Month: April 2018

April 20th 2018 Town Hall with Ebbe Altberg: transcript with audio

Posted on by Inara Pey
Strike the pose: Ebbe and moderator Xiola Linden at the first Town Hall session, Friday, April 20th

On Friday, April 20th, Linden Lab hosted two Town Hall meetings at which questions were put to the Lab’s CEO, Ebbe Altberg. Those wishing to ask questions were asked to submit them via the forum thread A Conversation with Linden Lab CEO Ebbe Altberg, although outside of the core meeting, Ebbe took time to answer questions from the audience present at the event.

Some 200 questions were asked, many of which were technical in nature. As many of the subjects of these questions were no things Ebbe could respond to directly, the decision was made to have the Lab’s subject matter experts address them directly through the forum thread itself after the Town Hall meetings, a process which may take several days to complete. So, if you did ask a technical question that wasn’t raised at either Town Hall event, be sure to check the thread to see if an answer in provided there.

The following is a transcript of the core questions and answers offered at both sessions, with audio extracts provided as reference.

  • These notes don’t follow the chronological flow of the sessions, as I’ve attempted to group subjects by topic for more concise reference.
  • Due to the nature of the event, some questions of a similar nature were asked at both sessions, which elicited very similar answers in each case. Where this is the case, I have generally provided the answer which – in my opinion, admittedly – offers the most information.
  • Similarly, Ebbe’s opening comments at both events followed similar lines, so I have only provided a transcript of the remarks made at the first session.
  • Questions are given in bold.
  • The “back to summary” links will take you back to the blog post summary of the session, and can be used by those who prefer to “subject hop” rather than work their way through the entire transcript.

The Short Form

For those who prefer, the following is a bullet-point list of the core questions asked, gathered into the same topic headings as the transcript notes. Links are given to the relevant part of the full transcript for those who would prefer to read / listen to the complete answers / comments.

Note: due to the nature of WordPress internal text anchors and scrolling, you may have to scroll up a little after jumping to a specific topic, in order to see the question.

Opening Comments – First Session

  • Linden Lab remains committed to Second Life, which is managed by a dedicated team covering Product, Engineering, Support, Marketing, etc. Jump to topic.
  • The Lab remains focused on growth, for Second Life as much as Sansar; Sansar does not signal the end of Second Life, nor are there plans to “transition” SL users to Sansar.
  • A lot of focus is on pivoting LL’s Second Life revenue generation away from a land-based model to one more balanced between land tier and other fees. Jump to topic.
  • Major effect and investment in being put into moving all of Second Life to a cloud based infrastructure, which will hopefully bring benefits. This should be seen as a sign of commitment to SL. Jump to topic.

Revenue: Land, Fees, Subscriptions and Compliance

Note: this section includes answers to questions about upcoming US SEC regulation changes and the incoming EU GDPR, which were primarily responded to in terms of compliance data management.

  • Land costs following the move to the cloud. – Land costs many not dramatically change, and revenue rebalancing has the potential to do more. Cloud benefits potentially more technical in nature, but may offer some fees benefits. Jump to topic.
  • How can Linden Lab sustain itself on a free-to-play basis? – Free-to-play, revenue and subscriptions: Free-to-play accepted norm in the industry and not changing with Second Life. However, as part of a re-balancing of revenue generation, what can be done on a free-to-play basis versus what might be possible through subscription options is being considered. Jump to topic.
  • Can you explain how LindeX and transaction fees are constantly increased with no perceived added benefit to users?
    • Providing an economic model that globally allows people to pay money into it and withdraw money from it requires regulatory compliance a state, federal and global levels, and this costs.
    • Increases in transaction fees, along with subscriptions, etc., may offer a means to reduce the cost of SL land.
    • Jump to topic.
  • What is the Lab’s policy on user data protection? – taken very serious, vis: compliance (above), LL does not participate in any business models that feature the use of user data. Jump to topic.
  • Have you considered charging for additional accounts, say US $10 per account? – Not come up, will pass it on to the team.
  • Are there going to be adjustments to Premium accounts? – Yes, and considerable work is being put into this by the Product team to determine the types of Premium account / subscriptions should be offered and what their individual benefits should be. Jump to topic.
  • Will the changes to Premium accounts also see changes to how arrears are handled, e.g. not lock accounts out? – time is provided for people to catch up on payments. Jump to topic.
  • Will any reduction in land fees apply to Skill Gaming regions? – in time, hopefully, yes. Jump to topic.

