Anaimfinity

The personal autopilot project is closed forever. I have the technology to do it and the largest database of navpoints (basically all roads, railways and waterways on mainland except parts of Bellisseria) and can do this possible. However, given the risks involved and especially the fact that this technology can be used for massive griefer attacks, I will never release it. While some people might like it and asked me on various occasions to do it, the risk is too high. In the end, I made a few things that might help, like the 'Commander' HUD which help people find their way. I was surprised to see that using LinksetData you can store all roads (although simplified) in the memory of a single object, although the HUD requires plenty of time to find the way. I also made a small library of routes which can be shared. People can also upload new routes there. The library is inside the SL Geography Institute and people can get a free HUD from there. However, this HUD only helps you find your way, it does not drive your vehicle. As for a good avoidance method, I spent years trying this and always fails. Either you end-up with high-lag scripts or your vehicles end-up in nearby parcels or both. I gave-up the idea of avoidance as it is impossible. Others have tried this too and always failed.

Sorry everyone to re-open this topic, but I wanted to give some info about the SLGI green spheres (SLGI trackers) which people mentioned here, especially for those interested in how they operate. HTTP related functions are the most high-lag of all lsl functions I've used. So, they must be used carefully. I conducted many experiments to ensure SLGI vehicles are among the most low-lag on the grid. Using an object-to-object communication system (and not with an external server) can reduce lag from HTTP scripts up to 10 times. However, the URL is lost at any sim crossing, which makes communication with a vehicle possible only in one way, from the vehicle to a fixed object. SLGI vehicles usually use an object-to-object HTTP communication system, which reports their positions to the map located at a base every 100 seconds. However, during sim restart processes or griefer attacks, communication fails between vehicles and the base. If that happens, trackers are automatically deployed. There are multiple types of trackers released. These trackers look like green spheres and travel at 1000 m altitude and are the fastest moving vehicles on the grid. One tracker can travel from Achemon (Heterocera) to Bay City and back in two minutes. 1. VEHICLE REPORTING TRACKERS. The base stores each vehicle's key at launch and holds it for a while. After multiple failures in HTTP object-to-object communication, trackers are released every 100 seconds for each vehicle that, according to schedule, should be running. They scan each sim for the target vehicle using llGetObjectDetails(vehicle_key,[OBJECT_POS]) and also record the name of the sim. If they find the target vehicle, they return to base and communicate their finding in chat. 2. BLOCKED VEHICLE FINDING TRACKERS. They are released a few hours after a sim restart process and search for blocked vehicles (which get disoriented during a sim restart process and might end-up in nearby parcels with scripts disabled). These trackers also use the llGetObjectDetails function to detect lost vehicles and report me in chat their findings using llInstantMessage. In addition, running vehicles also perform a scan once every 5 days using a llSensor for the same purpose. If they detect a blocked vehicle with the same name as they have, they report to me. 3. RESEARCH TRACKERS. They are released on demand or automatically released if vehicles don't return in time. They run along routes to check if sim crossings are safe, detect changes in land permissions (object entry, scripts, spare prims available) and also detect mass lag and griefer attacks. They use various functions for this. Those trackers released automatically report their findings in chat to the bases when they return. If they get stuck in a sim for more than 10 seconds, they also use the HTTP object-to-object communication protocol. Trackers released manually communicate to me using llInstantMessage. 4. DELETER TRACKERS. I can manually release them. They look for running SLGI vehicles using llGetObjectDetails, each tracker being released for a target vehicle. They upload a script that contains llDie() function, removing vehicles from the grid. The way they upload scripts is the same way SLRR switchstands operate, with llRemoteLoadScriptPin. In fact, all SLGI vehicles, when released, have only an initializing script, after which the base relay uploads all scripts and navpoint notecards to them using this function. For 90% of time, trackers are not running, as vehicles report their position using an object-to-object HTTP protocol. Now, regarding the main topic, how to communicate between a vehicle and a lost passenger, the best approach I see is this: 1. When an avatar sits on a vehicle, this can trigger a 'changed' event. If it is a CHANGED_LINK, a llSensor can be used to find the keys of any seated passengers (there are other more complex ways too, but this is easier). Store the passenger's key in memory. Then, if a passenger gets unseated, use another sensor and see which passenger is missing. The object can send a llInstantMessage to the lost passenger with its current position. 2. Keep a llSensorRepeat for AGENT every 10 seconds. Record seated avatars with a 'changed' event and CHANGED_LINK. Keep the llSensorRepeat for finding if the passenger is still there. If two sensors fail (no_sensor is triggered twice or llSensorRepeat does not find passenger's key twice) send a llInstantMessage to the missing passenger with current vehicle's position. Both methods might fail as the unseated avatar might still be considered 'seated' by the simulator. However, after a number of seconds, you will get the correct results. Again, sorry everyone for re-opening this topic, but I thought that this information might be useful to someone.

