XStreetSL is Going to Suck

Coming changes to XStreetSL means I'll be pulling my merchandise from that venue. Read more about the debacle on the official blog and the forums. I'll sum it up for you: GREED

Zindra Tree Roots

Shortly after the adult-access continent of Zindra was opened I took a stroll to see the hubbub and discovered some nice architecture, interesting landscaping, and some truly horrendous region crossings, the latter usually occurring right along roads. I went again today to see the new monorail system (Web) and found not just a really cool build, but a "problem" that I figured would be cleared up once the LL Moles building the regions had left: Tree Roots.

During a sim crossing on my first visit I found that each tree has a sphere prim below it, deep in the ground. "For positioning," I figured and thought "they'll clean these up and add to the prim count." Apparently not, if the image here is a comparison. I was at the Eichorn Cove station (SLurl) and a typical sim crossing again dropped me underground for a while where I saw the "tree roots" were still there. Zindra is a really interesting place filled with, if not people, mysteries to be solved.

I have a gift box!

Queen Coronet, of Queen & Co. (Oganically Rezzed Prims), has a new skybox and for just L$100 it's a fabulous bargain. As you can see in these pictures it is giftbox-themed with wonderfully trendy colors. The structure uses only 55 prims so it should be friendly for a basic 512m² parcel (which is 16m x 32m), but since it has a 20m x 30m footprint you'll need a larger parcel.* Probably a good idea anyway as my first thought when I saw Queen's post on Plurk (Web) "This would be a great shop building for a fashion designer or a jeweler," so you'll want plenty of prims anyway.

I love the fountain wall that graces the entrance porch and the first of two rooms. It is nicely textured with the right amount of glow. A clever touch is the ribbon from the the top of the "box" extends down the falls. The animation is smooth and has virtually no affect on lag.

Inside is a beautiful chandelier and flowing decorative ribbon. Very attractive accents that fit beautifully in the cleanly laid out interior. The colors are quite complimentary. Queen has rather good taste. Pretty typical the other products in her shop (SLurl).

The layout just flows with the simple checkered floor providing a continuity between the three distinct spaces. Plenty of room for store owners to set up vendors or displays. Since the structure is Copy/Mod one could easily adapt it to a chic, modern home.

* If you have just a basic parcel the overlap onto neighboring parcels does not affect the prim allotments in those areas if the Root Prim stays over your land. As long as your neighbors don't mind, of course. Unless you remove prims you'll have 62 prims left for displays or furniture. (UPDATE: Please see the comments section. I mis-measured! It does fit within the confines of a basic parcel.)

What's in My Closet? Baggy Pants

Yes, this is me, in baggy pants that weigh as much as any ten outfits I own (yes, this is virtual -- work with me). Certainly not my style. In fact, I've often made fun of such apparel both in-world and in meatspace. But the Isle of Lesbos was having a party and the theme was "Baggies" so I had to support the crew. I surfed XStreet SL for a while and found a couple fairly conservative outfits -- well, conservative for the style -- and chose this one from Lacey Rumpler (Web). For L$200 I think it was a steal. Not only did I get the huge pants, but I got a fancy belt (that I edited to remove some things I didn't care to have), body paint stars, animated color strips (on the pants, belt, and as jewelry), plus a hat and some nice hair (neither pictured here) and other goodies. Again, not my typical style but I think I carry it off. What do you think?

Evolution of a Prim Doodle

It has been a year since I added this beach pool, first featured on this blog in May 2008 (Web), to the Isle of Lesbos and I've been asked to revise it for use as a club on the Isle. I always thought of it as a sort of club anyway, but now it will be part of our Rez-on-Demand system that allows us to quickly change out structures based on event themes. Several weeks have passed since I was asked to start the project and it struck me that I've had a subconscious reluctance because I know it would need to be expanded, dramatically changing the original form. The bar needs to be moved from dead center, club placement dictates that the structure could no longer anchor on the beach as originally designed, and other changes will be needed.

But I've finally buckled down and started, donning my builder's belt, sturdy boots, and a hard hat for safety. And as I learned in High School Shop Class, I've eliminated all loose clothing that could pull me into dangerous machinery. The gap you see to my right in the picture leads to a new reef on the Isle and I'm thinking of leaving it open so folks can easily swim out or dive.

Maybe my original idea has passed on or maybe this is just an evolution, but like paper doodles, prim doodles are free-form thought exercises whether they become useful or not. I build for fun and sometimes there is someone who likes what I do. Hopefully, someone will like what my original doodle becomes next.