Month: June 2017

Kultivate Magazine celebrates two years in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

 

Kultivate Magazine Summer Weekend

Kultivate Magazine, the award-winning arts magazine and brand,turn two in June, and to celebrate, there’s a special in-world Summer Weekend event taking place on the Brand’s home region, Water Haven, from Friday, June 9th through until Sunday, June 11th. It kicks-off a series of events taking place throughout the rest of the month to mark the anniversary.

“It’s hard to believe that Kultivate Magazine is closing out another amazing year,” brand founder and CEO, John Brianna said. “Our events, exhibitions, readership, content, and social media content have grown amazingly throughout the past two years.”

Since its inception, the brand has grown to encompass the magazine, the Windlight Art Gallery, the Bailywick Gallery, the Kultivate Select Gallery,  The Edge fashion and Art fusion and Gallery, and both Ristorante Ivanna, & The Tribute and Crown Pub. In addition, Kultivate has provided fund-raising support for Team Diabetes of SL, through events and the Red Gallery art exhibitions; Rock Your Rack (supporting the National Breast Cancer Foundation – NBCF), and Feed a Smile / Live and Learn Kenya.

Kultivate Magazine Summer Weekend

The Summer Weekend

Kicking-off at 08:00 SLT on Friday, June 9th, the Summer Weekend will feature live music, DJ parties, shopping, a special art exhibition, storytelling from the Seanchai Library, tribute bands, a special hunt and more! This weekend will also see the début of Kultivate Magazine’s latest artistic component, The E.V.A Project, launch with a very special artistic fashion theatre production named !Show! – of which more below.

The full schedule for the weekend, at the time of writing) is as follows (all times SLT):

Friday, June 9th, 2017:

  • 08:00 –  Art Exhibition & Shopping Area Opens
  • 16:00 – Melenda Mikael sings live
  • 17:00 – DJ Whymsee
  • 18:00 – SarahMarie Philly sings live

Saturday June 10th, 2017:

  • 13:00 – The E.V.A. Project presents !Show!
  • 15:00 – Dimivan Ludwig sing live
  • 16:00 – Winston Ackland sings live

Sunday, June 11th, 2017:

  • 12:00 noon – Art Goes Bollywood With DJ Gabriele Riel
  • 15:00 – Seanchai Library
  • 23:59 – Kultivate Anniversary Summer 17 Art Exhibition & Shopping Area Closes
Kultivate Magazine Summer Weekend

The E.V.A Project !Show!

The E.V.A. ((Exceptional, Vibrant, and Artistic) is a fusion of fashion, art, music, and theatre. The goal is to showcase how the art forms – music, art and theatre – combine with fashion to create unique experiences. It is the latest addition to the Kultivate Magazine suite of brands.

The E.V.A. Project will début at the Kulivate Summer Weekend with a presentation of !Show! featuring Elysium Cabaret choreography and 23 of Second Life’s top models. The show will take place on Saturday, June 10th, 2017, at 13:00 SLT, and is made possible through the involvement of the following sponsors and designers:  Rapture, Ghee, Blacklace, Aleutia, Pink Ice, Faster Pussycat, Vero Modero, Azul, Dirty Princess, Utopia, Chiffon, Mahlberg Tailors, Boudoir, Lamu Fashion, LOVE, Spot on Stage Props, Irrisistble, Audadacious, and Pixel Box.

As well as the Summer Weekend, other dates to note in Kultivate’s celebratory month are:

  • Saturday, June 24, 2017, 13:00 – Kultivate Magazine & Model’s Workshop “Fashion in Art” Styling Challenge
  • Sunday, June 25th – publication of the special Sensuality edition issue, from the Kultivate  Spring Sensuality show
  • Saturday, July 1st – Kultivate Anniversary Summer 17 special edition issue will be published.

SLurls

Water Haven is rated Moderate.

In the Press: PC Gamer unboxes Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

Strawberry Singh, 2014, on FlickrSecond Life is a virtual world with an infamous reputation. If you’ve never played, you may only be familiar with the tales of kinky sex rooms and the YouTubers who troll the locals for a cheap laugh. But Second Life is so much more than that—a point driven home after I spent a whole evening reading a Second Life beauty blog.

So opens Second Life’s makeup unboxing videos are surreal and wonderful, by Steven Messner, writing for PC Gamer. It’s a refreshing look at the platform through the eyes of someone who may well have been aware of the SL’s reputation, but may not have spent much (if any) time in-world himself – and it makes for a pleasing read.

