Category: Second Life

Burleh’s Liquid Landscapes at Andante in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Andante Gallery, May 2026: Burleh Leonard – Liquid Landscapes

Jules  Neville (Jules Catlyn), co-owner of Andante Gallery along with Iris Okiddo (IrisSweet), invited me to visit their latest exhibition, featuring the work of Burleh Leonard, entitled Liquid Landscapes.

Until this exhibition, I hadn’t come across Burleh’s work, and having now visited, I have to say I’ve been missing out. His work is predominantly focused on Second Life landscapes, offering unique and captivating views of the diversity and beauty of SL locations, touched with the use of preferred EEP settings / post-processing techniques.

Andante Gallery, May 2026: Burleh Leonard – Liquid Landscapes

This is very much the case with Liquid Landscapes, a curated series of Burleh’s work. Across 19 images, he takes us on a tour of some of Second Life’s public spaces, capturing them through the lens of his camera and the eye of his imagination to present views that offer their subjects in the richest of colours through to the clarity of monochrome.

Each image invites the eye to admire and entices the eye to visit its subject. In this, it is a pity SLurls to all of the locations are not included with the pictures (something many of us are guilty of when exhibiting our work!). However, SLurls can be obtained through Burleh’s Flickr stream, from which the images are drawn, for those wishing to visit any given location (the sometimes transient nature of SL locations allowing!).

Andante Gallery, May 2026: Burleh Leonard – Liquid Landscapes

These very much are images by a photographer-artist exceptionally comfortable with both his subjects and the tools at his disposal, allowing him to frame moments in time and places with which we might well be familiar, in a manner that might well be very different to how they appear to the naked eye on visiting them. However, all of them nevertheless capture the spirit of their subjects and entice us to look at them anew.

In all, a superb exhibition well suited to Andante’s modest size and layout (utilising mirrored copies of the excellent Apple Fall Country Hall (a building I’ve in the past similarly modified to create a comfortable home), which allows art to be displayed in a manner that naturally encourages time to be spent with each image and without any single piece feeling like it is being crowded out by those around it demanding their share of our attention at the same time.

Andante Gallery, May 2026: Burleh Leonard – Liquid Landscapes

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2026 week #20: SUG meeting summary

Posted on by Inara Pey
Planet M – Tula, March 2026 – blog post

The following notes were taken from the Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 Simulator User Group (SUG) meeting. These notes form a summary of the items discussed, and are not intended to be a full transcript. They were taken from the video recording by Pantera, embedded at the end of this summary – my thanks to Pantera 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 is held every other Tuesday at 12:00 noon, SLT (holidays, etc., allowing), per the Second Life Public Calendar.
  • The “SUG Leviathan 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.

Simulator Deployments

  • Wednesday, 13th May should see the deployment of the Kumquat simulator update.
    • This contains some further back-end WebRTC fixes and other internal work. E-mail is also being updated, notably off-line IM forwarding and object llEmail()-type activity.
    • This update is being deployed ahead of the originally planned Loganberry update.
  • Loganberry is moving forward, and is currently being reviewed by the Lab’s QA team. This should have:
    • The updates to deal with missing attachments on avatars.
    • Harold Linden’s serialisation fixes to ease some region cross issues.
    • llListen triggering multiple times.
    • A fix for script parcel permissions being calculated incorrectly and an old issue about rezzing on meshes.

WebRTC Update

  • The May 5th grid-wide deployment of WebRTC went ahead as planned, so Vivox is no longer the Voice service across SL; WebRTC is.
  • The deployment apparently went well and there have been few reports of issues.
  • Wednesday, May 13th should see a WebRTC update, which will hopefully see the return of Voice Echo Canyon in-world.
  • WebRTC deployments are now run separately to simulator deployments rather than a part of them. Viewers running the latest client-end of WebRTC should not be affected by this, as they they will disconnect from one voice server in the cluster ahead of it going down for update, and automatically reconnect to an operating server in the cluster.
  • Moving forward, the focus will now be on fixes and updates (e.g. open chat voice attenuation) and general clean-up and the removal of unwanted code.
    • Once this work has been completed, attention will be turned more towards adding new features the WebRTC, including voice-to-text transcription (and has been experimented with inside the Lab, including with multiple languages). However, no decision has yet been made as to WebRTC new features or their scheduling.
  • Concerns over privacy with transcription were raised, and Roxie Linden noted privacy is being looked at, together with security, together with the ability for users to turn off transcription. This sparked a conversation on chat encryption, as per the video.

