Day 249: Heavenly Rose

Its amazing what comes up when you type the word "romance" into Search/Places. Just look that the traffic for these places! OK...now we know where everyone is in Second Life :P

Heavenly Rose Gardens is one of these top romantic spots in SL... So how could I resist? :)



Heavenly is just like a Real Life rose garden, with walking paths, trees and flowers everywhere, and lots of benches. Except there are poseballs on these benches...and just about everything else :P

In fact, I have never seen so many poseballs in a sim!



Theres a large outdoor ballroom dance floor surrounded by waterfalls, and full of couples dance poseballs...



And lots of these little semi-private hideaway spots, many of which were um...occupied...while I was visiting :P



There is a little private beach, if you prefer to watch the waves...

And did I mention there are a lot of poseballs here?



Oh...oh...and I got all excited when I saw the trident! Its one of the mer-houses from Creative Fantasy Home & Garden. Heehee...these are important things to know for a mermaid :)



You see, the mer-house is underwater! So totally cool :)



And just under the mer-house, theres a little private area just for mermaids. How very thoughtful! :)



And if all of this romancing finally get the better of you, there is even a large wedding area ready to go :)



Heavenly Rose also has a dance club in a separate nearby sim. Its more dance club than ballroom, so its a nice change of scenery if youve had too much "romance" :P

If you are wondering where to go on a date, or just like to try on poseballs, take a look at the Heavenly Rose Gardens. Click on Search, select Places, and enter "heavenly" as the keyword. The SLURL is Rose Gardens (121,179,26).



Say, Blue Poseball darling...how come you always hang around garden sims?

Day 247: The Mata Hari Quest

OK, the Mata Hari Quest isnt exactly new. Both Taffy and Georgette have been telling me to try this (thank you so much! :D) So Im off to find some jewelry today :)

The Mata Hari Quest is the creation of famed SL jeweler Random Calliope. Random is famous for creating some of the most beautiful prim-based jewelry in Second Life. The Quest is a year old now. It was first solve in January 2006!

The Quest has a colorful background story, centered around a set of jewelry created for the infamous Mata Hari.



The goal of the quest is to find Mata Hari's hidden jewels. I believe there are 6 pieces (including the ring at the start). And you get to keep them, of course :) Remember, these are Random's beautiful creations!

But just a word of warning: The Mata Hari Quest definitely requires SL building skills. You should be comfortable editing prims and with camera controls. Dont ask me why...just trust me on this one :P

The Quest doesnt really start here, but I stopped by Random's store to look at the Mata Hari poster. And pick up his beautiful and free Slither jewelry set. Just to get motivated, of course :)

Click on Search, select Places, and enter "random calliope" as the keyword. The SLURL is Kandinsky (34,209,36).



OK, with at least some free jewelry in hand, Im ready to embark on the Quest :)

The Mata Hari Quest actually takes place at the Crescent Moon Museum. I have fond memories of Crescent Moon, because I spent my past Christmas Day there :)



So heres the starting point. This little clue is in Random's Profile under Picks: "Start with the box of memorabilia on the fireplace mantle then ask me no questions :)"



The Mata Hari Quest gives you a series of clues...which lead you to other clues...and an occasional goodie :)

Most of these clues are puzzles you have to solve. There are all different kinds of puzzles! And they are tough! I got stuck on like the first puzzle, got frustrated, totally cheated, and ran for help... :P

And you would just be amazed at where things are hidden!



But just check out the goodies!

Theres this beautiful little ring box...



With a beautiful ring inside. The ring has 174 really really tiny prims!!! *Yikes*

If you find the ring, you can press Ctrl-Zero to zoom in closer to the ring, and Ctrl-9 to go back to normal view.



The bracelet is my favorite so far. It has 176 prims!

I have no idea how Random makes this stuff! :P



Theres a navel ring...



And a wonderful pair of earrings!



I want that necklace and armband! I just know theyre in here somewhere...Waaahhh!!! :(

If you like puzzles or jewelry (or preferably both :D), try the Mata Hari Quest at the Crescent Moon Museum! Click on Search, select Places, and enter "crescent moon" as the keyword. Choose the "Taber Tudor Village" link that comes up. The SLURL is Taber (203,94,22).



Oh come on, Blue Poseball darling! Just one little itsy bitsy clue, please? Pretty please?

Day 246: Sirena Hair for Men

Last week was the grand opening of the new Sirena Hair & Fashion store. I promised something for the guys, so here they are! :)

Introducing 6 new hair-styles for men! Each comes in 3 sizes (S)mall, (M)edium, and (L)arge for easy fitting. With 48 different shades available! (And just for you guys, I changed Brunette to Brown :P)

The hairs can be color-tinted (with 66 different colors) to give you even more color choices.

Check out the Free Hair Color Samples to see all 48 textures :)



Bill is scruffy, a cross between a rocket scientist and a billionaire...



Corporate is the respectable Steve. The corporate executive. The guy who hangs out at the corporate sims :) Do people really work in corporate sims?



Mark has a bit of an attitude. He might check out the corporate sims if it suits him. But isnt it more fun to hang out at the beach?



Kevin has never been in a corporate sim. He's got way too many prims in his hair. He would probably crash the corporate sim :P



Rick is the musician...and musicians need long hair :)



And finally, Roberts...as in Dread Pirate Roberts from The Princess Bride. OK, Westley's hair is shorter in the movie, but I didnt say *WHICH* Dread Pirate Roberts :P

So check out the new men's hair at the new Sirena store :) Click on Search, select Places, and enter "sirena" as the keyword. The SLURL is West Sunset (160,50,22).

Heehee it was fun to bring Second Steve out of my closet again! He's been incredibly busy this past week!



BTW, I had a heck of a time finding a decent-priced men's skin for Steve. Thankfully, my friend Bagnaria of B&B Skins came to the rescue! Bill, Corporate, Mark, and Kevin are all using B&B's Bratt skin. They have great male and female skins at a good price. They are located at Firemaw (122,137,34) (Search/Places for "affordable skins").

Day 244: Buy/Rent Land in Second Life Part 2

In Buy/Rent Land in Second Life Part 1, we talked about things to consider when you are thinking about buying or renting SL land.

So now, lets go shopping for some land :)



In this Part 2 of Buying/Renting Land in SL, we are going to shop for 3 plots of land: Buying a 1024M Mainland plot, renting a 2048M residential plot, and renting a 4096M commercial plot.

BTW, these are not the only ways to go about shopping for a plot of land! This is just how I would go about looking for land, knowing what I know today. Often, your own social circle can give you better advice, and perhaps a great deal on a starter plot. Also, you might want to "live" where you "play", and rent from a themed-sim or a role-playing sim.

And the sims, businesses, prices, and places mentioned here are just examples I encountered when I was writing this blog entry. By the time you read this, the actual places and prices would likely have changed. Hopefully, you can still use the same methods to do your own shopping.

But if you just want to browse around and see whats out there, then follow me on a little land shopping adventure :) Remember, buying land in Second Life can be a bit of an adventure, so be patient and shop around!


Buying a 1024M Mainland Plot

If you have made the decision to purchase Mainland, then this section is for you :)

Our goal here is to shop for a low-priced 1024M Mainland Plot (with 234 prims) with no Covenants in a Mature sim. Since the land has no Covenants and its in a Mature sim, you can do just about anything on this land (as long as you abide by the basic SL terms of service). You can build a house, open a casino, or start a club. Unfortunately, so can your neighbors...

BTW, remember that you have to be an SL Premium Account holder to buy Mainland land.

Mainland plots tend to come in 512M increments. So 1024M costs about twice as much as a nearby 512M plot. On the Mainland, you can generally find a lot of 512M and 1024M plots for sale.

There are larger plots available, but unfortunately, they often come at a premium. Fortunately, you can sometimes find 2 adjacent plots and just used them as a single plot. And if you just need a lot of prims, you can just buy several plots in the same sim and build on a single plot.



The most effective way I know for finding available Mainland plots is to click on Search, select Classifieds or Places, enter "mainland" as the keyword, and then go to the bottom of the list.

Why the bottom? Because very few residents would pay more than the minimum L$50 to place a Classifieds Ads for a 1024M plot of land. Its just not worth it...unless someone is charging a premium. Likewise, under Places, land for sale typically generates very little traffic. Because our goal is low-price, we are going to the bottom :)







The last listing under Places brought me to Lendrum. As luck would have it, theres a lot of Mainland land for sale in this area :)



Lendrum is in a new section of the Mainland. Lendrum is circled in orange on the right side of this map. The original Mainland is on the left. The red circle to the left is on the Mauve sim (one of the original original SL color sims).



Clicking on the "Map" button on the bottom of the screen brought up a list of Land for sale. These "for sale" plots are marked in yellow, and have a dollar sign ($) symbol on them. You can do some quick comparison shopping just by clicking on all the nearby dollar signs...

For a 1024M plot, prices in this area ranged from L$10,499 to L$13,499. At the moment, this is around the general range as some of the other Mainland spots I checked...



