[Wind Direction]

I have similar problems to the original poster in that I'm making a Weathervane and despite the scripting being very commonplace, there are no clear answers provided here.  I've found this question (or simliiar) being asked multiple times on this and other forums and the answer is always the same.  It usually goes like this: 

Q - "I have script (shows code), and it works, but I need to know the wind direction." 

A - "Here's a script that works for weathervanes/windsocks that everyone (who is smart) uses." *

*(script doesn't actually include anything about determining SL wind direction)

This is not helpful.  Even the sorta helpful thing at the end where we are given code that outputs actual information, it's the wind SPEED that is output, not the direction.  

The problem with making a windsock/weathervane is that the bit that moves has to be TEXTURED (something the script kiddies don't think about perhaps), and it has to be included in a build, so that the prim could be facing anyone of several directions and still "work."  

The question being asked is how to determine which DIRECTION the wind is coming from or going to in SL so you canlook at the finished product, and tell if it's actually working correctly.  

Here's the actual problem:

1 - I can easily use any of the established scripts to make a weathervane that "points" either of two directions, that are in 90 degree opposition to each other, depending on how the prim is textured/cut, etc.  

2 - The weathervane in question is actually a plane, so there is also the question of which end of said plane, the arrow on the texture should point to.  

Using any of the established scripts and depending on the way the prim is formatted, cut, textured etc., there are actually FOUR completely different directions that the weathervane can "point."  All using the exact same script.  

Since these four possible directions are actually the four cardinal points of the compass, all the scripts provided are actually a complete fail in telling us which DIRECTION the SL wind is coming from or going to.  

So the advice here doesn't answer the actual question.  It allows a noob to make their weathervane work, but it says nothign about the accuracy of the result, and nothing about what direction the resulting vane is actually pointing.  

Surely, there must be code that simply tells us which way the SL Wind is pointing?  

 

 

[Tonic Fine Beauty is the best female mesh body available in SL (a plea to creators)]

What a good review.  :-)

It is of course not perfect.  The neck issue bothers me too, it seems to hide the seam less well than other bodies.  The Dev-kit is in the shop somewhere I think.  

Sylvia

[Tonic Fine Beauty is the best female mesh body available in SL (a plea to creators)]

No, you are completely miscontruing here and don't seem to be using the correct definition of "subjective."

I laid out the criteria, which are admittedly *my* criteria, but they are objective criteria.  It's not subjective at all.  The criteria revolve around "realism," as in "like a natural female body in real life."

There are of course all kinds and shapes of "real" female bodies, but that's my point.  A good, realistic mesh body should be deformable, using the sliders of the underneath skeleton, into any "real" female shape.  

With other bodies, this is not the case. It's probably not the case with Tonic either, but it's a lot *closer* than the others. 

Sylvia

[Tonic Fine Beauty is the best female mesh body available in SL (a plea to creators)]

Hey, thanks for the considered reply.  :-)

I don't see anywhere where you mention what this brand of body is that would work for me, although I'm guessing Maitreya?

I've tried Maitreya, of which I think the best is Lara, but it's still not able to be deformed into anything like "me."  I find the breasts in particular are not so realistic, and don't go below a size that would be essentially double the size I am in RL and using the Tonic body.  

As I said, one of the main reasons I like the Tonic body are the realistic breasts, especially the ability to get them small enough so that they are "real world" sized (below a DD).  Again, I get that most folks like big boobs, and that lots of RL girls are DD or higher, but I think at least half of all women are not.  

As to making the body, yes ... I know all about that.  I'm actually an expert at making body shapes and that's part of the reason I'm asking designers to make clothes for Tonic.  

The sad reality is that if you change the shape of the body under the mesh (as I have done and as you suggest) instead of leaving it in the "out of the box" shape, then no clothes fit, except "fitted mesh" clothes, of which there are basically none (or very few) for Tonic.  

SL used to be about creativity and making your own shape, your own body etc. and that's what I still do.  I don't want to look like a model that's been taken out of a Barbie box on the shelf.  

