Megaprims (hugeprims) on opensim

In its best traditions, the opensim brings you, the builders, the useful tools for your opensim building. Thanks to Nebadon Izumi, who was first to try out this technique, any opensim owner can build the hugeprims.

The procedure is quite simple: since the prim sizes are actually client-side limitations, all we need to do is first create the prims, and then edit them on the server manually - using the xml save/load hack:

1) create a prim
2) save-xml myhugeprim.xml
3) edit the definition in myhugeprim.xml in any text editor, and adjust the dimensions (attributes of <Scale ...> tag), save the xml file.
4) delete the inworld prim
5) load-xml myhugeprim.xml

IMPORTANT: the <Scale...> appears *twice* in the XML file - you need to edit both times, otherwise it would not work (this was actually the reason it did not work for me the first time).

Once created, the hugeprim behaves same as any normal prim. And for your amusement, here's some kickass hugeprim extravaganza from Nebadon:

Attention: SVN changed! Wiki moved!

If you were trying to check out the code from SVN, and wondering why it does not work - the SVN settings have changed yesterday due to a server move.

The correct URL for the SVN is now: http://opensimulator.org/svn/opensim/trunk

So, on *nix you would use:

svn co  http://opensimulator.org/svn/opensim/trunk

If you are just looking to try out the "latest version" - there should be a nightly build at:

http://ruth.petitbe.be/build

It is precompiled (check the build log linked from that page, to ensure all is ok), so would not require the SVN checkouts and should run on any platform.

The OpenSim Wiki also has moved and is now at http://opensimulator.org/wiki/Main_Page

SL Loggers not-a-blogo...

Ok, in the previous post I did give some hints about what I had behind this not-a-logo, today I will write them up in full.

First, contrary to what it seems and to what you'd expect - it is not a hand. Yes, the logo of the SL is a hand, but I did not want this to be a distorted logo of SL - so it is a head looking right to left. Now that we've sorted out this basic principle we can go over the elements behind.

1. It's about keeping the balance.

I tried to keep the the complexity to the minimum, at the same time without making it too trivial. Not to use too many colors, and not to have it fully black and white either.

2. It's about sense of humour.

Always keep the tongue in the cheek. As you can see here, the tongue is in the cheek. To ensure no misunderstandings - quite literally. :)

3. It's about curiosity.

I guess looking at this head, if I mention the term "nosey", you will know what I mean.

4. It's about tolerance (no, it's not "his drawing skills just suck, but I be tolerant enough not to say it" - if you thought about this one, try something else)

The haircut of this beast is not exactly the classic business style - and we tolerate it on the picture.

5. It's about more than just writing.

I tried to make the beast such that it looks "wondering" and attentive. Besides saying things, listening is a very important skill too.

SL Bloggers not-a-logo

As Zoe has extended the deadlines for the SL Bloggers logo contest, I've become a victim of an impulse to create something graphical, even if only for an experiment of how digusted the readers will be about my graphic skills.

Here's my not-a-blogo for the SL Loggers:



In an attempt to keep this entertaining beyond the casual chuckling, I did keep a few concepts in mind while sketching this, that I consider to be important for the blogger - and I invite you to guess what they exactly are/how are they encoded.

I'll throw in one hint about each.

1. It's about keeping the balance.
2. It's about sense of humour.
3. It's about curiosity.
4. It's about tolerance (no, it's not "his drawing skills just suck, but I be tolerant enough not to say it" - if you thought about this one, try something else)
5. It's about more than just writing.

In case you are still reading, you probably have some time, but don't feel like joining the olympic games in volumetric typing - so, welcome to the comments :)

(p.s. And for once, this has nothing to do with opensim)

Body language - works in progress...

While Vint is busy with the noble task of getting her the very presentable looks, I have been busy with some opensim ambitions too - to experiment in the area of the problem of avatars facing east.



While it might seem nice to face the east, currently in opensim the position of your avatar "as you see it" on your screen, and the position of your avatar on the others' screens are different - "non-self" always face east - so if you see your friends are not facing you when on opensim - do not worry, they probably do! :)

Nonetheless, this is quite annoying, and I started some digging in an attempt to fix it.

This looked like a good chance to experiment with a SimpleApp - basically a "custom world", which allows the SL client to connect to it. The current simpleapp renders the files within the "bin" directory as draggable boxes. No, there is no 3d trashcan, so you can not delete the files.