Conclusion After a week since I started this topic, my conclusion is as follows: 1. General interest is low. There have been only 7 people commenting here. Which means that there is no significant need for this. 2. There are some technical problems. Making a script able to avoid other vehicles and people on the way would work in large sea areas, but it will never work on narrow parcels like roads or tight waterways. A complex system with sensors, cast rays and functions to detect where protected land ends and not end-up on private land would be high-lag and not too safe, as I tried it. 3. My first worry before opening this topic was that griefers might use this to purposely send objects on collision course (like an iceberg through protected waters). Releasing the autopilot engine would allow griefers to target private land and rage havoc too. 4. I never imagined that someone would dare to think about a route crossing private land. Even while walking, I don't enter private land unless it's a shop, a park, a road, a railway, a land for sale or a GTFO place. Because of all these considerations, I believe that this technology is too dangerous to be released. While there might be people wanting an autopilot, for me, it seems that the overall result of this technology would be negative. On the other hand, there is another technology that can be used and I was planning to. It just consists of a navigator HUD that shows you the way to go to the next navpoint along a route, letting you to chose the vehicle you want (or go by foot if you want). The system seems to work for long routes. A notecard can host all navpoints needed for a sailing route from Gaeta 5 to Jeogeot Gulf. Although it is only a HUD that shows you the way to go and NOT something that can autopilot your vehicle, I set a few safety features. The way navpoints are identified allows the system to see if they are on protected land or not, allowing for the server to sort routes in 5 categories based on their safety and also to remove corrupted or double routes from database. There will be a library for routes for anyone to upload or download them. However, as mentioned, these routes are only to be used for a navigation HUD and not an autopilot HUD. Similar things exist on the marketplace, but this one will allow people to share routes they know. It will be free and available from the SL Geography Institute inworld or by cost from marketplace. One extra feature: The navpoints are written in such a way that they CANNOT be used by an automated vehicle (unless massive reverse engineering is done). Over time, I released on marketplace some scripts for automated vehicles. However, none of those scripts can use navpoints in the format given for this navigation HUD. My fear that a griefer might try to use the route notecards for an attack. Thank you to all who commented here. Why did the Titanic sink? Because the iceberg was on autopilot.

Thank you all. I understood your points of view very well and thank you for writing it. The reason I started this topic is that, at least this month, I got 11 calls on me to launch the autopilot project (plus others over the years). Well, if such a thing will cause more harm than will do good, I will not do it. I will still leave this topic opened for a few days to see other comments. It is also very useful when other people will ask me again to build an autopilot, I will direct them to this link so they can judge themselves. Sorry if this disturbs anyone, but the best way to check if an autopilot is a good or a bad thing was to start this topic and see what you think about it. I could see a lot of advantages and problems, but it is better to see what others think, to have a more complex view. It would require months of work as I would need to map the whole mainland and build an estimated 7000 route notecards. Honestly, I don't believe there would be significant help from others creating route notecards for this project. If it were a beneficial thing for our virtual world, I would still have done it. I will never do something that causes more harm than good... and I will not scan all protected routes on mainland just for the pleasure of doing so.

