Category: Second Life

A Sunbird’s Nest in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
TheNest : Sunbird, May 2024 – click any image for full size

I recently had the opportunity to visit TheNest : Sunbird, a Full private region leveraging the available Land Capacity bonus designed by Second Life partners  Adam Cayden (whisperinmyearz) and Lya Seerose, together with Tessa (Tessalie). The region offers a mix of photogenic public spaces and private rental – the latter of which are very imaginatively placed in order to help tenants maintain their privacy.

Come visit our blossoming city hidden in the mountains, enjoy the lake and its blooming scenery, our blissful rentals and enjoy the beauty from the smallest flower to the tallest of trees.

– TheNest : Sunbird About Land

TheNest : Sunbird, May 2024

The city in question is nestled in the south-east corner of the region, adjacent to the landing point, itself sitting on the southernmost tip of the land and facing an arch leading into the city, with two routes around the headland angling away from it on either side. A signpost offers hints as to what to look for when exploring, although at the time of my visit, the sign appeared to be on the wrong side of the archway, directing people around the waterfront (itself a nice walk!) to reach the city, rather than through the archway.

The main street of the townscape a has been neatly pedestrianized in part, presenting plenty of opportunity for wandering. Most of the building here are façades, relying on external elements for their attractiveness – tables and chairs, outdoor stalls, etc., – a combination that makes for plenty of opportunities for photography without the need to load-up shop interiors. The two exceptions to this are the rental office with details on some of the rentals available in the region, and the coffee shop.

TheNest : Sunbird, May 2024
We tried our best to give SL wanderers an interesting blend of urban city with a lively feel and intense blooming nature, building our rentals with the most wonderful views, trying to build a community of people to share it with … And we plan to do little events pretty often, festivals and more quiet things too!

– Lya Seerose, The Nest : Sunbird, co-owner

There’s a lot of small details in and around the city centre which make wandering a pleasure, from the fountain in the middle of the street, all the way around the southern waterfront, complete with its static figures to add a sense of depth and place, and which offer more opportunities for photography.

TheNest : Sunbird, May 2024

Other details to be discovered include the pet parking area, the mix of English / French / American influences (the telephone boxes, the subway and taxi, and the rooftop bar- club – and more. North of the town, the land rises significantly, curling around a deep-cutting inlet to offer broad uplands to the west, surmounted by the rental properties.

To the east, the route up to the higher elevations is marked by a tree-lined track leading up to a deep meadow bounded at its northern extent by the sheer walls of cliffs which again rise up to more of the local rentals. Those leaving the town on its eastern side, where the local road suddenly peters out, can also make their way along the coast to where the cliffs start to rise, and use a wooden board walk to climb up to the slopes above, and then walk up to the meadow from there.

TheNest : Sunbird, May 2024

With small glade-like area to one side offering shade across the head of a short stream that feed down into the inlet below, the meadow offers numerous places to sit and pass the time and an opportunity to feed the local raccoons. A further path rises to the west, passing through a woodland area which itself skirt the line of cliffs and plateaux with their rental homes.  This path curves around the head of the inlet, offering a number of vantage points from which to look out over it, together with further places to sit. In addition, the path split to offer a route to the western extent of the region and down to the waters at the head of the bay.

There is a natural flow and beauty through this part of the region that is very visually engaging, whilst the use of the higher plateaux for the rentals ensures they are nicely distanced from the public spaces to avoid trespass (or indeed, from having intrude into photos) without them being completely divorced from the setting, allow those renting the properties the best of both worlds – comfortable surroundings, the opportunity to drop down into the region and share the walks, etc., some excellent views – and privacy of their own.

TheNest : Sunbird, May 2024

The rentals themselves come in four five styles with up to 5 units in each style. All are supplied furnished and with a Land Impact allowance for personalisation. Gardens are included, with the larger units having nicely landscaped outdoor spaces which give plenty of room for tenants to have a comfortable home life. Those interested in renting should visit the rental office in the town for more details.

Charming, light, with much to see and appreciate – not all of which is covered here – TheNest : Sunbird makes for a very pleasing visit – and potentially, a very engaging place to live, if you happen to be in the market for a ready-to enjoy home.