And here is the L$10,499 plot! Unfortunately, its one of those annoying "For Sale" signs! But its still the least expensive in the area...

This plot of land offers additional freebies in addition to the land. I would recommend that you ignore the freebies and just shop for the land alone. After all, you can pick up boxes of free houses, furniture, and decorations at Yadni's Junkyard. So dont worry about the freebies, unless its a custom designed house or something :)

When buying land, be sure you Right-click on the land, select "About Land", and check the price and Covenants. For a Mainland purchase, there should not be any Covenants!

Oh, and as Jennifer pointed out in her comment in Part 1, dont buy land because you like the current scenery and neighbors. It would likely be very different tomorrow. This is particular true for the Mainland, where there are no Covenants!

If you purchased this plot of land, and own no other land in SL, you would need to have an SL Premium Account (US$6 to US$9.95 a month, but you get a weekly L$ stipend). In addition, you would need to pay Linden Labs US$5 per month for land tier fee.

So I would have to go with the L$10,499 plot. If I had bought this plot, the first thing I would do is burn that "For Sale" sign ;P


Renting a 2048M Residential Plot

When it comes to renting (or condo-style buying) a residential plot, you have LOTS of options! Too many, in fact. So hopefully, you have narrowed it down a bit from Part 1 and decided where to rent.

For this section, Im going to look for a 2048M residential plot (with 468 prims) with a nice view and reasonable price. Remember, Im a mermaid, so your tastes might vary :P

A quick glance at land baron Anshe Chung's Dreamland Listings showed 2 available non-commercial plots. These plots are unzoned (Dreamland Anarchy), so they are not technically residential (because your neighbors could use their plot for commercial purposes). But lets take a peek out of curiosity :)



This is the plot on Passionflower Island. This plot is waterfront (in fact, partly under water :D). You can change Island plots up or down by 100M, so it should be easy to put everything underwater :) Oh...Im not really looking for water or anything...;P

This 2048M plot is available for condo-style purchase (meaning you have to "buy" the land, and then pay a monthly tier fee). The purchase price is L$19,999. And the monthly tier is US$14 or L$3738.

However, this is rental, so it does not require an SL Premium Account (saving US$6 to US$9.95 a month, not counting the L$ stipend). You also would not need to pay Linden Labs US$15 for land tier fee. Thats why many people choose to rent (condo-style purchase) on an Island...

Next, I tried the Azure Islands Listing page. Unfortunately, they did not have any 2048M plots available. So I chose one of their residential listings (Ursae sim) and decided to go sim hopping for a plot...

When I arrived at Ursae, I clicked on the "Map" button and looked for yellow plots of land.



After hopping around a bit in the nearby sims, this brought me to the Palau sim. Theres a 2112M plot for sale by owner (by another resident, instead of from Azure Islands). This is a waterfront plot in a zoned Residential sim (so your neighbor cant build a casino :D). This is also a double-prim plot, which means that you will have 996 prims instead of the usual 468 prims.

But of course, this costs more :) The condo-style purchase price is L$32,000 and the monthly tier is approx L$7,323 (about US$27.50). This is because of the double prims, which effectively gives you 4096M worth of prims on a 2112M plot (and you pay for it :P).



Just for fun, I went to Search/Places and typed in 2048. The results brought up one of the islands owned by FairChang (another land baron :) ). I followed the weblink to their for sale page and found a perfect plot on FairChang Kumori!

Its a waterfront 2048M plot (with 468 prims) and zoned for residential. The (condo-style) purchase price is L$15,950 and monthly tier is US$16 (about L$4,272).

If you have the time, you could check other results from Search/Places and Search/Classifieds for keyword "2048". Also, the SLExchange Real Estate page is a good place to go...at least for a list of where to look :)

Well, for this particular 2048M residential plot, I would have to say its between Dreamland (initial: L$19,999; monthly: L$3,738) and FairChang (initial: L$15,950; monthly: L$4,272). They are both waterfront plots. FairChang has a stricter residential covenanent. So for a residential plot, I guess I would have to vote for FairChang here :)


Renting a 4096M Commercial Plot

If you want to run a business, from a retail store to a casino to a club, you need to either buy a plot of land with no covenants, or rent a plot of land that permits commercial activities. Since commercial activities are more...um...disruptive (flashing signs, money ball announcements, etc :P), most land barons create separate commercial sims.



We are going to be shopping for a 4096M plot (936 prims) of commercial land. This is exactly what I did when I was looking for land for the new Sirena Hair & Fashion store.



First up...Dreamland. Anshe Chung's Dreamland Listings has many 4096M unzoned plots available. They are bad for residential, but good for commercial :)

One of the first listings landed me on Acacia Island for a little 4080M square island bordered by water (not that Im looking for water or anything :P). The condo-style purchase price is L$39,999 and the monthly tier is US$28 or L$7476.

Unfortunately, neither Azure Isles nor FairChang had any 4096M commercial plots available (at least not at their websites). I suppose I could go island hopping...but let me try something different...

***Update: FairChang now has commercial plots (check Garth FairChang's comments for this blog entry, along with their RL story: so romantic!!! :D)

I went to the SLExchange Real Estate page, typed in "commercial" as the Search word, and sorted the listing by size.



One of the first listings that came up is Richland Center sim, part of the SkyBeam Estates. Its a residential/commercial sim, but almost all of the plots have stores in them. SkyBeam Estates has a very strict covenant. For example, they restrict things like camping chairs, which is a good thing if you dont plan on having camping chairs :)

They also have very nice landscaping and a "planned" community kinda feel.

The best part is the price: the condo-style purchase price is L$16,000 plus a monthly tier of US$28 (or about L$7476).

So between Dreamland (initial: L$39,999; monthly tier: L$7476) and Richland Center (initial: L$16,000; monthly tier: L$7476), I would have picked Richland Center for my own store. Richland Center does have a theme ("Art Deco, Craftsman and Art Nouveau architecture") so it might not have been appropriate for everyone. Hmmm...are mermaids Art Deco? :P


So I hope you found this information helpful!

Before you finalize your land buying decision, make sure you read the covenant carefully! The last thing you want is to annoy your neighbors (or be annoyed by them).

Remember, Second Life is suppose to be fun! Heres your chance to have that beachfront dream house with the deck and sailboat that youve always wanted :)

47649-071006-393623-18

© 2007 All Rights Reserved.

Day 242: Caribbean Breezes Jazz Club

If its still a bit chilly where you live, you can always go somewhere warm and nice in Second Life! How about the Caribbeans? :)

(And with Pirates of Caribbeans 3 out, I just had to stop by ;P)

The Caribbean Breezes Jazz Club to be exact...

Its Talia BTW...this is a happening party place, so you didnt expect that mermaid Natalia to show up, did you? :P



Caribbean Breezes is a romantic dance club, in the same tradition as Phat Cat's or the Avilion Grove Ballroom.

But Caribbean Breezes is a more relaxed atmosphere, playing smooth jazz music and without the "ballroom" dress code. So just come in your best clubbing outfit. After all, its the Caribbeans! You cant exactly wander around the heat in a sweeping ballgown :P



Caribbean Breezes has a main dance floor (its where all the people are, so you cant miss it :) ). The entire sim is typically packed, so expect some lag during peak hours!

I came in really late at night to sneak in this sexy shot on the dance floor :)



Caribbean Breezes also has one of the largest pirate ships in Second Life. Any place with pirates cant be all bad! :P



Ahoy Cap'n, there be landlubbers below! Arrr...

(Heehee did you know the Babbler Translator can translate "pirate"? :P)



The cool thing about Caribbean Breezes are all these little areas all over the island where you can sit and have a semi-private moment. Its still a "PG" sim...so keep it clean! :P



There are poseballs all over the island...some in the most unexpected of places (like couple dance balls at the top of the mountain).

So, I had to take an evil Alt shot...

If you enjoy smooth jazz in warm weather (or meeting someone who does), Caribbean Breezes should be on your list of clubs to sim-hop :) Click on Search, select Places, and enter "caribbean". Pick the Caribbean Breezes Jazz Club (typically at the top). The SLURL is Breezes (115,136,31).



So Blue...what were you and Natalia doing in this animation at Tamique Island?

Day 240: Frankfurt

I recently went to Altstadt in search of where the German guys hang out :) Altstadt was a cool shopping area with lots of rides, but its definitely not a German sim. For one thing, I understood all the signs :P

Today, I *think* Ive found out where the German guys are hiding :) Welcome to Frankfurt in SL!

Frankfurt is a group of 7 connected sims (plus a few other nearby sims) with a German theme...



Frankfurt is modeled after the real Frankfurt in Germany (well...at least I *think* so, since I havent been there :P). The city is divided by a river that runs through the sims, connected by several cool-looking bridges.



The north part of the city has tall buildings and malls...



The Frankfurt sims have a number of Real Life landmarks. There are signs in both German and English explaining the landmarks nearby.

Here is the Eurotower. Im not sure if its famous or not, but anything with a money sign outside looks important :P



The Frankfurt sims are mainly commercial sims. So there are lots of shops and businesses here.

