Austin Tate's Blog

Peter Kappler <pete@gsgrid.net> [YouTube Channel] (PWNED Magic in Second Life) has created a VR version of the Firestorm Viewer using OpenVR/Steam VR should be compatible with Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows Mixed Reality headsets (HMDs).

https://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2019/01/windows-mixed-reality-firestorm-sl-vr-open-source.html
https://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2019/02/firestorm-sl-open-source-vr-viewer.html

YouTube Video: Second Life Firestorm VR V0.3 test, 27 Feb 2019:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0_PQBQ_E4I

Download

Here is the source code and compiled version (currently based on Firestorm 6.0.1.57000:
http://gsgrid.net/FirestormVR_Source_V_0_3.rar
http://gsgrid.net/Phoenix601VR-V0.3.rar

Firestorm JIRA

A Firestorm JIRA Issue relates to this…
https://jira.firestormviewer.org/browse/FIRE-24047

This JIRA issue has comments concerned over low frame rates and poor support for all the menus, popups and creator/editing facilities in Second Life and OpenSim. Personally, I don’t think ALL the creator/build menu facilities are needed all the time, and those can be done by switching back into VR mode… which is easy with the TAB key method uses to switch between 2D and VR mode. Concerning frame rates, some users are probably seeing very busy mainland regions with tens of thousands of objects. When I use Firestorm on OpenSim builds with a few avatars in training modes I can get 160fps frame rates! And high frame rates when we have used private regions on Second Life for educational meetings.

Installation:

• Install the special version of the Firestorm viewer.
• Put the openvr_api.dll contained in the compiled version .rar/.zip in to the freshly installed firestorm folder with all the other dlls.
• Start Steam VR.
• Start Firestorm.

Once you are logged in:

• Go to Preferences -> Move & View and set the Field of View to 1.80 (default 1.04)
• Go to Preferences -> Graphics-> Steam VR Tab and enable VR. (driver init, shutdown)

For the Oculus Rift these settings should also be adjusted:

• Preferences -> Graphics -> Steam VR -> Texture Shift: et to 200). Else double vision on Oculus Rift.
• Preferences -> Graphics -> Camera distance from center: Set to at least 50 to improve depth separation on Oculus Rift.

Usage:

PRESS TAB key to enable and disable vr output.

The slider Lens distance lets you adjust the distance between the 2 cameras to improve stereo depth separation. (( There is a bug with world not updating while slider > 0)). Slider set to 0 uses only 1 camera ( non stereo ) and doubles your fps.

F5 button disables and enables HMD direction changes. It is better to disable HMD direction interface when editing and flying with the camera.

The Firestorm VR Viewer will not work well if the Second Life/OpenSim region you visit cannot normally be displayed with a frame rate above say 30fps. More the better. Below that bad flickering will occur.

User Experience

1. On my Oculus Rift setup, it seems to be important to start Steam VR before launching the viewer. Otherwise the Oculus Home screen shows in the HMD rather than the Second Life/OpenSim virtual world display.
2. The 3D depth effect is a bit flat. It looks more like a number of flat planes, some close up, such as the avatar, some mid distance and then a flat distant view with little 3D depth on the objects. The separation of these planes can be deepened using the setting for Preferences -> Graphics -> Steam VR -> Camera distance from center. But the overall effect is not a smooth progressive 3D model as seen in the CtrlAltStudio VR viewer.
3. In the Steam VR settings tab, what does “Zoom out the display” and “Enable debug display” do?

Continuing the development of sports in Second Life…. Yasmin has created a lovely rock climbing area to test out her developing rock climbing apparatus and scripts.

Visit via this landmark… Nitida Ridge

@Inara Pey has done her usual detailed and excellent Blog Post on the Rock Climbing at Nitida Ridge

As described at https://thepeoplesmoon.com/explore/, The People’s Moon has been co-created By British artist Helen Marshall of the People’s Picture, and Christina Korp of the Aldrin Family Foundation, and unveiled at iconic global locations on Saturday 20 July 2019…
“The People’s Moon will dominate London Piccadilly Lights screen, on the actual day and hour, flashing back 50 years to when humans first walked on the Moon. The combination of 10,000 photographs submitted by the public, NASA historic clips and giant photo mosaics of the Moon will be shown simultaneously in New York’s Times Square, and in a long-term installation at the Kennedy Space Center where the mission of Apollo 11 launched in 1969, and at a special presentation at the ArtScience Museum in Singapore’s Marina Bay.”

