Virtual vehicles for the metaverse
Topics relating to virtual reality and various online virtual worlds.
I’m happy to announce that the popular SkyLife modular building system has been updated with new modules and a new sci-fi look. The new modules have been rebuilt from scratch to work on a precise 20m grid, which allows for easier alignment of connecting corridors and hubs.
As always, the modules are interchangable and reconfigurable. You can build them like tinker toys to create your own structures: skyhomes, space stations, military bases, hangouts, and more.
SkyLife “Space” on SL Exchange:
A number of customers have pointed to the increasing problems with attachments in Second Life. That is, it’s not uncommon for attachments to: go missing, stop working, become invisible, or become damaged in some other way. And when your item isn’t copyable, you’re faced with asking the item’s maker for a replacement or buying another. Whenever this happens to Terra skydiving equipment, I will exchange your broken item for a new one, but I have noticed a rise in these incidents.
Why aren’t my parachutes copyable? As you know, products need to have either Copy or Transfer permissions, but not both. (“Transfer” means that you are able to give away or resell the item) The blight of freebie sellers has proven that Copy/Transfer is an invitation to scammers and cheats. In response to customer demand to easily buy parachutes as gifts or to set up legitimate skydiving shops, I changed all of my skydiving gear over to No-Copy/Transfer.
Now, however, the sheer number of lost or damaged chutes leads me to reconsider the Copy/No-Transfer option. With the copy permission, you could make backup copies, and even have 1 parachute copy per outfit. There’s little chance that you would lose it.
So I put it to you, my customers: which permissions would you rather have for your parachute? Copy or Transfer?
Yesterday morning I was startled by a pig flying past my window, which heralded the Linden Lab announcement that the Havok 4 physics engine is in beta testing. No, your eyes aren’t playing tricks. The upgrade the Lindens have promised as being just around the corner (for the last four years) appears to be… well… still just around the corner, but now we can see the corner at least.
By upgrading the Havok physics engine from version 1 to version 4, Linden Lab promises several improvements, including these (from the Linden blog):
To achieve only a few of these goals, particularly “less lag in the physics engine”, would vastly improve the flight experience for virtual pilots. I do wonder, though, about this point, “Vertical simulation extent has been increased to 1024 meters”. I don’t mean to be needlessly cynical, but that claim seems 1984-ish when currently the simulation extent is 4096 meters. Increased? Really? I hope it doesn’t “increase” any more.
I took the SL beta viewer for a test spin yesterday (download it here). To me it seemed to be more than just a little rough around the edges, although I can imagine just how much work it must have been to get it to this level of functionality. Replacing the physics engine would be like performing a brain transplant. I know Dr. McCoy was able to replace Spock’s brain, but he was only able to accomplish it under the influence of an alien knowledge device. I doubt the Linden devs have the benefit of alien tech.
So it’s impressive to see Havok 4 in action and mostly working. That said, it’s not even close to “prime time”. I logged some of my observations, which included sluggish controls, out-of-place collision boxes, and severe time dilation. Please log in to jira.secondlife.com and vote for/comment on issue SVC-722. I know the Lindens have already reviewed it, but more testing is better. And if you have access to an alien knowledge device, please mail it to Linden Research Inc, 945 Battery St., San Francisco, CA 94111. Include snacks. I have a feeling that a few developers will be working late nights for a while.
A new Second Life resident recently caught my attention by breaking into private spaces in Abbotts Aerodrome and sending me pictures of it. Well, everyone has a hobby, I suppose.
Most places in Abbotts are relatively easy to get to, and don’t contain anything particularly interesting. There is one room, however, that is completely off limits to the public. It’s where we keep important data, have private meetings, and develop projects of a confidential nature. The room measures only about 40mx30m and has glowing green walls. Among the racks of servers, our servant monkeys wander in and out, busy at their work. We call it the “Green Monkey Room”, for obvious reasons.
The location of this room? We keep that a well-guarded secret, but were you to stumble upon it, the monkeys will defend it well.
…Vend! TerraVend 3.0 is now live. For those of you who used TerraVend 2.x, the first thing you’ll notice is how fast the setup is. No long delays while data emails wend their way through internet tubes to the server. Version 3 is not only faster but 736.2% more reliable. OK, I made that number up, but I think you will be pleased with it.
Also new: I have created a new group “TerraVend Merchants”. Please join the group (it’s open enrollment, so no invitation is needed) to get TerraVend announcements and product updates.
To those who aren’t familiar with TerraVend, it is a vendor system in Second Life that lets you sell Terra Aeronautics products on commission. I provide the vendors, products, and displays, and you run your own shop and earn Linden dollars that you can spend in Second Life or sell on LindeX for real money. The vendors are free and you get paid your L$ commission immediately at the time of sale.
Get a TerraVend 3 package at the top floor of Abbotts Aerodrome or on SL Exchange.