Houseboats?

[Elena Blossom]

@Teresa Firelight, check your environment settings, they can totally change how colors look. If you use the default setting, they should match, but the moment you start using others, the shadows and reflections modify the tonality on the walls. 

[Nika Talaj]

In the beforetimes, SL did not have natural lighting.  If you wanted your home to have lighting ambiance, you bought a prefab with baked-in shadows on the walls, and even floors.  All quality furniture came with shadows baked into the fabrics and with shadow prims.  Some manufacturers even scripted furniture so that you could move the floor shadow so that they appeared to be cast by the same light source as the rest of the house.

When windllight and the ability to see shadows cast by objects were implemented, it was a revelation.  Nowadays, SL shadows are beautiful, and using them in your viewer can turn walking down a Belli Vic street with big willows into a sun-dappled sensory delight.   However, personally I generally turn shadows off in my viewer.  Why?

1. Using shadows heats up my graphics card so much that the ambient temp in my desktop case rises significantly over time (I use a little utility called Speccy to keep an eye on temps).  My SL computers are over 10 years old (tho the graphics card in my main SL computer is newer).  Keep your CPU and GPU running cool and they will last for a LONG time.
2. Using shadows can slow your frame rate. 
3. Large interior spaces without a lot of windows will ALWAYS be in shadow and thus will be dark.  (This may be why LL chose to bake shadows for the houseboats; perhaps they figured that everyone would be using a "studio light" preset.  Most other Belli homes have smaller rooms with more windows.)
4. Natural lighting gets funky high in the sky.  I often use skyboxes that have shadows baked in.  My favorite is a New York nighttime skybox with strong shadows baked into the floor, appearing to be cast by exterior lights.

However, I always turn on shadows when taking pics that others may see, or touring a beautifully landscaped region, or looking at homes that were obviously designed to be seen in natural (perhaps moody) light (like the Moles' Halloween in Millbank).

3 hours ago, Teresa Firelight said:

Always, maybe it has to do with the model of houseboat you have rezzed. I was pancamming around and noticed that some of the houses have have built addons that look like they match but non of them are Barnacle. I will try another model.. maybe the issue is just with that model.. idk at this point.

Also I noticed that some of the barcacle walls dont match each other in the house itself...

The baking is most visible on light colors like Sunflower, which you're using here.  I modified Sunflower in Gimp.  Getting it right took a LOT of fiddling; I'm not an artist.  If you use Blender, it might be quicker to bake it there using lighting.

Nowadays, my  houseboat has darker walls, and I got away with using the texture pack version on a couple of small walls.  If you don't want to spend the time, the quickest way to get pretty close matches might be to buy a houseboat interior shell by someone who has already made baked textures, and use walls from it as you wish. Or you can cover all the walls yourself with whatever texture you want;  I don't usually bother to make or use full interior shells (as Matthieu does to stunning effect).

Here is an earlier thread discussing this issue.

 

Edited July 11, 2021 by Nika Talaj

[Rabid Cheetah]

I don't like shadows.  It just doesn't look like SL anymore when those are on.  Worse yet are objects with shadows built in, as they look very unnatural, especially in the evening when they're still casting a shadow at the same unmoving angle.  Plus they often use an extra prim to create the shadow, which adds up on small parcels if all your objects have a double prim count thanks to these darn shadow thingies.  I usually unlink the shadow thingy and delete it, unless the shadow thingy is the piece that has a script in it.

But that's just me, and what I've grown accustomed to in this game.  I don't like fake land either;  It feels like astroturf.

Edited July 11, 2021 by Rabid Cheetah
me hate Typ0s

[Teresa Firelight]

Part of the mystery is solved.. seems to be two contributing factors... 1) had immediate neighbor with furniture that emitted light that bleed into my space (removed this portion by derendering & blacklisting offending object) and 2) the model I had used (Barnacle) seems to be less texture-friendly than other models.

I switched to wallower and the texture mismatch was a lot less noticeable.

[LittleMe Jewell]

15 hours ago, Teresa Firelight said:

the model I had used (Barnacle) seems to be less texture-friendly than other models.

This is definitely true, though much of it can be mitigated by tinting the supplied textures a bit when you apply them to your added interior walls.  A tiny bit of grey fixed things for me, but that may only work for the blue & grey colors in the pack.

[kali Wylder]

I've caught 2 different houseboats today just by doing the occasional refresh, not auto hammering.  Nice locations too.  But I'm not really in the mood to decorate another houseboat...

So I will prolly release again.

[Teresa Firelight]

12 hours ago, kali Wylder said:

I've caught 2 different houseboats today just by doing the occasional refresh, not auto hammering.  Nice locations too.  But I'm not really in the mood to decorate another houseboat...

