Tutorials

On Various Subjects

New User Blender Tutorial on a Card

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Blender has a reputation for being hard to learn. After using it for 10±  years I have say hard isn’t the word, never-ending is more like it. In Second Life™ bloggers don’t take on training Blender noobies. We send them to YouTube and point them at various online tutorials. But, Blender changes fast enough that … Read more

The Novice Computer Upgrade Series: Memory

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Regular readers will know I am in the process of building a new computer capable of handling VR, Sansar, Obduction (from the makers of Myst), and Second Life. I mostly deal with web tech and repair or upgrade of old computers. I do a lot of repair and upgrading of Core2 vintage machines.

So, when I decided to upgrade I started looking for what is best, fast, and cheap. In the process I realized I haven’t been keeping up with the tech. Helping people in the SL Forum I realize there are a lot of people also unaware of the changes in tech. A lot of bad advice is handed out in the forum. So, I am starting a series of articles on the current state of computer technology. Starting with a tutorial on computer memory.

Memory

Computer memory is called: RAM – Random Access Memory.

DDR4 Top - DDR2 Bottom
DDR4 Top – DDR2 Bottom

Memory chips like all other tech advances. Memory gets better, meaning faster and using less power. So, can you put faster memory in your existing computer? May be. 

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Second Life: Windlight Tutorial

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Daeberethwen Arbenlow has a 20 minute video (3/27/2016) on controlling your Windlight settings for photography in Second Life. She uses the Firestorm Viewer and the Photo Tools feature it has. Those using the basic Linden viewer can accomplish the same changes to Windlight, just not as easily nor will the video help you learn how to use the Linden viewer, just the Firestorm viewer.

Daeberethwen does a good job of explaining all the settings and what they do. Along with the verbal description is the video example allowing you to see the changes.

Firestorm has the best set of features for photographers and machinigraphers (or is that machinamists?). 

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Second Life: NEW BONES, New AvaStar 2.0

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This is a big deal. I’ll get into what it means and what some of the possibilities are.

For years Second Life™ users have been asking for more bones. That would let users make avatars with tails that are easily animated. Or with more than 4 arm-leg appendages. We will be able to have a centaur with 4 legs, two arms, and a tail, something that is way complicated now and pretty lame. Or a spider with 8 legs. 

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Strawberry Streams

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Strawberry Singh is one of the better Second Life™ photographers. She recently tried streaming a photo tips tutorial. It worked pretty well. You can see the result: I clipped the first couple of minutes where she was figuring out the streaming software. This is a good example of using the Firestorm Viewer to adjust your … Read more