The Windlight Blog Challenge

Looks like Strawberry Singh has been laboring on American Labor Day because she released her weekly blogger challenge in her Monday Memes series today, this time asking questions about the use of Windlight settings in Second Life. Six questions with interesting answers (see here) though I'm not sure mine will be as interesting.

Before I get started, though, I think Strawberry might be psychic by coming up with this week's topic as just yesterday I was talking with a few people about how pictures I've seen on the MySL feeds and on Flickr can almost be used to identify the photographer because the images have consistently distinctive styles. This observation ties into a project that I swear I will get to one day: Take the exact same photo with the exact same settings with different viewers to judge how the various algorithms and other stuff I don't understand influence the qualities of a photo.

Meme instructions: Answer the following questions about windlight settings and share some that you’ve created yourself. Don’t forget to leave a link to your post in this meme’s comments.

Do you use windlight while taking pictures? If not, why not?
Yes, and no. For most snaps I post to MySL (see here) I don't turn on Advanced Lighting and the Sun settings are usually just Default Noon. I consider most MySL pix as casual shots one might grab with their camera phones or a simple point-and-shoot camera. For my blog or for my Flickr feed, I at least activate Advanced Lighting and more often than not actually think about using Windlight settings other than the Region Default or Default Noon.

This is Zyx Resident.
One of the first things I like to do when I have a new character (alt) "dialed in" is to make a Profile picture for them. I also use it as the texture for their basic Inventory storage boxes. As part of a new "birth" is the creation of a cube which then get is tucked into a safe part of the character's Inventory as a sort of date maker.

When taking a closeup snapshot for a profile picture, which windlight preset do you use most often?
That depends on the scene. Likely some of the background is visible so that is an influence, but generally I play with the sun position of the Default Sky to see what looks nice. As I've copied all the non-standard Windlight settings I have from various Third Party Viewers into the Official Viewer's directory, I can use specialized modeling options, but I can't recall the last time I did so.

When Zyx Flux was kitted out as a Petite pixy I had to do a full body portrait. No Windlight here as the shading on the rose was perfect and the tone of the mesh avatar body was nicely textured. Still one of my favorite pictures.

Which windlight presets do you use for full body portraits?
I don't usually do full body portraits, but in thinking about it, I suppose I have the same answer as I did for the previous question.

My scenic pictures have greatly improved in the five years since this shot of the Lesbos Mall was taken. Back in 2008, though, I was more interested in building, like big parts of this place.

If you do landscape photography, which windlights do you use for that most often?
Quite often it is a saved variation of Places Las Legunas that I made and I liberally mess with the East Angle and Time of Day. This goes against everything I learned in years of Real Life photography classes. I'd scout locations at different times of day, look up sunrise/sunset times in almanacs and the direction of the sun during different seasons, and then some. I had long debates with myself about whether it would be alright to move a branch or some natural debris in a scene. "Capture reality as it happens" was my mantra. One of the outdoor photography magazines I read at the time had a running debate on this among it's contributors from month-to-month and I'd write in with commentary. Very thought provoking but I'm not sure it did my work any good. Sometimes in SL when I de-render an object or do very unnatural things with Windlight this dispute comes to mind, but then I shoot anyway.

Do you have any tricks or tips that you could share for using Windlight effectively?
Play, experiment, shoot a lot, and then play some more. Look at what other people are doing and try to figure out how they did it. Don't be afraid to ask. Most photographers in Second Life are not as secretive as many Real Life photographers. In one Real Life photo class we learned retouching skills so that we could mask the reflections of our lighting setups in our model's eyes so others couldn't reverse engineer the final shots.

Have you created any windlights that you would be willing to share with us?
I've created a few Windlight settings, but none are really "ready for primetime" and I seldom use them. I tend to stick with mods I've created from other well-known settings. I'd be more than happy to share "finished" ones, however, and will post information about them on this blog if and when they become available.