In Brief

  • Rider Linden has been on-call this week, and so has fixed some issues in the server build system on the server. He is also plans to look at an issue around failed notifications for large groups.
  • Leviathan Linden attempted to provide a game_control update (v 0.7.2), unfortunately, one of the bug fixes within it turned out to be buggy.
  • Harold Linden (Lua):
    • Has the The llprim.ParamsSetter interface merged with the viewer code.
    • Has also been working on the bundler implementation so that `require()` can work correctly in the viewer. However, this might not go out until after the Lua viewer is officially released, so he can focus on “more release-pertinent issues” such as performance and garbage collection.
    • He is going to be working on these latter improvements alongside of making the Lua implementation more memory-efficient in practice: “Lots of non-user-facing things that are important if we want to be in a world where thousands and thousands of Lua scripts don’t make a region fall over”.

General Discussion

Please refer to the video below for  more on the following.

  • SL Combat 2.0 is set so bullets / projectiles are  automatically set to DIE_ON_COLLIDE when they are rezzed, which is a different behaviour to the older SL Combat System and has been found to cause some problems. Rider linden asked if changing Combat 2.0 so projectiles do not die on collide automatically would ab issue.
    • The general (but small) consensus at the meeting was that it should not be an issue; creators can always update their products, if required
    • The question sparked a discussion on Combat running through the mid-point of the meeting.
  • The “soft disconnect” (being unable to physical move from or TP out of a region after being in it for a period of time) issue was raised, with some reporting the issue appears least frequent in the Flat UI RC viewer. No feedback from LL on this
  • There was a discussion on Second Life performance, simulator / viewer / simulator communications latency impacting avatar updates, KFM animations, etc. This ran through most of the second half of the meeting.
  • The above was mixed with a debate over Linux (and its upcoming return to viewer land with the Lua viewer), distros, wishes, etc.

Date of Next Meetings

  • Leviathan Linden: Tuesday, May 19th 2026.
  • Formal SUG meeting: Tuesday, May 26th, 2026.

† 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.

A walk through Loulou Forest in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Loulou Forest, May 2026 – click any image for full size

I was drawn to explore Loulou Forest after coming across it in the Destination Guide as it has been designed and executed by Elyjia Baxton, working in concert with the region holder, 7 (Seven Kaptane). Elyjia – or Ely as she likes to be called – is responsible for some of the most natural landscapes and setting found in Second Life, and I’ve has the pleasure of visiting and blogging about many of them since 2017.

Occupying a Full private region, Loulou Forest is part of a 4-region estate held by 7. Of the remaining three, two – Annabel and Eden Roc – provide rentals homes with decently-sized parcels and a mix of over-the-water and rural settings.

Loulou Forest, May 2026

The remaining region is home to Loulou, a region-sized venue established by 7 in 2025. With indoor and outdoor settings, the club is open on Wednesdays and Fridays through Sundays, all between 12:00 noon and 15:00 SLT, and again between 18:00 and 21:00 SLT.

Sitting on a region called – appropriately – Ely, Loulou Forest makes use of the majority of the region’s landmass, allowing for the off-shire areas around the coasts. The Landing Point sits a short distance from the region boundary linking the forest to the club region to the west, and Directory sign board offer direct teleports to the club, or across to the edge of the Annabel residential region, or the estate’s rental office for those interested in perhaps making either Annabel or Eden Roc their home for a time.

Loulou Forest, May 2026
Loulou Forest is a place where nature invites you to explore. Every corner is designed to offer a moment of calm—a place to recharge and reconnect with what truly matters. A peaceful getaway in the heart of the Loulou universe.

– Loulou Forest About Land description

Dusty tracks provide the primary routes for exploring the forest, winding their way between the trees, passing across bridges, past bodies of water and low waterfalls and to where public buildings await to offer places of rest and refreshment.

Loulou Forest, May 2025

However, it should be pointed out that whilst Annabel and Eden Roc are the primary rental regions in this estate, there are a number of private residences located along the southern, eastern and northern extents of the forest – so do take care to avoid trespassing into someone’s privacy.