There is even the giant Frankfurt City Center mall, which has a swimming pool on the roof... Heehee maybe its just me, but Ive always found giant multi-level malls to be a bit weird in SL. And Im definitely not sure about that swimming pool :P



The south side of the river seems to have a more relaxed atmosphere...Its the Sachsenhausen quarter. I know, thanks to all the cool tourist info signs :P

The shops look more like they are in a village. And there is even some sidewalk chalk art here :)



Theres even an older-looking downtown warehouse-type district. You know, the kinda place where artists have their lofts :)



Frankfurt has one of the coolest office buildings Ive seen! I think its for FFH Radio. Its all glass and so real-looking! But isnt it weird to have an office in SL? :P



Oh oh...and I totally found out where the German guys party :)

Planet Radio has live events every Friday and Saturday (and other things during the week).

So if youve been to the real Frankfurt (or are just trying to track down those elusive German guys :P), check out the Frankfurt sims! Click on Search, select Places, and enter "frankfurt am" as the keyword. The SLURL to the city center is Frankfurt City (20,126,31).



So admit it...this is where you German guys practice your "Hey Sexy"'s, isnt it? :P

Day 239: Sirena Hair & Fashion

Drumroll please! :)

Announcing the grand opening of the new Sirena Hair & Fashion store! Yay!!!

The new Sirena store is located at West Sunset (160,50,22).



Everything from the original Sirena store has been moved to the new store.

The new Sirena is MUCH bigger, so there are now separate sections for Formal Wear, Casual Wear, and Fantasy outfits :)



And yes, you read it right: the new store is called Sirena HAIR & Fashion :)

Yes, Im finally making flexi prim hair!!!



The Sirena hair styles come in 3 sizes (S)mall, (M)edium, and (L)arge for easy fitting and adjustment. All with way too many flexi prims, of course! :P

Notice the glow in my hair? :) ALL 48 textures were designed to be shiny and radiant. And the hair designs complement the textures to bring out the glow.



Each hair pack comes with 4 shades of texture. From Midnight Black to Scarlet Red to Azure Blue, theres a shade for every mood and occasion :)



The Dipped textures have different tip colors that complement the hair color.

In all, there are 12 different color packs, plus an Everything Pack! The hairs can be color-tinted (with 66 colors) to give you even more color choices.

Check out the Free Hair Color Samples to see all 48 textures :)



Oh, did I mention the accessories? Many of the hair styles come with custom fitted hair accessories, like ribbons, scrunchies, pins, or seashells :)

The hair can be worn with or without these accessories for different looks. Hair accessories have Touch-Color for easy color-tinting. Just "Touch" the hair accessories to tint them with one of 66 colors.



Its too bad you cant just wear the hair textures :P Thankfully, the new Sirena store opens with 8 different hair styles. And more will be added every week :)

From the classic look of Sonia with a jewelry hair pin...



Sophia with a classy jeweled hair band...



Chloe is an updo with a set of color-change flowers, perfect for those formal or dressy occasions...



Tiffany frames your face with long radiant locks of hair, and an optional heart-shaped hair pin...



Lindsey is a fun hair, with 2 fuzzy scrunchies that can be color-tinted with different colors! :)



Arya, with its optional flexi feathers, comes from either the 1920's or Eragon...great for mobsters or Elves :)



Tina is drama, held in check only by the optional flexi color-changing ribbon...



A mermaid treasures two things above all: her mermaid tail and her hair...so how can I open a store without mermaid hair :)

Madison (after a famous mermaid :D) has the long, sensuous locks that mermaids spend all day combing.


Oh, and I didnt forget about you guys! Theres a whole section set aside for Men's Hair. This is coming next week. Second Steve is about to get some serious hair :)

To come to the new Sirena Hair & Fashion store, click on Search, select Places, and enter "sirena" as the keyword. The SLURL is West Sunset (160,50,22).



Oh BTW, Miss Second Life 2007 was there to do the Sirena store ribbon-cutting.

Hmm...that girl looks seriously familiar... :P

Day 237: Buy/Rent Land in Second Life Part 1

Sooner or later during your Second Life, you are going to want a place of your own. Your nesting instincts will kick in :) Whether its for changing clothes, meeting friends, or a business, having a home in Second Life is part of the SL experience.

Ive recently had to buy some additional land to expand my Sirena Fashions store. So I thought I would share some of the things I learned along the way. This is not a comprehensive guide to becoming an SL land baron. Im just a regular girl with a little store :) But I did learn quite a bit about getting a little place of your own. So I hope this is helpful for someone interested in getting a small plot of land.

This Part 1 of the series will go over some of the things to consider while shopping for Land in Second Life. We will go on a Land shopping adventure in Part 2 :)

Also, you might want to check out the Land Buying FAQ and Land Renting Advice for New Residents in the Second Life Wiki. The information in the Land Buying FAQ is slightly out of date (since First Land is no longer offered).

If you are interested in getting an entire sim or becoming a land baron, you can always search for "land baron" in the SL Forums (its actually quite a popular topic there :P).


Why do I need Land?

Well, you dont need land to be in Second Life. You can have a lot of fun in SL without ever owning or renting 1M of land.

If you are interested in building, Public Sandboxes are great places to go. They typically have more prims that you can use. And the best part is that they are free! I still use them occasionally when I need to work with a lot of prims (more than I can fit at home).

If you need some additional privacy in a Public Sandbox, check out the Workspace Buster. This gives you a temporary skybox, great for a quick change of clothes.



For a more intimate or interesting space, there are gadgets like the Paradise Blanket. They are not cheap, but definitely a lot less than buying or renting land. You can try them out at Secret Reflections or a number of other sims.

But if you want a place you can furnish and decorate, or run a business, you are going to need to buy or rent some land.


Residential or Commercial



You should think about this up front, because this dramatically narrows down your options. Are you looking for a place to call "home"? Or are you planning to do some commercial activities (selling some things, running a club, or opening a casino)?

Many places have "covenants" that restriction what you can or cannot do with the land. Generally, you have the most options if you are just looking for a "home". There are a lot more residential sims than sims that permit commercial activities. Also, residences generate a lot less lag in a sim, since they rarely have crowds doing laggy things (like dancing). So residential land tends to be a little less expensive than commercial land.



Residential sims also tend to be prettier than commercial sims, many with "waterfront" or "view" plots.

On the other hand, most residential sims restrict the amount of commercial activities you can do. Many would not even allow a single vendor for sell T-shirts. But then again, you can be sure that your neighbors wouldnt be selling T-shirts or starting a club...


How Much Land?

The next question is how much land you need. Obviously, the more land you need, the more it would cost (both to purchase and for monthly tier fees). So how much is enough?

The amount of land you would need is determined by the physical amount of space you need (in terms of square meters) and the number of prims you need.

Most plots of land in SL are in increments of 512M (I know this varies greatly, but I tend to think of them this way...) Most 512M Mainland plots have physical dimensions of 32Mx16M.

In a "normal" sim, you can have 117 prims for 512M of land. Some sims have double prim allowance, while others are "water" (or void) sims with a lower prim allowance. But almost all sims have 117 prims per 512M.

The cool thing about SL is that if you own multiple plots of land in the same sim, the prim count is added together in a pool. You can use the prims on whichever plot you own. For example, if you have 2 separate 512M plots in a sim, you will have 234 prims. You can use all 234 prims in a single 512M plot if you like. But this only works if the plots are in the SAME sim.

The prim count is used for objects you (or visitors, if you allow them) place in the sim. Attachments on avatars do not use up the prim count (thank goodness!) Nor do temporary objects, like particle effects. Only actual objects that are placed in the sim (like a house, car, furniture, or decorations) count towards the usage.



However, you would be surprised at how many prims most objects require! Most chairs take several prims. A table may have a dozen. An ornate decoration may have dozens. To find out how many prims an object uses, Right-click on it, select "Edit...", and look under the General tab.

Remember, the 117 prims per 512M includes all prims in use, including the house, all furniture, decorations, signs, poseballs, etc. Thats not a lot of prims when you think about it! I have prim hairs that use more than 117 prims (so thank goodness they dont count against the prim total :P)



Unless you just have a bare place like my workshop, you are going to need some prims for furnishing and decoration. In most cases, the prim count would limit you more than the physical size of your land.

For a simple residence, consider getting at least 1024M of land (or 234 prims). This would give you enough for a house and some basic furnishings.


Buying Mainland



The Mainland is a group of connected sims operated directly by Linden Labs. Most of these sims are connected to the original SL sims, like the San Francisco or Color sims. If you click on your "Map" button at the bottom of your screen and zoom out, you can see a big blob of sims with dollar sign ($) tags in the middle. Thats the Mainland. The Mainland grows all the time as Linden Labs adds sims.

Mainland sims do not have covenants (unless you are renting). They are only subject to the basic SL account agreements. So you can use Mainland land for commercial or residential. You do have to comply with the PG versus Mature ratings (so no nudity or casinos on PG land). Buying a piece of the Mainland is as close to actually "owning" land in SL as you can get, since you will be the "owner" of the plot of land according to Linden Labs. Everything else (including buying a plot of land on an Island) is really a form of renting, since someone else will actually be the "owner" of the land from Linden Lab's perspective.