Getting My Lazy Bahookie in Gear

No, I haven't blogged much of late. Only 13 posts in May after 15 posts in April, both well below my average, if you look at the Archive. I've just been totally lazy. Lots of things have not gone well in Second Life for me of late and it's just disheartening, taking away the fun and my desire to be in Our World. The other night I was actually thinking of just tossing in the towel.

Once, long ago (probably six years now), I saw something wondrous. It made me cry. I had been wandering around a shopping center documenting Lucky Chairs for a group I was in at the time when I saw some stylized obsidian dragon statues, all bedecked in Eygyptian-inspired finery. I wandered over to look at them more closely and suddenly one turned it's head to speake to me.

Mind you, I don't usually have my Preferences so that I always seen name tags over people's heads so I didn't realize that these were avatars ... Daryth Kennedy's Isle of Wyrms Anubis dragons, to be exact. The surprise and the beauty and the novelty overwhelmed me until I cried. For the longest time I couldn't respond to these marvelous creatures as I was too stunned to even move. It was pure, wondrous Second Life magic.

Eventually, I acquired my own complete set of the Anubis dragons (as seen in this older picture of me giving Angela a ride around on my back). I was part of the magic and I eagerly shared it with others, often parking myself in Ahern, Waterhead, and other places that attracted new Residents so they could experience the wonder, too. Since then I've added many other dragons to my collection including some truly massive ones that are stunning from not just size, but also from detail though none have the unique beauty of the Anubis.

In the last month too many disappointments piled up and took the enchantment out of Our World for me and led to those thoughts of finding other things to do ... then I saw something else truly marvelous.
I was flying around the Second Life 10th Birthday regions, just getting the lay of the land, when I crossed some lovely landscaping lush and green and filled with exotic ruins. Everything was well above average for even the higher quality of landscaping that has been appearing in SL of late but it was nothing to lift my mood. Then I turned a corner ...

PICTURE REMOVED FOR VARIOUS REASONS

... and I cried. My hands trembled so badly I had to just sit in my seat, staring at my monitor. It was wondrous. Mind you, my first look was in the standard Noon light of a Default day but the entirety of the experience was still so breathtaking. Some time passed before I could do anything but look. Since then I return often just to savor the view and relive my first visit.

On one such trip the other day I set to work to create an image for my desktop that would let me enjoy the moment even offline. This enhanced* picture only hints at the full majesty of this build from Flea Bussy and Toady Nakamura and it doesn't even give a clue as to the scale. Before hiding my avatar for this shot, I was a mere twig on the [redacted]'s [redacted body part], that's how big this is "in person." Far bigger than is needed for a mere event stage, this build is a joy to explore as well as look at from afar. When you visit, be sure to explore the hidden magic. I drop in every day now for a few minutes or more and still haven't seen everything.

Flea and Toady have rekindled at least some of the wonder that SL held for me at one time and it strengthens each time I see their work. It is helping me get off my bahookie and "get back in the game," as it were. There is magic out there. We just have to find it.

___________

* Combined elements from many different shots with different Windlight settings in an attempt to capture all the magical nuances.

The Garden Game [UPDATE]

Much to my surprise I was given an invite to do something as a Second Life blogger. Fashion designers almost never send samples and major events tend to ignore me yet a folder with information for The Garden Game (SLurl) popped up so I had to look inside to see if it was a mistake.

Whether it was or not, I don't know, but I was given a chance to preview one of the most lush gardens in all Second Life and it actually is a HUD-based exploration and puzzle-sovling game.

The Garden Game is a clue-based puzzle that incorporates gathering, exploration, and logic. Your goal is to seek the seven Guardians and their Artifacts to collect clues and solve the current puzzle round by discovering which Guardian committed which Sin and what Penance they suffered for their actions.

Admittedly, experienced builders and explorers-in-the-know will recognize almost all of the elements used in landscaping as being from familiar sources, but the vision behind the design and the skill in the layout make the region seem to be endless. I flew up to get a bird's-eye view and looked at a map in the press kit and couldn't believe what I just walked through was just one region. Truly gorgeous.

