LD Magazine - Second Life

Right click in the world the wheel appears, after click on create with the mouse left button

The next window appears. Like we can see, we are in the create mode (red line). This mode allows to build primitive have 13 different prims and two more prims for vegetation. Click one primitive for example the cube. This one is circled by a yellow line. Do a left click where you want to create your primitive (most of time on the ground or a smooth surface).

Our prim had be created on the ground. Like we can see on our picture, the position option is activated. Look at the arrows on the different axes <x,y,z> respectively in green, blue and red. Place your mouse cursor on one axe and maintain the left mouse button down. You can move the primitive on the selected axe.

We can see other option, « rotation », « stretch », « select », « texture », « edit linked part ».

We go to select “rotation”.

Like the position mode, three circles show the rotation axes. The object will do a rotation around the x, y or z axe. Put the mouse cursor on one circle and maintain the left mouse button down, you will be able to make an object rotation.

The “stretch” command

A lot of points appear on the object! Each point is a hook point to stretch the primitive. If you place your mouse cursor on a green point and maintain the left mouse button down, when you move your mouse the primitive stretches. The colors are always equal to the axes where you do your stretching. In the options you had see « stretch both side », if you select this case the stretching will be do on the both side. The aim of this option is to maintain the primitive symmetry. The “stretch textures” case allows to have a texture who follows the new primitive tall.

Like you can see you have also Grey point on each corner. This hook point allow to do a primitive homotetie. You increase or decrease you primitive tall. In opposition with the previous case who was a primitive deformation because the stretch was only on one axe.

The « select texture » option.

After have selected “select texture” each primitive face is covered with a white target. This target show where the texture will be applied. In the present case all the side will be cover by the texture. If we do a click on one primitive side, all other side are deselected and stay only the clicked side. This last one will be alone to have a texture applied.

This option have interest only if we select the texture panel. You have probably saw this panels “general”, “object”, “texture”, “content”.

This panel contains all the useful options to use the textures. Click on “texture” (wood picture) an explorer will open and allow you to select a texture in your inventory (bmp, tga, jpg).

The “color” option allows to modify the texture shade previously selected. Or to apply a simple color and not a sophisticated texture.

« Transparency » In a range of 0 to 99 allows to do more and less transparency primitive. « Full Bright » Make the color texture brightness. « Mapping » The texture will follow the primitive modeling or not. « Shininess » How the texture mirrored the light. « Bumpiness » Give a Bump to the texture.

The other options allow to adjust the texture tall. « Repeats per face » Allow to increase or decrease the tall of the picture (texture). « flip » Allow a horizontal or vertical flip. « Rotation » Allow to adjust the picture angle. « Offset » Allow a vertical or horizontal offset without modify the tall.

We go to describe other panels. Start with the “General” panel.

In this panel you can give a name, that will be more useful that have a complete inventory with objects named objects ;-).

The next options allow to define if you authorize or not the object copy, if the next owner can copy, transfer the object etc .... You can also define the object price if you want sell your object.

To note the button in face of groups, this last allows to a group user to have rights or to own a common object.

The “Object” option.

This panel contains interesting options like “position”, “size” and “rotation”. Proceed like at the article beginning and select the radio button “position”, look at the the figures boxes with X,Y,Z, they are bright. Now you can type a number with the keyboard. No more need to gigue the mouse. You have a 0.001 meter accuracy. Same for the tall and the rotations. For the other options I can only to tell you to manipulate them. It’s the only solution to understand their utilities.

« Path cut » Allows to cut a primitive, for example open a box, make a ¾ sphere and with only one primitive. « Hollow » Allows to dig the primitive. You transform your full cube in an empty cube (it will be open on two sides in opposition). The advantage is to can do a room (little in fact) with only one primitive against 4 to do 4 walls. The door? It will do with the cut option to have an opening. « Twist » Allows to twist a primitive, not always easy to use if it’s not to do stone , modern art or twist iron. « Taper » Modify the diagonal length. Typically a cube can to be transformed in a triangle. « Taper » Modify the primitive symmetry, it’s hard to give a simple example, please do a test by yourself.

The “features” panel.

This one when the flexible case is ticked, give access at the “flex” option. That allow to add gravity, wind catch etc.... to the primitive. This point will be the subject of an other article, the flex is a large subject.

The “light” case allows to transform a primitive in a light source (very nice during the night) ^^.

The “Texture” panel had ever saw before.

The “content” panel.

It’s in this panel that you can create a script for your object. Click on “new script”, a script will be automatically generated with a “touch” event, the typical “hello avatar”. You can edit the script file with a double click. Complete this file is yet an other big subject, we talk about script an other time.

Until now we have saw the “create” and “edit” option. We must yet see “focus”, “move” and “land”.

The “focus” panel.

In this panel you can make zoom on the object actually in construction. For this section return to the previous article about the zoom manipulation. To know manipulate the camera is really important to simplify the construction.

The “move” panel.

This option allow to move objects in the world. Careful, we don’t talk of a position or rotation move like describe in the previous part. But simply like a hand who drag the object and drop it a little far. We can move, lift and rotate the object during the drag. This option is sometimes the cause of problems more particularly during “lagg”. The consequences are construction in two parts or an object among the neighbor.

The “land” panel.

This option allows to modify the land topology. You must to be land owner or have rights to modify the land.

Each radio button allows to increase or decrease the land level, dig or smooth the land. Your cursor looks like a rateau where the modification will be do. Put your cursor on the place to modify and maintain the left button down. You will see the land change immediately.

Lower we have options who permit to subdivide the land, abandon a rented land, join other land. Or buy a land if the owner put her land in auction.

About land give access to the menu of same name in the wheel.

This article have allowed to pass quickly the builder menu contains. Now you can go in the nearest sand box and do some test. Will come more in detail on the different panels in future articles. But it’ with tests that you increase your ability and will build more and more complex “legos” :-D

Little Brittany Harbor - Little Brittany