In order to own land in the Mainland, you need an SL Premium Account. This costs from US$6 to US$9.95 a month. You do get a 512M land tier allowance and a weekly L$ stipend, so its almost free if you use SL at least weekly and pay a year in advance. If you own more than 512M of land, you will also have to pay a monthly land tier fee. Note that the tier fee for owning land is often close to the cost for "renting" the same size plot somewhere else. So keep this in mind when making the buy versus rent decision...

You can find Mainland for sale through the "Search/Land Sales" option in the SL client. You can also find land for sale under the Classifieds as well as "Search/Places". You can also just click on the "Map" button and look for "yellow" areas whereever you are interested in buying some Mainland land.

If you are buying a small Mainland plot, you would almost always be buying it from another SL resident. Thats because Linden Labs typically manage the sale of larger plots, like an entire sim. Residents can buy an entire sim and break it up into smaller plots. Many SL residents also resell plots of land they no longer use.

Its actually quite challenging (and sometimes frustrating) to buy a small plot in the Mainland. Linden Labs doesnt actively manage the small Mainland "real estate" sales. So a lot of your experience may depend on chance. Always shop around to know what the "market" price is. Prices change quite a bit (and often very quickly). And unlike RL, prices do not keep going up. Linden Labs can simply add more "land" by adding more sims. Mainland "land" prices have actually been falling lately (it peaked at the end of 2006). Currently, the price is about L$5500 to L$6500 for a 512M plot plus the monthly Linden Labs land tier fees (the price info is probably out of date by the time you read this...).



When a piece of the Mainland is available for sale, it will turn "yellow" in the SL client "Map". If you Right-click on the land and select "About Land...", you will see the details in the "For Sale:" section of the window. The "Buy Land..." button should also be enabled.

If you want to buy a small plot of Mainland (either from Linden Labs or another resident), this is the only way you should purchase it! This is the built-in SL way for transferring ownership of Mainland land. You should not pay another resident directly for the land and expect them to deed it to you later. Because of the anonymous nature of SL, there are some scams out there. So be careful!


Renting Mainland or the Islands



The Islands are sims that are not connected to the Mainland. These sims are operated by Linden Labs, but privately owned by a landlord. Famous landlords (land barons) include Anshe Chung/Dreamland, Adam Frisby/Azure, and Desmond Shang/Caledon.

You can "buy" a plot of Island land. You can even "sell" that Island plot later to another SL resident. However, Linden Labs still considers the landlord as the sim owner (not you). The ownership of that Island plot is an agreement between you and the sim owner. If the sim owner stopped paying Linden Labs, the sim would probably not be there any more...

So buying a plot of Island land is sorta like owning a condo. You "buy" a condo. You can "sell" the condo to someone else. But you dont really "own" it directly. You also pay a monthly land tier fee to the landlord (not to Linden Labs). Most of the time, "buying" a plot of Island land just lowers the monthly land tier fee you would have to pay the landlord. So Im clumping them together here under the title "renting".

A very popular alternative to buying Mainland land is to rent land either in the Mainland or the Islands. In both of these cases, Linden Labs considers someone else the "owner" of the land. You pay a monthly land tier fee to the landlord.

The good thing is that you do not need to have an SL Premium Account to rent land in the Mainland or the Islands. You can simply use your free SL account to rent.

Finding available Island land for rent (or "condo" style purchase) is typically easier, since there are landlords that actively manage the Islands. You can contact the landlords with the size of plot you want, and they would (hopefully) be happy to assist you. Again, be sure that you shop around before making a decision, since prices and covenants vary greatly between sims (sometimes even under the same landlord).


Owning Mainland vs. Renting (Mainland or Islands)

There are some differences between owning Mainland land and renting.

First, you can make more changes to the land on an Island compared to the Mainland. I believe you can only change the height of land on the Mainland up or down by 4M. You can change the height of land on the Islands by 100M.



There are often covenants associated with renting land. These covenants are written by the landlord, and can restrict the activities you can do on the land. Common covenants are for zoning, such as residential versus commercial activities. Not all covenants are bad. For example, a residential only sim is not a bad thing if you want a "home". This ensures that your neighbor would not build a club with flashing signs.



Some sims are themed. For example, the Caledon sims have a Victorian theme, the Elf Circle sims are fantasy sims, and the Wastelands has a post-apocalyptic theme. The themes ensure that a sim has a common look. But they also imposes additional covenants. So what is encouraged in Caledon may be inappropriate in the Wastelands. However, many people enjoy "living" in a community that shares similar interests. So these covenants are actually a benefit.

Some sims use Telehubs, and do not allow direct teleporting to a landmark. This means that there is a single entry point for all visitors into the sim. A visitor would then have to walk or fly to the final destination. This encourages interaction with other residents, but may take longer to get in and out of a location. A notable example is the Caledon sims.

And you can even rent an "apartment" in SL. Technically, you are not renting land in this case, but some space in an apartment building. However, you control some physical space, have a prim allowance, and pay rent. Again, the agreement is between you and the landlord. But we can clump it together under "renting".

Lastly if you rent, you also have the option of renting a furnished place. There are places where you can rent a "house", then furnish it yourself. There are also places where you can rent a fully furnished house, complete with all the scary poseballs you can dream of. I even read about "hotels", "vacation suites", and such in SL :P Of course, these are considered additional services, so would cost more than "basic" land.


So What Do I Do?

Sorry if thats a lot of info! Dont you wish you could just go to a "Land" vending machine and purchase a plot? :P Unfortunately, you cant really do that at the moment...

In Part 2 of this series, we will go on a Land shopping adventure...so stay tuned :)

35750-071006-952889-74

© 2007 All Rights Reserved.

Day 236: Sirens Dance Club

Update: The Sirens Dance Club is closed for now :( But the Sirens Mermaid Mall and Oasis lives on in a new sim :) Search/Places for "sirens". The SLURL is Bonny Cove (195,110,24).



Warning: Mermaid Post! :)

Even though there are no such things as mermaids :P, there havent been any respectable clubs for mermaids...until now!



Sirens is a new dance club for mermaids :) OK humans and mer-guys can come too...I suppose :P

Sirens is opening this Sun (May 20) at 7PM SL...so we finally have a place to hang out!



The coolest part about this dance club is my friend here...he's a mermaid dance machine, with dances just for mermaids! How cool is that :)

They also have another dance machine for humans...

Oh dont worry, the dance floor is not underwater...so humans wont need those clunky breathing things :)



Oh oh...and they have a landmark board, with all the mermaid places! Including my store Sirena Hair & Fashion, of course :)



They have a little mall full of mermaid stuff :)



And a giant mermaid tank at the top, full of fishes and mermaid pose balls!

Heehee human guys WILL need a clunky breathing thing if they want to gawk at the mermaids :P



Ooo...pretty treasure :)



Even Mr. Grabby Octopus is here.

Hey! Stop that!

If you are a mermaid (or just like gawking at us :P), stop by Sirens for an event listing and check out the mermaid dance machine :) And dont miss the Grand Opening this Sun (May 20) at 7PM SL! Click on Search, select Places, and enter "sirens" as the keyword.

***Update: The Sirens Dance Club is closed for now :(



So what are you doing in a mermaid tank?

Day 235: Bryggen

***Update: Sadly, Bryggen is gone :( Maybe there will be another piece of Norway in SL in another sim :)



Welcome to Bryggen, a little piece of Norway in Second Life :)



Bryggen is based on a Real Life place. According to Wikipedia, its a group of buildings in Bergen, Norway. Bryggen is on the UNESCO list for World Cultural Heritage sites!



And they look just like these buildings here :)

These are a few retail shops, along with a pub (every sim has to have a pub! :P)



Bryggen occasionally has live music events.

Bryggen's owners seem to really like guitars! There are even "Air Guitar" pose balls here :)



Somehow, I dont think the RL Norway has these floating lounging areas :P

The back side of the Bryggen sim has some pretty waterfalls and paths...



Oh, and they do have a very nice virtual reality room! It takes a while to rez, but its just like youre there :)

So if you have a spare moment, stop by Bryggen for a peaceful stroll around Norway. And check to see if there are any upcoming music events :) Click on Search, select Places, and enter "bryggen" as the keyword. The SLURL is Alebi (84,46,25).



Oooo...look at all the pretty fishes in the fjord :)

Theres even a pirate ship here with treasures guarded by a pirate ghost! Heehee are pirate ghosts afraid of mermaids? :P

Day 233: Toxian City

I have this super-cute gown today :) So I need to find a place...

Hmm...Toxian City sounds like a nice place. Its near the water...



And even has a little beach with champagne, roses, and a picnic blanket :)

Say, whats that sign say anyway? "Con*aminated Se*iments"? Are those like good sentiments?



OK, I see the equipment, so where are the men? ;)

That crane is designed to lift some seriously large prims! Hey, you guys...Keep it under 10M :P



Is that gunshot I hear? *Yikes*

This place is starting to remind me of other sims...like Transylvania, City of Lost Angel's, and Midian City. I know what it is...its because the people here dont get any sun!



