Seanchai Library: mysteries, memories and myths in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Seanchai Library

It’s time to highlight another week of storytelling in Voice by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library – and this week previews the launch of a very special event.

As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s home in Nowhereville, unless otherwise indicated. Note that the schedule below may be subject to change during the week, please refer to the Seanchai Library website for the latest information through the week.

Sunday, August 21st, 13:30: Evil Under the Sun

A Seanchai Library special event at SLEA.

The are times when even Belgian ex-pat detective Hercule Poirot needs a break from his chosen vocation; so when the opportunity arises for him to enjoy a holiday in Devon at the Jolly Roger Hotel (inspired by the Burgh Island Hotel) located on a tidal island just off the south Devonshire coast, he looks forward to the chance of a little R&R. 

Evil Under the Sun – a Seanchai Library special event

Whilst at the hotel, he encounters the other guests, notably Arlena Marshall who, desire being at the hotel with her husband Kenneth and step-daughter Linda, spends a lot of her time flirting with Patrick Redfern – much to the anger of Redfern’s wife, Christine and the disgust of her step-daughter. Also among the guests is Rosamund Darnley, who was once sweethearts with Kenneth Marshall.

Trying to keep himself apart from the intrigue, Poirot finds himself drawn into the middle of things and in need of his most particular deductive skills when Arlena Marshall is found dead on the sand of a secluded cove across the little island far from the hotel; a place where she apparently had a secret assignation…

Evil Under the Sun – a Seanchai Library special event

Join David Abbott, Corwyn Allen, Gloriana Maertens, Elrik Merlin, Kayden Oconnell, and Caledonia Skytower as they commence a reading of the 23rd adventure for Agatha’s Christie’s hero, first published in 1941, within the setting of the Jolly Roger Hotel. Should you wish, you can also enjoy the hotel’s grounds and facilities, partake of a little fun – and visit the cove which proved fatal for Arlena Marshall.

Monday, August 29th, 19:00: Remembering Ktahdn Vesuvino

Ktahdn Vesuvino: storyteller, music lover, traveller, warm-hearted companion, friend to charity – all this an more describes someone known to many and now lost to us all. A frequent weaver of tales at Seanchai Library, this will be a special evening of remembrance by all who knew him.

Tuesday, August 30th

12:00 Noon: Russell Eponym

With music, and poetry in Ceiluradh Glen.

13:30: Remembering Ktahdn Vesuvino

For all those who could not make Monday’s event, a  further chance to remember Ktahdn and say their farewells.

19:00: The Last Cuentista

There lived a girl named Petra Peña, who wanted nothing more than to be a storyteller, like her abuelita.

But Petra’s world is ending. Earth has been destroyed by a comet, and only a few hundred scientists and their children – among them Petra and her family – have been chosen to journey to a new planet. They are the ones who must carry on the human race.

Hundreds of years later, Petra wakes to this new planet – and the discovery that she is the only person who remembers Earth. A sinister Collective has taken over the ship during its journey, bent on erasing the sins of humanity’s past. They have systematically purged the memories of all aboard – or purged them altogether.

Petra alone now carries the stories of our past, and with them, any hope for our future. Can she make them live again?

Caledonia Skytower read Donna Barba Higuera’s 2021 winner of the  Newbery Medal and Pura Belpré Award.

Wednesday, August 31st 19:00: Seanchai Flicks

A special for Star Wars month as the Seanchai cinema space plays host to videos and throw popcorn around!

Thursday, September 1st, 19:00 More Monsters and Mythology

With Shandon Loring.

A Storybook’s return in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Storybook, August 2022 – click any images for full size

Now open once more in Second Life is Storybook, held and designed by Natalie Starlight and Nessa Nova. It is a setting, alongside of their Lost Unicorn I have long loved because I have always found both to be personally appealing with each visit I’ve made over the years, and because they are so visually rich and imaginative. Hence the multiple appearances of both within these pages, together with the Lost Unicorn Gallery.

The region started life in 2018 as Storybook Forest, and was immediately captivating in the manner in which it embraced the universe of fairy tales (as I wrote about in September 2018); and it set its tone with a quote that perfectly defined all that awaited visitors as they set out to explore its many paths:

If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be very intelligent, read them more fairy tales.

– Albert Einstein

Storybook, August 2022

After also two years of continuous life, Storybook endured a brief closure in mid-2020 before re-emerging in a new form a few months later, only to remain conspicuous by its absence when Lost Unicorn itself was rebuilt and re-opened in March 2022. I was therefore overjoyed to receive a personal invitation from Nessa to drop in and see the new Storybook design as it was being prepared for its official Grand (Re)-Opening.

