing large, complex objects. Large does not necessarily imply size, but size of the files being read. When an object is rezzing, we have to parse the object / mesh files and create our in-world objects with that data.”

Until now, reading and parsing of any files related to objects which require rezzing has been on the main thread. When several such objects requiring rezzing at the same time, the simulator stalls. Baker has been moving the reading / parsing operation to a background thread in the expectation that rezzing multiple “large” (again, in terms of file size, not the size of the object itself) objects will not choke the simulator, causing performance issues.

These deployments should take place on Thursday 21st February – release notes (Bluesteel).

Magnum Release Candidate (RC) Channel

Magnum should receive the same maintenance server update deployed in week 7 to LeTigre, intended to fix miscellaneous crash modes.This deployment also includes the following:

An improvement to the rolling restart notifications so that they appear in an alert format (as with manual region restarts) rather than an easily missed notification. This change will only be apparent in restarts following the code deployment restart (as per JIRA SVC-7759)
A fix to an encroachment / return problem: if you’re banned from the neighbour’s parcel, you couldn’t select / return items that encroached on your parcel (see JIRA SVC-496)
Instant messages are now truncated to 1024 bytes to prevent certain types of delivery failure. Currently, the IM database supports larger messages than the delivery system can handle. This change will enforce a limit of 1024 bytes when processing messages coming into the database as well as those being sent out.

This deployment should take place on Thursday 21st February – release notes.

SL Viewer News

The release version of the SL viewer moved to the 3.4.5 code base on the 14th February, with the release of viewer 3.4.5.270263 (release notes). At the same time, the Server-side Baking project viewer received its second update with the release of version 3.4.5.270409, od which more below.

The CHUI viewer received a further update to the development version, reaching 3.4.6.270520 on February 18th. This project is currently the next in line to merged into the viewer-dev code base (development viewer) and then into the beta code base.

Server-side Baking Load Test

Serer-side baking - load test February — Serer-side baking – load test February 21st

A reminder that if all goes according to plan, there should be a special load test for Server-side Baking on Thursday February 21st, and volunteers are being sought to assist.

This will take place on the SSB test regions on the beta grid (Aditi), immediately following the Server Beta User Group meeting which take place at 15:00 SLT on Thursdays in Morris, also on Aditi with the aim of placing the SSB code under a stress test representative of the loads it will face when deployed to the main grid, with people routinely changing outfits, updating their appearance, enter / leave regions running the SSB code (given that the grid will, for a time, be running both the current avatar baking service and SSB as the latter is initially deployed), and so on.

Test Requirements

While final details of the test have yet to be confirmed, key requirements for those wishing to participate in the test are as follows:

Participants must be able to log-in to Aditi and attend the Sunshine test regions from 16:00 SLT onwards (participants can attend the Server Beta UG meeting ahead of the test if they wish)
Participants must be running the latest version Server-side Baking project viewer (version 3.4.5.270409 or later) – this viewer has been specifically configured to report statistics required by LL for the test
Participants should have a number of outfits of system clothing, preferably with multiple layers, which they can swap between during the course of the test. Library outfits are acceptable, but LL are keen for people to use their own outfits to add greater weight to the tests
Clearing the viewer cache prior to the test is suggested, but not an absolute requirement.

“if you have specific failures we’ll ask for your viewer logs, otherwise just running through the test will help us gather data,” Nyx added when explaining what is required by way of feedback from those opting to take part.

Further details can be found in my SSB Load Test announcement.

Continue reading “SL project news – week 8 (1): server releases, viewer, SSB load test, interest lists” →

Viewer release summary 2013: week 7

Posted on February 18, 2013March 16, 2020 by Inara Pey

This summary is published every Monday and is a list of SL viewer / client releases (official and TPV) made during the previous week. When reading it, please note:

It is based on my Viewer Round-up Page, a list of all Second Life viewers and clients that are in popular use (and of which I am aware) and which are recognised as adhering to the TPV Policy
By its nature, this summary will always be in arrears
The Viewer Round-up Page is updated as soon as I’m aware of any releases / changes to viewers & clients, and should be referred to for more up-to-date information as the week progresses
The Viewer Round-up Page also includes comprehensive links to download pages, blog notes, release notes, etc., as well as links to any / all reviews of specific viewers / clients made within this blog.