Haven must be like the local hangout! Thats where everyone is...

There are certainly some strange characters on stage...is that a horse?



Wow, and theres a large dance club here. Did I miss the party?



Creepy church alert!



Ooo...an organ...wheres Caterin when you need her? :P



You know, something tells me that hospital is not the cleanest one around...



I feel like Ive done this before...a few times...

"Hello? Can I please get a taxi?"

"Oh, where am I? Um...Im in this sim...on the right hand bottom of the grid..."

"Toxian? Um...why? Well...I might be in Toxian..."

"Hello? Hello?"

Like Transylvania, City of Lost Angel's, and Midian City, Toxian City is a dark role-playing sim. You know...vampires, demons, and all kinds of nasty creatures walking around :) These are all the large Goth sims in SL...

Toxian is not as built-up as Midian, but it appears to be just as crowded. So everyone must be enjoying the role-playing. If you ever wonder where everyone is in Second Life, they are either at a club or a Goth sim :)

So on your tour of the dark side, dont forget to pay Toxian a visit :) Click on Search, select Places, and enter "toxian" as the keyword. The SLURL is Toxia (253,136,23).



OK, you must know me by now :) I wouldnt break out the feathers unless Im trying to make something in particular...

Remember that really cool Vanity Gown I wore to the New Orleans/Big Easy sim?


The Seven Deadly Sins: WRATH by `blackeri on deviantART

The same artist (Marta) has a whole series called the Seven Deadly Sins. Im not particularly guilty of Wrath (I NEVER GET MAD!!! :P), but next to Vanity, this is my next favorite :)

The skirt on the gown was completely hand-made. I used some panels from the back of the L'Oreal Formal Gown, but the rest were newly placed in order to get the right shape.



The feathers are flexi-prims (of course :D) and hand positioned.

Even the necklace was specially made for this particular gown. Its such a beautiful picture, I had to do it justice :)



And the gown looks totally different without the feathers! Sometimes, you just dont need the drama :P



Excuse me...can I please have a Cappuccino with double shot of espresso, soy milk, extra foam, and please hold the blue stuff!

Day 232: Devil's Labyrinth

I dug up this really cool Goth outfit in Natalia's closet :) This is me, your lovely evil Alt, Talia.

Except whats with the heart necklace? OMG, Im wearing a cute little heart necklace. Somebody shoot me, please! :P

Um...oh yeah, about where I am... Have you ever been to one of those haunted house attractions? Did you ever wish they were bigger and scarier, with a lot more stuff happening?

Well, we have just that in Second Life, here at the Devil's Labyrinth :)



On the outside, seemingly harmless. Your typical garden-variety Second Life Goth castle... :P



They even have the same serious problem with red algae in their pool. Why do all the Goth places in SL have red algae problems?



So turn your display down to Midnight (Force Sun/Midnight) and step into the castle :)

Oh, and you absolutely have to turn your sound ON!!! The music and sound effects are the absolutely best part of the experience. So click the little "Play" triangle on your Music tab at the bottom of your screen.

Um...thats not a spider on the floor, is it? Why do all creepy places have spiders?



When you start, you are given a choice of 3 possible paths. Each lead to completely different areas. And each area is big, and has different paths within them as well. So you can come back many times and never see the same things!



Are you read to step into the unknown? :) Bwahahaha



Beautiful, isnt it? Oh, I mean the scenery :)

Each path leads to a number of chambers with puzzles to solve. So be sure to touch everything and look around carefully.



Some of the rooms have amazing detail. You never quite know whats just around the corner...



And here is proof that I made it out of the maze! :) OK, I think I got motion sickness from all the twisting and turning. But I made it!



Say, I saw an outfit in Natalia's closet that looks like this...something about Star Trek :P



OK, its not funny any more! How do I get out of this mirror?

Um...so if you like haunted mansions, horror movies, or just rescue me from this mirror, you really have to try the Devil's Labyrinth! I guarantee you will have hours of fun here! Click on Search, select Places, and enter "devils". The SLURL is Rivata (178,178,45).

***Update: The Devil's Labyrinth has its own website now! Check it out for the latest info!



Aaahhhh!!! Spider! Spider! Hairy creepy spider is coming to get me!!! Aaahhhh!!!

Day 230: Creating Jewelry Part 4 (Chain Link)

In Part 1 and Part 2 of this tutorial series, we made a necklace and bracelet using Ged Larsen's LoopRez script. In Part 3, we created earrings using tiny/micro-prims.



In this part of the Creating Jewelry tutorial series, we are going to make a chain link necklace, an essential part of every girl's jewelry box :P

Chain link necklaces are pretty by themselves. More importantly, they are an important part of more complex pieces, like pendants or charm necklaces.

Actually, chain links are particularly hard to do in Second Life for a few reasons.

First, because most jewelry are prim attachments, you cant simply make a chain and have it drape around your neck. If you made a long elliptical necklace, it would look like you have a garden hose around your neck :P The necklace would stay perfectly elliptical and stiff...it would not drape. You have to build the "draping" into the necklace itself.

Also, most professional SL jewelers (such as Johanna Hyacinth) write custom scripts to make their jewelry pieces. We are going to make a necklace using the LoopRez script in this tutorial. The settings we are using just happens to produce a nice necklace. However, you may need to make lots of manual adjustments (to the links) if you change the size dramatically.

You will need the free “Ged Larsen’s LoopRez Generator” and the "Full Transparent Texture" from Sirena Hair & Fashion to complete this part of the tutorial. Click on Search, select Places, and enter “sirena” as the keyword (SLURL: West Sunset (160,50,22)).


1. Chain Link Necklace Overview



As in Part 1 and Part 2 of this tutorial series, we are going to use LoopRez to create our necklace.

Notice that the necklace has a "saddle" shape (I love this term that Ged Larsen uses :D). When attached to your avatar, this will look like the necklace is draping around your neck.

But unlike the earlier parts of this tutorial series, the Ellipse Calculator would not be very helpful in trying to figure out how many links we would need for the necklace. The "saddle" shape makes it way too hard (There are probably a few of you who can do this in your head...but I have problems with my checkbook, OK? :P) So I resorted to the old way of figuring out how many links to use: guessing :)



The individual chain links are little seriously tortured prims :P They are made from the insides of a twisted hollow Tube. BTW, this isnt the only possible shape. So feel free to tweak with the settings and try other shapes you might like better.



These chain links are cool, because if you put them in a line, they link nicely to each other. This saves us from having to use special scripts to "rotate" every other prim or something. (OK, this saves ME from learning how to write special scripts to rotate every other prim :P)

Lastly, there are 80 of these little links in the necklace. So make sure you are in a place where you can rez 85 or so prims (you can always try a Sandbox).

OK, here we go!


2. Create the Chain Link

Be aware that the prims in this tutorial will be very very small. So be sure you have a good place where you can keep track of them (preferably some place with solid color walls and floor). Remember that you can always go into Edit mode and draw a window around where you *think* the prims are. This will select the prims within the window.

Note that I deliberately make the chain links at the minimum prim size (0.010M). This means that you would not be able to shrink the necklace (you can make it larger though). I did this because the smaller links look a lot better. I have a relatively small neck, so this should not be a problem for most avatar sizes. If you are planning to sell necklaces, you should use slightly larger links so your customers can resize them.

And if you are a Tiny, Fae, or other cute cuddly creature, I apologize in advance. I promise to give you a big hug if I see you ;P

Rez a Tube on the ground.



Edit the Tube and enter the following settings:









     Size X: 0.010
     Size Y: 0.010
     Size Z: 0.010

     Hollow: 95.0

     Twist B: -360.0 (Note this is a negative number)
     Twist E: 360.0

     Hole Size X: 0.05
     Hole Size Y: 0.50

     Profile Cut B: 0.650
     Profile Cut E: 0.800

Go to the Texture tab. Click on the Texture square. This will open up the Pick:Texture window. Click on "Blank" and click "Select".

Click on the drop-down box for Shininess and select "High".

Check the "Full Bright" checkbox (hey, its jewelry!).

Go to the General tab of the Edit window, and change the Name to "Chainlink".

Now close the Edit window to get out of Edit mode. Right-click on the Chainlink and select "Take" to take it into your Inventory.


3. Setting Up LoopRez

We will prepare the LoopRez script to generate the necklace.

If you are planning to sell this necklace, you will want your name as the Creator of the Necklace. You should perform the additional tasks described in "Step 1. Rezzing the LoopRez Object" in the Flexi Prim Skirt Tutorial. This enables you to create your own LoopRez object, with your name as the Creator. You may want to come back and do this once you have tried this tutorial first…

If you are just making this bracelet for yourself, then you don’t need to worry about making your own LoopRez object.



Look for the “LoopRez v0.6 object, full perms” in your Inventory. Rez the LoopRez Object on the ground.

Right-click on the LoopRez Object and select the Contents tab.