So I will prolly release again.

TBH I am so new at houseboats that I wouldn't know a "good location" from one that isn't.

I got my first ever houseboat a few days ago (never dreamed I would like one enough to keep it, but I am kinda liking it). The boat is located on Baby Buoy and is in a row of tightly packed homes with one on each side. But the direction that faces out from the boat shows only open sea region (no other clusters of houseboats) and the boardwalk is on an island.. so instead of another house behind mine, it is sand and rocks, which is kinda pretty. Also, I noticed two "nice" features: 1) the pier between my house and the house on my left is double thick, placing that boat a little further away from me, and 2) it faces east and has pretty sunrises.

So is this a good location? an average location? or a "not so desirable" location?

While on the topic, what features do people feel makes a good location for a houseboat? (I'm asking everyone, not just kali)

[Chloe Bunny]

51 minutes ago, Teresa Firelight said:

While on the topic, what features do people feel makes a good location for a houseboat?

I like land attached, (greenery), preferably in the earlier regions of Bellisseria with open water and a lighthouse view. I don't mind the shape of the parcel :) 

[Sister Nova]

1 hour ago, Teresa Firelight said:

what features do people feel makes a good location for a houseboat?

For me, I like to have: access to the Bellisseria road system; very easy access to open water; at least one compass point being a purely water view (preferably not void); a low parcel count in the region it is situated; and I’d always thought that the 32x32 parcel shape was a ‘must’, but with my alt’s HB meeting the first four points I find that I’m very happy with the long parcel. It’s definitely a ‘keeper’ and my amazement at rolling it at first attempt only a couple of months ago still staggers me.

[Rabid Cheetah]

It varies.  If I like it, I like it.  If I don't, I don't.  Sometimes things I think I am looking for annoy the heck out of me on a given houseboat parcel;  Sometimes stuff I wouldn't think of as appealing winds up adding to the charm.  It's the same for Mainland parcels.

Obligatory Houseboat pictures:

[Nika Talaj]

There are so many criteria, you just have to pick the ones that speak to you.  E.G.

• Square parcel vs rectangular.  A LOT of folks prefer square, but I prefer rectangular.
• Neighbors - I like to have only one immediate neighbor.
• Location - I boat a lot, so I like to be able to get someplace interesting during a not-too-long sail
• Lighthouse view?
• A lot of folks are adamant about facing west.  Doesn't matter to me.
• Your options for what the boat is attached to vary:  Real land (so you can walk away through a neighborhood), to a reef (where you are now), or to a pier.
• It's nice if the region has fewer-than-normal homes in it (this applies to all homes, but is very hard to get with the more recent themes).  Cuts down on lag.

I've had some wonderful houseboats. 

• Square parcel attached to land in wonderful location for travel with few neighbors - Saltmarsh. 
• Lighthouse views attached to land - Deep Thought (square) and Fourze (rectangular).  The neighborhood around Fourze is completely charming.
• Pier houseboats on the pickle with sunset views of Light of Aurelia - Hammerhead Light

I've stuck with this one in Kuga (5 homes in the region!) for a long time now.  It was an abandon.  Rectangular, on a reef with excellent water access, one neighbor, lighthouse view, interesting coastline nearby, near to the Galaxy, the river to Fourze Lake, and the river through VictoriBelle.  My parcel is stuffed with toys.  There's a rezzer with a few boats and a Mudskipper (for when I want to go to the coast and drive around the neighborhoods there), there's a tire swing that lands you in the water, there's yoga mats, there's fishing and a diving board down on the water, inside there's a TV, a little library, and a kitchen, bedroom, and bath. Or, if you just want to veg, you can have a seat and watch the kite bob around, or bring a friend and dance on the top deck (Intan) while you listen to our boomer stream, or go up to the roofdeck bar and watch the lighthouse and any boaters who may be out. Or go out back to the umbrellas and towels on the reef that face the lighthouse.  I love houseboats.  Feel free to stop by.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Kuga/180/149/23

 

[Always Incognito]

1 hour ago, Nika Talaj said:

There are so many criteria, you just have to pick the ones that speak to you.  E.G.

• Square parcel vs rectangular.  A LOT of folks prefer square, but I prefer rectangular.
• Neighbors - I like to have only one immediate neighbor.
• Location - I boat a lot, so I like to be able to get someplace interesting during a not-too-long sail
• Lighthouse view?
• A lot of folks are adamant about facing west.  Doesn't matter to me.
• Your options for what the boat is attached to vary:  Real land (so you can walk away through a neighborhood), to a reef (where you are now), or to a pier.
• It's nice if the region has fewer-than-normal homes in it (this applies to all homes, but is very hard to get with the more recent themes).  Cuts down on lag.