Technical / Project Questions

  • Will there be updates to Lab-owned in-world infrastructure – InfoHubs, themed private regions, etc? – already in hand. Jump to topic.
  • What are the plans for Second Life on Mobile? – It’s under discussion, but no firm plans, with a hope there might be a good business case to move in that direction. Jump to topic.
  • Will the return of Last Names allow people to freely choose their last name, or will it be ‘choose from a list’?
    • Also see my audio updates from Oz, Grumpity and Patch Linden on the return of Last Names – comments referencing that post are including in parentheses in the following bullet points).
    • Pre-made list (but suggestions on last name options may be sought from the community to help with refreshing the list with new options).
    • Will also be able to change your first name.
    • Will involve a fee (in US $) and might be a Premium benefit.
    • As a warning to creators: if you script items to identify avatars, don’t use names, use the avatar Agent Key.
    • No time frame as yet on when it will be rolled out.
    • Might be a Premium-only benefit; if available to all, Premium may have a specific advantage (TBD) over Basic.
    • Jump to topic.
  • When will Animesh Bakes on Mesh and Windlight EEP be available? –  No precise dates, but Users actively involved in testing. Hopefully in the next couple of quarters. Jump to topic.
  • Will the Teen Grid ever come back? – Not being discussed. Probably better to work on ensuring proper controls in place to allow people to use the one grid. Jump to topic.
  • What is the Lab’s commitment to the open source project? No change. Can’t really take it back and wouldn’t want to due to TPV synergy. Jump to topic.
  • Will any features from Sansar be back-ported to Second Life, such as the rendering engine or Marvelous Designer support? – rendering engine, no. Marvelous Designer support – possibly a question for the Second Life team. Jump to topic.
  • Will my.secondlife.com [Profile feeds] be improved to help make connections a-la Facebook? – connections and building communities are important, but whether my.secondlife.com is a part of that is unclear, as there are other potential channels. Jump to topic.
  • Would it be possible to spin-up a second instance of a region being rebooted, and transfer avatars to it and maintain traffic, rather than forcing them to teleport elsewhere / log off, and then letting the original just shut down? Jump to topic.
  • When is Second Life going to be optimised to run well on high-end client systems with good Internet connections and graphics? Jump to topic.

New Users and the On-boarding Process

  • Is Linden Lab planning to advertise Second Life to attract new customers and keep the population size healthy and sustainable? – this is a constant effort, and the Lab is investing time, effort and money into the entire end-to-end on-boarding process to not only maintain, but to hopefully grow, SL’s user base. Jump to topic.
  • What are Linden Lab’s plans to bring-in new users and incentivise past users to return? – partially answered above, plus the improvements to the platform, the content users continue to make, etc. Jump to topic.

General Topics

  • What is the Lab’s view on adult content and the future of adult content? – No change. Jump to topic.
  • Will there be more sessions like the Town Hall or like Lab Chat after SL15B? – There are in-world technical meetings, but the hope is to have more general in-world meetings and discussions going forward. Jump to topic.
  • How do you compare the Oasis [from Ready Player One] as an educational place with Second Life? – Second Life is probably the closest to the Oasis in the world today and has a broad range of uses and involvement which is inspiring. Jump to topic.
  • Do you see Second Life lasting for another fifteen years? – Yes; Second Life is still successful on many levels, so why not keep it going?
  • Can you give a positioning statement between Sansar and Second Life? – two products with some similarities, but also significant differences, each managed by a separate teams. Jump to topic.
  • What have you found to be the biggest challenges for Second Life with regards to your planned vision, and how are you overcoming those challenges? Jump to topic.

Three into on at DiXmiX for April and May

Posted on by Inara Pey
DiXmiX Gallery: Oyo

DiXmiX Gallery, curated by Dixmix Source, is currently hosting three exhibitions side-by-side by Second Life artists, all of which opened in April and run through (at least in part) to May. As is always the case with this gallery, the exhibitions are both intriguing and a little frustrating.

First up, and in the foyer area of the Grey Gallery, is I’m a Magic Marker (SquarePegRoundHole69), an artist to whom I was introduced – or her work at least – by Sorcha Tyles. “For me, Second Life is a way to escape into a novel that you write yourself, but with me, the story is generally without a plot,” Magic said at the time of her exhibition at Sorcha’s gallery. “Some images are cathartic, some are just because I like to look at pretty things.”

DiXmiX Gallery: Magic Marker

It’s a point of view that can be applied to the twelve images offered at DiXmiX. Quirky, eye-catching and often featuring bold colours which demand our attention, they present attention-grabbing avatar studies (with a little nudity in places). Some might appear to be straight-forward almost studio style photos (such as “#1” and “#7”); others offer that opening to a story mentioned in passing by Magic, while some evoke echoes of art and artistry from other sources – notably #5 and the wonderfully eye-catching #3 with its hint of a Jackson pollack influence.

Adjoining this in the ground floor Black Gallery is Blanc by Oyo, a series of fourteen quite striking studies, largely of avatars, but also featuring landscapes, in which white – and the title might suggest – plays something of a role almost throughout. Again untitled, given only a number, these are attention-holding studies which although free from narrative, instantly draw one into them each in turn. There is a vibrancy and life within each, beautifully encapsulated in their largely muted tones.

