SkyLine Grid

Diary of a DIY virtual world administrator

Credits for mesh!

Categories: Design, Grid Status Notifications

Tags: building, collada, dae, geometry, ground zero, opensim, real-life, replica, structure, textures, vehicles

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Published on: March 30, 2012

Are you a content developer looking to create high-quality, fully textured/UV’d and lightweight, solid geometry to be used in OpenSim?

If you are a skilled modeler able to create objects and export them in .dae Collada format, and keep the uncompressed file size under 5 Megabytes, here is your chance to earn in-world credits AND see your creations displayed at Ground Zero!

Here is a list to help you figure out what each category of objects will net you the most:

REAL-LIFE REPLICAS:

building structures: SKC$2000

large vehicles: SKC$1000

small/personal vehicles: SKC$500

furnitures SKC$350

electronics: SKC$250

apparel/accessories/tools/weapons/etc. (must fit avatars correctly): SKC$200

FANTASY/FICTIONAL/FUTURISTIC

building structures: SKC$3000

large vehicles: SKC$2000

small/personal vehicles: SKC$1000

furnitures SKC$500

electronics: SKC$400

apparel/accessories/tools/weapons/etc. (must fit avatars correctly): SKC$300

Submission rules:

1. Geometry file must be in .dae Collada format. No multiple files.

2. Texture files must be .jpg or .png

3. A screenshot of the rendered object showing how all the textures are supposed to look like when assembled must be included.

4. All files must be contained in one compressed .zip file.

5. Total size of the uncompressed files must be under 5 Megabytes.

6. Absolutely, categorically NO media under exclusive copyright, or restrictive intellectual property. All image files will be checked.

7. Files must be sent to info@SkyLineGrid.com and email must contain the full name of the author’s Avatar.

Successful submissions will be notified by e-mail and awards will be credited directly into the Avatar’s balance.

Successful submissions will be used in-world only, and as needed, with permissions levels set at the grid’s discretion.

New IP address: 50.1.50.89

by admin

Categories: Blog, Grid Status Notifications, Regions

Tags: grid information service, new ip

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Published on: May 7, 2012

A new IP has been issued to access the grid. The grid information service has been updated with the new address: http://50.1.50.89:8002.

Check out the NEW Groud Zero!

by admin

Categories: Blog, Design, Grid Status Notifications, Ground Zero, Regions

Tags: avatar center, ground zero, modern architecture, opensim, skg, the mixer, vista point

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Published on: May 5, 2012

Finally!! It’s with a huge sigh of relief that i introduce to you the first significant step towards a decent looking Ground Zero downtown area for SkyLine Grid!

The import of the whole mesh didn’t come easy, as i had to go back and forth several time between the DAE and the original mesh and ensure all geometry is seamless, as there seems to be a problem with seams within geometry that cause the viewer to crash during evaluation.

After some thought, i resolved that my original idea of creating a metaphor of urban traffic, comprehensive with signage and parking rules, was just not working, as opposed to the present open design which focuses on a few key buildings and a more upgradeable architecture.

In line with planning ahead for future free and sale content, i have planned the following structures to be furnished and stocked, as time allows:

Avatar Center:

Generic warehouse where new users will find quality accessories, skins and outfits to personalize their appearance.

SKG Customs:

The home of SkyLine Grids motor-heads! Custom vehicles, custom parts, paraphernalia and other similar products, as well as thematic car-show events.

Land Management:

Real estate office metaphor, where tenants and users alike can check out new properties available on the grid.

General Store:

Miscellaneous commodities, accessories, tools, and other product for daily use.

Modern Architecture:

For land owners and tenants, ready-made building structures of all sizes, from single units to large multi-family buildings. Business owners will be able to find buildings for commercial purposes.

The Mixer:

A little club/hung-out, more like a “filler building” for now, while development of the rest of Ground-Zero is underway.

Vista Point:

A self explanatory location where to get a view of the neighboring regions.

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Well this is all that is happening at SKG so far! Feel free to give your feedback!

Sneek Peek into the incoming Ground Zero!

by admin

Categories: Blog, Design, Grid Status Notifications

Tags: No Tags

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Published on: April 27, 2012

Here is a sneak preview on what will be of Ground Zero once complete.

Planned development of the area includes a real estate office, a general outlet store, an architectural studio where users will be able to purchase architectural elements, an “Avatar Center” where to find information and free items to customize the appearance of new avatars, a public hangout, and a “vista point”.

The grid underneath will be semi-transparent and the water-plane will be just beneath it, providing for some visual eye-candy to the overall skyline.

Efforts are being made to keep the overall poly-count below 100.000.

New website!

by admin

Categories: Blog, Design, Grid Status Notifications

Tags: chat session, console, errors, ground zero, logs, opensim, skin, skyline grid, texture, users

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Published on: March 29, 2012

Early this week i had an inspiring conversation with two new guests of the grid, whom were kind enough to provide feedback on their experience on the grid and about the website.