The tracks are wide enough for vehicles, and indeed a couple are to be found on the verges. However, I would suggest a better source of transport – if you have one available – is a wearable horse (or a rezzable one, if you join the local group and obtain rezzing rights). The trails are ideal for riding, and while I did look around for local horse rezzers, I didn’t notice any.

Loulou Forest, May 2026

Given this is a design from Ely, the region is packed with natural detail. Birds reel overhead, geese swim on the inlands waters; there are places to sit and pass the time, be they under the shade of a gazebo or sitting at the roadside or take the form of boats on the waters.

Elsewhere, Bees buzz, horses frolic, young foxes scamper and local cats put their paws of ownership on all they survey (naturally) – including the one hoping to put its paws on a bird, despite the latter’s attitude suggesting it is aware of the plan and will take flight before the cat can do it any harm.

Loulou Forest, May 2026

This is a place where exploring can be as quick or as gently as you like, and where opportunities to take photographs and / or pose for selfies abound. The natural beauty of the setting encourages gentle exploration and invites visitors to sit and pass the time here; something also encouraged by the fact that the private residences are spread such that they don’t lead to a feeling one is about to trespass at every turn.

Travel far enough in your explorations, and you will likely encounter the boundary with Annabel. Like the boundary with Loulou, this is clearly denoted if you are following the main tracks around the forest. Casual visits to Annabel are not discouraged – but (again) do keep in mind it is primarily a rental / residential setting, and so opportunities for exploration are limited more to the unpaved roadways as they run through the region to provide access to the private homes.

Loulou Forest, May 2026

Rounded-out by a subtle soundscape and richly picturesque, Loulou Forest makes for a rewarding visit for the Second Life explorer / photographer, and sits as a further tour de force of Ely’s ability to design and build spaces in SL which have a natural sense of presence to them.

Loulou Forest, May 2026

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2026 SL viewer release summaries week #19

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 10th, 2026

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.
  • Outside of the Official viewer, and as a rule, alpha / beta / nightly or release candidate viewer builds are not included; although on occasions, exceptions might be made.

Official LL Viewers

  • Default viewer  – One-Click Installer = 26.1.1.23806384790 – April 10 – No change.
  • Second Life Release Candidate (RC) viewer: Flat UI – 26.2.0.25021396775, April 29 -“flat” UI and font update – No change.
  • Second Life Project Viewers:

LL Viewer Resources

Third-party Viewers

V7-style

  • Kirstens Viewer S24(6) Build 3322 Patch 2- May 9 – release notes.

V1-style

Mobile / Other Clients

  • No updates.

Additional TPV Resources

Related Links

Cica Ghost’s Robots and Spiders in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Cica Ghost, May 2026 – Robots and Spiders

I am, it has to be said, something of an arachnophobe. Small, little, or tiny spiders – they’re perfectly fine. Larger varieties – Well, keep them away from me. Put a really large spider in front of me – say a tarantula / bird-eating spider, or even the UK’s cardinal, tube-web or nursery-web spider – and I can guarantee I’ll be one of the first out of the door and moving at a reasonably fast pace.

I mention this because for May 2026, Cica Ghost brings us the curious combination of Robots and Spiders. But fortunately for those of us with any degree of fear when it comes to spiders, those present in Cica’s work are disarmingly friendly-looking and not at all what you might otherwise imagine.

Cica Ghost, May 2026 – Robots and Spiders

These are spiders which appear to live on a world very different from our own; one they share with a bunch of seemingly happy-go-lucky robots. In fact, like the robots, they appear to be artificial in nature, made of metal parts – bulbs, tubes, poles, etc., suggesting they have specific purposes, although their eyes remain very human and expressive.

Rather than hunting prey or weaving webs, these spiders appear content to live within the metal town they share with the robots and a handful of metallic gusenica (caterpillars). The latter are certainly a happy-smiley lot, and not in the least afraid of the spiders, even if the latter on our world often see caterpillars as prey.

Cica Ghost, May 2026 – Robots and Spiders

The robots, meanwhile, are by far the most anthropomorphic-looking (unsurprisingly)of the locals. Admittedly, some do lack arms and others look like they have old Mac computer cases or arcade game consoles for bodies (something which raises a possibly interesting question about their lineage!). However, they also appear to be a welcoming, happy bunch, ready to wave a greeting rather than snap at you with the claws that might occupy the ends of the arms they might have.