Margaret & Austin, as at 1969, are included in the image…

#Apollo50th #ThePeoplesMoon #MyGiantLeap

20th July 2019 marks the 50th Anniversary of the First Landing on the Moon. So a good time to revisit the Apollo 11 ImmersiveVR Experiences via the Oculus Rift… this time using the Apollo 11 HD update… #Apollo50th

20th July 2019 marks the 50th Anniversary of the First Landing on the Moon. The National Space Society arranged an experience in Second Life to celebrate the event… #Apollo50th #SecondLifeChallenge

https://community.secondlife.com/blogs/entry/2586-apollo50th-secondlifechallenge/
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/National%20Space%20Society/30/51/3674

Did you see that Buzz! Houston… we may have a problem!

Second Life Spaceflight Museum

See also Second Life Spaceflight Museum: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Spaceport%20Alpha/49/81/24

20th July 2019 marks the 50th Anniversary of the First Landing on the Moon. So a good time to revisit the Apollo 11 Experiences in Sansar… Apollo Museum and Tranquility Base… #Apollo50th

A Relay for Life event in Second Life took place on 30th June 2019 in the Blake Sea sailing area – “Raft Up 2019” – with the audience able to observe the activities from a floating grandstand…
Blake Sea – Haggarty – Floating Grandstand
Blake Sea – Crows Nest – Nearby Boat Rez Zone

SLT 9am-11am: Joy Canadeo Live DJ
SLT 11am-1pm Luke Flywalker: Live DJ
SLT 12pm SLCG** Rescue demonstration
SLT 1pm-Close: Benny the boozehound Live DJ
SLT 1pm LCC Cruise to the raft up
** SLCG = Second Life Coast Guard

The De Lacy Motor Club (D.L.M.C) in Yorkshire has been running rallies, car trials and driving tests for over 50 years as noted in my previous blog post. My wife Margaret and myself joined some other family members and entered the Seven Dales Heritage Run again this year for a nice run through East and West Yorkshire…

Best turned out car and crew… Ted Meek and Morris Tate in the 1968 Austin Mini Countryman…

Half Way Halt…

Entrants List

I previously tried the Michie Marine Balloon from Balloon from Michie Yokosuka on the Second Life Marketplace over the New Linden Homes Bellisseria Continent in Second Life. Some snapshots are in this previous Blog Post.

I replaced the balloon envelope texture with one that is the same as the “Vue Balloon” based on a real life event where a balloon “glow” took place in the University of Edinburgh Old College Quad in January 2006.

Virtual University of Edinburgh (Vue) Balloon Tour

Supercar still works great in Flight Simulator FSX nearly 25 years since the first version of the add-on was created for Flight Simulator 5 using Flightshop Aircraft Factory in 1995… http://www.aiai.ed.ac.uk/~bat/GA/supercar-msfs.html

Bruce Artwick Organization, @microsoft / @dovetailgames @fsxinsider / @steam_games

Time to take the Bandit 50 Sailboat (from The Mesh Shop)out for a more extensive run down the West coast of Bellisseria, the New Linden Homes Bellisseria Continent in Second Life.

There are also some nice free sailboats in the Second Life Marketplace from Michie Yokosuka.

Having tried a range of aerial vehicles over the New Linden Homes Bellisseria Continent in Second Life, I explored some other vehicles from the same creator. I found several nice speedboats in the Second Life Marketplace from Michie Yokosuka – Michie Marine Sport Cruiser SD35 and MM Div(e) Speed Boat models.

Having tried a helicopter over the New Linden Homes Bellisseria Continent in Second Life, I explored some other vehicles from the same creator. I found a lovely free one on the Second Life Marketplace from Michie Yokosuka – a Michie Marine Balloon model – with ascent burner effects.

