Second Life

1. Second Life Overview

2. Objectives • Flavor of Second Life • Second Life Herald Stories • SL Basics • Terms • Appearance • Movement in SL • Communication • Searching • Performance Issues • Social, Political and Economic Issues • Object Creation • Scripting

3. Media Coverage • Second Life Herald • Founded 2003, covered virtual worlds, primarily covers SL • Creator – philosophy professor • Initially covered SIMS but reporter was “murdered” by EA – quote from creator • Secondary market • Adverting in the Herald for a fee • Hire writers • Link – Here’s a flavor of life in Second Life • http://foo.secondlifeherald.com/slh/ • Marry Me - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_oTcgjCr3s

4. Second Life Basics • Owner: Linden Labs • http://lindenlab.com/ • Co-founders • Corey Ondrejko • Philip Rosedale • Definition from Linden Labs • A 3D Virtual world created entirely by its residents

5. Second Life Basics • Account Creation • First Basic Account • Free • Build and scripting • Access to events and shopping • Avatar • Premium Account (older information) • $$/month • Receive a weekly stipend in Linden Dollars $300.00 • Can own land • Buy the land plus pay monthly usage fee • Can buy private islands too. US $1,675 for 65,536 square meters

6. Second Life Basics • www.secondlife.com • Download client • Receive confirmation email • Age Check • Separate area of SL for people under 18 • Orientation Island • Must go through and learn the basics before participating in the SL world • Limitations • ** Graphics card • Memory • Speed

7. Second Life Basics • Glossary of Terms • AR – Abuse Report • formal report to Linden Labs • Avatar • Animated being representing a SL resident • Ban • Act of forbidding a resident back into SL • Ban Lines • Floating red letters forbidding entry • Borked • Broken

8. Second Life Basics • Glossary • Boxhead • Newbie who attaches a “free” box to his head instead of the gift that is inside • Build • Create objects in SL • Cage • Trapping an avatar by rezzing an object that surrounds them. An AR offense • Combat Region • The SL Safe setting has been disabled – You can be injured or “killed”

9. Second Life Basics • Glossary • Cyber • Sex • Day • Default day is 3 hrs long and night is also 3 hrs. • Time is Pacific Time • First Life • Real world life • RL • Real Life

10. Second Life Basics • Glossary • Furry • Resident with anthropomorphic features • GIRL • Guy In Real Life • God Mode • Special mode only linden Lab employees possess • Grid • Network of servers making up SL • Griefer • A resident who harasses and causes problems

11. Second Life Basics • Glossary • Help Island • Place to learn info about SL • Lag • Slowdown in SL due to traffic etc. • Mainland • Continents managed by Linden Labs • Mature • Area that may include profanity and nudity • Rez • To create an object • Ruth • Initial avatar appearance • SLURL • Special type of URL that launched SL and takes you to specific place

12. Second life Basics • Second Life Tutorials • Second Life Notecards • Google Search • Second Life Helpers • Linden Lab Employees • Indentifiable in SL • You tube videos • Search on Second Life • Second Life Classes – InWorld • Blogs • http://kateamdahl.livejournal.com/ Winged Girl • http://cavorite.hexaflexagon.com/blog/ Royal Cavorite • http://www.secondlifeinsider.com/ Second Life Insider

13. Appearance • Right Click on avatar and choose appearance • Menu options include body parts and clothing accessories • Some avatars are quite elaborate and require special scripting and the purchasing of items • Many shops in SL sell clothing, skin, hair, and other specialty items • Ruth • If your avatar looks too much like the original SL gave you • Demo

14. Movement • Walk • Run • Fly • Watch out for ban lines • Map • Highlights pop places, events, land etc. • Landmarks in Inventory • Search for people places • Use coordinate system too or SLURL • Demo

15. Communication • Chat • Distance Related • IM • More personal • Voice • Very controversial • Shout • Annoying at times • Distance related • Demo

16. Searching • Use search button to find • Places • Events • Land for Sale • Classifieds • Groups • Rankings based on number of avatar visits

17. Financial Systems • Linden Dollars • Exchange rate approx one dollar = 269 Linden Dollars – exchange rate varies • Obtain Linden dollars • PayPal • Credit Card • Commerce in SL • Small sum from Sl when your avatar is created • Financial Crisis ? • http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120104351064608025.html?mod=hpp_us_inside_today

18. Financial Systems • Making money in Second Life • Make a job • Interior designer • Scripter • Reporter • Event host • DJ – Good JOB! Must have own music • Start your own business • Bar • Club • Sell art