The focus – as can be gleaned from the title of the piece – is Berry’s popular unboxing videos. These are actually a clever way of offering non-SL users an alternative point-of-view on the platform simply because, as Mr. Messner points out, unboxing events do permeate modern consumer culture. Hence, it’s a neat hook on which to hang a look at Second Life as seen through the eyes of a knowledgeable, empathic ambassador for the platform, and Mr Messner wisely allows Berry’s own words frame the important aspects of the exchange – the attraction of the platform as a social medium, as a mean for personal growth, and as a powerful means of personal and creative expression.

It is in the latter regard that the article particularly frames things, with Berry correctly pointing out that the pseudonymous nature of Second Life is a powerful enabler. Not only does it provide us with a means of being fully engaged in the platform and with one another whilst keeping whatever comfortable separation we feel we need between our digital and physical lives, it also allows us to enjoy a much wider canvas for creative expression if we so wish – video, photography, etc., utilising platforms such as YouTube and Flickr. It also allows use, if we wish to present our art and creativity to the physical world through our digital personas, as the likes of Toysoldier Thor and Bryn Oh have done.

Steven Messner

As Berry also points out, this freedom can also something of a two-edged sword; frustration can be born out of a desire of wanting to more fully reveal oneself whilst knowing circumstance, the attitude of friends, the potential reaction (which is somewhat born out by some of the comments which follow the article), do much to push one away from doing so as much as any concerns vis career, etc.

The other attractive aspect of the article is Mr. Messner’s own approach. He writes frankly and openly, without any lean towards personal bias of the subject matter or need to add any snide pokes at the platform – a trait not always apparent in pieces about Second Life, even when well-intentioned. It’s also clear he’s come aware from his conversations with Berry with a new awareness and – dare I say – respect for the platform:

My conversation with Berry has given me a rare glimpse into a world that is often negatively branded as bizarre. If you dig a little deeper, you’ll find a community of artists and creators who have banded together to share and celebrate each other. It’s not something you see in other massively multi-player games, but it’s something I wish there is more of. It makes me a bit sad, then, that Second Life will always be labelled by its strip joints and sex clubs. As Berry tells me, “That’s just not what Second Life is about, there’s so much more you can do here.”

All told, a nicely written piece which makes a very worthwhile read – so do please follow the link at the top of this article and see for yourself, if you haven’t already. Kudos, Berry and Steven.

Red balloons in the wood

Posted on by Inara Pey
DiXmiX Gallery: Red Balloons In The Wood

Now open at DiXmiX Gallery, is Red Balloons in the Wood, an exhibition of work by the gallery’s owner, Dixmix Source. The byline for the exhibition reads simply, when unusual avatars are wandering in the forest, and it comprises seventeen woodland scenes, each of which, in keeping with the title and the byline, feature both red balloons and an avatar.

This is a hauntingly beautiful collection, featuring some marvellous pieces, each with a story to tell – or at least suggested; quite what it might be is down to the person seeing these pictures, which range from what might be considered a “simple” capture of a horse (Horse Walk) through the pieces of fantasy (So Trees Have Gender; Cute Elf Was There Too) to some with a darker edge, despite the title (Every Way Is A Good Way, When it’s the right Time), to others with a more erotic edge.

DiXmiX Gallery: Red Balloons In The Wood

Adding to the atmosphere of the exhibit is the use of denuded saplings and trees, some with the signature red balloon tied to them. These add to the feeling of being in a woodland setting, such that with camming, some of the images can be seen through the bare branches, extending the sense of presence within the pictures. At the same time, the soft tones used within the pictures contrast powerfully with the red balloons. The latter serve to draw the eyes to them after initially taking in the broad essence of a picture, before the eyes are drawn back to the canvas as a whole, and the story it contains.

All told, this is a masterpiece collection of the artist’s talent, one well worth visiting; and while there, do be sure to enjoy the exhibitions by Lam Erin and Tintin Tuxing, both of which are due to be coming to the end of their run (and you can also read about them here).

DiXmiX Gallery: Red Balloons In The Woods

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SL project updates 23/1: server, viewer, environment updates

Posted on by Inara Pey
Out on the Calas horse trails, Caitlyn leading the way – blog post

Server Deployments

As always, please refer to the server deployment thread for the latest news.

