Bored And Annoyed, or Why have all SL Eye UVs stunk? (O.o)

So, yeah… (=_=)

I spent a long time looking for an eye UV I could trust.  The most I could find were blurry, off center, or just a stolen eye texture from wherever. (>_<)

Plus, the last time I saw one that got the top/bottom relationship right, it was still a misaligned mess. (>_<)

So, out of boredom and annoyance, I do present…

Immy’s Evil SL Avatar Eye Template! =^-^=

That’s all.  It’s got the raw UV from the SL model and a few guides on where to place the iris and lens… And markers for the sideways top thing that SL eyes just plain got. (=_=)

So, yeah, there it is.  PNG and PSD format.  Not so sure about the PSD, though.  I use an Jasc PSP8 and the exporter could be insanely outdated. (>_<)

Oh, yeah, and they’re big.  Like 1024×1024 big.  So, when getting legit eyes ready for upload, go for something like 128×128 or 256×256.  They aren’t going to take up more than 25×25 pixels of screen space most of the time, anyway.  (^_^)

Enjoy! (^_^)y

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Session With A Nice Newbie (^_^)

Why, oh why, can’t more people be like this when they join SL?  He was so cool about things, even if he decided he didn’t quite like it.  I can’t help but share this. (^_^)

[21:21] —————-: hi
[21:22] —————-: I am new here, and i have no idea what to do
[21:22] Immy: No worries. (^_^)
[21:22] Immy: SL isn’t so much about what you have to do as it is what you want to do. But, if you have any questions, please do ask out in public chat. We have lots of helpers here. (^_^)
[21:23] —————-: ok, thanks
[21:23] Immy: Early on, I advise; If you find yourself at a place you’d like to return to, click World >> Landmark This Place. (^_^)
[21:23] —————-: seem you do not want to talk to me
[21:24] Immy: Eh? I can’t say IMs are my favourite thing. But, I’ll provide answers for SL related questions. Don’t mind me if I seem distracted, though… SL can be a busy place. (>_<)
[21:25] Immy: After some networking, you may wind up finding yourself juggling a number of IMs, group chats, and maybe even outworld stuff like Steam, Skype, or whatever people wind up sharing. (^_^)
[21:25] —————-: well hopefully it will be a busy place
[21:26] Immy: That, it is. But it does require some effort. Nothing here is pre-made or standardized. Everything is user made. That makes things both very possible and impossible. (^_^)
[21:27] Immy: You can pretty much decide all that you want to do. Things like chatting, building, scripting, events, and such come without a price most of the time. (^_^)
[21:29] Immy: Oh, and it looks as though you’re using click-to-move. I’d advise against that. It’s a rather unfinished feature and moving around using the arrow keys on your keyboard will make things much easier. (^_^)
[21:30] —————-: i try to walk and it is very confusing
[21:30] —————-: i like your outfit by the way
[21:30] Immy: Thanks. I like working on my looks. =^-^=
[21:31] —————-: well, you are doing a great job
[21:31] —————-: and how did you get that tatoo?
[21:32] Immy: The dragon and back-tribal are from a store I often go to. Immerschoen Fashion. The one on my leg is my own work. (^_^)
[21:33] —————-: so, can you so me a tatoo
[21:33] —————-: actually, i just saw the one you have on your belly