Updates for the week ending: 17 February, 2013

SL Viewer updates:
Cool VL updated on the 9th of February and again on the 16th to arrve at:
- Stable version: 1.26.6.11
- Legacy version (v2.6 renderer): 1.26.4.54
- Experimental version: 1.26.7.11
- Release notes
Lumiya released version 2.4.3 on February 16th – core updates: flexiprim support; teleport to selected avatar; improved notification settings; corrected attachment positions on avatars – release notes
Metabolt updated to 0.9.62.0 (Beta) – February 17th – core updates:creator UUID now displayed for objects in Object Manager; radar now displays all avatars in the region; upgraded to the latest version of libopenmv; optimisations and bug fixes – release notes

Discontinued Viewers

Phoenix officially reached end-of-line for SL on December 31st – read more here
Zen viewer was withdrawn from the SL TPV directory and all repositories shutdown on January 27th, 2013.

When a Song Bird did sing to me

Posted on February 16, 2013April 9, 2021 by Inara Pey

Song Bird (Flickr)

I discovered Song Bird, JadeYu Fhang’s wonderful homestead region, entirely by chance during my random roamings in SL. Part art installation, part gallery, part store, part photographers dream, Song Bird is perhaps best summed-up in a single word: exquisite.

The are three distinct parts of the region. There is the ground-level art installation, which is both a veritable tour-de-force of sculpture and artistic expression in SL, and also visually stunning when taken as a whole work of art in itself, complete with windlight settings. Overhead, and high in the sky, are JadeYu’s store, Dark Tears, and her art gallery – both of which should very much form part of anyone’s visit to Song Bird.

Song Bird (Flickr)

I cannot fully express how marvellous the ground level installation is. I’ve no idea how often JadeYu may change it (if she does at all), so if you’ve not seen it already, you should. Amazing really doesn’t cover it.

The pieces of the installation are on a grand scale, towering over a landscape which is covered in places by ghost-like dandelion seed heads which tower over you, or hanging in the air with a surreal precision. Such is the scale of things here that is some respects it is easier to look around via camera rather than explore on foot – but if you opt for this approach, be sure you do so carefully, as there is much here on more “normal” scales which can be easily overlooked when camming between the larger pieces.

Several of the pieces feature repeated motifs, which give a sense of theme to the various pieces, while other pieces appear to stand entirely on their own, leaving one with a very mixed set of impressions; JadeYu doesn’t provide any descriptive notecards for the various pieces, so the mind is free to offer-up its own interpretations – or to simply admire.

Song Bird (Flickr)

Many of the pieces are themselves vendors – hovering the mouse over them will display the L$ icon, and the prices at which they are offered are not going to break anyone’s bank – so those looking for sculptures and pieces with which to decorate their own regions / larger parcels with some very striking pieces of art may well find a visit to Song Bird more than worthwhile.

Overhead, the gallery displays a range of JadeYu’s striking paintings, which are also offered for sale as well and which would more than grace most homes. The pieces are all uniquely evocative and eye-catching. One thing I would perhaps recommend is that you turn your sound down before entering the gallery building – there is a background noise which I have to admit I found almost headache-inducing.

Song Bird (Flickr)

Also reached via teleport is JadeYu’s whimsical store – where having the stream active is liable to have your foot tapping (well it did mine, as I can’t resist the likes of the Andrews Sisters, Artie Shaw and Billie Holiday). Here you’ll find her skins and shapes, horns, wings and clothing, all in a cosy house atop a hill in a Halloween-style setting, and with the aforementioned music tripping out of a lovely pre-war radio by Lauren Bentham which is a delight in and of itself.

All-in-all, Song Bird is a real joy to visit, which anyone with a love of photography and art is going to find appealing.

Thoroughly recommended – just don’t forget the donation points and tip jars scattered around the region and at the gallery and store :).