TheNest : Sunbird, May 2024

Note: the official opening for TheNest : Sunbird will be on Saturday, May 25th, 2024 commencing at 23:30 SLT with music by DJ Vic. Lea, Tessa and Adam extend a warm invitation for people to hop over and join the party!

SLurl Details

2024 SL SUG meetings week #21 summary

Posted on by Inara Pey
Quiet, Alpha Auer, May 2024 - click any image for full size
Quiet, Alpha Auer, May 2024 – blog post †

The following notes were taken from the Tuesday, May 21st, 2024 Simulator User Group (SUG) meeting. They form a summary of the items discussed, and are not intended to be a full transcript, and were taken from my chat log and the video by Pantera – my thanks to her as always for 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.
  • These meetings are conducted (as a rule):
  • Meetings are open to anyone with a concern / interest in the above topics, and form one of a series of regular / semi-regular User Group meetings conducted by Linden Lab.
  • Dates and times of all current meetings can be found on the Second Life Public Calendar, and descriptions of meetings are defined on the SL wiki.

Simulator Deployments

  • On Tuesday, May 21st, the Main SLS channel was restarted without any deployment.
  • On Wednesday, May 22nd:
    • The BlueSteel RC channel should be updated with a re-deployment of the Spring Break Simulator update, after this had to be rolled back in week #20.
    • The rest of the RC simhosts will be restarted.

Upcoming Deployment

The major deployment for June is set to be Summer Fun. Among other things this should include:

  • Leviathan Linden’s game controller event work to support game controllers – although these will require a viewer-side update to expose the updated viewer UI.
  • Rider Linden’s work on the SL Combat System (SLCS) 2.0 updates (see my Combat User Group summaries for more).
  • LSL updates:
    • A new parameter to llRezObjectWithParams REZ_PARAM_STRING – allows the passing of a 1024 char string to the object being rezzed.
    • llGetStartString() to retrieve the string.
  • A fix for the notecard cache so that it a fixed amount of memory (enough memory to store 48 max-sized notecards) rather than the count of notecards.

SL Viewer Updates

No official viewer updates at the start of the week, leaving the pipeline as:

  • Release viewer: Maintenance X RC (usability improvements), version 7.1.7.8974243247, dated May 8 and  promoted May 13 – no change.
  • Release channel cohorts (please see my notes on manually installing RC viewer versions if you wish to install any release candidate(s) yourself).
    • Materials Featurettes RC viewer, version 7.1.8.9103842320, May 17.
    • Maintenance C RC (reset skeleton in all viewers), version 7.1.7.8820704257, May 6.
    • Maintenance B RC (usability updates / imposter changes) 8820696922, April 29.
  • Project viewers:

In Brief

Please refer to the video for the following:

  • The feature request to prioritise 2K support for Bakes on mesh is gathering a lot of support.
    • This sparked discussion on VRAM being maxed out, and a reiteration that the viewer show only download textures at the resolution required to match their screen size (e.g. if the texture takes up 512×512 pixels – that’s the resolution downloaded and used), and only download and use the full 2K version when zoomed right in, then discarding higher resolutions and clearing VRAM on zooming out. This also lead to comments as to the overall effectiveness of this approach.
  • llSetContentType and setting it text/html:  a discussion on the restriction whereby if the requesting html viewer is not owned by the server object, or is not the built in html viewer, the sent content type is just “text”, and the implications of removing that restriction (e.g. to make media on a prim (MOAP) more generally usable).
  • Further discussion on the notecard cache change.
  • Monty Linden noted that the issue of the Friends list being unreliable in reporting people’s on/of-line status is being reported again (he referenced this report). He requested that anyone experiencing issues with on-line friends showing as off-line (or vie-versa) to please comment on the report.

 

† The header images included in these summaries are not intended to represent anything discussed at the meetings; they are simply here to avoid a repeated image of a rooftop of people every week. They are taken from my list of region visits, with a link to the post for those interested.

2024 SL viewer release summaries week #20

Posted on by Inara Pey
Logos representative only and should not be seen as an endorsement / preference / recommendation

Updates from the week through to Sunday, May 19th, 2024

This summary is generally 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 Current Viewer Releases 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. This page 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.
  • By its nature, this summary presented here will always be in arrears, please refer to the Current Viewer Release Page for more up-to-date information.
  • Note that for purposes of length, TPV test viewers, preview / beta viewers / nightly builds are generally not recorded in these summaries.

