Second Life

Things about SL

SL Viewer updates to 3.6.3-279564

by

The release notes for this version of the Second LifeTM Viewer were published August 12th. There are about 33 fixes and additions. There are eight known issues that remain. Your viewer will automatically update to this version if you are using the default setting to automatically update.

SL Viewer
SL Viewer

If you have “Willing to update to release candidates” enabled, you may get a release candidate. I’m still flipping coins on whether that is a good idea or not. I’ve mostly decided I need to turn off Automatic updates for everything except the main SL Viewer and I have ‘Willing’ disabled on all my viewers. I do install release candidates, but manually.

This version of the SL Viewer Second Life 3.6.3-279564 was put into RC status Aug  6, 2013. Just yesterday it was promoted to the main release. This is the exact same viewer that was the RC, which is the point. 

Read more

Where is SSA Rolling To?

by

I got a question about the Deploys thread and where the SSA roll will actually be running. Caleb Linden wrote the Deploys post this week and it is a bit brief. But, all the important stuff is there. Even Maestro Linden tends to shorten what he posts assuming people reading the posts have a basic understanding of the server release candidate process.

Don't Panic
Don’t Panic

In Second Life the learning curve is so high we don’t try to educate every new user with all the details. If we gave them everything the curve would be way too steep. No one would remember that big an information dump. We also do not repeatedly include basic information. That would burn us out. So, now and then we have to catch up the new users. So…

SSA (Server Side Appearance (baking)) is everywhere… or will be by noon SLT Wednesday. 

Read more

Second Life News 2013-34

by

By now you probably know that SSA is rolling out to the main channel of the grid tomorrow. The Lindens have made the formal announcement. See: Project Sunshine Goes Grid-Wide!

Wendigo Lake RP Area - Enlarge
Wendigo Lake RP Area – Enlarge

Release Channels

Blue Steel is getting an updated version of the package running there last week. The only change is the SSA code is being added. Otherwise it stays the same. This is the Grey Box fix release.

Le Tigre is going to run the same package as Blue Steel.

Magnum is going to run the package that ran on Le Tigre last week (33). This is the package with ‘internal bug fixes’ that should have no visible changes to users. Of course it is getting the SSA code too.

So, by about noon Wednesday the entire grid will be running SSA, unless something goes wrong.

Nyx Linden says the Lab is confident they have enough servers to carry the baking load. Tomorrow will be the proof. 

Read more

Flat Berry

by

Last Thursday Strawberry Singh did a tutorial on how to make a cutout for making Flat Whoevers. See: Making a Flat Cutout for Second Life using Photoshop.  The tutorial is simple and straight forward. You get everything you need to know to make a decent cutout. But, there are some Photoshop tools that make the process much easier and provide a much better result.

The new Photoshop CC and CS6 (think it is in CS5.5 too) have a feature called Refine Edge. If you are trying to trim hair or fur out of a background, you have to learn about this tool. Check out the 10 minute video.

[youtube soJdXsFx8V8]

The video is made by Howard Pinsky. It is on the pro side, which for me means no rambling, tangents, or umm-haa’s. It is to the point, clear, and crisp. I subscribed to his channel. If you use Photoshop and are still learning, and who isn’t still learning, then this is a good channel for you. 

Read more