Day: December 3, 2013

SL project news week 49 (1): server and viewer updates

Posted on by Inara Pey

Server Deployments week 49

As always, please refer to the week’s forum deployment thread for the latest news and updates.

Main channel: Tuesday December 3rd

The Main channel received the maintenance package deployed to BlueSteel and LeTigre in week 47. This project includes:

  • Bug Fixes
  • New Features
  • Fixed “Sim crossing on vehicle fails when parcel at opposite sim border is full.” (BUG-4152[c])
  • Fixed a case in which a viewer with a high draw distance would not connect to distant regions which are within the draw distance area
  • Fixed some crash modes
  • Fixed “Vehicles containing a mesh are returned to the owner upon region crossing when destination parcel is full”
  • Fixed “Temp Attachments are sometimes not removed on the viewer when detached from a region change event.”
  • Fixed “Avatars inside a private parcel can see other avatars 2 regions away” (BUG-4356[c])
  • Fixed an issue with object return to inventory on test grids
  • Objects which are rezzed by sat-upon or attached scripts no longer inherit the temp-on-rez or auto-return timer of the parent object
  • Estate managers and region owners are now prevented from being teleported by llTeleportAgentHome()
  • Estate managers and region owners are no longer affected by scripts which use ESTATE_ACCESS_BANNED_AGENT_ADD
  • The grey goo fence is now stricter for large physical object rezzes
  • More robust handling of inventory management within objects
  • Cleanup of controls-grabbing in LSL scripts (no functional changes)
  • Parcel owners are now prevented from being teleported by llTeleportAgentHome()

Release Candidate Channels, Wednesday December 4th

All three RC channels should receive a new maintenance package comprising:

The will be one more week of releases (week 50), prior to the Christmas / New Year code freeze / no change window commencing, which is due to start on Monday December 16th, 2013.

SL Viewer

Two new release candidate viewers arrived in the release channel on Tuesday December 3rd:

  • Maintenance RC version 3.6.12.284430 comprises a number of fixes, including a fix for the issue of FPS dropping when the Expanded Chat option is enabled in CHUI (MAINT-3375) – download and release notes
  • Namefix RC version 3.6.12.284383 changes installer naming without modifying channel or application names, but contains no functional changes to the viewer code – download and release notes.

What makes us human? A UWA 3D challenge with a L$268K prize pool

Posted on by Inara Pey

What Makes-1The University of Western Australia has launched its latest art challenge, with a total prize pool of L$268,750 on offer to prize winners.

The challenge is open to everyone, not just artists, and the challenge is to create a model, animation or simulation which reflects what make makes us human at the cellular, organ or system level.

Sponsored by the School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology as well as the School of Physics at UWA, the challenge seeks to encourage entrants to create fairly accurate or representative creations or models that can be used for teaching, with the overall aim of enabling others to learn anatomical, histological, developmental and/or physiological concepts about the human body from the submitted work.

The UWA blog post announcing the challenge offers-up a few suggestions entrants might consider:

Histology (convey the microscopic structure of human tissues)

  • Nervous System: What are the various representations of different types of neurons?
  • Muscular System: Examine structural differences and/or similarities between skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle cells.

Anatomy (convey the gross structure of human body parts) & Histology

  • Embryology & Foetology: What are various stages of embryonic and foetal development?
  • Perhaps look at the transformation from embryo to foetus.

Anatomy

  • Skeletal System: What are the components of the human skeleton?
  • Present the anatomy of various types of joints.

Physiology (convey the processes that enable the human body and its components to function):

  • Nervous System: What are some of the neural pathways that enable us to perform day-to-day cognitive and motor functions?
  • Circulatory System: How does blood circulate through our body to meet the metabolic needs and maintain the normal function of cells/organs/and bodily systems.

Anatomy & Physiology

  • Circulatory System: How does the heart operate, and what are its different chambers and valves?

Histology, anatomy, and physiology are disciplines that go hand in hand. It is only natural that entrants may construct submissions that draw on more than one of these disciplines in order to facilitate the learning of concepts. Entrants are also encouraged to “think outside the box”, and portray/convey such aspects as the difference between normal features and functioning, and the abnormal or dysfunctional.

Other topics seen as relevant to the challenge include representations of anatomy, physiology and histology pertaining to the following systems: digestive, endocrine, exocrine, immune, lymphatic, reproductive, respiratory, urinary, and visual.

What Makes-2Prizes

There are five main prizes and three special prizes:

  • 1st prize: L$81,250
  • 2nd prize: L$62,500
  • 3rd prize: L$37,500
  • 4th prize: L$18,750
  • 5th prize: L$12,500

The three special prizes are for L$18,750 each, and will be awarded under the headings of Anatomy, Histology and Physiology Special Prizes.

How to Enter

Entries are being accepted from now through until 28th February 28th, 2014.

  • Entries should have no more than 300 prims
  • Mod / Copy entries are preferred to allow models to be displayed in temp rezzers
  • Entries must be accompanied by a Creator’s Notecard form (available from the contest entry receiver (see below), or by a note card bearing the title of the entry, a short description and the name of the creator. This may optionally include a brief biography and RL location information
  • Models  must be deposited in the contest entry receiver at the UWA Gallery – hold the CTRL key and drag the model from inventory onto the receiver’s billboard prim, which will turn red. Release the mouse button to deliver your item. Repeat for the accompanying note card.

If any problems are experienced with the receiver, please pass your model and note card to either FreeWee Ling (UWA Curator of Arts) or Jayjay Zifanwe (Jay Jay Jegathesan: UWA in Second Life Founder & Lead).

For all rules associated with the challenge and details on the judging panel and additional information, please refer to the UWA blog post.

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