DiXmiX Gallery: Oyo

Most of the images stand as individual pieces, each to be appreciated in its own right. the exceptions to this are “IV”, “V” and “VI” which form an impressive triptych-like trio of images (above),  each on standing as an individual piece, but all three combine perfectly together to form a single and evocative whole; a glimpse of a vacation or favourite coastal place caught in the mind’s eye.

On the upper floor of the gallery, in the White Gallery space, is 12 Photographers and 1 Chair, by Mr. S. As the name implies, this is a set of twelve studies of Second Life photographers – all of them male, and welcome in an age where the camera is still often preoccupied with studies of the female form – seated in an armchair and presented with a glimpse of their own work as a backdrop.

DiXmiX Gallery: Mr. S

Caught in the same lighting, the 12 artists, Yann Whoa, Aran M., Skippy Beresford, Dixmix Source, Terry Fotherington, Gaus, Burk Bode, SL Senna, Moon Edenbaum, Oscar Sabra, Vrir Resident and Serene Footman, all make for intriguing studies; although I did find that in a couple of the images, the supporting “background” image tended to draw my eyes away from the main subject perhaps a little too much. Nevertheless, these are striking studies, and with several, I couldn’t help but feel Mr. S had caught not only the look, but the very essence of his subjects through both their portrait and the selected supporting image.

My frustration, such as it is, lies again with the lack of liner notes accompanying this three exhibitions. With 12 Photographers and 1 Chair in particular, it would have been interesting to get Mr. S’s perspective on his images, and perhaps those of some of his subjects. This (usual) quibble aside, all three exhibits are well worth a visit.

SLurl Details

This Weekend in Second Life Dance

Posted on by R.

Ballet Pixelle - Avatara - April 18 2018

Hi there. R. Crap Mariner, your friendly neighbourhood dance correspondent.

I’ll be posting dance performance schedules, similar to Inara’s posts about Seanchai Library readings.

This is a huge week. Lighting the Way and Fantasy Faire are running, and I’m running like a beheaded chicken trying to keep up with the updates and note cards. Hopefully, I caught them all.

Let’s get started, here’s the events that I saw on the calendar as of press time.

(All times SLT)

Winds of the Sahara - April 15 2018

Friday, April 20th

9:00AM – SLCS

The Second Life Cheerleading Squad is the grid’s oldest, largest and most successful professional cheerleading squad. Our members undergo a month-long training, and are some of the most motivated and talented Girls anywhere. We offer large squad cheer performances, event hosting, on-line experience beta testing, etc.

We perform all over the grid, with performances at special events, Clubs, Live music shows and the like. In addition, The SLCS raises a large amount of cash for RFL, with over 10000 USD raised so far.

For more information on how the SLCS can work with you contact Lisa Tredwell

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Story%20Well/99/194/61

12:00PM – Nouvelle Folies

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Astrids%20Nemeton/119/247/61

6:00PM – Elysium Cabaret

Elysium Cabaret – Welcome to the Weekend!

If it’s Friday, it’s Elysium Cabaret! Fancy some imagination? In The Empire Room at Copperhead Road, every Friday at 6pm SLT the dynamic performers of Elysium Cabaret take the stage to bring you a solid hour of entertainment!

Featuring elaborate sets and choreography sequenced to an eclectic genre of music, Elysium Cabaret offers something for everyone. Grab your friends and get their early because the sim fills. Come celebrate Friday! Welcome to the weekend!

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Copperhead%20Road/74/64/2754

6:00PM – Misfit Follies

Misfit Dance & Performance Art performs full-scale production shows at our home theatre, other venues, fund-raising events & private parties all over the grid! The theme is a fantastical variety dance show with fun & unusual character /avatar dancers – each act tells a little story. Think Broadway in SL!

We are so proud to present shows continuously for our amazing audience of dance art patrons! With close to 60 (and growing!) story dance art pieces to build our weekly shows that we perform in our Theatre two Wednesdays per month at 7 PM SL, one Sunday per month at 5 pm SL and once per month on certain Fridays at 10 AM SL for our global time zones friends!

Misfit Dance also presents shows “OnTheRoad” at various locations for Cancer/ Autism / Parkinsons’ Disease and More – Awareness & Fund Raising events in SL / year round!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Story%20Well/99/194/61

9:00PM – Monarchs

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? NO! It’s an article that you should read to learn more about Monarchs!

(NOTE: I rarely give suggestions, but if you are lucky enough to catch Monarchs on Friday night, you can then be free to catch Burlesque Dolls at 3PM on Saturday.)