Official LL Viewers

  • Release viewer: 7.1.6.8745209917, formerly the Maintenance Y/Z RC ( My Outfits folder improvements; ability to remove entries from landmark history), dated April 19 and promoted April 23 – No Change
  • Release channel cohorts (please see my notes on manually installing RC viewer versions if you wish to install any release candidate(s) yourself).
  • Project viewers:
    • No updates.

LL Viewer Resources

Third-party Viewers

V6-style

  • No updates.

V1-style

  • Cool VL Viewer Stable branch updated to version: 1.32.0.232 (PBR); and Experimental to version 1.32.1.6 (PBR) on May 18 – release notes.

Mobile / Other Clients

  • No updates.

Additional TPV Resources

Related Links

2024 Raglan Shire Artwalk in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Raglan Shire Artwalk 2024

Raglan Shire, Second Life’s Tiny community, is once again opening its doors to people from across the grid, as participating artists and visitors are invited to the Raglan Shire Artwalk 2024.

This year, the the event runs from Sunday, May 19th, through until Sunday, June 16th, 2024, inclusive. It  offers an opportunity not just to appreciate a huge range of art from both the physical and digital worlds, but to also tour the Shire regions and enjoy the hospitality of the Raglan Shire community – one of the friendliest and fun-seeking groups in Second Life.

A non-juried exhibition, the Artwalk is open to any artist wishing to enter, and has minimal restrictions on the type of art displayed (one of the most important being all art is in keeping with the Shire’s maturity rating). All of this means that it offers one of the richest mixes of art displayed within a single location in Second Life, with 2D art is displayed along the hedgerows of the Shire’s pathways and tree platforms overhead and 3D art among the community’s parks.

Raglan Shire Artwalk 2024

Over 120 artists are participating in 2024, many for the first time. As such, the  depth and range of art on display is guaranteed to keep visitors exploring the paths and walks around and through the hedgerows – and if walking proves a little much, there are always the Shire’s tours to ease the load on the feet, together with the teleport boards to help move visitors swiftly around and through the different display areas. But that said, I do recommend exercising your pedal extremities and doing at least some of your exploration on foot – just keep in mind people do have their homes in the regions as well.

Given the number of artists involved, there isn’t a published list of participants, but anyone interested in the world of SL art is bound to recognise many of the names of the artists here. The Artwalk is also a marvellous way to see art from both our physical and digital worlds and for catch artists both familiar and new to your eye. Just don’t try to see it all at once; the Artwalk is open for a month, which gives plenty of time for browsing and appreciating the art without feeling overloaded.

Raglan Shire Artwalk 2024

SLurl Details

All of the Raglan Shire Artwalk regions are rated General)

Sunday, May 19th: Bay City turns 16 in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Bay City 16th Anniversary, May 19th, 2024

Bay City, the first major project undertaken by the Moles of the Linden Department of Public Works (LDPW), will be turning sweet sixteen on Sunday, May 19th, 2024. Citizens of Bay City will be joining in celebrations to mark the anniversary, with a parade, music and entertainment, and residents from across of Second Life are invited to visit Bay City and join in the celebrations.

Activities will kick-off at noon SLT, with a parade line-up at the band shell in Bay City – Harwich. At 12:30 SLT, the parade will commence its way along the City’s Route 66, and proceed to the Bay City Fairgrounds in the North Channel region for an afternoon of entertainment and fun.

Bity City Parade Route 2024

DJ GoSpeed Racer will be providing the music throughout the parade, which will be followed by at live concert from 13:30 SLT onwards at the fairgrounds. The line-up for the concert this year comprises (all times SLT):

  • 13:30-14:30: AleyKat (Aleylia Resident).
  • 14:30- 15:30: Mavenn.
  • 15:30-16:30: Sarita Twisted.

As usual, celebratory goods are available at the Bay City Community Centre, in the Daley Bay region for those who wish to be a part of the parade. Ample viewing areas are provided, such as those at Orleans and Falconmoon. The event is also open to anyone who wants to attend, not just Residents of Bay City

About Bay City and the Bay City Alliance

First opened for initial viewing in May of 2008 and with parcels throughout the city being auctioned soon after, Bay City is a Mainland community which has shown itself to be one of the highlights of Second Life: a blending of Linden infrastructure and a strong, friendly community of involved residents who give the area its unique charm. It is home to the resident-run Bay City Alliance, also founded in 2008, to promote the Bay City regions of Second Life and provide a venue for Bay City Residents and other interested parties to socialize and network. It is now the largest Bay city group, and home to most Residents of Bay City.