It took a while to rebuild Storybook after our two previous versions, but we promise you it’s better than ever! All your favourite fairy tales are represented in a gorgeous forest. Picture perfect spots around every corner, loads to explore, both on land and underwater. Come prepared to take pictures, we will be introducing a Photo Contest as well!

– Nessa Nova in her invitation to visit the new Storybook

Storybook, August 2022

Sharing its Full Region home with the Lost Unicorn Gallery – which, in celebration of its Grand Opening is playing host to a special exhibition of art by Jeanette StellaMarina (LoredanaStMa) within its first floor display area – Storybook is a rich re-imagining of the original, brining back many of the popular fairy tale vignettes from that 2018 and 2020 builds, as well as ordering new touches of its own.

The landing point is located on an octagonal terrace sitting at the foot of the grand staircase leading up the great halls of the Lost Unicorn Gallery. The latter is located on its own island around which the rest of the region curls protective arms, a broad bridge spanning the waters between the gallery and the land,  connecting the landing point (which can also be used to host open-air events) with a town square those who remember the original Storybook will likely find familiar.

Storybook, August 2022 – playing hide-and-seek with an Imp!

Here the shops are packed with detail, and the townsfolk are invariably cuddly – although as most are going about their daily business, permission might best besought before any grabbing and cuddling goes on! The town is also where details of the Grand Opening photo contest can be obtained by those wishing to participate, whilst Mary Poppins keep an eye on things from overhead.

Within the wider setting are paths and trails leading to little scenes some might find familiar – such as a certain Tea Party or a rowing boat occupied by an infamous one-handed Captain (and followed by a certain crocodile, clock held in its jaws!). Elsewhere visitors might come across Hansel and Gretel or Little Red Riding Hood (looking oddly friendly with the BIG wolf), or Cinderella, the Queen of Hearts, Sleeping Beauty, the Darling Family, Snow White (in repose and surrounded by friends) and more.

Storybook, August 2022

Also awaiting discovery is the storybook circle, where visitors can relax around a campfire and enjoy a good book or two  – although not necessarily by reading them! Not far away, within a little cove, people can also enjoy a ride on a whale’s back, or drop under water to a little mer-retreat – one of several under the waves, and which are connected one to the next along the channels that run through the region and also separate it from Lost Unicorn to the north.

When exploring, do keep an eye out for the interactive elements. Not just the places to sit – mouseover objects carefully, as you never know where you might find a waiting pose, be it peeking around a line of giant books or floating serenely above an oyster under the sea, or something else. Travel far enough, and you might get to find yourself on a yellow brick road or have the opportunity to “borrow” Prince Charming’s horse.

Storybook, August 2022

And also in your explorations, keep an eye out for the signage along the way, as many will provide you with a wealth of information on the tales by which they reside – information which may be familiar, but which also may make for new reading for you are not familiar with the full richness of European folk tales.

Obviously, given all that has been packed within the region, some viewer adjustments might be necessary (I personally switched my viewer down to a draw distance of 70 metres – given the forested nature of the region, this lost me little in the way of the detail but did help me boost FPS quite comfortably), and some things might require a little time for their textures to render. But these are minor points of niggle, easily put aside in the face of the sheer beauty and charm of the setting.

Storybook, August 2022

Once again completed with its own EEP settings and bearing a custom sounds cape, Storybook is a place heart both young and old can visit and appreciate, and find much that will being a smile to the lips and  – perhaps – a song or two to mind!

SLurl Details

  • Storybook (Lost Unicorn Gallery, rated Moderate)

Duraya at Monocle Man in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Monocle Man, August 2022: Duraya

Currently open through until the end of August at the Monocle Man sky studio is an untitled exhibition by European artist Duraya which is simply captivating in its content.

I first encountered Duraya’s work earlier in 2022 and was immediately struck by her technique. Starting with a foundation of an image captured or framed / posed within Second Life, Duraya uses a skilled application of post-processing to create images which are genuinely breath-taking in their beauty and narrative strength.

Monocle Man, August 2022: Duraya

Within this exhibition, Duraya takes this a step further, adding animated elements – both 2D and 3D – to some of the 27 images within the selection presented across the gallery’s two floors, supported by 3D elements Duraya has either created or added in order to provide further depth to the exhibition.

Avatar focused, some of the images might be said to lean towards nightmare, others towards joy, and some appear to be statements on the state of Earth and life. Each can be appreciated in its own right; however, there is a broader sweep of interpretation here, one that is likely personal to Duraya – the images potentially being reflections of her state of mind within her journey through life.