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Monarchs/143/214/454

Saturday, April 21

Debauche - April 14 2018

9:00AM – Misfit Follies

Misfit Dance & Performance Art performs full-scale production shows at our home theatre, other venues, fund-raising events & private parties all over the grid! The theme is a fantastical variety dance show with fun & unusual character /avatar dancers – each act tells a little story. Think Broadway in SL!

We are so proud to present shows continuously for our amazing audience of dance art patrons! With close to 60 (and growing!) story dance art pieces to build our weekly shows that we perform in our Theatre two Wednesdays per month at 7 PM SL, one Sunday per month at 5 pm SL and once per month on certain Fridays at 10 AM SL for our global time zones friends!

Misfit Dance also presents shows “OnTheRoad” at various locations for Cancer/ Autism / Parkinsons’ Disease and More – Awareness & Fund Raising events in SL / year round!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Story%20Well/99/194/61

11:00AM – Winds of the Sahara

(NOTE: This is a rare early performance of Winds for LTW. If 5PM Sundays is a bit late for you, then catch them now.)

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/This%20Sim/94/161/2503

12:00PM – Oasis and Debauche

Not one but TWO great dance troupes join forces to create a truly magical experience. Always great to share the stage with such brilliant performers and always a fantastic show for the audience to be a part of.

You do NOT want to miss this great show. Oasis and Debauche light up the stage together.

(NOTE: Yay!)

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Puntarenas%205/82/111/22

12:00PM – Night Theatre

A brand new show, made just for Fantasy Faire 2018!

“Where the magic flows free between Dusk and Dawn….and tales take form from pixels….weaving a never-ending tapestry of twilight stories…..”

The Night Theatre has been actively running shows in SL since the winter of 2013. We have been involved in many various events such as One Billion Rising, The MilkyWay Cabaret, Fantasy Faire, LEA, SL B and are honoured to have been part of the Fallen Gods annual celebrations the last couple of years and much more. During these years we have produced several new shows and been a part of various other festivals and celebrations.

Curious? Have a look at our pics in Flickr, subscribe to our blog or join The Dreamers group! Or get on our subscribo list to stay updated on our upcoming events. Want to book us for a show? Or are you burning for SL dance and want to join us? Speak to Aelva and she will weave some magic for you.

Let the Magic Begin…

(NOTE: This is Aelva’s performance group. I talked with her a few weeks ago, and you can read the article.)

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Astrids%20Nemeton/119/247/61

1:00PM – Dance Variety Show @ LTW

The special event variety shows are a good opportunity to learn about a lot of different performers, choreographers, and groups at once. It’s like a salad bar, but every bowl is your favourite pudding.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/This%20Sim/94/161/2503

3:00PM – Harleyquin Workshop

Performance Director Class 3: Advanced, Making it Sing

You have the basics down – in this workshop we play with additional features and possible ways to use them! Load another routine note card, derez your set, other ways to use groups, starting animations….and anything else we can think of! We’re even going to touch on layering!

** Requires experience in creating a full PD routine

http://harleyquinadventure.com/

(NOTE: This is a class. I’ll talk more about classes in an upcoming article.)

3:00PM – Burlesque Dolls

Join us at the Jefferson Opera House for a day of teasing and tantalizing by some of the most talented dancers on the grid. Burlesque at it’s best. Now under the direction of Melina Aurotharius (semi-formal or formal dress please)

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Aldo/113/67/3002

3:00PM – Monarchs

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? NO! It’s an article that you should read to learn more about Monarchs!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Monarchs/143/214/454

5:00PM – Avilion Mer Ballet

Avilion is a medieval fantasy community, home to dragon and drow, elven, land dwellers and winged fae, creatures of every kind and of course the merrow.

In addition to combat and role-play, Avilionians entertain their citizens with regular performances from the Avilion Merballet Company, Avilion Cameo Theatre and the Bards.

For 8 years the merballet has showcased the beauty and agility of the mer form more than 10 unique performances. Combining mer mystic and magic, we have made waves entertaining with this visually inspiring SL art form.

The Avilion MerBallet Company also performs to benefit Fantasy Faire, Relay for Life in Second Life and other charities.

Share this dream with us!

(NOTE: This group performs infrequently, so this is a good opportunity to catch them.)

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Story%20Well/99/194/61

5:00PM – Phoenix Dance Team

(NOTE: They usually post descriptions at the last minute, so check their Facebook group.)

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/This%20Sim/94/161/2503

7:00PM – Elysium Cabaret @ LTW

Featuring elaborate sets and choreography sequenced to an eclectic genre of music, Elysium Cabaret offers something for everyone. Grab your friends and get their early because the sim fills. Come celebrate Friday! Welcome to the weekend!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/This%20Sim/94/161/2503

7:00PM – Desire Arts

Desire Arts Dancers

Desire Arts Dancers do an “after hours” show. Starting at 7pm SLT on April 21st & 28th… we bring you the performance quality at our Saturday shows, with more skin… little less costume. Some acts do contain adult content.