And it really is a game. You can try a demo HUD at the entrance and then pay L$299 for the full HUD should you get hooked. This is a genius move as too many games make you commit before even exploring. There is no set lore to the game but it is instead loosely held together with a simple story.

The Garden is a mysterious respite full of whispers and secrets. Within its boundaries stand seven lost spirits, once charged with protecting and tending The Garden itself. Each of these fallen spirits committed a sin of betrayal against that they were bound to serve and each was sentenced to a penance for their transgression.  By discovering their fates, you can help lead the spirit Guardians toward peace and Forgiveness.

Speaking to a scarecrow (okay, clicking it) yielded a clue I could use to click various elements in the HUD to track my progress. It reminded me of the board game Clue (Web).

The Watcher:: My sin was not Pride or Wrath and my penance was not Pain of the Flesh. I know that the guardian whose sin was Lust suffered Weight of the World.

Not being much of a gamer I found myself concentrating on the landscape during this first trip but I was intrigued enough to want to visit again and soon, especially with my wife for the game can be solo or multi-player, either in partnership or in opposition. While I was confused at first, game play became much clearer once I watched the video tutorial (YouTube).

I can see myself getting lost in this landscape quite often and it may run the risk being run-over by non-players during the preview weekend. Afterward I suspect it will be open only to players, but I can't confirm that. Of course, the game can be played over and over as there are limitless variations. Once you gather clues, figure out which spirit committed which sin and which penance is required of them, you can offer forgiveness to only one. To help the other spirits you must play again. The clues and various artifacts to same will require new searches and new applications of logic.

The Garden Game's creator team consists of Grace McDunnogh, Trav Rexen, and Salome Strangelove. Whichever one is responsible for the haunting melody that occasionally pops up should be congratulated. Not many games use sound at all so this was a joyful surprise.

I had one problem, however. When I hid the HUD so I could better enjoy the views the button to again reveal the HUD was invisible and off-screen. I had to edit another HUD and zoom to see the game HUD and then bring it back. This happend with the demo unit and one given to me in the press kit so I don't know if the full piece have the same issue or not.

Now go visit or check out some tips for game play.

• Upon entering the region you'll be offered a demo HUD and a note card that is will worth reading. It has a picture of artifacts important to game play if you miss the "physical" examples in the playing area.
• Pay attention to the clues each spirt give you. They not only give information about themselves but they dish on the sins of the other spirits. Clearly a very dysfunctional family in this garden.
• Don't click on anything unless you are within 10 meters of it as you may not "hear" the information the item imparts in main chat.
• Your mouse pointer will turn into a hand for any item that is clickable, but not all items are worth clicking on. I can think of some candles that I found that proved to be very obstinate so I left them alone.
• The female forest spirt appears to be wise but may not be of any help at all.
• Keep an eye open for the randomly appearing artifacts.

The biggest tip is Relax! It's for fun even if you don't compete for scores, bragging rights, and whatever wagers you can make. It's a frickin' garden so enjoy it!!

UPDATE
I completed a game and it turns out that the whole thing is not a complicated as it initially seemed to be, but as I mentioned, I'm not a gamer. I play solitaire on my iPad and desktop (Web).

The Naiad is easy to not find so be sure to poke in the bushes.

Take advantage of the tally function of the HUD. Once you know the two important bits about each spirit, "x" out the unimportant ones. That will make it easier to see what you don't know.

Visit each spirit a few times, but you can't just keep clicking on them. Once they talk to you go find another and work your way around.

Additional resources:

The Garden Game Website
Honour McMillan's blog post about her visit

Note: All pictures taken with Lighting and Shadows enabled with region Windlight defaults.

Little Get Aways

Standing on Siracuse in the Northsky Channel (SLurl), I fiddle with Windlight settings and snap dozens of pictures for no particular reason. A few hours ago a general sense of dread crept upon me. Perhaps the news of an Arab Winter beginning in the Middle East is getting to me ... many unreasonable people reacting poorly to the ill-concieved actions of just a handful of other unreasonable people can tear down the hard work of so many others and possibly bring the world to the brink of another major conflict. Perhaps I'm simply entering the down stage of a unending manic-depressive cycle and I'm out of ice cream.

