The Simulator User Group meeting place at Longfellow
The following notes were taken from the Tuesday, July 28, 2026 Simulator User Group (SUG) off-week meeting (the “Leviathan Office Hour”). These notes form a summary of the items discussed, and are not intended to be a full transcript. They were taken from my chat log of the meeting, and Pantera’s video is embedded at the end of this article – my thanks to her, as always, for recording and providing it.
Meeting Overview
The Simulator User Group (also referred to by its older name of Server User Group) exists to provide an opportunity for discussion about simulator technology, bugs, and feature ideas is held every other Tuesday at 12:00 noon, SLT (holidays, etc., allowing), per the Second Life Public Calendar.
The “Leviathan Office Hour” meetings are held on the Tuesdays which do not have a formal SUG meeting, and are chaired by Leviathan Linden. They are more brainstorming / general discussion sessions.
Meetings are held in text in-world, at this location.
Game_Control
Leviathan has cut a new version of the game_control viewer (v0.7.8). This includes:
Per-axis per-mode invert option.
Keyboard support for flycamming.
Variable speed for avatar rotations when using the game controller stick.
Mouse-click actions for Mouselook mode.
Mouse mode (ability to control the on-screen with a gamepad.
His hope remains to get the game_control capabilities into the Lua editor viewer before that finally goes to release status (which might happen in the latter part of August).
However, internal discussions at the Lab have caused Leviathan to realise he needs to overhaul the GameControlInput UDP message format server-side before the code can go out in a viewer. This work will also require a server-side code updates for the simulator in order for game_control to work.
Those updates have been deployed to the Blake Sea region on Aditi (the Beta grid) for those wishing to test them.
Sandbox Wanderton and its neighbours are also going to be cloned on Aditi for further vehicle testing on land.
The above work is separate to Harold Linden’s work on script serialisation to prevent scripts from crashing/disabling on a region crossing should be live across the grid in the current simulator release.
He also indicated LL is aware of recent region crossing issues within Blake Sea on Agni (the Main grid), which might be griefer related.
In Brief
Please refer to the video for more on the following.
It was asked if the tool could be more widely used within the viewer.
However, there are no plans to do so because the version in use has been modified for that specific use, with a large number of unused glyphs stripped out that to reduce viewer installer bloat and limit dependency on PromptFont beyond the game_control requirement.
The above sparked a conversation on viewer fonts that ran through most of the meeting.
A general discussion on the use of AI LLMs for coding.
Soul Deep, July 2026 – click any image for full size
I dropped in to Kaelyn Elara’s Soul Deep recently, some 16 months after my last visit. At that time the region comprised a series of islands under a summer Sun, the design by Kaelyn and Jacky Macpherson. Richly detailed and with paths and trails to wander, it was a place I found relaxing for exploring both on foot and on horseback.
For my July 2026, I found the region was now a single, roughly T-shaped island caught in that period of time when summer is vying with autumn (or fall if you prefer) for our attention.
Soul Deep, July 2026
It’s a setting that comes with an almost poetic description by Kaelyn:
Where the salt wind carries whispers of Autumn. Wander weathered beaches, follow winding paths through golden grasses, and rest beneath trees that lean toward the sea.
Here, hammocks sway, campfires glow, and gulls wheel above an ocean that feels endless. This is a place for slow breaths, long looks, and soul-deep moments, where hope drifts in like the tide and stays a while.
– Kaelyn Elara on Soul Deep
Soul Deep, July 2026
The Landing Point sits close to the northern coastline of the “bar” to the island’s “T”, sitting on a rough path running west-to-east and between two of the three buildings to be found here. One of these, off to the east, is a café space while the one to the west is a cosy cabin. Both have a little camp site close by.
The island is low-lying; a mix of scrub grass, sand and trees, the ground broken here and there by groups of rocks. Off to the south, at the end of the second arm of the island sits a large wooden house (the Piper Hideaway by Cory Edo), this one with a little camp fire outside. Another trail meanders down to it from the north end of the island .