As an “Arts” theatre (and gallery) Desire Arts will be a venue perfectly suited for SL Performers wishing to express themselves through live performances, through Dance, Art Exhibits, Performance Art as well as Dramatic Presentations.

Also, Presentations of a controversial nature (including those involving sex, politics and/or religion) will be presented separately from the Dance Program.

You can read the article with Path and Lotta here.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Hell%20Lust/174/78/21

Sunday, April 22

Elysium Cabaret - April 13 2018

7:00AM – Club IMAGE

(NOTE: Even when Club IMAGE repeats, it’s still a magical experience.)

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Laem%20Singh/193/28/2021

10:00AM – Luxe Girls

The Luxe Girls have been entertaining the members of Elysion since 2015. Their shows are most often a mix of individual and group acts around a given theme. Each dancer chooses her music, builds her own set and choreographs her dance. This makes for an entertaining and eclectic mix of acts because each Luxe Girl has her own unique talents to bring to the stage every month.

Syn Beresford, owner of Elysion and Stage Mama to the Luxe Girls, hosts and DJ’s the shows as well as provides creative input and set design for many of the group acts.

The Luxe Girls will be returning to the Fantasy Faire this year with Le Cirque des Reves, their interpretation of Erin Morgenstern’s “The Night Circus”. Music and concept by DJ Lucid Hurricane with set design by Syn and the Luxe Girls and choreography and costumes by the Luxe Girls. This is a show you don’t want to miss!

(NOTE: Luxe is a group that usually performs at the private/paid Elysion estate, but it’s a rare treat to see them in an open access event like Fantasy Faire. What’s killing me is that Muse is doing Chicago at the same time, and Anu goes all-out too, so… Chicago has a second showing soon on May 6 at 10AM, but they fill the sim frequently. This one’s going to be tough.)

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Story%20Well/99/194/61

10:00AM – Muse Dance Company

Chicago Musical by Muse Dance Company

Sunday April 22nd and Sunday May 6th at 10 am SLT

Join the Muse Dance Company for this dance musical Chicago. A satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the “celebrity criminal”. You don’t wanna miss this one!

Choreographed by Anu Papp and Cordelia Cerise. I chatted with Anu for an article a while back here.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Whymsee/117/6/2019

11:00AM – Dazzlers

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/This%20Sim/94/161/2503

1:00PM – Debauche

Debauche return once more to the House Of Jana. New location, new theatre, same wonderful dance show.

It is always such a pleasure to perform here, always such a great crowd and a great atmosphere. Why don’t you come join us and see for yourself?

Debauche. A little naughty, a lot sexy and……ALWAYS CLASSY!!

(NOTE: Yay!)

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Chaton/193/102/903

1:00PM – Mynx Dance Academy

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/This%20Sim/94/161/2503

1:00PM – Red Hot Chili Pipers

The Chilli Pipers are Bagpipes with attitude. Drums with a Scottish accent. A blazing rock band and a show so hot it carries its own health warning. The Red Hot Chilli Pipers have been rocking the world from New York to Beijing with musicianship of the highest order and a passion for pipes that will leave you breathless. The Virtual Red Hot Chilli Pipers was established in August of 2009.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Astrids%20Nemeton/119/247/61

1:00PM – Sky Fire

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Story%20Well/99/194/61

3:00PM – DRUM

DRUM’s goal is to bring the world to you via the power of drumming. Our aim is to have fun and to create incredibly beautiful rhythms – live.

Members of the DRUM group have collaborated to create the unique sounds, drums, and animations that enable us to perform. Our performances are live and are subtly different each time – they are not pre-recorded music. The sounds are created right within Second Life. We then send them out and back in via stream in order to provide you with a lag free experience! We hope you enjoy our performances as much as we enjoy providing them.

Right now our performances consist of 10 different drum cultures, Taiko (Japanese), Native American, African, Latin, Indian, Mallets, Stomp Wall, Rusty Barrel, African Ghost, Brazilian, and Steel Pan drums. We are planning many new exciting sets for the near future!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Story%20Well/99/194/61

5:00PM – Ballet Pixelle

Ballet Pixelle – “Avatara”

Opening Sunday April 15th at 5 pm SLT and every Wednesday and Sunday at 5 through June 13

Ballet Pixelle® will open its production of “Avatara” on Sunday, April 15 at 5:00 pm SLT, Join us for this original composition of virtual dance! What if a real world dancer could dance in a virtual world? What movements would be the same or different? What kinds of different beings could she be? What would be the same? And how would that dancer be changed after her experience? Performances are Wednesdays at 5:00 pm and Sundays at 5:00 pm SLT throughout April in the Ballet Pixelle Theatre. Audience dancing at the after-show party every performance! Join us for an evening of delights. Chat with the performers and crew after the performance for autographs, photos, and a question & answer session.