Monocle Man, August 2022: Duraya

The clue to this comes in the form of selected lines from Our Deepest Fear, a passage by Marianne Williamson which first appeared in her 1992 bestseller A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles, and which has often been (mistakenly) attributed to Nelson Mandela. It’s a passage (found in chapter 7 of the book) which has gone on to be used as an inspirational poem, the first stanza of which reads:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.

– Marianne Williamson

In her selection of Williamson’s words, Duraya offers a clear framing to her works at Monocle Man: a recognition of the power (and creativity) of self when one is at ease with who one is, together with the liberty that brings (including through self-expressive mediums such as art) to oneself – and to others one encounters.

Monocle Man, August 2022: Duraya

Rich in content and metaphor, this is a richly layered selection of art in which the pieces can be appreciated both in and of themselves as single-frame stories, beautifully presented (and animated in some cases), or as a whole and as an exploratory selection.

SLurl Details

A summer break at Bella’s Lullaby in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Bella’s Lullaby, August 2022 – click any image for full size

I was off to Bella’s Lullaby (now at a new in-world location) once again to see how Bella (BellaSwan Blackheart) has dressed her Homestead region for the 2022 summer months.

Bella’s Lullaby is a place were nature breathes. Wander among flowers and animals and find your inner peace. Also there are plenty photogenic spots, perfect for those who love to have lots of nature and colours in their pictures.

– Bella’s Lullaby About Land description

Bella’s Lullaby, August 2022

As with previous builds, the August 2022 iteration of the region presents a relaxed, rural visit which is tranquil in both tone and look, surrounded by offshore island and under a rich blue sky. From the landing point sitting within a stone-built gazebo on the southern edge of the region, the landscape stretches northwards as a flat island with a largely shingle coastline and two smaller, and likely tidal, islands abutting it, one the the home of a windmill and the other the local lighthouse.

The general tone of the island is suggestive of a vacation retreat that is now well beyond its heyday, the handful of buildings and small structures scattered across the island looking as though they could could do with some TLC – with one exception: a recently-sold prefab home overlooking the setting’s large pond.

Bella’s Lullaby, August 2022

This is such an easy setting to explore, from the waterside café just a short walk from the landing point to the northern extremes of the island that describing it is to spoil the experience of wandering and seeing for yourself the level of detail Bella has (again) brought to her work. From the local birds and wildlife through the the flowers, cabins and caravans to the central run-down trailer home, this is a place awash with little touches that make ideal for the keen-eyed explorer and a haven for the Second Life photographer.

Bella’s Lullaby, August 2022

Nor is that all. Scattered through the setting – close to the buildings, out long the trails, on the shingles of the coastline and even over the waters, are multiple places to set and relax, either on your own or with someone close to you. the local soundscape adding to the sense of peace and restfulness.

This being the case, I’m not gone to drone on any further here. Instead, I’ll leave you with a couple of further images and encourage you to hop along and take a look for yourself.

Bella’s Lullaby, August 2022
Bella’s Lullaby, August 2022

With thanks to MorganaCarter and Shawn Shakespeare for the pointers. 

SLurl Details

2022 SUG meetings week #34 summary

Posted on by Inara Pey
MarDayLine Pylons, July 2022 – blog post

The following notes were taken from the Tuesday, August 23rd, 2022 Simulator User Group (SUG) meeting. They form a summary of the items discussed and is not intended to be a full transcript. A video of the entire meeting is embedded at the end of the article for those wishing to review the meeting in full – my thanks to Pantera for recording it.

Server Deployments

For the most up-to-date information, please refer to the deployment forum thread.

  • On Tuesday, August 23rd, the simhosts on the Main SLS channel were updated with simulator version 574216. This includes the new LSL functions:
    • llReplaceEnvironment() – a scripted means to replace the environment in a parcel or a region, either for a single elevation track or the entire environment.
    • llSetEnvironment() – a scripted function to override the environmental settings for a region or a parcel. The owner of the script must have permission to modify the environment on the parcel or be an estate manager to change the entire region.
  • On Wednesday, August 24th, all simhost on the TC channel will be restarted without any deployment, leaving the also on simulator version 574216.