Each year, in honour of Bay City’s founding, Bay City residents come together with this special celebration.

Anniversary SLurls

Finding A Place in the Sun in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
A Place in the Sun, May 2024 – click any image for full size

As we approach the half-way mark for 2024, spring is inevitably moving towards summer for many of us in the world at large. This is the time when many public regions across Second Life are lovingly given a make-over by their holders and friends, ready to accept visitors old and new with a fresh look to entice and engage.

One such region about – at the time of writing – to go through such a rebirth is that of Bella’s Lullaby, held by BellaSwan Blackheart, a place I’ve always enjoyed visiting and writing about; the last time being in February 2024. Hearing the news that things are about to change reminded me that I had yet to visit Bella’s “new” region design, that of A Place in the Sun – so off I hopped.

A Place in the Sun, May 2024

This is another of Bella’s designs that carries with it a marvellous understatement of natural beauty that immediately captures the eye and offers a richness of detail without in the least feeling forced or overloaded.

Feel welcome and embrace nature at its purest form. Just find a spot to sit and be comfortable, where you can take in the sights, sounds and beauty of nature ❤

– BellaSwan Blackheart

A Place in the Sun, May 2024

In tone, the setting is somewhat similar to the iteration of Bella’s lullaby I visited in February 2024, a low-lying island watched over by the revolving eye of a lighthouse at one end, caught under a sky painted in the feathers of clouds and where the touch of human hands has been minimal enough so as not to spoil the island’s beauty.

Such is the lay of the land that this is a place which might – at first glance, be within the same group of islands as February’s iteration of Bella’s Lullaby. This is largely due to the overall environment settings, which give the feel of both being under the same sky, although the birds and wildfowl present here also add to that sense.

A Place in the Sun, May 2024

However, the most notable difference here lay with the main building, a marvellous Tuscan style villa complete with a stone-slabbed terrace sitting under open-roofed arches, with a stairway leading up to a raise balcony-come-terrace, a perfect spot for relaxing on any enjoy a glass of three of wine on a summer’s evening. From this house a rough path formed more by the passage of feet down the years rather than being deliberately designed, winds to the water’s edge and then on to the lighthouse.

Much of the shoreline is such that boats can be beached in the shallows without undue harm to them – as can be witnessed in places – but here and there decks and boardwalks are provided for rowing boats and small craft to come alongside. Some of these – as with the boats – offer places to sit and pass the time. Further places to sit are scattered across the island in such a way as to suggest a hand has casually tossed them to leave them lie wheresoever they fall, whilst a large trailer caravan makes up the remaining structure to occupy the landscape.

A Place in the Sun, May 2024

What makes many of these little spots so appealing is the manner in which they are surrounded by, or close to, groups of the island’s winged inhabitants, allowing us all to become bird watchers. From white geese and Canada geese to sandpipers, godwits and ducks, to gulls, thrushes, starlings and more, this is a popular stopping-off point for those otherwise on the wing. Closer to the house, peacocks keep an eye on chickens, whilst the local cats watch with disinterest, contenting themselves to sit or lie with canine friends and soak up the Sun.

Although the outside of the house is rich in bric-a-brac, inside it is more austere. There’s a small kitchen, complete with freshly picked apples from the trees outside, whilst one of the two remaining rooms is solely occupied by a sofa and the other is a little painter’s studio. These give the suggestion that, rather than being a home, this is a retreat; a place to escape the rest of the world and create. It’s an engaging juxtaposition: the exterior of the house suggesting it is a cosy home; the interior giving the appearance habitation here is somewhat temporary, giving the villa an air of mystery.

A Place in the Sun, May 2024

Rounded off by a subtle and fitting sound scape (so be sure to have local sounds on), A Place in the Sun is wonderful in its minimalism – which is itself deceptive, given the obvious care and attention Bella has paid to the region’s appearance in order to present such an engaging setting for us to enjoy. So do be sure to visit.

SLurl Details