Look for the “Chainlink” you just created in your Inventory (Its probably in the Objects folder). Drag and drop the “Chainlink” from your Inventory to the Contents tab of the LoopRez Object.



Go to the Contents tab of the LoopRez Object. Double-click on the “LoopRez v0.6” script. This will open the script editor window.











Make the following changes to the top of the script:

     string objectName = "Chainlink";
     integer numObjects = 80;
     float xRadius = 0.09;
     float yRadius = 0.07;
     float flareAngle = 0;
     float bendCoefficient = 0.03; //saddle shape
     vector rotOffset = <90.0, 0.0, 0.0>;
     vector posOffset = <0.0, 0.0, 1.0>;

Click on “Save” to save the script.

Close the Edit window.


4. Generating the Necklace

OK...its about to get very messy! :)



Touch the LoopRez object. You should see the chain link necklace appear above the LoopRez object. The necklace is relatively small, but it has a LOT of prims!

If nothing happens, you may be in an area that does not allow foreign scripts to run. There is typically an indicator icon at the top of your screen that shows this. Try moving to a public Sandbox just to see if your LoopRez object is working.


5. Linking the Necklace

The newly created chain link necklace is made up of separate objects. We need to link them together to make a single necklace. In addition, we want to add an object in the middle of the necklace so it would be easier to position and fit the necklace. We will use a copy of the LoopRez object in the middle of the necklace.

First, we are going to make a copy of the LoopRez object. Right-click on the LoopRez object, and select Edit. Now press and hold the Shift key. Click and hold on the Blue arrow and pull it up towards the necklace.



This will create a copy of the LoopRez object. Put this copy in the middle of the necklace (actually, it would cover the whole necklace for now).

Go to the Content tab of the copy of the LoopRez object, and delete the "LoopRez v0.6" script (Right-click on it and select "Delete"). This will prevent accidentally setting off the script again. :)



Next, go to the Object tab and make the Size smaller. Change the Size to X=0.050, Y=0.050, Z=0.050.

Unfortunately, the copy of the LoopRez object will stick out of our neck if we leave it as is. So we are going to make it transparent.

Look for the "Full Transparent" texture you picked up at Sirena Hair & Fashion.



Edit the copy of the LoopRez object and go to the Texture tab. Click on the Texture square. This will open up the Pick:Texture window. Select the "Full Transparent" texture and click "Select".



Now while you are still in Edit mode, draw a box around all the chain links and the copy of the LoopRez object. Dont include the original LoopRez object. You may find it helpful to go to the Tools menu at the top of your screen and select "Select Only My Objects".

Then press and hold the Shift key. Click on the copy of the LoopRez object to deselect it. Click on it again to select it (yes, its invisible, but its there!). This will make the copy of the LoopRez object the Root Prim.

Click on the Tools menu at the top of your screen and select "Link".

Go to the General tab of the Edit window, and change the Name to "Chainlink Necklace".

Now close the Edit window to get out of Edit mode. Right-click on the necklace and select "Take".


6. Fitting the Necklace

Here comes the (relatively) easy part. Wearing the necklace! :)

Find the "Chainlink Necklace" object in your Inventory (probably under the "Objects" folder). Right-click on it, select "Attach To >", and click in "Chest" (you can also use "Spine", but the positions would be different than the ones in this tutorial).



When you first attach the necklace, it will be somewhere in your stomach (Dont ask :P). Right-click on the necklace, and select Edit. In the Object tab, change "Rotation X = 36" and "Rotation Z = 270".

Now slide the bracelet into place using the 3 Red/Green/Blue arrows. As a reference, look at the numbers at the top of your screen. It fits me well at these settings: "X:0.000 Y:0.319 Z:-0.106". These numbers will vary somewhat for you.

Depending on your body settings, you may need to Stretch the necklace to fit. To Stretch the necklace, go to the Edit window, click on "Stretch (Ctrl-Shift)" at the top of the Edit window. Now, click and hold one of the little white boxes around the necklace and move it slowly away from your avatar. Remember that you cannot shrink the necklace.



Here I am, with my new chain link necklace :)

You can change the color and shininess of the chain links to simulate gold, silver, or some other material.



And if you have a favorite pendant or charm, you can add it to the necklace. Here is one of my favorite pieces from Johanna!

Have fun with all your new jewelry :)

BTW, heres a preview of something that Ged Larsen is working on for making necklaces! Cant wait :)

43500-071006-960640-75

© 2007 All Rights Reserved.

Day 229: Tree Spotting

Last week, I planted my Rain Tree at Second Chance Trees. I noticed that a lot of my friends also stopped by to plant their own trees!

So I went back to Second Chance Trees to play tree spotting :)



Here is Alison's Golden Shower Tree...she has another another Neem Tree nearby :)



Here is LadyAyn's Pink Shower...



And here is Jaedyn's Rain Tree...



Gwyneth's Pink Shower Tree is right across the path...

Heehee, I think we've claimed that little hilltop :)



Heres Tiana's Tamarind...



And clear across the other side, is Daedalus's Soursop... (that was hard to find! :P)



Further up the hill are Sioban's Soursop and Fern Acacia...

Heehee...spotting trees was more fun than planting it :)

Thank you all so much for helping to save the rainforests! I hope they will make a little grove of tree for all of us somewhere :)

I apologize if I missed your tree! There are a LOT of trees! And I saw several trees with familiar names, but I wasnt sure about the last names...

If you havent done it yet, stop by Second Chance Trees and plant your own tree :) Click on Search, select Places, and enter "second chance" as the keyword. The SLURL is Second Chance Trees (149,98,23).

Day 228: West of Ireland

Hello from West of Ireland, a little piece of Ireland in Second Life :)

Thank you, Sioban, for telling me about this cool sim!



West of Ireland is a themed residential sim. The theme is, of course, Irish.

Residents rent plots of land and build on these plots while following the guidelines of the sim. Sorta like Caledon with a lot more beer :) It is run by a non-profit organization to benefit Celtic culture and music.



The heart of the sim is the Irish pub Nancy Blakes. Um...its an Irish sim...what did you expect? :P



Nancy Blakes has regular live music, events, live DJ, and all the Guniness you can drink :) Just stop by for an event listing.



There are also a couple art galleries in the sim, and even a hedge maze for when you are really drunk :P



Natalia has a little lamb...little lamb...little lamb...

Heehee :P



Ready for some fun? Then head out the back of the Nancy Blakes Pub into the adjacent sim, Bundoran Reef for some sun and surfing, Irish style :)



There really is a Real Life Bundoran Reef. I wonder if the waves are as big as the ones in Second Life...



Hmm...what a strange chair in the middle of the beach!

Hey, where are we going? What do you mean "Have a nice jump?"

Aaaaahhhh...Im...not...wearing...a...parachute...



OK...Im sticking to something safe...the water...

Oh, and they have lifeguards here...in case you get into trouble in the water or something :P



You can bring your own board, or just grab one of the free boards floating in the water...

Um...is that sea water?



*Poof*

Yep...sea water :P



So come to West of Ireland to dance, listen to great music, socialize with a bunch of friendly folks, surf the dangerous waves of Bundoran Reef, or meet my 2 new friends :) Click on Search, select Places, and enter "ireland". The SLURL is West of Ireland (215,96,25).



Say, cant they write a script for doing laundry? :P

Day 226: Altstadt

At first glance, Altstadt is a shopping sim, modeled after a German village. Actually, its not very German, since most of the signs here are in English, and so are most of the visitors (like me :P)

But its actually quite an interesting place...



First, grab one of these free electric shoppy carts :) They are available at any of the "Altstadt Shoppy Rental" booths around the sim.

They drive just like an electric cart, and even makes noises just like one :) You have to try it!

OK...OK, I know you can just fly around the sim. But you can also drive around and Alt-Zoom into the shops :P



There are all kinds of shops here, from clothing to houses to zombie skins :P Theres even a bank!

My personal favorite: this vendor machine store! It has a Hello Kitty machine that gives out free Hello Kitty T-shirts :)



Of course, you didnt think I brought you here just to shop, did you? :P

On the bottom (south) part of the sim, theres an amusement area. You know, rides and stuff :)

Im standing at the top of a giant waterslide!



And the quickest way down is on the waterslide! Whhheeeeee!!!!



They also have bowling for just L$1 per game!

Check out my professional bowling posture :P



They also have a merry-go-round...

Its amazing how real this picture came out! :)



They have a log ride and this crazy bouncing chair ride...



Wow, look at all this beer! I must be in a German sim :)

This is in a party tent, next to all the rides. They must throw some really cool parties here :)

If you like to shop or like rides, come see Altstadt! Its a cool mixture of both. Click on Search, select Places, and enter "altstadt" as the keyword. The SLURL is Altstadt (91,145,24).



Paisley! Along with all the spring prints, paisley is back this season :)

So I had to make a paisley outfit! Its a little white T-shirt, with a paisley dress on top. Just like the one I have in RL. Its a bit weird to wear the same thing as your avatar :P

I never realized it, but paisley comes out beautifully in SL! Now I have to find some more paisley patterns ;)



This is DJ Natalia, spinning your favorites! Um...well...why do we need all these buttons for anyways?