Thank you all for your advices. Actually, I was planning to make it free. However, this would damage the marketplace. So, a price between 100 and 200 L$ should be ok I think. Still, I might make a more simplistic version for free. That is a very important point. There would be no physical collisions. Just like the SLGI trains, ships and taxis (SLGI Transportation Systems | SLGI Wiki | Fandom), which are phantom and non-physical, these scripts will make vehicles phantom and non-physical during autopilot. When autopilot is turned off, vehicles can become physical and non-phantom again by pressing a button in the HUD, allowing pilots to manually drive them. However, the point is right, a sailor has no way to know if an oncoming vehicle is indeed phantom or not. Especially that almost any personal vehicle can be equipped with an autopilot. I planned to avoid this kind of problems by the fact that the pilot has three options: increase/decrease speed (to allow other vehicles pass or overtake them), stop (and wait for a clear path) or turn off autopilot (which allows the pilot to manually take over). The best way should be an autopilot able to work around obstacles, while still staying on protected land. Someone, over 10 years ago, has tried this various times and has caused huge problems to everybody. I talk about Annmarie Otoole (may she rest in peace). Although she had a huge experience on computers and scripting and understood how things actually work, her obstacle avoidance systems never worked properly. And her vehicles were extremely high-lag, my measurements at that time showed they were over 20 times more high-lag than the VRC opensource train. I tried to make a script able to avoid collisions. At some point, the SLGI trains and ships were equipped with one that turned on in emergency situations, but I removed it because of high lag and lack of efficiency. Instead, I re-programmed them to hover above roads and waterways or even to fly at high altitude, to avoid any problems with other passing vehicles and avatars, although they are set phantom. Still, I believe that, the fact that pilots/drivers/sailors can stop the autopilot HUD and let other vehicles pass or turn to manual navigation would be of great help. In fact, it is your responsibility how you drive your own vehicle and what you crash it into. If I find a way to make a low-lag and safe obstacle avoidance script, I will do it. But for now, given the past experiences and all the trouble from similar vehicles, I will just leave it up to the pilot's responsibility to stop and wait for other vehicles to pass through or pilot manually. After all, in manual mode, the HUD can show you the direction to next navpoint, which is also useful.

I also like to drive/fly myself sometimes. However, while going on long journeys (like sailing from Castle Valeria to Ahabs Haunt) the route is tricky. The HUD can be used to show you the way to the next navpoint, making everything easier. And yes, route maintenance is an issue. I am also worried that, as the project will be public and anyone can upload route notecards, there will be a lot of griefer attacks that would insert wrong route notecards. And yes, many routes might no longer work if drawn over private-owned land. You pointed some of my biggest concerns about long-term feasibility of this project. Good points. The HUD allows you to set speed. I can add the feature to show you current speed, altitude, elapsed time and distance passed. And I can add the option to say comments on the way (and to go silent if the pilot wants it). Talking about sets of routes, it will work like this: Each route notecard must have four types of information in their name: maker, start point, destination, description. An example is this one: George,Ahabs Haunt,Blake Sea,Safe sailing. If you decide to use the system from Ahabs Haunt sim, the HUD will display all available routes starting from here and will show you this one like: Route to Blake Sea made by George. Description: safe sailing. This allows you to judge if you chose it or not. Unfortunately that is impossible. SLGI scripts need navpoints in global coordinates. The use of a SLURL, world map link or local coordinates does not work properly. I tried it.

For many years, various residents have said to me things like this: I dream of a vehicle that I can rezz, tell it where to go and drive there by itself. After I tested many various ways to do this, I came to the conclusion that it is possible. I have almost finished the scripts needed for this. However, before I release it into public, I want to know what others think about, so that it would, indeed, benefit our virtual world. Your advices are very useful and I need them. SLGI Autopilot is intended to be an autopilot navigation system for personal use, which can be installed on personal cars, boats, trains, airplanes, helicopters or submarines, based on pre-programmed routes. Parts The SLGI Autopilot will consist of: An Autopilot HUD interface and scripts that will enable your personal vehicle to go by autopilot when you chose to; A giant Public Library of routes stored on notecards at SL Geography Institute, where anyone can upload personal routes or download new ones; An Editing HUD for anyone that wants to write a new notecard route; A Navigation HUD for those who prefer to pilot their own vehicles but want something to guide them on the way. Each route is stored on one notecard and is only one-way. The routes are designed for any type of vehicles: cars, trains, boats, airplanes, helicopters, submarines, anything. Principle The principle is simple: Autopilot drive/fly/sail: When you activate the SLGI Autopilot HUD, it checks if there is any notecard route starting from the sim where you are. You can chose the one you want and relax while your vehicle is on autopilot. At the end, you can chose a different route or decide to pilot yourself. Manual drive/fly/sail: Follow the navpoints provided by the HUD but drive/fly/sail yourself. Interactive project Anyone can write a route notecard. It is now very simple to do so: Wear the HUD for designing a route. Drive/fly/sail your own vehicle with the HUD active. Listen in chat to navpoints as the HUD identifies them. Write them on a notecard. Upload the notecard to the SLGI library for anyone to use. For those who might find useful, like around airports, ports, railway stations, gas stations or GTFO HUB facilities, they can store their own libraries with route notecards starting from their own places, to make navigation easier. Project Size I hope this project will be public, with residents willing to edit route notecards and upload them to the route library and a large database that would slowly cover the whole mainland and maybe also private land. I estimate that a list of 10 thousand notecard routes would be stored in the end. Merchants and builders can take advantage of this and design their vehicles compatible to SLGI technology. Limitations This technology will not be suitable for all vehicles. No-modify vehicles might not accept the scripts and HUD control, while some vehicles, with different rotation settings, might not work or move strange. THERE IS NO WAY to make something like Google Maps. This is because LSL script limitations: HTTP related scripts are the most high-lag of all scripts. If you design a vehicle controlled by an external server you will eat all sim resources. So, there really is no way to use something like Google Maps. I tested external servers on various occasions and ended-up with incredible lag levels. There is almost no way to make the script chose itself from hundreds of notecards to find the best way towards a destination. It will either take a lot of time (minutes) or end-up with a 'stack heap collision'. I tried it for years and failed. That's why I spent 8 years until the SLGI Taxis SLGI Taxis | SLGI Wiki | Fandom have finally been released this year. <> So, what do you think? Shall I release the SLGI Autopilot project? Will it be helpful to you? Or should it cause more harm than good? Shall I release it for free or shall I put some parts on marketplace? What are your expectations and what should be needed to improve?