[21:34] Immy: To be able to customize your avatar, you’re going to have to use one of the “Classic” avatars. You’re currently in a “Rigged Mesh” avatar. It’s a new thing and Linden Lab set them up very poorly. (._.)
[21:35] —————-: ok
[21:35] —————-: you have been very nice to me you know
[21:35] —————-: i really appreciate it,
[21:35] —————-: thanks
[21:35] Immy: You’ll find many items, shapes, skins, and such in your inventory. You can”Add” or “Wear” them depending on what you’re after. For more items, look into your inventory Library or our freebie walls. (^_^)
[21:36] Immy: Ah, I’m just a volunteer here. I like helping. (^_^)y
[21:36] —————-: wow
[21:36] Immy: Most of the people here will be just as nice. =^-^=
[21:36] —————-: your awesome
[21:36] —————-: i dont think so
[21:37] Immy: Heh, well, they should be. This place can get pretty tough on the rude ones. Though, some get away with it more than others. (>_<)
[21:39] Immy: To each their own, though. Everyone has their own personality. Some can sound bossy when trying to be helpful and some can sound helpful when trying to be bossy. XD
[21:39] —————-: jajajajajaja
[21:40] —————-: i got a tatoo
[21:40] —————-: but now how can change my chlothe
[21:41] Immy: That’s where things can get tricky. First, I’ll advise that you go to Me >> Choose An Avatar and pick something from the “Classic” tab. Not much can be done until then. (^_^)
[21:41] —————-: ok
[21:41] —————-: but i wanna just take off my shirt
[21:42] Immy: Ah. That may be easy. If you search your inventory for things that are “(Worn)” you may find an item with ‘shirt’ as the name. (^_^)
[21:43] Immy: RIght click the inventory item and select “Detach”. (^_^)
[21:43] Immy: Be careful, though. This is a G region and removing your pants may get you in a lot of trouble. (>_<)
[21:43] —————-: ohhhhh
[21:43] Immy: .. Even if by accident. (>.>)
[21:43] —————-: thanks for the advice
[21:44] —————-: ok, immy was my pleasure to meet you
[21:44] Immy: We do have changing rooms. There is a white round pad on the floor behind me. If you click that, it will transport you to the men’s one and you can juggle your outfit there. (^_^)^
[21:45] —————-: i dont understand this place, i am living it
[21:45] Immy: Not a problem at all. You’ve been nice. You deserve the help. =^-^=
[21:45] Immy: No worries. (^_^)y
[21:46] —————-: yes this SL it is not what i was expected
[21:46] —————-: there is nothing fun to do
[21:47] Immy: That depends. But, it’s all up to you. Everyone has something they prefer. (^_^)
[21:47] —————-: yes i guess
[21:47] —————-: ok immy take it easy
[21:47] Immy: Enjoy! (^_^)y
[21:48] —————-: can i ask you one question
[21:48] Immy: Feel free. (^_^)
[21:48] —————-: the last one
[21:49] —————-: where can i get a date?
[21:50] —————-: i am looking for someone to have some fun
[21:51] Immy: In SL? Socializing here is much like real life. It takes time, networking, and finding things in common. My advice; makes some keywords of your interests and put them into search (Ctrl+F)… You may find groups, places, and people who you match up with. (^_^)
[21:52] Immy: In my own case, for example, I like clothes and cartoons. Searching “clothes” gets me going on shopping trips and “anime” finds places where people like me enjoy our toons. (^_^)
[21:52] —————-: ok
[21:53] —————-: thank fos the advice
[21:53] —————-: see you later
[21:53] Immy: Spot on! Not a problem at all. (^_^)y