Whatever the case may be, it is keeping me from truly enjoying one of the many little treasures that dot the Second Life landscape, the simple build in the middle of nowhere. Siracuse is typical ... just a tiny island with some basic foliage in an otherwise empty region. A channel marker is bobs near by to keep boaters safe and to provide some atmosphere. All-in-all, an LDPW Mole probably spent 20 minutes creating here before popping off through one of their magic burrows to found a new little retreat. Such a short time for something that can mean so much.

Amazing what can be done in less than half an hour. The film that sparked the current Mideast crisis can be viewed in under 15 minutes but like the small island in the Northsky Channel, it will have a lasting impact. The little island can be seen as a waste of resources as it is really the only feature of the region or it can be seen as a creation of beauty and promise. The film can be a force of destruction or an opportunity for people to converse and learn and grow.

Now I need to get my sense of dread to listen to reason.

Volcano Sacrifices

A few nights ago several members of the Bay City Alliance visited Mount  G'al (SLurl), a prominent (pun intended) volcano on the Mainland and sacrificed a few avatars. Sadly, I wasn't there but I visited the next day and posted a few pics on MySL (here, here, and here for a few). The Linden Department of Public Works (LDPW) has a thing for volcanos. I've previously mentioned the one at the Zebrasil Infohub (Web), the only erupting volcano that I know of in Second Life. Here are some pix of another one that I know about, discovered by my brother and the place where he always logs out his alt. It is Okeanos on the Coastal Waterway (SLurl).

Looking into the caldera. I have to admit I used a special Windlight setting to make this more dramatic. The volcano is nowhere close to being dangerous and you can even safely climb down to the lava dome.

Of course, this view is more dramatic, too, but if someone puts a diving board out at a volcano, I have to walk it.

At the base of the hill is a little shack and a rotting boat dock. Who knows why the LDPW builds these little places. I've even seen whole villages built up and not used by anyone. And by "anyone" I mean it is so rare to find anyone around that I wonder if all these sites are a waste of resources. It would be nice if non-premium accounts were allowed to set such sites as their home spot.

I mean, who wouldn't want to live here?

Cadeling Garden

Looking through some landmarks that seem to have fallen to the bottom of my handbag, I came across Cadeling Garden (SLurl), a delightful region that looks to exist more to be joyful than to support a wonderful little shop (avatar skins, clothes, and more) and a fabulous art gallery. As I explored, I realized that the region itself is the true art gallery. Ling Serenity (a Real Life artist) has some truly marvelous pieces set out, many made by her but quite a few from the collections of other Second Life creators.

In a style representative of many, many Japanese regions, much of the landscape is flooded ankle deep, with land portions rich with colorful flowers and plentiful other vegetation. Also, the structures are a time worn to the point of being disheveled, but the region's oft used design trope works very well at Cadeling Garden. Visitors who choose to poke around will find many places to sit and relax as well as joyful bits of Not-Possible-In-Real-Life whimsy. I especially enjoyed the poem in the water near the couple's swing, under the power lines.

Without further ado, the gratuitous landscape porn (taking license to use the Verdigris Windlight pre-set and the Glassy water pre-set — region default seems to be perpetual dusk):

The ladder leads to nowhere, but with such sumptuous scenery, there is no where else you need to be.

A view of the main shop. Some nice bargains on skins, textures, and more. There is a tiny carousel for those who explore.

On the art gallery side, there is a nice couples swing and a poem in the water for the vigilant among us.

At the main shop with a wonderful view of the eastern side of the region.

Now that it is just you and me left, everyone else having looked at this post and moved on out boredom since it isn't about fashion or sex, I'll let you in on a secret. Not all the waters are ankle deep nor are all the attractions within sight of sea level. Poke around and you'll be rewarded.

Want

A scene from Tangled (2010), a truly gorgeous animated movie.

Raise your hand if you want Rapunzel's home from the 2010 Disney movie Tangled for your home in Second Life. Not just the home, but the landscape, too. And I wouldn't mind having a little chameleon pet like she had. As long as I'm being greedy, I'd also like ...