Formal dress expected.

(NOTE: There’s something raw and organic and special about Ballet Pixelle. Retaining the hand-triggered method of performance makes each performance a cool kind of quirky and dadaesque. It’s a living experience, natural in a digital world. A fractal experience that embraces the lag and latency in a powerful way. I’m really hoping to cover them in an article here.)

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Quat/32/22/107

5:00PM – Winds of the Sahara

Winds is going to take you on a date tonight, want to go see a movie? (NOTE: If you’re a Don Hertzfeldt fan, the proper response is “I’m feeling fat and sassy!” Okay, back to the description.) We do too! We are all dancing to songs from the movies! Each dancer chose a song to dance to, taking their inspiration from the movies. We will delight your eyes and put some songs in your heads from Fifth Element, Copacobana, Risky Business, Xanadu, 50 Shades & Dolphins to name a few. It is sure to be a toe-tapping good time. We will even let you sneak in some candy, as long as you share with us! Come early for some pre-show dancing with us too. We will also have a 500L gift card from Insatiable Dreams to give away. Come join us for a Night At The Movies!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Aladona/124/193/2001

I assume there will be a few more shows this week… folks are just taking their time getting the notices in, finishing up their routines… that sort of thing. I’d prefer to error on the side of caution and just post the ones confirmed at press time.

Check with the Dance Queens event calendar for updates and additions to the weekend’s schedule, as well as the many events that happen during the week.

So, folks, is this useful? Let me know. Drop me an IM when you get to a show and that you enjoyed it.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I perform with Guerilla Burlesque and Debauche. Which leads to a funny story… I went to the Ballet Pixelle performance on Wednesday, and at the after party, people keep calling me Star. And I’m like “I’m not a star.” but it continues. Then the next day, when I try to rez something and I fail, I realize I don’t have the right group tag on. I’ve got “Debauche Star” on. I had it on during a rehearsal and forgot to change back. This is what happens when you turn off group tags and name tags in your viewer.

(NOTE: Yes, there are going to be a lot more NOTE rambles and digressions in my articles. Try not to start a flame war.)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/isfullofcrap/27611770288/in/dateposted/

(NOTE: Oops.)

2018 SL UG updates #16/2: Content Creator User Group

Posted on by Inara Pey
A rally of (Animesh) raptors on Aditi

The following notes are taken from the Content Creation User Group (CCUG) meeting, held on  Thursday, April 19th, 2018 at 13:00 SLT.  The meeting is chaired by Vir Linden, and agenda notes, etc, are usually available on the Content Creation User Group wiki page.

Medhue Simoni Live streamed the meeting, and his video is embedded at the end of this summary. My thanks to him for providing it. Time stamps are included in the text below to allow easy referencing to the video for details.

Initially, the meeting opened on Aditi at the Animesh test regions.however, Voice issues across the beta grid regions resulted in the meeting decamping to the TPVD amphitheatre on Agni, and these notes reflect the meeting from that point onwards, starting at the 7 minutes 19 seconds point in the video.

Animesh Project

Project Summary

The goal of this project is to provide a means of animating rigged mesh objects using the avatar skeleton, in whole or in part, to provide things like independently moveable pets / creatures, and animated scenery features via scripted animation. It involves both viewer and server-side changes.

Project Viewer

The project viewer with the updated Animesh land impact / tri count formula was released on Monday, April 16th. Version 5.1.4.514468 also brings the viewer to parity with the current release viewer.

Vir’s provides a detailed explanation in the Animesh updated limits and cost formulas forum thread, However, in summary:

  • Animesh attachment limit = 1: only one Animesh object can be attached to an avatar at a time. This is unchanged from the original estimates.
  • Triangle Count Limit = 100,000: an animesh object (linkset) can have at most 100k triangles, where the count is based on the estimated size of the largest LOD (normally this is the high LOD). This includes all mesh triangles, static or rigged.
  • Land Impact: streaming cost = 15.0 + 1.5 * ktris + cost of non rigged prims: for a rigged mesh prim in an animesh linkset, the streaming cost will be 0.0015 * effective_tri_count – that is, 1.5 per thousand triangles. The value for effective_tri_count is derived from the estimated triangle count of the various LODs in the prim as follows:
    • High LOD: all of the estimated triangle count included in the effective_tri_count.
    • Medium LOD, Low LOD and Lowest LOD: the allowed number of triangles can be up to ½ of the LOD above, or 64, whichever is larger (i.e. Medium can be up to ½ of High, or 64, whichever is larger). If there are more triangles than this limit, that excess will be added to the effective_tri_count.
  • These values are also reflected in ARC (avatar rendering cost) calculations for Animesh items.