After a bit of messing around, and fixing a few of exceptions, which prevented the event loop from executing properly, I got an odd-looking virtual creature running around in "squares" in the virtual sim.


I plan to use is as a testing field for my further experiments - it is quite an entertaining beast.

Zion to sync with the latest tonight...

Will be syncing Zion opensim to the latest build tonight, late CET hours (around noon-3pm PST).

I'll try to make the downtime as small as possible - so if you can not connect right away - retry after after some 15 minutes...

(not sure how much from the existing stuff in-sim I will be able to preserve - but as per disclaimer... this is very very alpha :)

Update: the upgrade passed ok. I think even most of the stuff survived. Very good!

As a side effect - there is now also parcel music, at least on the central parcel. On the others I did not bother to check...

Oh, another side effect - everything that is said in the central parser, now is echoed on IRC in efnet's channel #opensim-regions... As usual - thanks to Michael for the code... It's still raw but it works. :)

Funny things I found on zion...

(Okay, I do have to admit that the original post did not have Steve Ballmer picture, it was one of the guys yesterday who thought that the picture will add to the mood of it. Indeed, I think so. Hopefully Ballmer does not get offended with this - well, after all, the thing is written in C# :)



There were more fun things done by the folks on Zion, these two are just the most glaring examples. Feel free to come over there and experiment.

Some Nipplz!!!

The reports of the nekkid folks self-photoshooting are coming.


And, appears Vint is ok with me publishing the nipples, and even committed to help. However, since i practically was not inworld for the past couple of days - mostly being either on irc or on Zion/Ruth..

However, since I still would like to ensure i can show my nipples, here's an interim version - from the opensim world. You can see my av, and a few other buddies who are joining the activity.

Sorry, there is not much diversity of skins - any content providers that would like to come and donate their skins for use in opensim and to be used for nipplz shooting - welcome.




p.s. Will get you my SL male nipplz as I get inworld :)

update: till we can make a good photoshooting session with Vint, you will have to bear this one:

Getting the latest and greatest bleeding edge opensim...

Today I've made a half-assed script that will run nightly, and bring a compiled latest and greatest version of opensim for your pleasure. Disclaimer: since this is a nightly build, things may get broken from time to time. However, we try to keep the latest and greatest version on the test opensims.

How to install:

1) go to http://ruth.petitbe.be/build/

2) take a look at http://ruth.petitbe.be/build/buildlog.txt - there should be no mention of "failure" there - if there is, means something broke and the build is unusable.

3) download the binary from http://ruth.petitbe.be/build/opensim-bin.tgz, and uncompress it.
This should uncompress into a single directory called "bin". Note, that the buildlog.txt is also in that directory - it contains an interesting and useful information being the SVN revision number:

Sat Sep 1 04:50:21 CEST 2007
Path: .
URL: svn://svn.opensimulator.org/opensim/trunk
Repository Root: svn://svn.opensimulator.org/opensim
Repository UUID: e9a5c24e-b13f-11db-933b-17aa6df88f97
Revision: 1839
Node Kind: directory
Schedule: normal
Last Changed Author: sdague
Last Changed Rev: 1839
Last Changed Date: 2007-08-31 15:03:39 +0200 (Fri, 31 Aug 2007)
Properties Last Updated: 2007-09-01 04:50:20 +0200 (Sat, 01 Sep 2007)

4) run the OpenSim.exe from this directory. (on linux, "mono OpenSim.exe". On Mac - not sure - let me know how :)

5) IMPORTANT: read and follow the instructions. There is one detail that is currently hitting quite a few folks: "external host name". If you are not running viewer and opensim on the same machine, this *has* to be set to the same address that you configure in your loginuri on the client. This is very important - if you misconfigure it here, you will end up with a failure to login, and a message "login packet never received by server"

6) Create your master user and any others by using "create user" command on the opensim console and answering the questions.

7) If you prefer flat terrain, then enter "terrain fill 21" in the opensim console.
To auto-run this command later, create the file named "startup_commands.txt" and place the line "terrain fill 21" there.

8) Try to login from SL client, using the -loginuri http://yourt.opensim.ip.address:9000/

9) have fun :)

Friday evening blabber on content/IP/DRM/free-the-data

We had a pretty interesting chat on IRC, which I will include here.

..snip..