Garden Mole has been busy

Have I mentioned how much I like Mainland or how much I love the Linden Moles? Cruising up Route 1 on a borrowed bicycle yesterday, I passed by a little greenhouse in Clearwing (SLurl), just sitting there and looking pretty. Later I sent my ace gardening assistant and all-round sweet pixy, Zyx Flux, to check it out. Here are her pictures and comments:

"The tiny greenhouse and butterfly house is an adorable addition to Route 1 in Clearwing. Check out the special stained glass windows on the side. They make a great background inside. Outside but not pictured is a picnic table. Various vehicles you can ride pass by pretty regularly and some of the shops along the way loan out bicycles or other vehicles."

"Little water features dot the inside because butterflies get thirsty, you know, and pixies like to cool their feet. The lush foliage is a bit overgrown so maybe I should come back and work for a bit so all the plants can be healthy."

"So many Linden plants artfully arranged demonstrate what a good gardener can do with things everyone has in their basic inventory. I spent a good half-hour inside exploring and had a delightful time. Deffo this place gets a Landmark."

Later she found a Mole Mart up the road and sent along information so I could post about the freebies there on the Lucky Kitty Crew Blog. I really like the Mainland. So much to see and do.

Wholly Mesh [UPDATE]

According to the note card I got from Landscapes Unlimited (SLurl) today, their sim is now 100% mesh, top to bottom.

"As of today the mesh environment on my sim is open to the public. Please come over with your friends and enjoy the scenery, the tranquil spots, a boatride, a swim in the ocean or a picknick under the majestic old oak trees. Beware: you need a MESH VIEWER to see the environment!"

With the obvious exception of the the base land (the system ground) itself and the water, everything appears to be mesh prims. Unsure, though, I wrote to creator Margaret Heliosense about certain items and I'll update this post with her reply. Until then, compare the pictures below:

Facing south, everything you see but me, the sky, and the patch of beach just at the water line is mesh.

The same shot with Simple and Water derendered (Advanced > Rendering Types) to remove all but alpha-textured prims.

That, of course, would derender traditional and scuplty prims, as well, but if you take for granted that all the prims in the first picture are mesh, then their absence in the second illustrates the extensive primscape.

Further exploration showed that some floaty toobs with poses appear to be standard prims and sculpts even upon close inspection. The linked pairs of buoys I found were mesh (check the yellow outlines in the pic — the lines on the cone curve are a dead giveaway that this object is mesh) that weighed in as seven prims of mesh but could have been made in as few as five prims if made the old-fashion way, though that may have defeated the purpose of having an all-mesh sim. Remember that object size, physics settings, and spread over an area (how far apart the combined "bits" appear to be) affect the land impact (read more here) which is the same as prim count. The green/white buoy by itself, for example, has a land impact of three "prims" despite being one, unlinkable object, while the red/white buoy "weighs in" at four. Most builders with a knowledge of prim tortures could make the latter with two old-style prims at most and just one if the exact proportions weren't important. Also, there were several decorative items such as furniture and ground covers that weren't mesh, such as some wonderful stuff from Margaret Heliosense, who was kind enough to answer some questions I had.

What really struck me, though, is the homogeneity of the textures on the elevated land, as seen below:

Compared to the far more natural texture and form of the otherwise similar landscape from this screen cap from the viewer log-in screen last year, one's first impression of mesh may be tainted:

Don't be quick to assume, however. as you've seen in the many items of mesh clothes, the variety of mesh avatars, and other mesh items in-world, it is possible to create much more complex result. Generally, though, I think that mesh is smoother over all, with less of ability to create a firm, hard edge. Mesh seems softer, to put in in one word, and the application of such uniform texturing enhances that impression.

The ground under the trees is a custom land sculpt that hides
 a mass of system ground sand at the Isle of Lesbos.
I made a custom land sculpt so my brother could have a sandy
beach at his place in an all green sim, Nangrim.