Unfortunately, land in Bellisseria does not allow objects entry, so, no vehicle can offer a guided tour there unless it is built by a Linden or a mole. I doubt they will do that soon. If it did, be sure I would consider sending a vehicle from Jeogeot every 6 hours on a regular schedule. Be sure, if land would allow, Yavanna would have considered it already. If the Lindens wish, I can provide them with SLGI technology and help them to build a scheduled train service. I like the Bellisseria railway (although I prefer the rails of Heterocera as they offer a huge land diversity). It would be nice if the Lindens would add a station and a train rezz zone in almost every sim... and if they would add some more features along the railway, like buildings, relays, info maps. The rail of Bellisseria, although long and spanning through many landscapes, is somehow boring because it lacks diversity. For a long while I asked myself if Bellisseria will be a success and how it will affect our world. Indeed, it was a success. Now the Lindens must continue to improve it. Talking about the SLGI vehicles, they are a group project which anyone can take part in. It is true that I end-up doing almost all the work, but it's not only me. If you want, you can provide your own vehicle and I will add it if it fits (full perm, max 20 prims, correct angles, dominant colour green and low-lag design). Well, let's keep an eye on Belli's infrastructure and enjoy it. Unlike all other premium places (like premium sandboxes, premium wildernesses and premium railway) this railway is opened for all of us, including non-Belli residents and non-premium.

When Sansar was launched, I predicted that SL will depopulate fast. I even closed my account as I did not want to see this happening. Now, I come swith a different prediction. SL will not die for the foreseenable future. I have a few arguments. First, SL has seen an increase of active residents and new sims during the pandemic and now (March 2023) it is still slightly bigger than in 2019. Second, data from both Gridsurvey and research on SLGI wiki (like Project MUPUS) show a reversing trend. Continents like Gaeta 1 or Sharp Continent (former TSL grid) have shown an increase in population. We see more private initiatives like Turara Fiji, Second Norway and Fairchang subcontinents growing. And Bellisseria has grown beyond my wildest imagination, without causing a depopulation among the old Premium Continents or a collapse among private estates. People have been saying that SL will die since 2005. Well, as I managed the list of microcontinenrs and sim clusters in Feb 2023, I have seen that, although many things have changed, sometimes radically, SL has remained almost the same. Since 2014 , when the SLGI (SL Geography Institute) was founded, I've been monitoring this. For the last 9 years, SL had about the same number of private sims +- 30%. Mainland population has also been fluctuating, with vast areas becoming densely populated and tgen abandoned. But, overall, mainland land use also is about the same, +- 30%. The major change was the addition of Bellisseria, which I never imagined would be such a success. So, as a conclusion, unless something unexpected happens, I expect SL land occupation and population density to remain constant for the next 10 to 20 years, with small fluctuatuins. However, the SL that will be here in 2030 will be different from what is now (2023) and completely different from what was in 2014, when I started SLGI. Many buildings, places and private sims will be no more whike others will replace them.