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Bare Minimum Info – Mesh LOD (^_^)

I response to some confusion over LOD levels when uploading mesh, I’m gonna toss together the steps I take for keeping LI and upload costs low. (^_^)

To start… ALWAYS start with multiple models.  At least 2.  For this demo, I’m using 3. (^_^)

01 ThreeBlenderModels

The differences in detail should be apparent.  I’ll call them A, B, and C.  Note that A has 3x the Verts of B and C is little more than a cube.  All 3 models have 3 material surfaces and roughly the same UV maps. (^_^)

Now, to upload. =^-^=

02 DefaultUpload

This is the default upload for A.  The model makes up the High LoD and the uploader is set to Generate the rest of the models based on a Triangle Limit.  The uploader can be really rough when removing verts to bring the objects down to the marked triangle limits. (>_<)

03 DefaultMid

04 DefaultLow

05 DefaultLowest

View each LoD level, click on the High, Medium, Low, and Lowest names on the far left… Or use the box just below the mesh image.  As you can see, Lowest can make for a pretty ugly blob.  The going price for this blob is L$12 to upload and an LI of 10.059.  (O.o)

So, lets use the rest of our models… =^-^=

06 Models

Now High, Medium, and Low each have a model for uploading.  These models will look exactly like the ones in the top image.  So Medium will preserve more of its shape, Low will just be a box, and Lowest will be Generated and be a decimated blob of the box from Low.  Here’s the good part.  Upload price is now L$11 and the LI has gone down to 7.812.  (^_^)

This is a relatively simple model, so the savings won’t be very huge… But, this should at least demonstrate that a savings is possible. (^_^)

Finally, when it comes to physics, complex models can really jack up the LI.  Items like clothing and other attachments could wind up having very complex physics shapes in spite of them being totally phantom while worn.  What I do for this is keep a cube.  Just a default Blender cube that I can use as the Physics LoD file. (^_^)

07 Physics

Now, since this model is very simple… There’s no actual change in physics detail with or without the cube.  Since physics is less than 1, it won’t affect our upload cost or LI.

Once the LED was inworld I found that the models were something like 8 meters tall which initially threw off the LI number while uploading.  Once it was scaled to 2 meters tall or less, LI fell below 1 and I was able to link 3 together for 2LI.

This is my take on things.  It probably isn’t accurate or complete, but, it’s what I’ve been doing and it works for me.  Please correct me in comments if need be. (^_^)y

 

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Here (^_^)

Y’all probably know that I volunteer at NCI, New Citizens Inc.  It’s a great place with a great community, lessons, events, freebies, and advice for anyone in SL.  I been going there since I found the scatter of green dots on the map.  Over time I became an instructor, a land officer, and took on the task of maintaining the infonodes. (^_^)

Recently NCI’s creator and founder, Brace Coral, has returned to Second Life and has involved with staff.  In the most recent staff meeting, she posed a question: “Why are you here?” (^_^)

To that, I have an almost overly simple answer: The community. (^_^)

To get complicated, I’ll say more. =^-^=

My “Immy” account is actually my second spin through Second Life.  The first time around, I was Indoorsman Dagger and I discovered very quickly that AGP graphics cards were horribly unsuitable for rendering the primmy world. (>_<)

So, I joined SL again for the first time… Because I had initially forgotten Indy’s password. (O.o)

Much of my early time in SL was spent in the Hanja welcome area.  Back then, it was hazardous to cross simlines with attachments and many teleports would often fail.  So, I stayed there quite a while.  Though, in spite of its name, Hanja was hardly welcoming.  Add to that, my short draw distance and a seemingly endless barren field of grass beyond build and I pretty much had no hint of the scale of SL as a whole. (>_<)

In time, I found the map.  After a while, I sorted out what green dots were.  Eventually, I really started exploring.  Not even using search yet.  Just nap random places on the map and TP there.  For sure, people made most places worth visiting. (^_^)

Then, one day during a session of me zooming around the map, I had noticed a nearly full PG sim.  At that time, so many people in a PG joint was unheard of for me.  So, obviously this deserved some investigation. =^-^=

One thing to note; I haven’t mentioned chatting yet.  Honestly, for a good month or so, I didn’t chat with anyone in SL.  I was too shy, too afraid to connect with people, and concerned that my family would have problems with me making friends online. (>_<)

With that in mind… I actually had my first chat in SL at NCI.  It was very brief.  Light Sol had approached me, asking if I needed help.  My response was little more than something like “Not now.  Talking to family.” (._.)

But, there you have it… My first ever chat in SL was at NCI.  The crowd at NCI was nothing like Hanja.  Every other word wasn’t an obscenity.  Eventually I began to open up, socialize, and take up building.  It was all very new to me… Someone who had spent years with a nose jammed into Manga and a laptop Bittorrenting Anime shows 24/7. (^_^)

As time went by, I made friends (and even met someone that I still have a crush on to this day).  I have this near addiction to being inquisitive and helpful.  So, as I gathered more information about SL, I started sharing it with others.  NCI was very much a learn and teach and learn and teach environment.  The people there were always ready to answer reasonable questions and toss a freebie around once in a while that would benefit others. (^_^)

I wasn’t even aware of any kind of leadership structure at the time.  I just found myself spending time with helpful, supportive, and generous people every day. (^_^)