But stepping away from my builder's nerdieness, the overall effect at Landscapes Unlimited is still amazing. When mesh was first announced I immediately thought about how it might be used to form land without the limitations of our current ground system. Applying textures to a region's system ground at this time is hit-or-miss at best, especially as re-renders after a fresh log-in or region restart can shift textures dramatically. And shaping the land is more art and alchemy than repeatable science. With sculpties and mesh, achieving the precise desired effect is much easier. Going beyond simple textured prims to level land (remember Help Island?), I have a nice tool that lets me model parts (or all) of an existing landscape to change its texture — and to some degree, it's shape — regardless of what they system ground becomes.

I applaud the folks at Landscapes Unlimited for all their hard work and I look forward to what they can do as the state of the art progresses. By the time the Isle of Lesbos is ready to remodel again I hope that I can use large mesh builds to make the landscape truly spectacular.

-----------------

Details and more pix are on the Landscapes Unlimited blog. For my pix I used the Region Default settings for Windlight which seem to be very different from what appears in the creator's blog pix.

[UPDATE] Feb 17, 2012
I heard from Sominel Edelman, the creator, today and here are some comments:

"The goal of what I did was to learn, and perhaps to inspire other people [and to test if] mesh can be an alternative to sculpted prims for landscaping." He noted that part of the test was to see if structures that can't be made with the system ground, like caves and tunnels, could be made and how easily.

As to the smoothness of the mesh objects compared to sculpts or to the system ground, "With the size of objects I use for the ground (64x64x64m), every 12 vertices count for approximately 1 prim [compared to 1024 for a sculpted prim. That makes it extremely expensive to create smooth landforms." Increasing the vertices would certainly create a more natural effect, but at a high cost. Sominell suggested that I look at Desert Mountain Landscape_001-mesh on the SL Marketplace (pictured at left). "This has 230 prim for just a 50x50m object. A complete sim surface needs 25 objects of that size..." That would be 5750 prims total, a substantial portion of a 15,000 prim region.

Pixies & Ponies

Spotted this cute blue pixy on her pony at Forest Floor (SLurL). Adorable!! Right. To be honest that is my wee pixy alt, Zyx Flux, on her shrunk down Extrovirtual gray speckled Pwny.

Drowsy

I got a message from ace reporter Zyx Flux about the Drowsy region (SLurl). In a word: Fantabulouslywow. Here's more of what she said ...

The Lucky Kitty Crew was at Drowsy and the group chat told me they were having fun. You know I'm not big on grabbing many store gifts and freebies, but like I said, they were having fun so I went and then I saw the sim ... Fantabulouslywow. I was in love. If fact, I offered to marry the creator and let someone else have the babies (our friend Serenkitty, to be precise). Everything I look for in a great landscape was there. Natural land formations as if Mother Nature herself did the work. Plenty of foliage. The key there is density, density, density. A great land texture can only do so much. Well placed grasses in great abundance with plenty of trees and other flora really give a sense of lush, realistic growth. And lastly, structures that appear to belong to the precise spot where they are, not just dropped in place. The types in Drowsy are not just logical, but the textures look like they've been acted upon by the environment. Here are some pictures I took.

There is lots of water in Drowsy and it attracts a variety of animals. Look for unusual species.

This seems to be the main shop as that is where I landed every time I entered the region.

Normally pixies aren't big fans of water, but I just had to do a floaty in this inviting lake.

Speaking of unusual species ...
This area is a great example of the landscaper's overall plan: Take a space and make fill it with as much as you can. All the Kodak guides on photography had the same advice ... "Fill the frame."

There are shops scattered everywhere. Rather than be organized with rows, racks, shelves, and the whatnot you usually find in a shop, goods are scattered amongst various tableaus, like this library. The lizard isn't for sale. That's a patron.

Another example of a shop on Drowsy. I managed to buy L$300 in goods while here and everything is top-notch. This is one very creative creator. Folks from the Linden Endowment for the Arts (LEA) were touring around and admiring everything, including my friend Claudia222 Jewell.