[7:23-8:43] The viewer also incorporates a change where it will automatically switch to skeleton based rendering for Animesh as soon as it detects the use of an avatar skeleton in an object, rather than waiting until an animation starts playing on an Animesh object in order to make the switch. It is hoped this will avoid issues between an Animesh object’s static and animated states, which can cause visual glitches when the animation based switch is made. It should also avoid potential exploits with people using multiple Animesh objects without necessarily animating them.

[9:13-9:32] It is believed the majority of bugs for Animesh are now in hand, however if any finds specific issues with the new impact calculations or with the latest project viewer in general, they are asked to file a JIRA bug report.

Rigged Mesh Level of Detail / Bounding Box Issues

Beq Janus has reported on issues with rigged mesh LOD issues related to the avatar bounding box. Essentially, attachments on avatars swap their LOD models as if they were scaled to the overall avatar Bounding Box. Some creators, deliberately or otherwise, force the bounding box to be far larger than is required, which then creates problems

For example, if an avatar bounding box is forced to 15 metres on a side, any rigged object worn by that avatar will swap LODs as if it were 15 metres in size, no matter how small, forcing viewers around it to use its highest LOD model unnecessarily (see BUG-214736 for more).

[8:44-9:12]  Graham Linden has been investigating these, as has some proposed changes which he and Vir hope to implement in the near future, the implication being these will be folded into the Animesh viewer.

Environment Enhancement Project (EEP)

Project Summary

A set of environmental enhancements, including:

  • The ability to define the environment (sky, sun, moon, clouds, water settings) at the parcel level.
  • New environment asset types (Sky, Water, Days – the latter comprising multiple Sky and Water) that can be stored in inventory and traded through the Marketplace / exchanged with others.
  • Experience-based environment functions
  • An extended day cycle (e.g a 24/7 cycle) and extended environmental parameters.

This work involves simulator and viewer changes, and includes some infrastructure updates.

Current Status

[10:35-11:05] Rider Linden has been involved in dealing with other issues, which have delayed progress on EEP. He hopes that with this worked cleared, he’ll be able to focus on getting the viewer updates out in a project viewer.

Continue reading “2018 SL UG updates #16/2: Content Creator User Group” →

Out of Here in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Out of Here

“My images don’t have a bar code, from time to time they scream. Today is the first day of peace though,” Nevereux notes in her Preview to Out of Here Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, an exhibition of her work now on display at , curated by Dido Haas. An evocative artist whom I’ve admired through these pages on a number of occasions,  Nevereux offers sixteen images which, as show notes in a mere general introduction to the exhibition, form something of a reflective, emotional journey.

“Out of here is despair converted into media with intrinsic meaning and no pretenses,” she sates, “… it’s a spiritual thing, the individual perception of feelings after breakup. We seek in our beliefs sensory encounters, something beyond the words uttered. The words may reverberate subtlety, but the raw feelings, truth, irony and an imaginative point of view wrestle us each moment to create image after image.”

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Out of Here

And so we are presented with images of raw emotional depth, each one presenting not a narrative or idea, but a feeling; a response; a desire. All but one are really presented as standalone moments; flashes of an emotional state, a state with which, in all likelihood we can each identify. The exception is Adieux. Beta version, seen at the end of this piece, which conveys emotions through words as well as by image.

Love and loss obviously result in darker feelings – emptiness, loneliness, despair, hurt, and so on. This is certainly the case with the majority of the pieces offered here – but that shouldn’t be taken to mean these are in any way bleak images. Entirely the reverse, in fact. As noted above, these are images that are powerfully and evocatively familiar in their interpretation; so much so that rather than sinking us into bleaker thoughts, they offer a journey – possibly cathartic – through feelings and responses. Some may even offer more than one potential interpretation.

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Out of Here

Take Every Song Is A Lament (above, left), for example. Clearly, the title reflects how songs can feel to us when a relationship ends;  that sense of loss, not just of love and companionship – but also a of oneself. This is beautifully framed by the image itself – a body partially dissolved into a trail of feathers leading to an escaping bird. But so to, is there an alternative here: that need to escape; a wish not to feel the hurt and upset evoked by song, and to simply escape.

Similarly, and alongside of Every Song Is A Lament, is Going from Belonging 2 B Longing. Again, the title and the image perfectly convey the idea that there comes a time when a relationship ends – for whatever reason – when we a deeply aware of that shift in state: for a couple (or family) or an individual; we feel more a shadow than a presence. But again, perhaps, there is an alternative metaphor here: when a relationship ends, we are often surrounded by support; and as well-meaning as that support might be, we nevertheless feel apart from it, rather than a part of it. We simply want to fade away and escape it all.

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Out of Here

An open display of images reflecting inner thoughts and feelings, Out of Here is an expressive exhibition, one not to be missed.