There are a number of people travelling by helicopter over the New Linden Homes Bellisseria Continent. So I thought I would try one out.. and I found a lovely free one on the Second Life Marketplace from Michie Yokosuka – a mm R44 Clipper2 model = appropriately with floats for water take off and landing. It has some animations for doors, rotors, etc. and a very nice down wash effect on the water surface.

The new airstrips, boat rez zones and car rez zones have now appeared on and around Bellisseria continent, the location of the New Linden Homes in Second Life.

• Daniel Voyager – Blog Post 24-Apr-2019 – Airstrip, Boat and Car Rez Zones
• Second Life Community Forum – Airstrips, Boat Rez Zones and Vehicle Rez Zones

I am using the ones at Norse Auk and
Coral Waters to try out Supercar.

Following me setting up a base in a houseboat on the New Linden Home Continent of Bellisseria in Second Life, I have been trying out a few vehicles, and thought I would reactivate my old Skydiving setup back from when I first joined Second Life in 2006, I used a skydive setup built by “Cubey Terra” (Seconbd Life Marketplace, Twitter: @stevecavers) to demonstrate some of the features of Second Life to colleagues and friends. See my Blog Post on this.

Skydive at Abbots Airfield in Second Life

You can go to at Abbots Airfield in Second Life to try out Skydiving. A free simple chute is available near the Skypod launch system. And “Terra Sports Chutes” can be obtained via the Second Life Marketplace.

New Linden Homes 2019 are available for Premium members in Second Life. Details via:

• Second Life Wiki – New Linden Homes 2019
• Second Life – Blog Post 15-Apr-2019

Ai Pad

Ai Austin established a houseboat style home at Damiano/92/20/0.

Customisation

Each Linden Home has a controller for the owner to alter visual appearance, décor, access security, etc. On the houseboats this is in the style of a lifebuoy…

Other Blog Posts about New Linden Homes

• Inara Pey – Blog Post 15-Apr-2019
• <a href="https://danielvoyager.wordpress.com/2019/04/15/new-linden-homes-have-officially-launched/"Daniel Voyager – Blog Post 15-Apr-2019

A black hole and its shadow have been captured in an image for the first time by a network of radio telescopes called the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). The image shows a supermassive black hole in the centre of Messier 87 (M87), an elliptical galaxy some 55 million light-years from Earth. This black hole is 6.5 billion times the mass of the Sun.

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/chandra/news/black-hole-image-makes-history

The image bears a remarkable similarity to the simulation which predicted what would be seen after image capture, combination and analysis…

A graphical depiction of the elements of a Black Hole are shown in this figure from NASA…

The Event Horizon Telescope has also already captured data which will allow the creation of images of other black holes, including Sagittarius A* at the centre of our own galaxy, the Milky Way.

This blog post is a reminder that we can still view OpenSimulator and Second Life content in Virtual Reality (VR) headsets such as the Oculus Rift using the CtrlAltStudio viewer. Though it is based on an older version of Firestorm and does not support some newer features incorporated in the platforms, it still performs pretty well on most content. Details of the viewer, its capabilities and usage are in an earlier blog post.

This blog post is intended to provide some information and resources links for 3D computer modelling tools and development and delivery platforms to combine models to create virtual worlds and make these available to multiple simultaneous users.

3D Modellers

There are many such modellers, some licenced and some open source. A few are:

• Blender – an open source modeler with a variety fo ways to import and export a range of 3D model types.
• Sketchup – Sketchup models are scenes comprised of Collada (.dae) content. But exporters can create other 3D model formats.
• Autodesk 3D Studio Max – a commercial licensed 3D modeller.

World and Scene Development Platforms

• Unity
• Unreal Engine
• Amazon Lumberyard

Multi-user Delivery Platforms

• Amazon Cloud
• Google Stadia

Multi-aspect Virtual World Environments

Some platforms provide several of the above aspects.

• OpenSimulator – provides a way to do modelling within the tool as well as importing Collada (.dae) mesh objects, combine them into scenes or regions and deliver these to multiple users via a viewer.
• Second Life – provides a way to do modelling within the tool as well as importing Collada (.dae) mesh objects, combine them into scenes or regions and deliver these to multiple users via a viewer.
• Sinespace – A platform which allows scenes built in Unity to be embedded in a multi-user virtual world delivery platform, along with some basic in world content modification tools.