<dalien> 'cos if you think of the content model of SL, and then compare to DRM... DRM looks almost like a heaven
<ckrinke> Dalien: Can you expand on "medieval" a tiny bit so I can understand?
<dalien> "no transfer, no mod, no copy"
<ckrinke> Gotit
<danx0r> dalien: I have some serious out-of-box thinking about content 'protection'
<Loki_Clif> umm i have alot of people that make stuff for my holodeck
<dalien> Loki_Clif: whoa. that is cool :) how open they are to "release" the stuff ?
<dalien> btw - all - i was thinking of an easy attribution for content creators - put their names / websites
into item descriptions ?
<dalien> they would get the publicity, we would get the library ? at least at the first glance, i think it
could be a win-win
<ckrinke> Cool, Loki. We are in need of designer to create some basic library and inventory items. Nothing
too extensive. To begin with, along the lines of something similar to the grass huts,stairs and
ground textures in the LL library. And I mean only vaguely similar, no copies.
<danx0r> dalien: excellent thought.
<Loki_Clif> but is there a master server that it needs to be in
<Loki_Clif> or do i just add them to my db
<danx0r> dalien, think about this. What if each item had a serial# as well as content creator tag?
<danx0r> it could be a hashed private key thing that could only be created by the legitimate owner
<danx0r> and sims could _voluntarily_ decide to help content owners police pirates who willfully copy content
without permissions
<dalien> Loki_Clif: I was thinking of several ways
<dalien> 1) everyone stores them on their servers, and just puts the URLs, say, into wiki on opensim
<dalien> 2) everyone stores them on their servers, and tags them with "opensimlibrary" on del.icio.us - so at
any point in time one can query what is there.
<dalien> 3) we make something centralised - but not sure i lice centralized solution
<danx0r> dalien: no, it should be distributed. But it should be possible to check on the provenance of a
piece of content
<danx0r> who created it, even rights to use it. I know this sounds just a teeny-weeny bit like DRM, but...
<dalien> hmm wait... serial number...
<danx0r> in an open environment, strict DRM obviously cannot work. However, if a group of popular virtual
locations agrees to give people a hard time who refuse to respect IP rights, what's wrong with
that?
<dalien> if i copy the item i copy the serial number ?
<danx0r> ahh, but there could be a way to query whether a serial number belongs to a certain individual
<danx0r> what I'm hinting at is *voluntary* DRM-style IP protection
<dalien> danx0r: then even easier - have a database of signed LLUUIDs ?
<dalien> every content creator who wants to track his stuff
<dalien> ought to maintain the database.
<danx0r> right
<dalien> where he would sign the UUIDs of the items he/she gives out
<Loki_Clif> you know what we need
<danx0r> exactly. Put the onus on them. But what is their recourse if they identify someone they claim has
stolen something?
<dalien> with the name of the avatar - signed by the creator's key.
<danx0r> of course!
<Loki_Clif> is a Master sim that people can build in and the db then can be given out in the builds
<danx0r> now I know not everyone loves for-sale IP -- but it's been a driving force behind SL
<dalien> danx0r: that would be at the discretion of the sim owners, i guess.
<Loki_Clif> and i cant even get my invantory to work right
<danx0r> dalien: right. But if a good number of popular places enforce it, the pirates end up relegated to
back-waters
<dalien> danx0r: precisely. but i think thinking to eliminate the IP theft altogether is an illusion.
<danx0r> instead of draconian crap like the DMCA, RIAA & MPAA, you have "shame-based" protection
<dalien> the goal is to minimize it down to "acceptable noise"
<dalien> precisely.
<dalien> there is another aspect to it.
<dalien> pure economics.
<dalien> why pirating MP3 works ?
<danx0r> no I don't expect to eliminate it. I want to discourage it, and allow fair-minded individuals to
respect it and to be able to _show_ that they respect it
<dalien> because it is fast to download mp3.
<dalien> less painful than to buy it.
<danx0r> yes, but it is now pretty damn fast to download iTunes.
<danx0r> I get TV from iTunes when I can, because it's almost instant. When I can't find it, I bittorrent.
<dalien> true. i don't do either - i just record internet radio and relisten it, together with the commercials
:)
<danx0r> half the time I paid for the channel that shows it anyway.
<dalien> on the other hand, for example movies (for me, not sure for others)
<danx0r> look, software is stealable, but ppl get paid. Music is easily pirated, but the limos keep rolling
to the Grammies.
<dalien> i am just too lazy to spend time looking for the stuff, then recording it, etc.
<dalien> but