That's why I use Tonic.  :-)

[Tonic Fine Beauty is the best female mesh body available in SL (a plea to creators)]

Dev kit is available and designers are already working.  There are also already full-perm meshes available but they are not very good ones so far.  

I'm just trying to drum up some support for a superior product.  

[Chains (full permission) for jewelry]

Well I apologise for being "confusing" then, but I thought I was being pretty straightforward albeit a bit colloquial in my language.  Then the passive aggresive "helper" set me off I guess.  

I am looking to make jewlery and making chains form scratch with prims is both difficult, time consuming, and apparently something no one wants to buy anymore regardless, so I'm looking for full permission mesh chains that can be used for this purpose.  

Almost everything I could find in the MP for that purpose was poorly described, but seemed to be primarily about textures which simulate the effects of shiny metal using photo-realistic textures.  I have some of these myself, they are not good, and really only look good to people with old computers.  I want something that uses the material properties available to us in Second Life *now,* not something that looks good on a newbie.  

So I want something that doesn't rely on standard painted textures but something that uses specular maps and can be made to "shine" in SL light.  This seemed completley obvious to me from my original post and still does now.  

I've seen many objects like this in SL myself and the effect is startling.  Chrome that actually *looks* like chrome, and also reflects lights like chrome.  I've even found chains made this way in MP but unfortunately they don't go small enough for my purposes, so I know that it's possible and that they exist.  

Especially in the case of something made out of simple metal, there is no reason at all to include a texture with shading and colours when the same thing can now be accomplished much better using the new tools.  

As a designer of long standing I completley disagree that "materials" are only an *extra* or a part of the design, especially for objects like this.  That's designing for the *past,* or for the lowest common denominator and basically a complete waste of time.  Your product will almost immediately become outdated and wht's the point in that?  

People who *don't* have ALM turned on shouldn't expect to have SL bend over backwards for them.  Even a basic computer that's currently a few years old can easily handle ALM.  Handicapping a great design because you want to optimise it for people with sub-standard computers is just plain foolish imo.  

Anyway, since no one has any helpful suggestions or ideas on where to get such an item or wants to sell me one, this is the last from me on the topic.  If there is anyone out there who has such a chain for sale, just contact me in-world.

thanks for the help,

Sylvia 

[Tonic Fine Beauty is the best female mesh body available in SL (a plea to creators)]

Okay, I thought I'd try a strictly positive post here.  

While I do wear the Tonic Fine body, I have no affiliation with the creator, and no monetary incentive to write this, I just thought that I'd get the word out about this body as a plea to content creators to actually try and make some clothes for her.  Right now there is almost nothing made for Tonic.

Tonic Fine Beauty is simply the BEST, (bar-none!) female mesh body currently made in Second Life, and I've tried most if not all of them.  

This isn't an opinion, it's an objective assessment based on real, solid, factual criteria.  

The criteria are simply this:

- that the body appear REALISTIC in shape

- that the body especially have realistic BREASTS (that look and hang like real women's breasts)

- that it be finely made (high quality mesh with no discernible eges and vertices)

- that it hasn't got "built-in" styles that can just as easily be performed with the sliders (like a huge ass or hips)

- that it isn't made like a fashion model with distorted forward tilted hips or ridiculously thin torsos

- that it can easily be made to look like a woman instead of a teenaged girl.  

Based on these criteria, Tonic Fine Beauty body is literally the BEST female body in Second Life.  

I realise that what's popular, isn't necessary realism.  I realise also that gigantic unrealistic boobs, underaged waif-like girls, and fashion models are very, very popular in Second Life.  

But please, for the sake of all the real women who want to look like real women in Second Life, consider making some clothes for this excellent body.  

If it helps the bottom line, please know that there is also a "big boob" version of the Tonic body called "Tonic Curvy Beauty," so creating clothes for Tonic bodies doesn't mean you are turning your back on those who like the big boobs.  Also, the breasts on Tonic Curvy Beauty, while outsized, are still far more realistic looking than those on the other bodies.  