Available Official Viewers

On Monday, August 22nd, the Mesh Optimiser and Copy / Paste project viewers were both finally withdraw from the Alternate viewers download page, leaving the available official viewers as:

  • Release viewer: version 6.6.2.573358 – formerly the Maintenance 2 RC viewer, dated August 1, promoted August 4 – 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).
    • Profiles RC viewer updated to version 6.6.3.574158, on August 18<.
    • Maintenance P (Preferences, Position and Paste) RC viewer version 6.6.3.573877 issued August 15.
    • Izarra Maintenance RC, version 6.6.3.573920, August 15.
    • Maintenance (N)omayo RC viewer, version 6.6.3.573882, August 5.
  • Project viewers:
    • Love Me Render (LMR) 6 graphics improvements project viewer 6.6.2.573263, July 21.
    • Performance Floater project viewer, version 6.5.4.571296, May 10.

In Brief

HTTP discussion: a fair amount of the meeting was given over to HTTP which touched upon:

  • HTTP/2 multiplexing / pipelining (to replace the current HTTP 1.1 pipelining (which in turn touched upon TLS updates and Curl version updates) – in short, something the Lab is looking towards, but not on the immediate horizon.
  • The potential to obtain headers from an HTTP response using llGetHTTPHeader, which itself incorporated discussions of requirements, risk in exposing SL to returns of strings with uncontrolled lengths such that a verbose web site might cause a LSL stack overflow,
  • I’m actually hardly the best place to relay the ins and outs of the discussions, so I’ll refer you to the video for more.

Moki Yuitza’s Illusory Frameworks Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Kondor Art Square, August 2022: Moki Yuitza – Illusory Frameworks

Now open at the Kondor Art Square – a part of the Kondor Art Centre, owned and operated by Hermes Kondor – is Illusory Frameworks, an exhibition of 2D art by Moki Yuitza.

Having entered Second Life in 2008, Moki was immediately drawn to the endless creative possibilities inherent within the platform. Starting with the basics of building, she moved on to master the use of lighting, projectors, SL physics, opting to focus on the use of prims – which are in many respects more “organic” than mesh, simply because they can be manipulated, changed, re-shaped in an almost tangible manner. The result of all this effort has been some of SL’s most remarkable 3D installations such as Hypercube, Synapses, and Cells, all of which have been both visually engaging whilst offering the opportunity to explore multiple themes  – reality dreams, growth, change, geometry and more – some of which I’ve covered in these pages.

Kondor Art Square, August 2022: Moki Yuitza – Illusory Frameworks

Moki is also very much adept with 2D art. Much of her work within her Flickr stream focuses incredible avatar studies; pieces in which she brings to bear all of her vision, and skill with lighting, form, colour and narrative. However, Moki’s 2D extends much further, exploring many of the ideas and themes found within her 3D art – as with the likes of her Mindscapes exhibition at Nitroglobus earlier this year.

Within Illusory Frameworks – which is, as noted, an exhibition of 2D pieces – she combines her love of form, architecture and building with her thoughts on matters of life, reality, and the world to present a most engaging series of images that celebrates locations across Second Life whilst also offering the opportunity to take a deeper thought journey into the nature of SL – and, potential of our modern society.

Kondor Art Square, August 2022: Moki Yuitza – Illusory Frameworks

The 20 images presented within the square all feature locations from around Second Life, with each piece either overlaid with a subtle grid-like pattern, leaving the primary image visible but intentionally blurred, or post-processed to present a sense that it is entirely lattice-like in nature, reduces to a complex geometry of lines and bright concentrations of light.

Offered against black backgrounds and in more muted tones – noticeably teals, white and greys – these latter might initially put one in mind of something like Disney’s Tron Legacy, and this would not be entirely incorrect. Some of the underpinning terms within both Tron and Second Life – whilst not necessarily originating with either – are the same: the grid, rezzing, etc. Within both, all constructs are only made possible only thanks to an underpinning framework of intersecting lines, a wireframe, if you will. Thus through the lines and patterns in her art, Moki reminds us of this hidden fact: that all we see is an illusion of form, one built from a simple guiding framework (one you can bring forth, if you are so minded, through the use of CTRL-SHIFT-R and then hid once more in the same manner).

Kondor Art Square, August 2022: Moki Yuitza – Illusory Frameworks

More than this, however, is the reminder that even that framework itself is illusory, it exists only as long as there is power running through the circuitry managing the algorithms and computations need to keep it alive. And in this, perhaps is a deeper reflection of life and civilisation as a whole: that all of society is itself bound by an invisible framework of “laws” and “norms” which are themselves utterly illusory, holding true only so long as we allow them to do so.

Whether you opt to view Moki’s work through the lens of these deeper interpretations or simply as works of experimental art, Illusory Framework is an engaging visual feast.

 SLurl Details