As noted, all of these creations live in a metal town in which some of the houses look like they might have once served as the heads of very big robots: hemispherical units with two eye-like windows to the side one on either side which may have once housed hearing units, and a large opening cut into the remaining side to form a doorway. Other parts of the town look like they are components of some large electrical or industrial installation or to have been made from metal boxes, and a couple of places look more akin to cabins or similar found here on Earth, making for an eclectic mix.

Cica Ghost, May 2026 – Robots and Spiders

Rounded out by an appropriate quote from Dr. Seuss, Robots and Spiders is an unusual and light-hearted artistic fantasy.

Slurl Details

2026 week #19: SL CCUG meeting summary

Posted on by Inara Pey
Hippotropolis Campsite: venue for CCUG meetings
The following notes were taken from:

  • My chat log and audio recording  of the Content Creation User Group (CCUG) meeting of Thursday, May 7th, 2026.
  • Please note that this is not a full transcript of either meeting but a summary of key topics.
Table of Contents

 

Meeting Purpose

  • The CCUG meeting is for discussion of work related to content creation in Second Life, including current and upcoming LL projects, and encompasses requests or comments from the community, together with related viewer development work.
    • This meeting is generally held on alternate Thursdays at Hippotropolis and is held in a mix of Voice and text chat.
  • Dates and times of meetings are recorded in the SL Public Calendar.

Official Viewer Status

  • Default viewer  – One-Click Installer = 26.1.1.23806384790 – April 10 – No change.
  • Second Life Release Candidate (RC) viewer: Flat UI – 26.2.0.25021396775, April 29 -“flat” UI and font update.
  • Second Life Lua Editor Alpha viewer 6.1.0.23768336784, April 29.

Viewer Notes

Viewer 2026.02

  • 26.02 is enjoying low crash rates, confirming its status as the next viewer in line for promotion to release status.
  • There will likely be another RC update to this viewer prior to its promotion, which will include some “small, small” changes and fixes (e.g. making bold text easier to see, correcting some text overruns in some floaters, and correcting an extended CEF load time on the viewer splash screen).

Viewer 2026.03

  • This viewer is now described as “following hot on the heels of 26.02”, although it has yet to appear as either an alpha/project viewer or a beta/RC viewer.

Graphics Care Package vs. Lua Support Viewer

  • No firm decision as to which of these viewers is liable to progress to release status first.
    • The Lua viewer would appear to have the advantage given it is currently going through alpha/project viewer evolutions to move towards a beta/RC version, whereas the GCP viewer has yet for officially see the light of day.
    • However, the Lua viewer is dependent on the development of Lua back-end support and simulator updates, plus it is also the viewer being used to re-introduce Linux into the mix of official viewers (with limited support), and both of these might slow the viewer’s promotion to RC and then release status.

WebRTC Update

  • The May 5th grid-wide deployment of WebRTC went ahead as planned, so Vivox is no longer the Voice service across SL. WebRTC is.
  • The deployment apparently went well and there have been few reports of issues.
  • Moving forward, the focus will now be on fixes and updates (e.g. open chat voice attenuation) and general clean-up and the removal of unwanted code.
  • Once this work has been completed, attention will be turned more towards adding new features the WebRTC.
    • Voice-to-text transcription has been requested as one of these new features (and has been experimented with inside the La, including with multiple languages), however, no decision has yet been made as to WebRTC new features or their scheduling.
    • It was also requested to have the moderation tools for Voice made accessible to scripts per this feature request.

General Discussions

  • There are reports of what might be a bug which is causing some avatars to appear to have a 1,000,000 complexity number, when they are far below this. At the time of writing these nots it is unclear if a Canny bug report has been filed on this or not, or how widespread the issue might be.
  • A request was made for expanding SL material assets so they can be used to *completely* set an object’s material? So a BP tab in the material as well (e.g. the ability to drag and drop Blinn-Phong materials into a PBR asset alongside of the PBR materials, so have a complete package with the BP materials available for fallback purposes).
    • There are no specific plans for this. However, as Geenz linden has previously mentioned in recent meetings, there are plans in hand to add specular materials to PBR.
  • Will the terrain painting project be revived? Unlikely at this point is time; performance issues are the current priority and after that, there is more general PBR work to be completed. As such, the terrain painting work remains frozen.

Next Meeting