Odyssey region

Logged in during a first Reaction Grid OpenSim visit by some students who happen to live in Boston; captured a bit of video. There were a few glitches as we are in the early days of the OpenSim platform. The group will be working on two group projects in the coming weeks; the design of a cell model, and a human anatomy design.

An entire region to work with, what a world!

Hexagonal Skybox

Along with making videos and viewing the basic GIMP tutorials, I have recently been building regularly. After two years of working on scripts, primarily, it is good to stretch the platform competencies. But here, I must digress:

Today’s building project (image) reminded me of some poor criticism of Wikipedia that I recently read. I am not a fanatic jumping to the defense of a favorite site, though I am a recovering Wikipediaholic. I often find criticism of the pedia to be well considered. And, as with any social entity, criticism should be tolerated if not indulged. Some criciticism (a recent example) can inform the discussion within the Wikipedia community about the content. No, I am referring to the weak sort of “Wikipedia is lame” comments; as though by simply questioning accuracy or authority you can cast doubt on its utitlity. (Are there some folks who hit the back button at first site of the Wikepedia logo – figuratively thumbing their nose at the site?)

For those who are skeptical about any particular Wikipedia entry:

If you doubt it, keep looking.
If it is wrong, change it.

I typically look for Wikipedia hits in my Google results…which happened again today.

So, how does one make a fairly regular hexagon? Open up your trig notes and start from one side.

Wikipedia works for me.

Video demonstrating the Pollster tool took several hours to make, nearly as long to publish.

Having modified two design templates (that just might be implemented!), revised two design documents, submitted a new preliminary proposal, added several small features to a design in progress (Parcel Media Selector), performed minor edits on a video in progress, corresponded with people in four other nations, and completed heavy edits for about a dozen pages across at least four different wikis…I am, once again, wrung out.

I look forward to the demo video showing this game in action:

Household Chores: Broom Breeze By: Wesley Wiebe
The object of the game is to sweep the floor clean of debris.

But, until then, will be happy to come across bits like this (~2min):

Student Seating Object

I received an email today describing preliminary approval for my bid on a new Socializing Seating Object. The object may be developed for use by the Skoolaborate group, with participating schools across Australia and the Orient, Europe and America where students are helping each other to learn their respective languages.

Although teleconferencing has been used in education for years, the advent of virtual world technology may enhance the experience…but how?

“…an increased sense of presence in the virtual world leads to better comprehension and retention of information if the technology is being used for training purposes, and trainees are happier with the process.”
Mitzi Montoya – in a news release about VW research at NCSU

The interactive Display Panel has a home in Reaction Grid; albeit, a Simple version (OpenSim not yet implementing the llLookAt function that rotates the iDP to face the owner). Touching the lower corners advances or reverses the display through the images, one by one. There is also a “Delete” hot-spot in the upper right corner, too. (Only owner can delete.)

Having asked about sharing the simple slideshow display with the community (one of the Gridizens had Twittered a request for such a tool), a small platform was promptly placed in the Orientation Isles.

Thanks to Cathy, David JS (“a middle-schooler”), and the Grid Masters at Reaction Grid for helping test the Simple version of the image display panel (iDP).

Object description, script, and sample images now have a page in Widgets wiki. Hmmm, maybe I will improve the images next…

Newly purchased space in Gyatso region of Mãebaleia mainland in Second Life®. One appealing feature: parcel is in extreme southwest corner of sim…all objects can be placed easily, as parcel sits at region origin (0,0). Naming the parcel “Instructional Alchemy” prompts the opening of a new chapter.

In which a content developer trains both eyes on instructional design in virtual worlds, particularlySecond Life® (SL) and OpenSim (OS).

The day saw progress in a new user orientation activity, page revisions at the widgets wiki, a lengthy e-mail consult on a sim-wide sound effects system for Monash University’s new airport, the purchase of a new parcel, and modification of an image display tool for migration into OS.

All of that, and a trip to el mercado.

The reworking of an existing SL object (OpenSim Error msg: “function not implemented”) has me wondering if a display in Gyatso should include a section specifically for these OS versions…