Caledon the Musical

This amazing music video has filmed all around Caledon and the performers are the residents of Caledon. I think this is just fantastic!

Restoring disappeared textures!

MoonWhite Nightfire is a new memberof Metaversal Arts and not only he is very talented builder and graphics artis, he also has important notice !

Greetings!
There is a new but serious issue in on the SL Grid. Some textures are simply disappearing from the Linden Labs database. This can cause serious loss to content creators, and those who use their products, because if a texture goes in this way, it will go from the whole grid, though they will still be in the inventory.
There is one known solution for this.
If a texture is lost, you need a person who knows its UUID, and one who has it in the client Cache. That means, you need somebody who still sees the texture on the prim it is apllied to, or in her/his inventory. This person has to search the client Cache folder for that UUID, the file will be named on that name. After it is found, somebody has to upload it as an attachment to the Jira entry above, and in a comment, asking the restoration of that UUID.
The Jira entry is at:
https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/SVC-3063
I hope this helps!
MoonWhite Nightfire

Talented Creators of SL (Part 5): Autumn Beaver -custom builder and architect-

By Lord Lisle

You may remember that Yolanda Hirvi took me to the Virtuality Ride in the Music Academy Online-SL (MAO) sim? Eventually I happen to meet the creator of this wonderful piece of SL building, Autumn Beaver, the resident builder of the MAO sim.

Autumn Beaver, her portrait taken on the 16th September 2008

Autumn Beaver has been building in Second Life, the online learning platform, for well over a year and a half. Studying hard, with trial and error, she has become one of the most experienced in-world builders. Because I was very curious about her motivations and background I asked what had driven her to become a builder and architect:

When did you start building and were you inspired by other SL buildings or builders?
When I started SL, creating content was a goal for sure, it gradually graduated to building, and I started out learning to create clothing, learning alpha texturing. The building came when I realized that I could go to a sandbox, and build anything I could imagine. I went to the sandboxes everyday for about 6 months. I just kept building things I wanted, or imagined. I didn’t think enough to explore SL when I came here. I was asked to come here, and no one thought enough to tell me about the TP system, or that there was this huge world to explore. A friend gave me a LM to the sandbox. I was however, inspired at the sandbox; there were some "regulars" who built amazing things. I would sit and watch them for hours.

What do you think are the most essential requirements for a successful and creative builder?
I think you have to keep your mind wide open, first and foremost. I’m self taught, so reading a lot on the forums was helpful to answer a lot of my questions. A very close second is time, I know that dedication of my time and making building here my priority is important for my business. As for Creativity, your mind is the limit; you can create anything you can imagine here, I am influenced by real life all the time. Travel I guess and exploring in SL, generate a lot of my creativity.

Autumn standing before the 'Present Age' building which took her some extra effort to get it into shape as she really had meant to.

I assume you have created your own textures for the buildings you have built? May I ask if you made these from pictures of photographs? Are you a PhotoShop user?
Actually, I do use many that I buy here in SL, I am a huge supporter of our texture artists here in SL. They work hard at their trade, and put a lot into their textures, I’m a builder, not an artist. We all have a part here. Like the real world, a mason would not paint a mural on your wall. That is not to say he couldn’t, I am talented, and creative. But I know the time it takes to make textures, my time is focused on building. I am a PSP9 user, and yes I can create textures. I do create textures for some things that I want but cannot find, and don’t have time to wait for. I will use pictures or Google for images to manipulate. Sometimes I draw them out, but I am left handed. In RL, you try drawing with your right hand with a mouse... not a pretty sight.

Do you feel that good landscaping or creative building is completely different?
Hmm, that question was difficult to understand, I apologise if I’m a little slow today. I do believe that landscaping and building can walk hand and hand beautifully. I however, can build into any landscape, so for me, personally, landscaping is an after thought.

What do you consider yourself as the best you have created so far? (Personally I fancy your Virtuality Ride in Music Academy Online-SL, every time I went back to show it to a friend I see another new detail)
Well thank you so much, The Virtuality Ride is definitely my favourite as of yet, I have new favourites daily... The ride challenged me to think about what someone else was "Creatively" thinking, when he composed a piece of music. It was a challenge, but a welcome one. I love that I got to listen to Benton's ideas on what he saw, but really that I got to run with it, and interpret it to be my own art, a visuality of Amin's Virtuality. This is my favourite one at this time. There are many on the Music Academy Online-SL, that I hold dear, The Rosslyn Chapel.

Rosslyn Chapel in the Music Academy Online-SL

Have you been working on other projects than the Music Academy Online SL?
Yes, in fact I am working on another sim, whose grand opening is coming up soon; it is a classical music sim as well. I am the main architect there. There are many awesome builds on this sim, a tower for one, with a rotating cafe on top. A ski lift and ski lodge. I also have a few other clients I am working with, some are educational sims, and some are not. I also have my own furniture store in Searobin, it was a main focus, when I started building, it is more my hobby now. I make things for it when I can. I focus all of my time on my clients. I live, breath, strive for building by the seat of my pants, so to speak.. I love the challenges.

I would really like to thank you all for taking interest in my builds and the Virtualty Ride especially. I love hearing from everyone how much they enjoy my work. This being my real life job, of course, making a living is wonderful. But the real payment is the knowledge that other people enjoy my work as much as I enjoyed making it. I love building and I hope to be at it for the next 50 years..

In the grotto (Utwig/156/208/704/) of another fascinating tour in Music Academy Online-SL created by Autumn

Thank you very much Autumn, we do hope to hear (and view in awe) more of you and your work in the future, in particular the new sim you are working in right now. If anyone out there have a "dream", an in-world aspiration and need an in-world architect/builder, you may want to contact her or just a have a look at her website www.myspace.com/autumnsdesigns

Pretty and free

by Yolanda Hirvi
I designed this chest to hold your secrets...Obeys your commands. And you can sit on it too..
Or you can use it as a nightstand.
3 prims, and it is copyable, it is pretty and yes...it is free.


You can find it in Metaversal Arts' Court Yard (next to dance animations).