Day 225: Spaceport Bravo

This weekend was the grand opening of Spaceport Bravo, a whole new sim for the International Spaceflight Museum! :)

Oh, its me, Talia, the evil Barbarella, Queen of the Universe! Bwahahaha



Spaceport Bravo is adjacent to Spaceport Alpha, the original portion of the Spaceflight Museum. Thats Spaceport Alpha behind me, and the sim crossing are the yellow lines below.

Oh, dont worry about the guard booth. They totally welcome trespassers :) Security is non-existent :P



I guess they ran out of room with all the cool exhibits in Spaceport Alpha and had to grow to another sim.

They moved that really really big rocket here (um...dont expect technical details here...this is the blog of a mermaid's evil Alt :P)



They have beautiful new models (hey, not me...I mean the space thingies behind me!)

Oh, and free gifts during this opening week! A free model rocket and other goodies in these gift bags all over the sim...



And the cool thing about these new models is the amount of details on them! Most of the knobs and wires are made from prims. This makes the new models very realistic!

I can just see Natalia drooling over all the prims she doesnt have...



Ooo...I totally squeezed into this model...

Imagine going to the moon in this thing!

Now how do I get back out? :P



They have a party area now in the Spaceflight Museum. This is where rocket scientists come to party :)

During this opening week celebration, theres a whole bunch of events going on at the International Spaceflight Museum. Come stop by and grab a schedule, or check out their website.

They even have rocket classes here. Definitely a bit over my head. Um...did I mention this is a mermaid's blog?

If you enjoyed the International Spaceflight Museum or havent been here yet, this is a great time to stop by! And dont forget all the cool exhibits and rocket ride in the original part of the Museum! Click on Search, select Places, and enter "spaceflight" as the keyword. The SLURL for Spaceport Bravo (the new area) is Spaceport Bravo (6,80,23).



Say...that looks just like footprints from the Dino boots. How did it get on the moon? :P

Day 223: Creating Jewelry Part 3 (Tiny/Micro Prims)

In Part 1 and Part 2 of this tutorial series, we made a necklace and bracelet using Ged Larsen's LoopRez script.



In this part of the Creating Jewelry tutorial, we are going to do something a little different. We are going to create a pair of earrings using micro-prims.

As you probably know, the minimum size for prims in Second Life is 0.010M. For jewelry pieces, thats still pretty big. Fortunately, there are a number of tricks we can use to create shapes smaller than 0.010M. These shapes are sometimes referred to as micro-prims or tiny prims. They are just normal prims (Spheres, Tori, etc) with some special settings applied.

Here is an old thread on the SL Forums talking about Tiny Prims. My blog friend Johanna Hyacinth also mentions some jewelry prims in her older posts.

If you know of any other tiny/micro prims, please let me know so we can share it with everyone!

You will need the free "Full Transparent Texture" from Sirena Hair & Fashion to complete this part of the tutorial. Click on Search, select Places, and enter “sirena” as the keyword (SLURL: West Sunset (160,50,22)).

Let me show you the basic micro-prim shapes and then we will get started with the earrings :)

Oh, one word of caution: These prims are really really small! So be sure you are in a place where you can keep track of them :) In other words, dont try to work on these over a grass texture. Try rezzing a dark colored surface to work on. Also, its helpful to use exact coordinates (like putting the prim in a "known spot").


Types of Tiny/Microprims

1. Tiny Sphere

This is probably one of the most useful micro-prims. This enables you to create a sphere (or 3D ellipse) thats less than 0.010M. Great for little decorations around a jewelry piece.

a. To create a tiny sphere, rez a sphere.

b. Set the Hollow to something higher than 0 (use 50 as an example).

c. Go to the Texture tab. Select a Color for the sphere. You can also change the Texture or Shininess if you like.

d. Click on the "Select Texture" box at the top of the Edit window. Then click on the outside of the sphere to select the outside surface only.



e. Look for the "Full Transparent" texture you picked up from Sirena Hair & Fashion. Change the texture of the outside of the sphere to the "Full Transparent" texture. You will notice that the inside (hollow) part of the sphere still has the color from step c above.

f. Lastly, we need to flip the sphere inside out to make it look right. Go back to the Object tab and change the Twist Begin = 180 and Twist End = 180.

You can now shrink the sphere (all the way down to 0.010M if you like). The "inside" of the sphere will shrink accordingly. If you want the sphere even smaller, you can reduce the Hollow setting some more.


2. Flat Prim



This micro-prim is a technique that creates really thin prims. This can be used on all basic prim types, including Box, Cylinder, Prism, and Sphere. If you do this on a Box, you will have a very thin square or rectangle. If you do this on a Cylinder or Sphere, you will have a thin circle or ellipse. If you do this on a Prism, you will have a thin triangle.

Unfortunately, this technique does not produce prims that can be used for Flexible Paths (flexi) :(

a. Rez a Sphere



b. Change the Dimple Begin to 0.950

c. Change the Building Block Type to the desired prim type (Box, Cylinder, Prism, or Sphere)

d. Change the Size Z to a small number (0.010M or 0.020M)

Note that it is the Dimple setting that makes the prim flat. Since you can only change the Dimple settings as a Sphere, you have to make the prim a Sphere first.


3. Tiny Gemstone



This technique makes tiny little tapered Cylinders, perfect for applying gemstone textures and turning into little decorative stones. Note that this is not a realistic shape for a gemstone...just a really small one. But at this size, there is no way to tell (and anyone who is that close to you should be buying you jewelry anyway :P)

a. Rez a Sphere.

b. Set the Dimple Begin to 0.950



c. Set the Hollow to 80.0 (adjust as needed for desired thickness)

d. Go to the Texture tab. Apply a gemstone texture (you can get some free gemstone textures from the Sirena Hair & Fashion store).

e. Apply the following settings:

     Repeats Per Face Horizontal (U): 4.000
     Repeats Per Face Vertical (V): 4.000

     Rotation: 90.00

You can now resize the prim as needed to as small as you like. Be careful! If you make it too small, the prim will disappear :P


4. Tiny Stick



This technique creates very thin rods, sticks, or straight wires.









a. Rez a Tube

b. Apply the following settings:

     Hollow: 95.00

     Profile Cut Begin: 0.500
     Profile Cut End: 0.750

You can now use the Size Y and Z, as well as the Hole Size, to adjust the thickness of the stick.


5. Tiny Tube



Here is a variation of the Tiny Stick above. This technique creates a tiny tube. ironically, this is made with a Torus :)





a. Rez a Torus

b. Apply the following settings:

     Hollow: 95.00

     Profile Cut Begin: 0.200
     Profile Cut End: 0.300

You can now use the Size Y and Z, as well as the Hole Size, to adjust the thickness of the tube.


6. Tiny Chain Link



This technique makes a tiny chain link, perfect for those necklace chains or joining jewelry pieces.





a. Rez a Sphere

b. Apply the following settings:

     Hollow: 95.00

     Dimple Begin: 0.930
     Dimple End: 0.950

Adjust the size as needed for your jewelry piece.


Creating the Earring

OK, now that we've talked about all of these different micro-prims, lets make something :)

Again, we are going to be working with very very small prims. It is VERY easy to lose track of them. So be sure you are in a place where you can keep track of tiny prims! And be sure you are familiar with those Camera Controls.

Here we go:

Rez a Sphere.

Enter the following settings:

     Size X: 0.020
     Size Y: 0.020
     Size Z: 0.020



Go to the Texture tab. Click on the square above the word Texture to open the "Pick: Texture" window. Click on "Blank" and "Select".

Click on the Dropdown box for Shininess and select "Medium".

Make sure you are still in Edit mode (you can see the Red/Green/Blue arrows). Press and hold the Shift key. Click and drag on the Blue arrow and pull UP to make a copy of the prim Sphere.



Do this 3 more times until you have a total of 5 prim Spheres.

Starting from the bottom, edit each prim and change their Name to a number from "1" to "5". The prim at the bottom should be "1". The one at the top should be "5".

Edit Prim 1 and enter the following settings:

     Size X: 0.010
     Size Y: 0.020
     Size Z: 0.020

     Dimple Begin: 0.490
     Dimple End: 0.510















Edit Prim 2 and enter the following settings:

     Size X: 0.010
     Size Y: 0.020
     Size Z: 0.020

     Rotation Z: 90.00

     Dimple Begin: 0.490
     Dimple End: 0.510

Edit Prim 3.

Prim 3 is a Tiny Sphere. First, enter the following settings:

     Size X: 0.020
     Size Y: 0.020
     Size Z: 0.020

     Hollow: 30.00

     Twist Begin: 180
     Twist End: 180

For Prim 3 click on the "Select Texture" box at the top of the Edit window. Then click on the outside of the sphere to select the outside surface only.

Look for the "Full Transparent" texture you picked up from Sirena Hair & Fashion. Change the texture of the outside of the sphere to the "Full Transparent" texture.

(thanks for catching this mistake, Yavanna :D)















Edit Prim 4.