Song Bird (Flickr)

OBR: A time to Rise, a time to Dance – a time to reflect

Posted on February 15, 2013February 17, 2014 by Inara Pey

A stunning view of the main OBR in SL event stage (courtesy of Wildstar Beaumont)

Thursday February 14th marked the fifteenth anniversary of V-Day, a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls that raises funds and awareness through benefit productions of Playwright/Founder Eve Ensler’s award winning play The Vagina Monologues and other artistic works. It was marked by the first global movement of music and dance – One Billion Rising – in which one billion women and those who love them were invited to WALK OUT, DANCE, RISE UP, and demand an end to this violence.

One Billion Rising was marked in Second Life by a series of activities right across the grid, and centred on One Billion Rising in SL, a special gathering of talent organised by a huge team of volunteers and held in four regions commissioned and sponsored especially for the event.

Meilo Minotaur and CapCat Ragu's "Cocoon Tree and Ophelia" — Meilo Minotaur and CapCat Ragu’s “Cocoon Tree and Ophelia”

Four 24-hours, the music played across the huge, region-spanning stage standing at the centre of the sims, and people rose from across the grid and around the world to dance and lend their voices to the call to end violence against women of all ages. Eighteen of Second Life’s top artists also leant their talent to the call, providing eighteen thought-provoking works on the subject of women and the violence – physical or otherwise – so many face as they go about their daily lives.

Saffia Widdershin, one of the event organisers, dances at OBR in SL

As is so often the case, One Billion Rising in Second Life brought out the very best in Second Life, with people giving up their free time in droves to organise and support the event and ensure that it would be a memorable and enjoyable event for all those who participated as visitors. The organisation was near flawless, allowing for the inevitable quirks of SL, and everyone from the organising event staff through the teams of volunteers greeters, helpers and assistants, those providing event security, the builders and landscapers, the artists who provided art, the choreographers, dancers and film crew who participated in the creation the OBR in SL version of Breaking the Chain, those who provide video filming and streaming of the event itself, the DJs and – particularly importantly – the sponsors, and everyone else who participated in bringing the event together are to be congratulated.

For my part, I didn’t get to spend as much time at the event as I would have liked. An unexpected hole in the roof and a solid downfall of snow followed by rain led to a rather unexpected domestic situation on the 13th February, and meant that most of the 14th was spent helping with household repairs. However, this doesn’t mean I can’t still show support. The four regions of OBR in Second Life will be open through until 17:00 SLT on Friday February 15th. So if, like me, your time to dance and raise your hand in support of V-Day was curtailed or otherwise limited, there is still time to see the fabulous stage build by Victor1 Mornington and his team, and witness the 18 outstanding works of art around it.

While activities were centre on "the" OBR in SL event, other events also took place on the 14th February in SL - such as the 2Lei — While activities were centre on “the” OBR in SL event, other events also took place on the 14th February in SL – such as the 2Lei event (image courtesy of Alice Mastrioanni)

Another way to capture the event is to visit the One Billion is SL Flickr group, where people have posted their own pictures of the event. But I really do urge you to tour the regions themselves and see the art pieces on display and take the time to both read the note cards accompanying them and give thought to what they represent, and how we perhaps all too easily accept violence and harassment as an acceptable part of human life.

One Billion Rising in SL features 18 fantastic art installations — Gwen Carillon’s piece for OBR in SL

Of course, One Billion Rising in either real life or Second Life, isn’t going to transform matters overnight. I had planned to comment on this at length – but Saffia Widdershins has already done so very eloquently, and provided considerable food for thought; particularly for those who responded with a degree of hostility towards the event or who sought to denigrate the subject of violence against women through obfuscation and mis-direction. As such, I’ll only repeat the title of Saffia’s post, Events don’t change things, people do, and allow people to read her thoughts first-hand.

Suffice it to say that I do hope this was the first in what will become an annual event in Second Life as well as in Real Life, and that in the future we’ll be able to see it spread to include more venues across the grid, and serve as a catalyst for people to speak out against all forms of violence in the world, whether committed against women, children or men – and in doing so, change attitudes and beliefs the world over where violence is concerned, and for the better.

Kudos and thanks again to everyone who played a part in making OBR in SL happen, and who took part on the day.

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	Virtually Sheree on A short personal note and…
	Inara Pey on A short personal note and…
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Month: February 2013