I'm sure there is a market for this body and for clothes to be made for it.  Please, please consider it

thanks for listening ...  :-) 

Sylvia. 

[Chains (full permission) for jewelry]

Hi, 

I know you are a recognized (sic) helper, and I thank you for the small clarification you provided, but I can't help but notice that you spend a lot of time insulting me, and then end up essentially saying the same thing that I had - that most of the descriptions are confusing, use what you describe as incorrect terms, and are difficult to sort through.  

I know what normal and specular maps are, I've used normal maps from the time that they were called "bump maps" and have been texturing items in Second Life since early 2005.  I clearly said I'm searching for something using specular maps.  

As someone who just re-joined Second Life perhaps I was using the term "materials" in a less than exact way, but it was clear what I was talking about.  You didn't have to get personal and insult me when it's clear that you too understood what I was saying.  "Materials enabled" is exactly the term everyone uses when talking about items that have specular and normal maps as opposed to just "textures" or diffuse maps.  I know there is more to it than that, but an item can't really be "materials enabled" without them.

Your throwing around of the newer term "diffuse maps" as if it's something more scientific that "textures" is again hurtful. It just clouds the issue and adds nothing of any relevance and just seems to be a thinly disguised attempt to insult me.  What good did it do (other than making me feel bad) to resort to such terminology?  Your post is long, adds nothing and doesn't actually help me.  Now I'm responding with this long post which also helps nothing, except maybe to restore my self-esteem a little bit.  

I also (obviously) performed the same searches myself (and as I said), came to similar conclusions as you did.  Your listing of the availability of various types of chains, (implying perhaps that I was too dense to find them on my own) after clearly stating that I had been searching the listings for a while, is insulting and again, I can only see it as thinly disguised hostility on your part.  

The real issues here are that there are lots of chains on MP, they are inadequately or incompletely described for the most part, the very categories of items for sale imposed by Linden ("Mesh Creators Tools" for example) are kind of confusing in themselves, and most sellers who get into any detailed description merely describe "textures" regardless of whether the items use diffuse, normal, or specular maps.  

This is why I was asking for help of course.  This is the confusion I was trying to break through by searching for the clear information of someone who knows first hand which product I should buy.  Another builder perhaps. 

Apologies for the anger here, but I had a store in Second Life and was part of the help team at Help Island before you even joined btw.  Please don't try to "help" me anymore, and don't bother to reply on this thread, thanks. 

Sylvia

[Where does one go to dance in Second Life anymore?]

Okay, replying to myself to keep the thread alive ... 

Thanks for all the suggestions.  :-) I checked them out and while a few are good (Blackhearts for rock, FogBound Blues for blues), none of these places play *new* music, or are in any way "alternative."

Also, avoid Ambrosia :-)

I do like rock sometimes, but there is a huge amount of *new* music out there (Europeans will know what I mean probably), and this is what I like the most.  

So I will re-phrase ... 

"A club that plays *new* music (that isn't rap), and by new I mean nothing written before 2000, (and hopefully nothing written before 2005 or so)." 

Groups in this category might include Cut Copy, The Ting Tings, LCD Soundsystem, Chromeo, RAC, CSS, New Young Pony Club, Fujiya & Miyaki, The Phenomenal Handclap Band, etc. etc.

There are literally hundreds of new groups I could mention, all playing cool new music that isn't rap, pop, or rock.  

[Where does one go to dance in Second Life anymore?]

I checked it out in world and it was downright offensive and would probbaly be illegal in RL.  :-)  

They TP you to a point on the other side of the sim from the club, then they tell you that for $400 dollars you can go straight to the club to avoid the stuff in between.  The stuff in between is a huge mall full of advertisements, bots, etc. 

Of course this is outright extortion.  I pity the fools that go to this place.  

maybe it was good back in the day but Ambrosia is the *worst* club by far I've come across so far.

[Where does one go to dance in Second Life anymore?]