Change the Building Block Type to Tube.

Enter the following settings:

     Size X: 0.020
     Size Y: 0.020
     Size Z: 0.020

     Rotation Y: 90.00

     Hollow: 95.00

     Profile Cut Begin: 0.500
     Profile Cut End: 0.750















Edit Prim 5 and enter the following settings:

     Size X: 0.020
     Size Y: 0.010
     Size Z: 0.015

     Path Cut Begin: 0.000
     Path Cut End: 0.600

     Hollow: 95.0

     Dimple Begin: 0.490
     Dimple End: 0.510



As usual, you now have a stack of strange looking prims ready to assemble :)

These prims are perfectly lined up right now, so be careful how you move them!

Lets put them together and make an earring!



Move Prim 2 down to Prim 1 until they run into each other. If you want to be precise, copy the Position Z value from Prim 1 and paste it into Prim 2.



Next, bring Prim 3 down to the top of Prim 1 and Prim 2.



Bring Prim 4 down and put it partly into Prim 3 (the tiny sphere).



Finally, bring Prim 5 down to Prim 4. Connect the shorter end of Prim 5 to Prim 4. You will need to use only the Blue and Green arrows to do this step (dont use the Red arrow!).

Now we want to link the earring together and make Prim 5 (the earring loop) the Root Prim. We are going to select the whole earring, de-select Prim 5, and re-select Prim 5 to make sure that Prim 5 becomes the Root Prim.



Edit any of the prims in the earring. Now draw a box around the entire earring.

Press and hold the Shift key and click on Prim 5 (the earring loop at the top) to de-select it.

Press and hold the Shift key and click on Prim 5 to select it again.

Click on the Tools menu at the top of your screen and select "Link" to link the earring.



The earring loop (Prim 5) should be outlined in yellow, everything else should be outlined in blue.

Go to the General tab and change the Name to "Earring (L)".

Right-click on Earring (L) and select "Take" to take it into your Inventory.

Now, we are going to Wear and fit the earring :) You might want to remove any prim hair you are wearing to make this easier. Im not taking my hair off in public, so I'll just have to work around it :P



Look for the "Earring (L)" object in your Inventory. It should be in your Objects folder.

Right-click on "Earring (L)" in your Inventory and select "Attach To >" and "Left Ear".

When you first attach the earring, it is sideways and not positioned quite right.

Right-click on the Earring (L) you are wearing and enter the following setting: Rotation Z = 300.00.

Then use the Red/Green/Blue arrows to slide the earring into position. Because the shape of each avatar varies greatly, you would likely need very different settings than me. But using the numbers at the top of the main screen as a guide, the earring fits me pretty well at: "X: 0.010 Y: 0.000 Z: 0.002".

Once you are done positioning, Right-click on Earring (L) and select "Detach".

Now, we are going to make a copy of Earring (L) and fit it on the right ear.

Right-click on "Earring (L)" in your Inventory and select "Copy".

Right-click on "Earring (L)" again in your Inventory and select "Paste".

You should now have 2 copies of "Earring (L)" in your Inventory. Right-click on one of the "Earring (L)" and select "Rename". Change the Name to "Earring (R)".

Right-click on "Earring (R)" and select "Attach To >" and "Right Ear".

Right-click on the Earring (R) you are wearing and enter the following setting: Rotation Z = 240.00.

You should not have to change the position.



Here I am, wearing my new pair of earrings :)

Of course, you can change the colors, add some tiny gemstones to it, or even bling it up!

Have fun with your new earrings :)

60225-071006-519386-30

© 2007 All Rights Reserved.

Day 222: Virtual Coke?

I saw in the news that Coca-Cola is sponsoring a Second Life contest!

OK, this isnt a beauty pageant, so no particle bikinis for that fake-blonde mermaid Natalia :P

BTW, its me, Talia, the evil Alt...but you knew that :)



The contest is to build a vending machine that dispenses an experience that is suppose to be the "essence" of Coca-Cola. The prize is an all expense paid trip to San Francisco. You can read about it here at the offical Virtual Thirst website.

The cool thing is, you dont actually have to build the vending machine! You just need to be able to describe your idea :)

Meanwhile, Coke has a pavillion setup with a few "sample" vending machines :)



Heres one with a truck that plays a song and shows a little video clip...



A Coke dancing machine for the party animals :P



Oh, and heres my favorite. Its the machine with the satellite dishes on top...



You pick a drink from a menu, and it rezzes a scene around you.

Guess Im a Cherry Coke kinda girl :)



So come check out the displays at the Coca-Cola pavillion. And if you have an idea, think about entering the vending machine contest! Click on Search, select Places, and enter "coca" as the keyword. Pick the "crayonville" entry. The SLURL is Crayon (172,83,532).



Oh, and in case you are wondering about this outfit, this came from deep inside Natalia's closet :) Before she even started the blog or making clothes. She made the necklace and flexified the wings. Everything else is freebie stuff.

Its the outfit she wore to an infamous party at New Citizens Plaza. Thats back in the days when she was a party animal. :P

Day 221: Second Chance Trees

Its what the sign says: "Welcome to Second Chance Trees" :)

My friend LL suggested this great place! Thanks LL!



Second Chance Trees is a lush and green island, filled with plants, waterfalls, and romantic walking paths. It was built by Luna Bliss, the famous designer who created Bliss Basin and the many Bliss gardens.



Second Chance Trees was built in support of the Plant-It 2020 charity. Founded by singer John Denver in 1992, Plant-It 2020 is an established charity that will plant a tree in the rainforest for each US $1 it receives.

In the Second Chance Trees sim, you can purchase a virtual tree for L$300 (which is just a little over US $1). You can then plant this tree in the Second Chance Trees sim's planting area. When you plant that virtual tree in Second Life, Second Chance Trees/Plant-It 2020 will plant a real tree of the same species in the rainforest. :) Thats pretty cool!

So heres what I picked: A Rain Tree. Cause its pretty with lots of little pink flowers :)

Just Right-click on the tree and select "Pay" to buy the tree. You will be give a tree object.



Follow the white arrows on the path to the planting area...



The planting area is marked by these signs...



And heres my Rain Tree :)

BTW, you can edit the name and description of the tree object, so you can leave a note in the tree or make a wish :)

My tree's description says "Natalia Zelmanov's Rain Tree" :) You can read these descriptions by Right-clicking on a tree and selecting "Edit". My tree is at the tallest spot in the planting area. Think you can find my tree? :)

(Note: Make sure that Tools/"Select Only My Objects" is not checked before you look for the tree...)

The trees are a great way to make a wish or maybe a romantic gesture :)



And there is still plenty of space in the planting area!



Oh BTW, Second Chance Trees isnt just about planting trees.

There is a beautiful path that circles the island, as well as beautiful scenery everywhere. There are also many secluded spots. The sim is not currently very busy, so you will often have it all to yourself! Did I mention that its just like Bliss Basin? :)



And whats the rule with Second Life waterfalls? Theres always a cave behind them :)

The waterfalls in Second Chance Trees are no exception. Can you find this secret cave?

Come impress your date and do something good for nature! Check out Second Chance Trees. Click on Search, select Places, and enter "second chance" as the keyword. The SLURL is Second Chance Trees (149,98,23).



Heehee did someone say waterfalls? :)

**Update: I went back to Second Chance Trees to play tree-spotting! Heres what I was able to find...

Day 219: Tamique Island

***Update: Sadly, Tamique Island is gone :(

But fortunately, there are other romantic places in SL to explore...



Welcome to Tamique Island, a romantic haven of waterfalls and lush scenery. Its definitely a place for couples. So come here AFTER youve done your "Hey Sexy's" at Phat Cat's :P



Its your basic paradise :P You know, beautiful flowers everywhere, romantic walks, waterfalls and streams, and poseballs everywhere! :)



Oh oh and heres the artsy shot by the water. Its scary how real it looks!



Tamique even has its own wedding chapel...in case all that romancing works out :)



My favorite spot is at the top of the waterfalls, where you can sit by the fire and admire the beautiful sunset... (Force Sun/Sunset, or better yet, "Mouse Moves Sun" :P)



And Tamique has a cool dance area that sits on top of a giant aquarium. Are those sharks?

Dont worry, its a pretty strong glass floor :)



The Tamique sim is the home of residents Tamil and Clairvaux. They are kind enough to share their sim with the public.

Their beautiful house is also open for visitors. And they have some beautiful aquariums :)

For a romantic retreat, check out Tamique Island. Click on Search, select Places, and enter "tamique" as the keyword. The SLURL is Tamique (111,107,29).



Heehee I felt like flowers this week! So I made a flowery dress using a multi-layer skirt.

Its actually 4 flexi prim skirts on top of each other. They are linked together into a single object. Thats a lot of flexi panels :)



And oh, I made a couple pretty flowers out of flexi panels as well, one for the belt and one as a necklace. Ive wanted to try this for a while. Its the first time Ive used LoopRez Deluxe to make a flower :)



So Blue Poseball, darling...what exactly are we doing in this animation?