SL Video: "Terrain Model of the Sansara & Heterocera Continents in Second Life"

 

 

 (click here if the video does not play)

 From Erik Mondrian on June 29, "A topographic model I made showing Sansara [https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Sansara] and Heterocera [https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Hete...], Second Life’s two oldest mainland continents — with 982 and 433 regions, respectively. You can get a closer look at Heterocera in one of my previous videos:    • Terrain Model of the Heterocera Conti...   You can also see a model of the atoll inworld [http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife...] by going to my exhibit parcel for SL21B [https://community.secondlife.com/blog...]. I gathered each region’s elevation data at half-meter X and Y intervals using an interconnected set of LSL scripts — feeding that data to my computer via a series of HTTP requests — then (re)constructed and textured the terrain model(s) in Blender using its incredibly powerful Python API [https://docs.blender.org/api/current/...]. The textures themselves were downloaded from SL’s “Picture Service” [https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Pict...], with UUIDs available thanks to Tyche Shepherd and her indispensable Grid Survey database [http://gridsurvey.com/api.php]."

 

Opening of Sansara Embassy, and Tour

 

Gemma Cleanslate was recently at the opening of the Bellessarian Embassy in the mainland continent of Sansara (not Sansar the virtual world no longer owned by the Lab). But instead of a formal party, what followed were visitors being invited on a tour by bus. The result was an hour of thrills, and more than a few spills.

Read more in Places.
 

SL Video: "Railroads Made in Second Life - Part 3"

(Click here if the video does not play)

Part three of the "Railroads Made in Second Life" series from Draxtor Despress and Hrdtop75 Deluxe. Here, "both Drax and Hrdtop75 explore the ONSR (Okemo Nakiska and Southern Railway), located in the snowland regions of the Sansara continent. The ONSR spans across 13 regions and serves 10 stations for a roundtrip averaging about 22 minutes."

SL Videos: "How Big Is The Map of Second Life, Walking Across the Map"

There's a man on Youtube who calls himself "How Big is the Map?" What he does is record himself walking across various gaming worlds such as "Ark: Survival Evolved," "Player Unknown's Battlegrounds," "Elder Scrolls Online," and many others. Most take a half hour to ninety minutes, though "Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall" boasts the biggest map he crossed, which took him about 70 hours in total.



Recently, WATM decided to take on crossing Second Life., in an avatar appropriately named "HowBigistheMap." But he ran into one complication obvious to it's residents: most of the place is private regions by themselves or in groups that are isolated from one another and accessible only by teleporting. But there were the continents. So he decided to talk across those, starting with Sansara. The journey took him an hour and a half. So crossing just this continent alone took more time than crossing most of the game worlds he'd spanned.



HowBigIsTheMap didn't stop there. He would go on to cross the continent of Jeogeot, which took him slightly less than an hour and a half. Then came his third and longest challenge, traversing the triple continent region of Corsica, Nautilus, and Satori. That took him almost three hours, which got him wondering how long would it take to walk across the whole Grid if it was possible.

Luca Grabacr came up with a kind of answer in her video in November 2015, in which she stated if all the sims were lined up end to end, it would take over 23,000 days to walk across them. Obviously that's not the same as crossing the map from one corner to the other. But these videos from these two people show when it comes to ground area, especially ground area with unique content, Second Life has the MMOs beat hands down.

Hat Tip: Hamlet Au
Bixyl Shuftan

Snow Job: A Tour of Sansara's Winter Lands

Becky Shamen's been out on her explorations again. This time she went to the mainland continent of Sansara to trek through the sims permanently covered in snow. Deciding to stay on the roads, her trip took her through 20 sims, each different in some way. She saw a number of things from a theater, to traffic jams, to a promotion for another Grid, and of course snow, snow, and more snow.

Read about Becky's journey in Places.

Giant Snail Cross-Country Snail Race Tomorrow

On Saturday March 23 at 11AM SL time, the first of this year's Giant Snail Cross-Country Races will take place on the mainland area officially known as Sansaria, starting in the Abitibi sim at (50, 167, 2). The races are organized and run by RacerX Gullwing and his team. He estimated the racetrack covers about 45 sims.

On the Snail Race's Facebook page, RacerX wrote, that the race was set up "to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Every penny collected goes to them. ... We'd like everyone to pay 1,000 L, but if that's not in your budget then give what you can. All are welcome. The more (who come), the crazier it gets."

"Were going to have a lot of fun trying to get as many giant snails as we can to run the race. (There are) no starting position scarfs this year. Just put your money in the kiosk here." He invited people to get a free giant snail avatar, personalize it, and then show up at the race, "It will be laggy at first, (and) many will crash. But just relog and try to pick up from where you left off. There is a hud you can wear that will roughly tell you where you are, and it (should) tell you if you get off the path."

RacerX wrote there will be four or five of these marathon races this year, no more than once a month, starting at different places across the Second Life mainland.

 11AM Abitibi (50, 167, 2)

Second Life Skating: Cold Comfort and Matahari

By Gemma Cleanslate

Another skating place I came across you will like is  Cold Comfort Base Camp in Jiminy. It is a frozen river where you will find a place to warm up around a fire and enjoy the Christmas Tree and scenery. This place is in the Snowlands area of the Sansara continent where it is always winter.

There is a nice lounge on the second floor of the building where you can sit and have a drink at the Mermaid Bar. Near the entrance you will find a horse and buggy that will take you for a nice ride down Amundsen Road and bring you back. There is also a balloon ride that takes you up the road in the opposite direction. A fun ride that gives you a great view of the snow covered mountains that range through several sims.  I know there is skiing up there. It is a nice way to view regions from above and make note if you would like to go back to visit again. Bring along a friend to talk to as it is a long ride!

Cold Comfort is definitely worth a visit. at Jiminy (7, 47, 108). Take a trip over to the Matahari skating rink. There is an upper level tiny rink and also a lower level large rink where you will find some more free skates one box of which is called Vintage ice skates with animations that are very cute. They are created by Poppet McGimsie as an introduction to SL skating. 

You can ride a winter carousel or try a sleigh on the ice. Ladies can pick up a very cute skating costume at the entrance to the Matahari Skate. For those who are really into ice skating, you have a change to get so many lovely outfits and skates and AO’s that I like very much.

This rink is in Toussaint where Tanya Matahari has  “Matahari Leisure Complex at Toussaint - a great place to hang out - lots to do!  Elite Sounds of Jazz dance club, Secret Grotto, beach, woodland swimming lagoon, balloon and helicopter rides, chairlift to Ice Rink Matahari - all year round winter in the sky!”

As you see you can find fun here so don't miss it. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Toussaint/49/203/247

Gemma Cleanslate