I can tell you that at SLGI I monitor everything. SLGI vehicles (trains and ships) have an average ridership of 3.229% as for last year. The reason I made these vehicles is that I was asked to do so. I keep a record of all comments, 83% are positve feedbacks, 11% are negative and 6% are just people asking for more details. The reason these vehicles travel is that people voted so. Each SLGI base has a voting station, where, again, over 80% are voting for the vehicles to run. If votes drop below 50%, they will instantly stop. In rl, I work on the railway and schedules are my job. So, I insist that a SLGI vehicle will be released every 6 hours and follow its tight schedule. This ensures that vehicles don't overtake sim resources. People asked me to put them more often or make them physical, but I refused. All schedules are public on the SLGI wiki. And one last thing: SLGI (or Second Life Geographical Institute) is an independent organization, not affiliated with any land baron or the Lindens. People thought that SLGI is a branch of YavaScript Pods or that I am an alt of AnnMarie Otoole. Those affirmations are also false. I am friend with both Yavanna and AnnMarie, but a completely different person. I am a great admirer of both of them and everyone who ever created automated vehicles.

Ina, this is true, we both (and majority of us posting here) belong to that minority. Depopulation of mainland started when renting land became cheaper then owning a small parcel. Many people prefer to own instead of rent something. Later, creators started to move to Opensim, which was cheaper. And when Lindens stopped to set abandoned land for sale, less people looked for mainland. When I heard about Third Life (as some friends called the project that now is Sansar), I first said that it will be a monumental failure or if it will be a success, it will bring a slow death to SL. But how long will SL survive? I think the Lindens will not want to pull the switch off as long as there are residents paying some tier. I know someone who died, but his tier was paid in advance for two years... Also, there are many people like me and you that will not want to move away, as long as this world is not dead. So, for a few years, SL will survive. And how will SL look like in its last days? I think the Lindens, at some point, will turn off sims of abandoned land or sims that had no visitor for a few months. Our virtual world will probably look like this part of Sharp Continent (the former TSL grid), with much abandoned land and unconnected roads.

Data from Gridsurvey ( http://www.gridsurvey.com/ ) clearly shows that Second Life is shrinking. Take a look at the following data: On mainland, non-Linden owned land has decreased by 20% in one year http://www.sluniverse.com/php/vb/virtual-business/122251-mainland-census-january-2017-a.html . The number of private regions (sims) also seems to drop with an average of 10% every year http://www.sluniverse.com/php/vb/virtual-business/8523-new-sl-sims-past-week-97.html#post2355279 Based on this and other data from Gridsurvey, I estimated in 2016 that in 10 years, Second Life will shrink to about 20% of what it is now. At that time, it probably will no longer will be a feasible business and LL might close it. However, now, with Sansar opened, I make another prediction, that Second Life will survive 5 years from now. Many people will move to Sansar. People who love mainland (sailors, pilots, train engineers, drivers, horse riders or people who love walking long distances) will prefer the environment of Second Life. But, the vast majority are here enjoying their virtual lives on an isolated private sim roleplaying, living on a tropical beach or whatsoever. For them, Sansar is a better option. Some time ago, I started the Second Life Geography project, first under the form of articles on the SL Wiki, then, after some griefer attacks, on a new wiki, the SLGI Wiki. I stopped the work there for two reasons. The first reason is that I was busy in RL (with 4 kids to grow, it is hard to do other things). The second reason is that SL is really dying. As I made last week a small survey, I found out that from 11 private-owned continents ( http://slgi.wikia.com/wiki/List_Of_Continents ) , now there seems to be only two (a continent must have 30 or more sims connected one to the other).

This is the best news I received in 6 months. Thank you thank you thank you !

My map is a bit outdated. Try the next links: https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/List_Of_Continents https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/List_Of_Microcontinents_And_Sim_Clusters https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Oceans

I cleaned up my inventory. From 10 372 items, down to 5 330. Boxed all objects I never used in 6 months and I don't need. I found a few double items. The problems were: around 1000 gestures (don't have any idea where they came from) landmarks (over 500), I keep only 20, they are anyway in teleport history Notecards (moved 90% of them on a notecard). You can put on a notecard only objects with full perm, so it doesn't work for 80% of the objects) Unfinished or modified objects & scripts that I don't use any longer (about 500) Freebies (mostly from when I was new here) - 1500 items. More then 1000 items were inside outfits I no longer use. Time needed: 4 or 5 hours. All is packed in a single green sphere. Now, I am smoking a cigarette both in rl and sl and thinking: Shouldn't be a wise idea to delete all these 5000 items?