Many thanks to Zyx for letting me know about Drowsy. I'm heading over myself as soon as I finish this post. I'm sure I can say without a personal visit that if you like interesting builds and great landscapes, this is the place for you.

Looking Glass Revisited

Several times last year I visited Horizon Dreams, a beautiful region that is home to The Looking Glass Store, but never really explored the place despite writing about it (here). It is part timeworn village and part fantasy landscape and completely gorgeous. I watched over my brother's shoulder (we share a computer) as he explored several of the prefab structures he was considering to replace the treehouse on our land. The landscape is fabulous, truly. Magnificently shaped and textured then filled with stunning plants in such a fashion you'd think it all just grew that way.

The meadow outside the tree trunk house is perfect for pixies.

Later, when I could get my hands on the computer, I returned with my adventurer pixy, Zyx Resident, and she landed just outside a perfect place for pixies, a tree trunk house (SLurl). Surrounding the house is an abundant meadow (where Zyx gorged herself on pollen and other delectable treats) with a nice garden table and chairs. Cross the stream via the fallen log and you'll find little hollows with more meadows.

Meadows, meadows everywhere, just what a creature of nature needs.

As you explore, watch for little details and eventually you'll find a cave entrance (very cleverly done ... it looks so natural that you might miss it). Inside you'll follow a dark, winding tunnel (take off your face lights!) and eventually end up at ...

A very elegant and tastefully simple ruins.

I can only imagine the backstory the builder had in mind when working on ruins within the cavern. It is easy to sit in this chamber and picture what it must have looked like in it's heyday, with bold tapestries,  dutiful courtiers attending the court, and a buzz of life typical of a thriving kingdom. Or maybe, a darker theme filled the space during it's peak, with demons and sacrifices and ... *shudder*

Traveling on through more tunnels, a magical cavern appears ...

Impressed? The picture doesn't show the life in the cavern's lights.

You must see this cavern to believe it. The maker, Marcus Inkpen, sells a copy of the pool (in-world one on the Web) but the installation goes well beyond what you can buy. The execution is simply stunning. Gather with friends (there are four single poses in the pool) and savor the effect. You won't regret it.

Actually, you won't regret visiting any part of Horizon Dreams. Whether you stick to the village and the shops or hit the trails to see the forest and meadows or explore deep within the mountain, your time will be well spent.

Crimarizon

This picture, which I ran across earlier today (Web), shows all the trees in the United States. As a forest girl, it makes me weep. Fortunately, I live in a darker-shaded part of the Northeast. I can walk 10 minutes in one direction and put my feet in the North Atlantic ocean or have someone drive me 45 minutes in the opposite direction and I'm in a hush-quiet forest, green even in Winter thanks to the abundance of pine trees.

And I can also escape to Second Life, where generous people have graced the landscape with tropical jungles, deep deciduous forests, and other lush landscapes. Crimarizon (SLurl) is one such place. Immediately upon entering the region one can almost feel the humidity rise, hear the buzz of numerous but unknown insects, and smell the abundant fertile ecosystem.

A birds-eye view at sunset. You'd have to look very close to see my adult pixy alt near the top of the spectacular set of falls, just under the fairy statue.

You quickly notice the fantasy elements, from amazing plants to inspired statuary to other-worldly creatures always lurking in the corner of your eye. Everything is fabulous to see, I believe, but the cave is the best part for me.

Many interesting things live inside the cave, one of the best I've seen in all Second Life in terms of beauty and geologic plausibility, fantasy creatures aside. Zyx is hovering in safety over a vine above the ground.

Beware when you use one of the cave's exits for it is guarded. There's a reason Zyx's blade is bloodied.

These pictures really don't do justice to the build for a couple reasons. One, I couldn't shoot everything. There is just too much to see and too much detail. Secondly, I spent so much time making this last one. I have nearly a dozen variations and at least that many more planned, once I can make a couple props and play with a few other Windlight settings.

Clearly I'll be spending more time at Crimarizon. If you see a pixy named Zyx, say "Hi" ... if she's not busy in battle with some fierce creature.