  • On Tuesday, June 6th, the Main (SLS) channel was updated with a server maintenance package (17.05.26.326655), containing fixes to help with the caps (capabilities) router, particularly with reference to trying to teleport to regions which have a heavy avatar load (see here for details).
  • On Wednesday, June 7th, the RC channels should be updated as follows:
    • BlueSteel and LeTigre should each receive the same server maintenance package (17.06.01.326763), comprising internal fixes.
    • Magnum should receive a server maintenance package, but details were still TBD at the time of writing.

Capabilities Losses at Region Restart

Some regions are still suffering capabilities failures at restart (see this forum thread for an example, and see these wiki pages for more information on capabilities: Capabilities and Current Sim Capabilities). This overall caps system is shared at the server level, so when problems like this occur, it affects all of the regions on that server, which then require an individual restart to correct.

SL Viewer

There have been no further viewer updates since my last project updates article. This leaves the current viewer pipeline as follows:

  • Current Release version 5.0.5.326444, dated May 18th, promoted May 23rd – formerly the Maintenance RC viewer overview
  • Release channel cohorts:
  • Project viewers:
    • Project Alex Ivy 64-bit viewer, version 5.1.0.505089, dated May 11th
    • 360-degree snapshot viewer, version 4.1.3.321712 dated November 23rd, 2016 – ability to take 360-degree panoramic images
  • Obsolete platform viewer, version 3.7.28.300847 dated May 8, 2015 – provided for users on Windows XP and OS X versions below 10.7.

Other Items

Environmental Update

“We are going to kick off a set of environment improvements – exact scope is still TBD,” Oz Linden states at the Simulator User Group meeting on Tuesday, June 6th. “[but] there are a couple of hot problems that need to be stomped first.”

While the exact nature of these improvements is still TBD, the comment sparked a conversation on parcel windlight settings, which Oz indicated the Lab is still planning on implementing. While all discussion on this is still somewhat speculative, the current thinking on this at the Lab is:

  • The precedence will be 1) viewer local (so if you set a windlight through the viewer, that will take priority over any windlight indicated by the region / parcel) , 2) parcel (if allowed by estate), and 3) region
  • Currently, it is unlikely that the parcel controls will allow setting windlight environments by altitude (aka Firestorm zoning).

The latter point is perhaps the most contentious for those using the current Firestorm zoning for windlight – not only does this allow different windlight conditions for different altitudes (particularly useful in role-play regions which may have different locations stacked vertically, each of which is ideally suited it its own environmental setting), it also things like caves and caverns to have their environment set to midnight, naturally darkening them (a technique we use at Caitinara Bar for the benefit of those using Firestorm).

In addition to parcel windlight, the Lab is looking to add an experience-controlled way to change environment for an individual avatar – so that those joining an experience will have their viewer automatically adopt the windlight setting for the experience, if one is set. This could also provide a means for “altitude zoning” of windlights to some degree.

None of these additions will prevent users applying their own viewer-side windlight should they wish (as noted above).

Other subjects possibly on the list of environmental settings:

  • Selectable cloud textures (similar to the capability in Firestorm)
  • The ability to change the moon texture
  • Adjustable day length (so, for example, one SL day =  a physical world day)

As Oz noted in the meeting, the details of what the Lab would consider working on with the environment improvements has yet to be fully defined; however, he also added, “When we get to the point where we’re ready to start work on it (hopefully very soon), we’ll post a description of what we’ve got in mind … and yes, we’ll accept suggestions for improvements then.”

A sixth sense in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

Le Sixième Sens, Le Sixième Sens; Inara Pey, June 2017, on Flickr Le Sixième Sens – click any image for full size

We first visited Le Sixième Sens (“the sixth sense”) in January of 2017, at a time when the region was popping up in blogs and photo streams. As I didn’t get to write about it then, I recently found myself hopping back to see what had changed and to catch-up on my own write-up for the region.

Designed by Natacha Haroldsen, the region presents itself as a little corner of Tuscany, where “a plaza surrounded by old shops that give you a rustic feeling,” sits beneath a pale azure sky, and a vineyard climbs the slope of a hill, beckoning those who stand at the archway of the plaza to explore the land before them.

Le Sixième Sens, Le Sixième Sens; Inara Pey, June 2017, on Flickr Le Sixième Sens

Six months may have passed since Caitlyn and I first followed the track down from the boutique shops gathered around the landing point and out over the arched back of a stone bridge, but little has changed in that time. Le Sixième Sens retains a wonderfully relaxed feel, offering the kind of setting you hope to find whilst travelling on vacation; a place that calls on you to stop, explore, run your fingers lightly over the delicate curl of flower petals and watch the water slip slowly under bridge and bough.