SLurl Details

Fantasy Faire: your shorthand guide to 2018

Posted on by Inara Pey
Fantasy Faire 2018: Aetherea (Alia Baroque)

The largest fantasy-related event to take place in Second Life, Fantasy Faire, opened its gates to 2018 on Thursday, April 19th, and will remain open through until  Sunday, April 29th, 2018 inclusive. It brings together fantasy enthusiasts, creators, performers and designers for eleven days of commerce, special events, and live music concerts, with special emphasis on fund-raising for Relay for Life of Second Life.

This year marks the Faire’s 10th anniversary, and presents 15 regions (including the entertainment and Quest regions) to be explored and enjoyed, and a packed programme of activities and events. It also marks the start of a new chapter in the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) work.

For the first time, fund-raisers are allowed to earmark donations for a special project they have chosen to support – and Fantasy Faire is the flagship event to launch this new approach within virtual worlds. As I was able to report earlier in April, all funds raised during Fantasy Faire 2018 will go towards to development and operation of a new Hope Hostel to care for cancer patients and their care givers, at the Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya.

Fantasy Faire 2018: Falls of Hope (Sweetgwendoline Bailey/Eldowyn Inshan)

Once again, the Faireland regions offer an impressive range of realms and ideas, from what might be regarded as “traditional” fantasy – we have a former realm of elves for example, in The Bazaar Dungeon, while The Pools of Ethuil echo elven tree-homes – through to and almost science fiction edge to things with Erstwhile, a grand spaceport sitting within the bowl of a flooded crater, great trading space vessels docked along its elevated rim.  Elsewhere there are echoes of past Fantasy Faire events. Atherea, for example has a faint visual echo of 2012’s The Tides and a thematic reflection of 2013’s Magnificat.

You can find the background notes on all the 2018 Faireland regions here, or by visiting their individual pages on the Fantasy Faire website.

Fantasy Faire 2018: The Halls of Story (Elicio Ember)

Of course, as well as all the best in fantasy shopping, Fantasy Faire offers just about something for everyone. There’s  the Literary Festival, which is based at The Halls of Story and which I previewed earlier in April. There is also the Fantasy Faire Quest. Then there are the auctions. The silent auction runs throughout the Faire and there will be details available shortly, while the Live Auction will take place on the final day of the Faire again, watch the Faire’s website for details and a chance to own one or more extremely rare items from this year’s event!

Role-Play! Once again there will be numerous opportunities for role-play within the Fairelands. Three groups are offering themed role-play, weaving tales and offering anyone with an interest with the chance to participate.

But that’s not all! In addition to these three, there is a new role-play feature for Fantasy Faire 2018. The denizens of Luth will have opened an embassy in the land of Severina, where they will be holding a regular series of Meet’n’Greets offering fairelanders can meet their representatives and learn more about their stories.

Also new to Fantasy Faire 2018 is table-top gaming! prospective GMs have the opportunity to host a game session (or two), all while raising funds for the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life.

Fantasy Faire 2018: The Willows of Nienna (Kilik Lekvoda)

And, of course, there will be the popular role-play classes, this year located at Falls of Hope. See the class schedule for more.

Performance and Art: there is a full programme of art and performance events, to be found at The Story Well and Astrid’s Nemeton. Some 37 artists are exhibiting their images at Fantasy Faire 2018, and there will be a range of performances by some of the top dance troupes from across Second Life, including Misfit Dance, the Avilion MerBallet company, the Changhigh Sisters, DRUM, Luxe Girls and more. See the Performance events list for more, including dates and times.

The Fairelands Players are also back again for 2018, presenting two of Shakespeare’s plays:

As with every Fantasy Faire, there will be parties, music and dances throughout – see the Fairechylde listing and event schedule for more. And don’t forget the two special parties for 2018:

Keep Abreast of all things Fantasy Faire – music, auctions, literary, performance, and of course the infamous Jail and Bail rounds – through the Fantasy Faire Website, the Fantasy Faire 2018 events calendar and Fantasy Faire radio.

And start your Fairelands journey at the Fairelands Junction.

Fantasy Faire 2018: Erstwhile (Marcus Inkpen/Sharni Azalee)

Fantasy Faire 2018 SLurls

Shopping:

Events and Performance:

  • Fairelands Junction – Portals and Memorial Area.
  • Ardessa (Éclair Martinek) – Fairelands Quest.
  • Astrid’s Nemeton (lrriven) – The RFL One Team & Second Performance Stage.
  • The Halls of Story (Elicio Ember) – Literary Festival, “Live at the FaireChylde” dance parties and Worldling Collection 2018.
  • The Story Well (Haveit Neox & Lilia Artis) – Main Performance Stage & Fantasy Faire Art Gallery.