Things Honour Didn't Tell You

This morning I've had a bit of quiet time that I could use to catch up on things, like visiting the wonderful places that Honour McMillan recommends on her blog. It has also been a time to remember how sneaky she is and that as a former* CIA (Canadian Intelligence Agency) agent, she keeps secrets. For example, in her post "On Dragons, Puzzles & Former Friends in Second Life" she completely fails to mention -- probably intentionally since it might provide valuable intelligence -- that one should look at the map for an overview or to fly up really, really (really, really, really) high to look down upon the landscaping.

Mighty impressive, these Linden Moles, huh? Oh, and she could have mentioned that reading the book upon landing in Cape Ekim (SLurl) might be handy. And did she mention the eggs at all? No. Makes ya wonder, huh? Huh? Huh, I say! (Well, ask, really, since it is an interrogative.)

Visit and visit soon, but remember, I might not tell you all there is to know, either. Just look about very carefully.

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*Are agents ever really (really, really) former?

An Open Secret

A couple times now I've posted about Las Arenas Rosadas (SLurl), one of the most beautiful tropical regions in all Second Life, but what I've been keeping secret is that it is part of an archipelago of islands that are just as beautiful. The secret seems to be out, though, as each time I visit more people seem to be there, especially on a wee-sized sand islet that I love for relaxing or cuddling with my wife, Angela.

That would be Las Olas Azules (SLurl), a teeny little bit of sand and rocks and a few trees, but truly fabulous. You can sit in the trees or there is a nice set of couples cuddles (sometimes more than one).

Looking Northeast toward Las Arenas Rosadas, just over the horizon if you have more than a 128m draw distance. Keeping that low when I visit adds to the sense of isolation.

The South-Southwest view here shows part of Las Rocas and Las Islas (to the right).

Las Rocas (SLurl), less isolated due to it's situation between two commerce regions but still gorgeous, is more of a hub for folks to gather with it's enormous natural rock formations and plenty of places to poke around.

Part of the rock formations on Las Rocas with several platforms with seating and the beach has a cuddle bed under a cabana. It's hard to find a bad view no matter where you are at.

My only disappointment? No seascaping. If you scuba or mermaid (yes, it can be a verb) there is nothing to see. And if you just want to swim you have to bring your own AO. Still, one would visit these regions for the views above sea level, not for what you might find below.

Las Lagunas (SLurl; not pictured), one of the two regions with shops, is also beautiful. The shops are lovely and if I had some money I'm sure I would soon be without money. Visit there with a friend and make a day of it then head out to one of the remote islands for some quiet time. You might see me there.

Graphics maxed, I'm resting in the tree on Las Olas Azules.

Blackspot Shipyard

For various reasons a few folks know but that I won't mention here yet (though I am willing to tease, it seems), I'm shopping for a Tall Ship in Second Life. During my search I came across a group of fabulous sims centered on the Blackspot Shipyard (SLurl). The ships I found are fabulous, but I found myself busy exploring the landscape and infrastructure, clearly amongst the finest anywhere in Our World. Teeny nitpicks aside (like the occasional mismatched texture or a prim face with poorly set repeats), the build is fantastic. This isn't just a nice landscape with structures set out and some furniture plopped down. This is an adapted ecosystem.

The structures are organic as if the builders had to contend with an intractable landscape, suiting the construction to the terrain. It really looks like a 18th century pirate outpost. Well, like the way I imagine one to look as I've never actually seen one. The rich, dark textures lend extra authenticity to the build, but you really need to see it in person to see what I mean. Until you go, here are some pictures.

You may have noticed the pirate in these pix. It's me in my Grendels Pirate Boxbot Avie.

Lots of scenic views from the ships. Each is for sale, costing upwards of L$9000 each but are highly detailed and wonderfully laid out. Arrrgghh ... I'm a fierce sea-farin' soul. Fear my paper cuts!

There's a shop with wonderful pre-fabs in that thar castle, which itself is also for sale.

This looks like a wonderful place for role play, but every time I've visited I was pretty much the only person there. The About Land stats showed very little traffic, which is a shame.