From the little piazza, visitors can wander across this gentle, rocky landscape, passing over the waters which divide it into three islands, and meander among the sunflowers, poppies and trees, going wherever their feet my take them.

Le Sixième Sens, Le Sixième Sens; Inara Pey, June 2017, on Flickr Le Sixième Sens

There are, of course, the vines mentioned above, paraded in neat rows up the slope of a hill to where a villa-style farmhouse sits. The lower slopes of this hill are covered in tall grass, on which horses graze and sheep roam and chickens cluck their way around another, smaller farmhouse. On this northern headland, extending out from the vineyard’s hill, sit old ruins which both face the piazza of shops across the water to one side and shelter moored rowing boats on the other, before the land ends in the broken finger of a lighthouse.

South and east, separated from the other island by bay and channel, sits a tall rocky plateau. A path rising from the trees below it forms a switch-backs up one of the otherwise sheer cliffs to where a small studio, gracefully called The Writer’s Workshop, sits. It commands a view out over the water, and offers the perfect vantage point for a painter. Linked to the rest of the land by a single bridge and with its screen of trees guarding the path from that bridge, the plateau gives a sense of tranquil separation from the rest of the region without ever feeling apart from it.

Le Sixième Sens, Le Sixième Sens; Inara Pey, June 2017, on Flickr Le Sixième Sens

Throughout this landscape, filled with the sounds of birds singing, can be found numerous places to sit and relax, or share a cuddle or a dance. A picnic blanket awaits under the shade of bushes in one direction, a chess set and sofa can be found among the farm’s outbuildings, the ruins hide a swing chair, while the rowing boats offer their own places to sit and contemplate the world – or one another. And that’s just the start; much more awaits those who take the time to explore.

Wherever you roam in Le Sixième Sens, there is something to be found and enjoyed, whether you are seeking a place to relax or a location to photograph (join the region’s group and you’ll get rezzing rights as well). The default windlight setting presents the region under what might be one of the cooler days of late summer or autumn – the hay bales in particular adding to this autumnal suggestion; but this is a place which invites tweaking and playing with windlights, and I couldn’t resist taking some photos suggestive of warmer summer days.

Le Sixième Sens, Le Sixième Sens; Inara Pey, June 2017, on Flickr Le Sixième Sens

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BURN2 Conception 2017 announced for Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

The BURN2 team have announced the dates and theme for the BURN2 Conception 2017 event – and with them comes an invitation for builders to get involved.

Conception this year will take place on the weekend of Friday, July 14th through Sunday July 16th,  with the theme Take A Look Inside.

Announcing the event, the BURN2 press release reads in part:

How do we convey the need to be a Community? An Invitation, We invite someone inside.

We invite the visitor into our home and make them feel welcome. Offer them comfort, Laughter, and Sincerity. The community grows as we come together in our common areas. Think of the Piazzas of Italy, the gathering of the community on a daily basis, bonding, sharing stories, laughter and sharing time.

Those wishing to participate are invited to literally build inside the box – parcels will comprise 24m semi-transparent cubes with a 225 Land Impact allowance, in which builders are encouraged to build a welcoming environment they can invite others into, while the areas outs of the cubes will form the wider public spaces, with the press release going on to read:

The view from inside the box is transparent. Your build is showcased as a single view. Other builds are encased in their boxes so you just see the other boxes. The visitor walks and enters each box. Your invitation is important as it’s all that’s seen in clarity. Remember to build so all can be enjoyed while inside your plot. (long distant viewing is not what this event is all about).

Burn2 Conception 2016

Should you wish to apply to build for this year’s BURN2 Conception, you are asked to read (and follow) the Ten Principles of Burning Man, and the Conception 2017 Builder Guidelines before completing the application form.

Those who would like to be a greeter at the event can sign-up here.

About BURN2

BURN2 is an extension of the Burning Man festival and community into the world of Second Life. It is an officially sanctioned Burning Man regional event, and the only virtual world event out of more than 100 real world Regional groups and the only regional event allowed to burn the man.

The BURN2 Team operates events year around, culminating in an annual major festival of community, art and fire in the fall – a virtual echo of Burning Man itself.

Links