The exchange was fruitful as i felt compelled to make some immediate changes, especially in regard to the site’s navigation.

During the conversation, of course i couldn’t take my eyes off the console, watching carefully for any errors messages. I rarely have time to read the logs, so this was a real-time experience i was definitely looking forward to.

The run-time proceeded flawlessly, as i watched the threads behaving in concert with uploading of texture skins, instant messages, and open chat sessions.

The profiles module worked well as i saw no errors while adding both users to my contact list, and viceversa.

Following the conversation, i have immediately setup a sandbox, adjacent to Ground Zero, with a 4-hour time limit, and i am definitely looking forward to safely monitor higher activity on SkyLine Grid in the near future.

Ground Zero

by admin

Categories: Design, Grid Status Notifications, Regions

Tags: audio support, configuration, development, front-end, ground zero, mesh content, web

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Published on: March 26, 2012

A few small updates:

Ground Zero takes new shape as development of new mesh content in underway.

So far no glitches or errors have shown in console.

Web front-end has been updated to accommodate the new 25-region configuration.

Audio support is still planned to be implemented, schedule pending.

OpenSimulator Diva 0.7.3

by admin

Categories: Blog, Grid Status Notifications

Tags: grid, opensim, opensimulator, second life, skyline grid

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Published on: March 25, 2012

OpenSim 0.7.3 is here, and it’s every bit as stable and easy to install/upgrade to as I have been hoping it would be.

The upgrade took less than an hour and if I had anymore trust in my old backups from the laptop, upgrading the data tables wouldn’t have taken much more than that either… But I’m just nit picky that way.

With a clean and brand new 25 region grid, SkyLine is now sporting a whole new… SkyLine. Pun intended.

The good fellas at Network System Laboratories never disappoint, providing for a solid and brand spanking new money server module.

Groups and profiles are up and running, short of the expected little glitches, yet considering the open source nature of the technology, the platform does look production worthy beyond expectations.

Next up: voice support and more mesh based content development.

Diva 0.7.3 – Well worth the wait

by admin

Categories: Blog, Grid Status Notifications

Tags: 0.7.2, 0.7.3, installation, justincc, official blog, opensim, secondlife, upgrade

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Published on: March 6, 2012

On February 29th 2012, Justincc’s Opensimulator Official Blog announced the release of OpenSimulator 0.7.3. A rather tall order in terms of features and improvements, though a long way from being out of its Alpha status, it sounds promising according to the release notes available on the official site.

I have to admit, i did feel tempted to jump the gun and upgrade in a hurry, and did try what seems to be a solid package. The devil, as it were, it’s in the details.

The OpenSimulator platform is a very modular one, and it relies still heavily on third-party modules to expand it’s capabilities. A particularly tricky one is the MoneyServer, currently working brilliantly on 0.7.2, it will require a robust revamp to be able to fit many of the updated API’s contained in the 0.7.3 release.

I have most recently moved the entire installation to a new machine, and a new address: 50.0.66.49:8002. Old and new users won’t notice much difference, as the setup is very much identical, and every bit of the original data tables have been replicated.

As the title of this post suggest, i am motivated to upgrade to the new release sooner or later, possibly as soon as i am confident of the stability of the new hardware… sadly one of the draw-backs of being a one-man operation.

LightDome – Concept Renderings

by admin

Categories: Blog, Design, Grid Status Notifications, Ground Zero

Tags: concept building, conferences, conventions, entertainment, geometry, host. public events, light dome, opensim, sculpted, secondlife, structure, users, venues

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Published on: March 1, 2012

The LightDome is a concept building created to host public events ranging from conventions, venues, conferences and other forms of public entertainment.

The massive proportions of the structure offer plenty of room for display/showcase uses.

Users will be able to make use of the main bar, located at the center of the structure, where they will be offered complementary high-quality beverage/food-themed sculpted objects for their inventory.

A VIP/Private room will also be available on a separate panoramic level of the structure overlooking much of the interior of the LightDome.

An administrative/Manager’s Office will be outfitted directly underneath the top-most section of the roof of the building. Tilted windows will offer a complete view of the interior of the building.

The structure’s windows is vast and allows light to enter the building from most angles. The design allows the building to be used for daytime events as well as nightly venues.

See more views of this concept rendering:

Ground Zero developments

by admin

Categories: Blog, Design, Grid Status Notifications, Ground Zero, Regions

Tags: collada, crashes, geometries, ground zero, neon, night club

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Published on: February 23, 2012

More study on collada geometries is moving towards a stable but feature-rich world. The latest build is the initial development for SkyLine Club at Ground Zero.

This is a basic night-club themed building of moderate capacity. The poly-count is very small and ambient light is provided by internal building components such as walls and floors with neon-like textures.

Mild instability and artifact creation might be visible from a certain angle.

This is yet to be investigated, but so far no crashes have been reported.

Feel free to visit Ground Zero and take a look at the new builds currently in development.

More screenshots:

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