I've had some wonderful houseboats. 

• Square parcel attached to land in wonderful location for travel with few neighbors - Saltmarsh. 
• Lighthouse views attached to land - Deep Thought (square) and Fourze (rectangular).  The neighborhood around Fourze is completely charming.
• Pier houseboats on the pickle with sunset views of Light of Aurelia - Hammerhead Light

I've stuck with this one in Kuga (5 homes in the region!) for a long time now.  It was an abandon.  Rectangular, on a reef with excellent water access, one neighbor, lighthouse view, interesting coastline nearby, near to the Galaxy, the river to Fourze Lake, and the river through VictoriBelle.  My parcel is stuffed with toys.  There's a rezzer with a few boats and a Mudskipper (for when I want to go to the coast and drive around the neighborhoods there), there's a tire swing that lands you in the water, there's yoga mats, there's fishing and a diving board down on the water, inside there's a TV, a little library, and a kitchen, bedroom, and bath. Or, if you just want to veg, you can have a seat and watch the kite bob around, or bring a friend and dance on the top deck (Intan) while you listen to our boomer stream, or go up to the roofdeck bar and watch the lighthouse and any boaters who may be out. Or go out back to the umbrellas and towels on the reef that face the lighthouse.  I love houseboats.  Feel free to stop by.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Kuga/180/149/23

 

Thanks looks lovely! Whats that stuff in the air up to the right?

[Sister Nova]

51 minutes ago, Always Incognito said:

Thanks looks lovely! Whats that stuff in the air up to the right?

Looks as though it’s a box kite that Nika mentioned you could watch bob around.

[Matthieu Quander]

The best location is the one you enjoy.  What works for you may not be ideal for me.  

I'm partial to my spot on Hardtack, but not everyone likes the little island groupings or mixed theme areas.  

[Rabid Cheetah]

5 hours ago, Nika Talaj said:

There are so many criteria, you just have to pick the ones that speak to you.  E.G.

• Square parcel vs rectangular.  A LOT of folks prefer square, but I prefer rectangular.
• Neighbors - I like to have only one immediate neighbor.
• Location - I boat a lot, so I like to be able to get someplace interesting during a not-too-long sail
• Lighthouse view?
• A lot of folks are adamant about facing west.  Doesn't matter to me.
• Your options for what the boat is attached to vary:  Real land (so you can walk away through a neighborhood), to a reef (where you are now), or to a pier.
• It's nice if the region has fewer-than-normal homes in it (this applies to all homes, but is very hard to get with the more recent themes).  Cuts down on lag.

I've had some wonderful houseboats. 

• Square parcel attached to land in wonderful location for travel with few neighbors - Saltmarsh. 
• Lighthouse views attached to land - Deep Thought (square) and Fourze (rectangular).  The neighborhood around Fourze is completely charming.
• Pier houseboats on the pickle with sunset views of Light of Aurelia - Hammerhead Light

I've stuck with this one in Kuga (5 homes in the region!) for a long time now.  It was an abandon.  Rectangular, on a reef with excellent water access, one neighbor, lighthouse view, interesting coastline nearby, near to the Galaxy, the river to Fourze Lake, and the river through VictoriBelle.  My parcel is stuffed with toys.  There's a rezzer with a few boats and a Mudskipper (for when I want to go to the coast and drive around the neighborhoods there), there's a tire swing that lands you in the water, there's yoga mats, there's fishing and a diving board down on the water, inside there's a TV, a little library, and a kitchen, bedroom, and bath. Or, if you just want to veg, you can have a seat and watch the kite bob around, or bring a friend and dance on the top deck (Intan) while you listen to our boomer stream, or go up to the roofdeck bar and watch the lighthouse and any boaters who may be out. Or go out back to the umbrellas and towels on the reef that face the lighthouse.  I love houseboats.  Feel free to stop by.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Kuga/180/149/23

 

I've been there before many a time, back when I had a HB a few regions away, but it may have been before you had the place.  I certainly remember your neighbor, though.

[Marianne Little]

5 hours ago, Always Incognito said:

Thanks looks lovely! Whats that stuff in the air up to the right?

I think it's one of these: Second Life Marketplace - <:*BoOgErS*:> Box Kite Rainbow

or a similar kite.

[Marisa Starbrook]

I’m starting to think that houseboats are my favorite theme. My very first one was in Walrus Beach. I got it accidentally during the region release. It’s probably the longest I’d lived anywhere (about 6 months). It had lovely landscaping, very green and at the end of the row. It was on a square parcel. Since then, I realize that I prefer the rectangular parcels. Only a couple houseboat models work well on the square parcels. I like using the Wallower or the Evening Star. Often on the square parcels, you end up facing your neighbor’s deck. I like looking out across the water. If there’s a lighthouse view, then I’m in Heaven. 

