Linden Lab discuss server side baking and the materials project on Designing Worlds

Now available on the web – our latest episode, as we are joined by Oz, Brooke, Troy and Nyx Linden to discuss the issues of Server Side Baking and materials.

This was a really fascinating show as not only did our guests from Linden Lab explain what these major changes to Second Life would entail, but we also went to Hippotopolis for a fascinating demonstration.

Join us as we explore the effects of specular mapping

You can go there and check this out for yourselves but if you want to see the items properly displayed, you’ll need to download the special Materials Viewer (it doesn’t overwrite the main Linden Lab viewer).

Nyx, Troy, Oz and Brooke Linden explain the changes coming

If you’re wondering what server side baking and specular materials are and how they might affect your Second Life, this show should explain it.

In addition, Inara Pey has published a transcript of the first half of the discussion on her blog, which you may find useful too!

Prim Perfect Jigsaw: Once more in Lula

In Lula Once More

Inspired by the image in the jigsaw from yesterday, which I took from Honour MacMillan’s wonderful photoblog: Honour’s Post Menopausal (View of Second Life), I popped across to Lula to see if it was really as pretty as it seemed in her blog.

And you know what?

It really was.

As I hope my own picture today proves!

I’ve been popping around other places too … the Home and Garden Expo and the SL10B Community Celebrations regions.  Both are not ready to be photographed yet – but starting to look very exciting!  More on that soon.

In the mean-time, let’s do a jigsaw!

Once More in Lula

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Catch up with your Prim Perfect jigsaws (showing images of Second Life and other virtual worlds).

If you’d like to submit a photo of your own to feature as a jigsaw, send it to the Prim Perfect Flickr Group. It should be sized 800w x 600h, or else it will need to be re-sized.

News of hunts and exciting events in this week’s Happy Hunting!

Cinders and Rosamoo discuss some great Hunt prizes!

Join us in the treet.tv studios in Garden of Dreams at 3pm, Friday 17th May, with our host Cinders Vale and hunt reporter Rosamoo Mendelsohn of Hunt SL for another great show – featuring not one but TWO interviews with hunt organisers (and details of some wonderful new hunt goodies you can grab!).

Big Day Hunt logo

Cinders will be talking to Nomiki Tremmor of The Big Day Hunt who will be telling us all about her her special wedding day themed hunt – and it’s not just for brides and grooms either, but offers a selection of things for participants and guests too!

Then Heavenly Villa will be telling Cinders all about plans for the Home and Garden Expo which will be featuring a Hunt created by those wonderful people at Whiz. Our next show will be coming from the event, but here’s a taster here right now!

Plus there will be news from Rosamoo of exciting hunts that lie ahead!

So join us at 3pm today in the studio for the broadcast. Bring along your hunter friends too. We will be glad to have you all join us for the show.

Cinders talks to Heavenly Villa

Or – if you can’t attend in person – tune in at 3pm SLT on Friday for the live show on http://treet.tv/live or on the Vimeo channel – or catch it later in the week on our shows page on the Treet.tv web site at http://treet.tv/shows/happy-hunting.

Prim Perfect Jigsaw: Loving It Here in Lula

Lula

Here is another image from our deputy editor, Honour MacMillan – taken from her wonderful photoblog: Honour’s Post Menopausal (View of Second Life).

In this recent post, she muses over early mornings (and guilt) while exploring Lula, a really beautiful region where she perfectly captures the soft early morning light.

Do go and read … and visit … but first, let’s do a jigsaw.

Lula, photographed by Honour McMillan

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Catch up with your Prim Perfect jigsaws (showing images of Second Life and other virtual worlds).

If you’d like to submit a photo of your own to feature as a jigsaw, send it to the Prim Perfect Flickr Group. It should be sized 800w x 600h, or else it will need to be re-sized.

Last chance to apply to be part of the SL10B Community Celebrations!

SL10B Community Celebration logo

There are just a few short days left to be part of the team at Second Life 10th Birthday Community Celebrations!

Applications for Exhibitors, Performers, slots in the Auditorium and for Volunteers will be closing at midnight on May 20th.

All applications will be carefully considered, and acceptances will be sent out in the week starting May 20th. But don’t worry if you don’t hear immediately – it will take the whole week to let everyone know.