Soul Deep, July 2026
There are two Teegle horse rezzing hitching posts with this setting. When touch, these will offer a selection of horses of various breeds and sizes -turn of your AO and then right-click the horse to mount / sit. The mostly open nature of the island makes riding easy (just mind the beach fencing!).
The beaches offer places to sit and relax as gulls circle overhead (or keep watch on things from local signs!) and sailboats lie offshore. it’s a genuinely relaxing setting, rich in local sounds.
Soul Deep, July 2026
What I love about Soul Deep is the continued simplicity Kaelyn and Jacky place in their designs; the settings are always entirely natural in look and feel, never overcrowded; just rich in details and small touches.
Just take the way the cabin and the house are furnished – both are open to the public – or the way the café and its seating are laid out; they all offer a sense of life and presence, but never of any artificiality or sense of being props.
Soul Deep, July 2026
The same is true for the landscaping and the the items and objects to be found around the island – the rowing boats, the signs – everything has a simple, binding beauty.
Photogenic and peaceful, Soul Deep continues to present the perfect getaway setting to soothe the mind.
Second Life has long held a deserved reputation for assisting people with a wide range of disabilities to share in virtual activities, make friends and connections, and thrive in ways not always available to them in the physical world. As a core part of this, Virtual Ability Inc (VAI) has been continuously active in Second Life for almost two decades.
In doing so, VAI has gained international renown for its annual conferences and symposia – some of which I’ve tried to support through these pages – and is recognised throughout Second Life for its unstinting work to support all those with disabilities who participate in the platform and the rich diversity of opportunities it offers.
More than just a “virtual place,” Virtual Ability is a true community, where individuals who physically live across the globe come together for conversation, learning, social activities, expeditions, and fun. Some take courses; others teach. Some mentor, others are mentored. Members create or build virtual architecture, write books or poetry, perform in plays, DJ, dance, play games, raise virtual gardens and virtual animals, or experience adventures of every type… all in a virtual world, from the comfort of their own computer. Community members bring extremely diverse backgrounds and experiences to the group and many are also active in other virtual world groups.
– From the VAI website
Now, through the generosity of Linden Lab with the donation of L$250,000 (one of four such donations given to deserving organisations announced during SL23B Golden Ticket Giveaway event), VAI has launched Mobility Without Limits, a contest a contest for creators to build wheelchairs that improve accessibility, mobility, expression, and roleplay for Second Life residents, and which offers generous Linden Dollar prizes of up to L$50,000 to winning entrants.
The Contest
The contest invites Second Life creators to design innovative, full-permission wheelchairs that enhance mobility, self-expression and role-play for residents. Linden Dollar prizes totalling the L$250,000 awarded to VAI by Linden Lab will be presented to winning entrants across four categories of design:
Everyday Mobility – practical chairs for daily use. This includes traditional-looking wheelchairs such as those typically found in hospitals, clinics, or care facilities. It may include full-sized or lightweight chairs, elderly-friendly, or other chairs with a standard appearance.
Racing and Sports – wheelchairs used in competition or recreation such as marathons, basketball, tennis, etc. They are typically sleeker or more streamlined than traditional chairs. These chairs will be judged higher if they have items such as custom racing animations, speed effects, and/or sports-related accessories.
Fantasy and Sci-Fi – for whimsical but usable designs. Potential examples include steampunk, cyberpunk, elven, magical floating chairs, drone/jetpack chairs, retro. Creativity is encouraged!
Mobility for Every Avatar – for designs created specifically for avatars whose size or proportions require something beyond a standard wheelchair, including tinies, dinkies, larger avatars, or fantasy and other unique body types.
Wheelchairs should preferably be wearable objects to ensure maximum opportunities for use. However, vehicle-style wheelchairs are not excluded from entry.