As time went by, I started getting more involved.  I was a frequent participant in Show&Tell, Blitz Build, and Beach Party events.  I was a killer in the Beach’s Toob race.  My lack of lag was to my advantage, for sure. =^-^=

I gradually got to know near everyone who hung out at the Kuula campus.  With that someone eventually offered me a teaching position.  It was alternating weeks.  One week I would teach Flexi&Light.  The next, One Prim Wonders.  It was definitely something to do.  In fact, I still do it.  See me in our Hamnida campus tonight at 6pm SLT.  I’ll be teaching Flexi&Light on the ground classroom. (^_^)

The whole time, the community was there. (^_^)

At some point, I was able to join Linden Lab’s SL Mentors program which provided a few more resources, but, nowhere near comparable to what the NCI community was offering.  I found that flying solo just wasn’t going to work out.  Being a part of something doesn’t really off much gain.  Having a tag is little more than a label.  But, having a community to lean on and support was right up my alley. (^_^)

… Then August 2009 happened. (T_T)

None the less, the community still provided tons of support.  Right at the point where I thought I was going to hit rock bottom, members of the community were letting me know they were behind me every step of the way.  People well aware of the organization’s mission stepped forward for the sake of the community and all the work they’ve done.  The community was able to survive the turmoil of the time and continue to support and maintain NCI for years to come. (^_^)

For that, I’m highly thankful and indebted to the people of NCI.  I like to think I’m part of this community, welcome and willing.  All I can do now is try my best to provide the same of what was given to me.  The people of New Citizens Inc. have been among the best I’ve met online.  I’m glad to be part of it.  I plan to remain with the community for as long as I can. (^_^)y

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Blockety blockety block! (O.o)

So…

A coworker of mine is setting up IIS on his company laptop in order to develop a web based front-end for our test result database.  Otherwise known at doing his job! (^_^)

He’s looking for information regarding some of the configuration he’s having trouble with.  Where else would one go for information regarding MS software?  Well… Many places, but, microsoft.com is a pretty darned understandable option. (^_^)

No? (o.o)

Well, yeah… No. (>_<)

So, he pulls up the page which contains … a box stating that our employer’s IT department has blocked some content on the page.  Reason: “Educational Video”… (O.o)

Educational Video! (=_=)

Ed-U-Ca-Tion-Al!!! DX

Something flagged as an “Educational Video” on the frigg’n MICROSOFT website has been deemed inappropriate for employees to view. (o.O)

So, yeah.  He’s now turning to his trusty 4G/LTE iPhone to watch the video anyway. (^_^)

As for me?  I’m on lunch break and I’m watching this:

… on my work computer. =^-^=

 

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Dirty Filthy Naughty Jazz =^-^=

Everyone knows the song “I Jazz’d In My Pants”, right? =^-^=

Remember the last orgy you had at church? (^_^)

When was the last time you “donated”. (^_^)

Ever wake up with morning “fundraiser”? (O.o)

Really?  (o.O)

Well… The Lab, in its infinite genius… again, has flurbed on an event notice.  Somehow, there’s something in the wording which triggers a requirement of Adult Content rating. (=_=)

So, what does the naughtiness entail? (^_^)

Well… (O.o)

On the Second Life Forum…

Concert Fundraiser Debuting Sere performing her original Jazz at The Church

Hurray!  It’s been a long wait. Launching ongoing Concert Fundraisers at The Church, debuting Sere performing her original Jazz on Sunday, June 8th at 1pm.  Thanks to Sere’s sponsor, Paradunai, LLC, 100% of every Linden donated goes directly to this concert’s charity – the American Cancer Society here in Second Life.  Come out and soak up Sere’s jazz, and enjoy a dance party at the Pavilion after the concert, knowing every cent you donate makes a difference!  To preview Sere’s music, go to her website at sere-aeon.eliyora.com.  So excited to see you there!

Uhm… Yeah. (o.O)

So, do you see it?  I totally frigg’n don’t.  It could be anything.  And, I gotta say, the Lab has held a really messed up way of handling these things.  (=_=)

So, yeah… What do you see in there which could even remotely, possibly, probably, maybe, sometimes, kinda, should trigger the event as Adult Content®? (o.o)

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