[Nika Talaj]

3 hours ago, Rabid Cheetah said:

I've been there before many a time, back when I had a HB a few regions away, but it may have been before you had the place.  I certainly remember your neighbor, though.

There's never anyone there, altho it's set up like a club.  I have a friend who lives in a nicely done boat down the row, but he's never there either!

It may take a little forbearance to be my neighbor, what with all my toys (I try to remember to eliminate unneeded scripts).  Also there's my sometimes -- I'm going to go with "eclectic" rather than "random" -- decor!  So if I'm not too crazy about someone else's choices, I put on my big girl panties.

[Teresa Firelight]

I am not sure if you serious HouseBoaters will love or hate what I did.. I turned mine into abit more of a house and a bit less of a boat... I added a top addon (Second Life Marketplace - Wallower Upper Deck Add on), which I then modified it cuz ..well cuz I almost always end up modifying things. I added a partition to separate that addon into two rooms. Then I put a bedroom and sitting room up there, and added a privacy wall to the deck.

I also made some changes downstairs, diving the big rectangle into two separate rooms with an entry hall separating them. So downstairs is now 3 distinct rooms.. a kitchen, a livingroom and a hallway. For those of you purists who miss the bathroom, you can hop off the deck I added into the water when you need to go....

So here is a phototour of my 1st attempt at decorating a houseboat. I had to divide this tour into 4 separate entries because the forums would only let me attach 3 photos to each post... So this is phototour 1- the exterior. It shows the front of my 2 story Wallover, the side with the balcony and the water-level deck.

 

[Teresa Firelight]

Phototour #2 - The Downstairs part 1 (hallway and kitchen)

 

[Teresa Firelight]

PhotoTour #3 - The livingroom. This shows it from two angles and then shows the lovely view out the big windows.

[Teresa Firelight]

PhotoTour #4, the Upstairs. This shows the bedroom, a glimpse bedroom's of the balcony, and the little sitting area on the other side of the partitions

[Leora Greenwood]

58 minutes ago, Teresa Firelight said:

I am not sure if you serious HouseBoaters will love or hate what I did.. I turned mine into abit more of a house and a bit less of a boat... I added a top addon (Second Life Marketplace - Wallower Upper Deck Add on), which I then modified it cuz ..well cuz I almost always end up modifying things. I added a partition to separate that addon into two rooms. Then I put a bedroom and sitting room up there, and added a privacy wall to the deck.

I also made some changes downstairs, diving the big rectangle into two separate rooms with an entry hall separating them. So downstairs is now 3 distinct rooms.. a kitchen, a livingroom and a hallway. For those of you purists who miss the bathroom, you can hop off the deck I added into the water when you need to go....

So here is a phototour of my 1st attempt at decorating a houseboat. I had to divide this tour into 4 separate entries because the forums would only let me attach 3 photos to each post... So this is phototour 1- the exterior. It shows the front of my 2 story Wallover, the side with the balcony and the water-level deck.

 

OMFG!!  You have totally stirred up my Houseboat lust again; I thought I was over it for Stilts...  Gorgeous, gorgeous work!

[Teresa Firelight]

26 minutes ago, Leora Greenwood said:

OMFG!!  You have totally stirred up my Houseboat lust again; I thought I was over it for Stilts...  Gorgeous, gorgeous work!

Thank you!

[Sister Nova]

1 hour ago, Teresa Firelight said:

I am not sure if you serious HouseBoaters will love or hate what I did.. I turned mine into abit more of a house and a bit less of a boat... I added a top addon (Second Life Marketplace - Wallower Upper Deck Add on), which I then modified it cuz ..well cuz I almost always end up modifying things. I added a partition to separate that addon into two rooms. Then I put a bedroom and sitting room up there, and added a privacy wall to the deck.

I also made some changes downstairs, diving the big rectangle into two separate rooms with an entry hall separating them. So downstairs is now 3 distinct rooms.. a kitchen, a livingroom and a hallway. For those of you purists who miss the bathroom, you can hop off the deck I added into the water when you need to go....

So here is a phototour of my 1st attempt at decorating a houseboat. I had to divide this tour into 4 separate entries because the forums would only let me attach 3 photos to each post... So this is phototour 1- the exterior. It shows the front of my 2 story Wallover, the side with the balcony and the water-level deck.

 

 

Really lovely! I've always found HBs to be the hardest to decorate of the themes I've had, and it never occurred to me to go 'Tradward'. The view is just delightful, and I particularly like the colour (I do love a nice green). I wish you many happy hours there