<dalien> i do not buy it in the shop either
<danx0r> the key is to make stealing somewhat difficult, and socially unacceptable to most
<dalien> because 20 euros for the film is a ripoff.
<dalien> i just go to the cinema and enjoy it there.
<danx0r> absolutely. But wouldn't you pay say $2EU?
<dalien> absolutely!
<dalien> if the amount of money i have to pay to legally buy things
<dalien> is less than the amount of money i waste because of spending the time and effort on stealing things
<danx0r> well with netflix and iTunes (and even on-demand, credit where due) I can usually watch any movie I
want for <$4
<dalien> there is an economic disincentive for me to steal!
<danx0r> and get any song I want for $.99
<dalien> (.99 for a song is also a ripoff imho :)
<danx0r> so the key is to realize that economics *can* work in an open society
<dalien> if you think of movie for $4
<danx0r> dalien: ever been in a band?
<dalien> a song should be (in my book) 0.10
<dalien> danx0r: i play and compose, but for my own pleasure..
<danx0r> well it depends on how many you sell.
<dalien> danx0r: which again depends on how good you are :)
<danx0r> at $.10 per song, the only way to make money is to sell 10's of millions of songs
<danx0r> and that means you have to dumb down your music. I like $1 per song because independent artists can
concievably make a living with a small but dedicated audience
<danx0r> anyway, the price should be set by the market, not one-size-fits-all
<dalien> yup.
<dalien> even better.
<dalien> or donations.
<danx0r> right.
<dalien> indeed that will be smaller than $1 per song
<dalien> but
<dalien> with my GPL licensed primskirtbuilder and a tipjar
<danx0r> I would gladly pay $40 a CD for some artists who I want to succeed.
<dalien> i got around $20-30K linden over the course of a few months.
<dalien> just in tips.
<danx0r> that's great
<danx0r> but it would be nice to be able to set a price
<dalien> (indeed, I could have possibly gotten 20-30K USD if I sold it at draconian price at the shop :)
<danx0r> like the museums that say "suggested donation", and 98% of the people pay it
<dalien> ah, it could be even better
<danx0r> well let it be up to the content creator. If they price themselves out of the market, their bad
<dalien> although this thing i did not want to make it commercial anyway - as i did dedicate it to Vint, but
figured i would run a small experiment along :)
<danx0r> look there's no way to keep someone from slightly changing a dress, stripping the UID's and tags,
and selling it as a knockoff
<danx0r> THEY DO IT IN RL!!
<dalien> the people's free will can do miracles, i think.
<dalien> yes
<dalien> and also - you know the problem of SL ? it is a jungle
<dalien> content wise
<danx0r> but the fashion designers make money, because -- it's embarrasing to wear a knockoff if you're
supposed to be in the chic set
<dalien> you can pick up a freebie, move to the neighbouring sim, and sell it, and noone notices.
<danx0r> so my point is, even without perfect DRM and draconian police measures, we can create a playing
field where alot of what goes on in SL is still possible
<dalien> people do not know what is where.
<dalien> precisely my point too :)
<dalien> and the items would be copy/mod/transfer, maybe.
<danx0r> well the thing about virtual life is the zero expense of copying. But that's almost true in RL
these days
<danx0r> asian manufacturers can knock off almost any consumer product for peanuts
<danx0r> iPhones don't cost $600 to make
<dalien> precisey
<dalien> yet there is a queue to have them!
<dalien> (well, i am not in it, since iphone violates my rule of no more than 200 euro for a gadget :)
<danx0r> right, my point is within a year or two, something very iPhone-like will be available for $200
<danx0r> and there's not much Apple can do about it. They make their money on branding
<dalien> precisely
<dalien> and apple will have to come up with something new
<danx0r> same as M$ versus 'nix, Intel vs. AMD
<dalien> so - freedom like this does encourage constant innovation
<danx0r> right. So the same dynamics apply here: make piracy difficult, socially awkward
<dalien> rather than locking down the price and ripping the profits.
<danx0r> and make paying for stuff easy, pain-free
<dalien> yup
<danx0r> and allow the market to do its thing
<dalien> indeed :)
<danx0r> if someone charges so much that they are always getting pirated, they should think about their
pricing
<dalien> *nods*
<dalien> :)
<danx0r> cool
<danx0r> er, kewl

..snip..


This conversation is a living proof that the "irresponsible geek coders" as labeled once by Prok, do pay attention and try to think on how to solve the problems of:

1) protecting the rights of content creators
2) stiffling of the innovation by the monopolies
3) improving the quality of the experience for a "consumer".

'nuff said. :)