Judging
Entries will be judged by a volunteer panel that includes residents who regularly use wheelchairs in-world, experienced Second Life creators, accessibility advocates, and event organisers from the Virtual Ability community.
The judges will evaluate each entry across the criteria of functionality, creativity, appearance, and script/animation integration. Wheelchairs that are easy to use, exhibit appropriately integrated animations, adjustable seating and avatar positioning, adjustable colouring and styling of wheels, cushions or accessories, and compatibility with different body types will score higher.
Winning entries will receive in-world Linden Dollar prizes, and the winning wheelchairs will be provided by Virtual Ability to anyone in the SL community.
Prizes
Within each of the four categories, prizes will be awarded as follows:
First prize: L$30,000
Second prize: L$15000
Third prize: L$5,000
Special grand prize across all categories: L$50,000.
Note that all prizes will be made only in Linden Dollars via in-world transfer to the wheelchair’s named creator (as shown via the viewer’s Edit floater).
Requirements for Entry and How to Enter
Requirements
All wheelchairs submitted must be original and created specifically for this contest. Use of pre-fabricated parts in a design is allowed, so long as the wheelchair is substantially new, the builder has transferable rights to all components, and the submitted wheelchair has the permissions listed below.
Collaborative entries are allowed, but any prize awarded will only be paid to the avatar identified as the wheelchair’s creator. It is up to the members of any collaborating groups to ensure the disbursement of winnings among themselves; Virtual Ability Inc., will not be party to any disputes arising there from.
Entries should be made in-world via an Inventory folder bearing a suitable name and containing:
A notecard bearing the following information:
The entrant’s avatar user name or names (please do not use Display Names).
The name of the wheelchair.
The contest category being entered.
The following language, which represents an agreement to the contest terms and conditions:
I hereby provide a non-exclusive, unrestricted, unconditional, unlimited, worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual, and cost-free right and license to Virtual Ability whereby they may use, copy, display, distribute, or modify my contest entry and all its components in support of Virtual Ability’s accessibility, educational, and community programs, or for any purpose Virtual Ability wishes, free of charge. I confirm that I, the creator, retain all intellectual property rights to my work beyond this license.
A full permission (copy, modify, and transfer) version of the wheelchair, plus any in-world accessories designed to be used with it (if applicable).
Any required HUD for use with the wheelchair (the HUD and all scripts used within the wheelchair and accessories can be no-modify, but must allow copy and transfer).
In addition, and if entrants so wish, they can include an optional second notecard with brief information about themselves as a wheelchair creator, and which may also include items such as links to their stores (in-world or Marketplace), etc. For winning entrants, these cards will also be included with the relevant wheelchair when it is distributed to residents.
How To Enter
Completed entry folders should be passed in-world to the avatar VirtualAbility Gumbo.
All entries must be received no later than Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
Winners will be announced by Saturday, October 10, 2026.
Further information
Full information on the contest, including requirements for entry as noted above and a FAQ addressing likely questions on the contest can be found on the VAI contest page.
All enquiries or feedback on the competition should be made to Eme Capalini or Pecos Kidd in-world. If you are an active Discord user, contact either Eme or Pecos for an invite to the contest-specific VAI Discord channel and post comments there.
Please note that feedback and enquiries cannot be addressed through this blog.
Commenting on the gift of L$250,000 and the contest, VAI’s President, Gentle Heron said:
On behalf of the Virtual Ability community, I would like to extend our sincere thanks to Linden Lab for their generous L$250,000 donation announced at the recent SL23B Golden Ticket Giveaway event. One of Virtual Ability’s core values is giving back to the Second Life community. We are delighted to announce that we will pay Linden Lab’s generosity forward and use their donation to fund Mobility Without Limits. By funding prizes that will go directly to Second Life creators, we hope to help strengthen the broader virtual world community while expanding the range of mobility options available to residents.
We are honoured to be recognised in the work we have to help make Second Life more welcoming and accessible for everyone, and to be able to continue to be part of this remarkable world.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 