How can you be part of the team at the Second Life 10th Birthday Community Celebrations?
There’s still time to apply to have a plot as an exhibitor. You need a good idea of what you are proposing to build – it should be community-orientated and celebratory. The clearer the information you can give, the easier it will be to assess your application. Look at the guidelines in Event Policies, and then tell us all about it.

If you want to exhibit something:
Art installation
Informative exhibition
Community group
Instructional
Media (writing, machinima, photography, etc.)
You need an EXHIBITOR APPLICATION

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If you want to perform, or to give a presentation or host a talk in the auditorium, make sure you fill out the form giving not only details of the event, but also the times that would suit you best.

If you want to present something:
Talk on a topic
Run a workshop
Teach a class
Do performance art
Put on a media event
You need an AUDITORIUM APPLICATION

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If you want to be involved in the musical celebration as a:
Live Performer
DJ
You need a PERFORMER APPLICATION

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If you want to help as a volunteer, but aren’t sure what role would suit you best, there’s a page of Role Descriptions too. Full training will be given to volunteers, and it’s a great chance to work with an amazing team of people.

If you want to help out with any aspect of the celebration, such as:
Greeter/Host
Moderator
Exhibitor Assistant
Stage Manager
Public Relations
Press
You need a VOLUNTEER APPLICATION

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But remember – you only have a few days left.

On May 20th, at midnight – Applications close.

So make sure you get yours in before the deadline!

Join Designing Worlds for a special recording!

Designing Worlds studio

Join us at 2pm SLT today, Tuesday 14th May, for a special live recording of Designing Worlds at our studio in Garden of Dreams, as we are joined by Chantal Harvey, the weel-know machinamatographer and Tony Dyson, the designer who created R2D2, who will be joining us to talk about their fascinating new project – the Bobbekins – which utilises Second Life as a part of a wider project to create interactive electronic materials for children.

Bobbekins eBook

Chantal and Tony will be talking not only about their project (currently online as an Indiegogo project), but also about their work and careers.

And there will be the opportunity for our audience to ask them questions too!

As this is a recording of a show to be shown at a later date, we will be starting the filming at 1pm, and you will not be able to see all the inserts we will be discussing (although we will supply web addresses so the audience can take a look!). But it will be a chance to find out more about Tony, Chantal and their fascinating project!

So do come and join in the recording at 1pm!

Designing Worlds finds out about changes and exciting additions to Second Life from Linden Lab

Talking about Server Side Baking and Materials

Join us at 2pm SLT today, Monday 13th May, for the new episode of Designing Worlds at our studio in Garden of Dreams, as we are joined by Oz, Brooke, Troy and Nyx Linden to discuss the issues of Server Side Baking and materials.

If you’re wondering what these are and how they might affect your Second Life, this show should explain it.

But – as server side baking means earlier viewers will no longer work properly, it is essential that every user of Second Life should be prepared for the changes.

Nyx, Troy, Oz and Brooke Linden explain the changes coming

Server side baking is a whole new way of solving the problem of avatars (and system clothing) that fails to load properly, by moving this from the viewer side client to the server side. It will need significant changes to the client viewers (like Linden Lab’s own viewer, and also third party viewers like Firestorm and Exodus). Nyx and Troy Linden will be talking about this and explaining what Second Life users should expect.

Katana, created by June Dion of Bare Rose, demonstrating materials

Then Oz and Brooke Linden will be explaining about materials, normal and specular maps, what this is and what it will mean for our Second Life experience. And there will be samples to see too – when Oz and Brooke took us to see the work in progress at Hippotopolis. You can go there and check this out for yourselves but if you want to see the items properly displayed, you’ll need to download the special Materials Viewer (it doesn’t overwrite the main Linden Lab viewer).

A simple cube takes on depth and texture under changing light

Materials are going to mean a richer Second Life experience, and creators are going to be very excited about the possibilities, we suspect! But don’t take our word for it – come and watch the show at 2pm!

Or – if you can’t attend in person – tune in at 2pm SLT on Monday for the live show on http://treet.tv/live – or catch it later in the week on our shows page on the Treet.tv web site at http://treet.tv/shows/designingworlds – our very own version of the iPlayer!

Join us as we explore the effects of specular mapping