19. Financial Systems • Stipend Balls • As a newbie ( usually 30 to 90 days) can receive money by touching the blue Stipend Ball at NCI North Plaza • Camping Chairs • At certain stores sit in chair and receive Linden Dollars • Part of higher rankings in search engine • Not great way of making money • Premium Account • Receive stipend each month • Money Trees • Newbies • Find tree pick apples (5L), Bananas (10L) Pineapples (20L) • Funded through volunteers

20. Financial Systems • Scams • Business in Box • Usually free stuff • Pyramid schemes • Look like small pyramids • Well, they are pyramid schemes • Stick –Ups • Dying won’t hurt you – teleport home or off in space • Bank Scams • Transparent Prim Scam • Prim over a legitimate sign • Fake Sales Rep • Accepts money but no product delivery or free content

21. Performance Issues • Griefers • Guns • Orbited • Shouts – scripts • Emitters • Grid • Lag • http://secondlifegrid.net/resources/service_metrics#server_fps

22. Social Issues • Friendship • Relationships • Anonymity • Cheating • Gambling • Pornography • Mature activities • Withdrawal from first life • Positive opps • Ex Disabled person dancing • Marriage???

23. Political Issues • Institutions • Government • Anarchy • Vigilantism • All powerful Linden Labs • Terrorism • Land ownership • Barons • Laws ?????

24. Economic • Exchange • Scams • Money controls • Again intervention, government, laws • Banking crisis – chartered • Who determines what • Capitalism ? • Haves and Have nots • Real Life Business – IBM • Universities – Ohio University

25. Building • Prim • Primitive – box, sphere, cylinder, etc. • Primitives linked together form objects • Everything in Second life comprised of prims except your avatar • Creating Prims • Must own land, public sandbox • Don’t litter – take, delete or wear your prim • Others may find your prim and give back to you • Area of land defines max number of prims • Rez – create a prim or pull from your inventory

26. Building • Sample video • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szAbCGbqYEI • http://downloads.oreilly.com/make/Final_BridgeMaking.wmv

27. Building

28. Building • Basic Steps • Rt Click the ground • Cursor becomes wand • Click on the ground and default prim appears • Rt Click on prim and select edit menu • Move • Left click on prim • Three colored axes – click and drag • Resize • Control Shift

29. Building • Resize • Control Shift • Max size • 10m X 10 m X 10 m • Larger objects are created by linking multiple prims • Rotate • Control • Duplicate • Control D • Size changes with distance/perspective • Transparency • Edit menu – fill in transparency textbox up to 90% • Hollow • Select object tab • Choose hollow percentage – rotate object to see results

30. Building • Linking • Shift and left click on multiple prims • Control L • Colors change • Last prim selected is yellow – primary prim • Will now move as one object • Max number of linked prims = 255 • Unlinking • Control – Shift - L

31. Scripting • LSL – Linden Scripting Language • Similar to JavaScript, PHP and C, but not as full featured • Prim • Scripts exists inside of a prim • Rez a prim and then right click to open the edit menu • Select the Content tab • Click on New Script button • Window appears with a default script • Also, go to Inventory, select Scripts folder and right click for new script and write/save.

32. Scripting • Avatars • Movement such as gestures, walking and dancing are not scripts • Animation override (AO) • Upload file describing skeletal positions and movement • File format called BVH

33. Scripting • Default New Script • Default // This is a state –can have multiple{ state_entry() // Event handler-Runs when you enter a state{llSay(0, "Hello, Avatar!"); // Predefined function}touch_start(integer total_number) // Event{llSay(0, "Touched."); //Predefined function}}

34. Scripting • Summary • States • Default • Others defined by programmer • Events • Every object at any given time is in one of the states as defined in your script • Event handlers are called in the current state • Event = touched, sit on, walked past within certain distance • Functions • Functions within the event handler within the state determine what actions will take place

35. Scripting • // default state default{ state_entry() { llSay(0, "i'm on!"); // llSetColor(<1,0,0>, ALL_SIDES); // sets all sides to red } touch_start(integer total_number) { state off; } } // another state state off{ state_entry() { llSay(0, "i'm off!"); llSetColor(<0,0,0>, ALL_SIDES); } touch_start(integertotal_number){ state default; } }

36. Scripting • Variables • Integer • Float • String • Key • Special kind of string – similar to a pointer – identify objects • Vector • 3d position in space • Rotation • List

37. Scripting • Variables • Must be declared before use, typed • Local • Defined within function – temporary • Global • Defined outside of a function • Case sensitive • Typecasting • Integer counter; • (string) counter; • No library system • Mono – open source project allows .NET and use of other programming languages for scripting – supported by Linden Labs