Thanks, but while I am completely accepting of other SL people's lifestyles, I am part of that 0.0001% of Second Lifers that doesn't believe in slavery, domination, BDSM etc.  

:-)

I am a Feminist.

[Where does one go to dance in Second Life anymore?]

FogBound Blues is nice but it's not alternative or new music.  Also, I went there wearig literally nothing but a tiny dress and got a rude warning in my chat about being "over acceptable limits"!!

What a good way to turn potential customers off!  

[Chains (full permission) for jewelry]

I've been looking for full permission chains to make jewelry, and I've spent days going through the awful search in SL Marketplace, and reading horribly worded descriptions from would-be sellers.  I've also asked the few people I know in SL in person and no one seems to know.  

What I'm looking for is full-permission, mesh chains that go small enough for jewelry and that use *materials* instead of textures.  It would be great (and proper) if they included specular maps as well, and I would pay extra for the *.obj files etc if available, but basic, simple, materials enabled mesh chains would be the starting point.  

Does no-one make or sell these, or are just they lousy at describing their products?  :-/

[KittyKat help]

Ah, well,thanks for all the insults and misconceptions.  :-)

I guess I'm out of here, but ...

for the record:

- been to the store many times there are no manuals, no FAQ and no actual KittyKats for sale leaving one at the mercy of dodgy third party sellers.

- the helpers at the store are sometimes helpful and sometimes not at all (one was quite rude)

- the cat isn't dead (why would I kill a kitty?)

- the website is unreachable none of the links in the HUD to it work (crucially 'update' doesn't work)

- the lack of configuration options is surprising for such an expensive product

- the low priority of the animations is just shocking and the kind of thing a Noob would do.  They can be over-ridden by standard low priority Linden animations of a level two or three.  That's just dumb and makes the whole thing rather useless.  

Im posting this mostly to alert potential buyers who may search the forum for real experiences with KittyKats before buying and save their money.  

 Thanks for the help from those who posted perhaps *thinking* they were being helpful,  ;-)

Sylvia

[KittyKat help]

Hello, 

I finally bought a KittyKat and I feel ripped off.  Aside from the fact that the seller posted a picture that looks *nothing* like the cat I got, it seems that the poor thing is broken.  

I can't rename it (and it came with a very stupid name) and none of the links to the website work.  It has useful but gharish bright red text over it's head and the colour can't be changed.  

The worst part is that most of the "interactions" require me to turn off every animation I'm already wearing and walk around like a N00b, the priority must be one or zero or something.  The thing I liked best about my friends KittyKats was petting them.  If I can't stroke it's little fur, what's the point? 

Also ... what's the deal with including two buttons in the HUD that if mistakenly pressed, will basically give your cat away forever?  What genius thought that up?  

$700 down the drain I think.  

[Where does one go to dance in Second Life anymore?]

Thanks for all the advice, sorry for being negative.

It was late at night and I think I was just frustrated by how isanely useless the inworld search has become and the fact that the only place I could find with people in it was this super commercial, conservative place that wouldn't be out of place in "The Sims Online" or some such.    

Second Life used to be known for alternativeness and for cool and interesting clubs. For the record I like all kinds of music, the "conservative" knock is more about the people than the music.  

Anyway, thanks again, thanks for the suggestions (and sorry)  :-)

Sylvia

[Where does one go to dance in Second Life anymore?]

I like to dance.  Everytime I feel like it though, I check the events lists and there is almost nothing happening.  

Lately I've been going to this dreary, conservative club called "BIG DADDY'S 80's CLUB" and the music is okay, but the people are all super conservative and boring and the music is full of advertisements (as is the club).  It's like, the only place open though it seems.  

Second Life used to be about cool alternative clubs, but lately all the dance floors seem empty.  Isn't there any place that plays cool new music (or even classic music) that's actually fun and not full of advertisements just to keep the doors open?  

Where are all the alternative clubs?  The Gay bars and the Discos?  Are they all gone?  Doesn't anyone like to have fun in SL anymore?  Or is it just that the in-world search is so bad no one can find the clubs?