Saying Goodbye to June

June was a busy moth at MOSP with lots of green dots scattering the landscape. Films were completed, others started and maybe a few planned and shot lists made. Newness this week includes a terrifically posh dining set in the San Marino House at Cherry Blossom Romance. Click the table for a big menu that serves 2 or 4. Actually the casual set on the patio has this same feature, I just hadn't noted it!  I took some nice dining shots this afternoon. The room is completely furnished and there are plenty of great angles to be used.

Other items include new trees at ground level and some additional general upgrades of existing items.

As we head into a new month I wanted to let you know that the skies are pretty crowded at the moment. Some huge (HUGE) surrounds have moved into the neighborhood.

Don't panic!

OK. It's really alright to panic a little. I did when I TPed over to the long country road where I am planning on filming next week. A few clicks and the skies were clear again.

I am guessing that many of you use a third party viewer since most of them have an abundance of features specifically for photography and filming. So right click and hit that Derender or Derender and Blacklist choice to make those lovely from the inside but not so impressive from the outside surrounds disappear. You can always remove them from your block list later. If you are using the official viewer, it might be time to try an alternative. Just a suggestion *wink*. Many changes are coming our way in the next week or so and viewer upgrades will be part of the process.

Fame, Glory and All That Jazz

Some history of MOSP and a casual look at how I work can be seen in an interview filmed last week. Find the videos here at YouTube or at AviewTV. Great fun for me and I am a bit less trepidations about the SL voice thing now. Thanks to those of you that stopped by the studio. I appreciate your support.

PLEASE NOTE that the video doesn't actually start with sound until about 1:30 in. So click ahead if you are impatient. I forgot to mention that and there was some confusion :D.

Hill Walkin'

Walk through any hills lately? Well if you have been trekking in the upper regions of MOSP you likely have. That's about to change and I know some of you will be thrilled. Here's the scoop.

I made my mesh hilly surrounds last winter. They are extremely pretty and organic and natural, but the physics? Well they HAVE no physics. That was planned long ago but it seemed wise to see about changing to some better hills --  and ones with lower land impact.

I am a fairly good mesh designer, not very techie, still in the pretty realm of things. I tried and tried but could not get physics AND lower land impact AND good looking hills. The story is long but here's the punchline.

There will soon be walkable hills in SAND, SAGE, SOIL and SNOW -- and other areas. Not only that, the change will regain over 1000 "prims". Now to be honest I don't love them "quite" as much as my original hills, but they are very realistic and film well and honestly I doubt you guys will even notice the difference. Walkable and 1000 prims saved (oh my) wins the contest hands down. This was not my doing -- it is all because Aquila Kytori seems to really like solving puzzles.  I don't know how many hours were spent on the sandbox for these low land impact, walkable hills to come into being -- but it was more than a few.

So let's have a little virtual hand of applause for someone who has definitely made MOSP a better place.

I bought new materials making software this week and will be adding some normal and specular maps to the landscape in the near future. I still can't see the new materials on my viewer of choice, but it won't be long. And the difference is quite lovely. So keep watch.

Update: Hills are changed out in SAND, SOIL, SAGE and Cherry Blossom Romance. I left the snow hills as is for now -- still holding on to history a bit *wink*. 

Brought to You By the Letter "F"

 

Today's news is brought to you by the letter "F" for Fantasy, Flora and Fast.  First up a new fantasy area -- not quite complete as I search for a few additions, but certainly usable and oh so very pretty. It is enclosed in a 64 meter globe with subtly moving clouds which could be interpreted as water should that be your need. Find the Deep Blue Fantasy build here.

Also new is an underwater grotto area near the lighthouse.




Flora flourishes as well as fish.

Grab your fins -- rubber or mer -- and do some swimming!

You can also just walk toward the lighthouse from the beach and you will find yourself -- planned or not -- beneath the sea.

Last up is a new convertible car just out at the full sim city.  Now just like the other cars, you can't DRIVE it (that could be dangerous on many levels).

But this car has a place for a passenger to sit and a lovely city backdrop for photographs and scenes.

This is a good place to rez you own pose balls with the animations you need, sit on them and scoot into the car. As long as you don't try and SIT in the drivers seat, you should be fine. This would work with some of the other cars too of course, this is just more picturesque and very PINK :D.

My tip of the day which I am sure many of you know about already is DERENDER which is available on Firestorm and other third party viewers. We will all be updating our viewers soon for the new materials and baking code implementations. If you are still in the official viewer camp, I strongly urge you to give Firestorm a try. There are many many features just for filmers and photographers, things I couldn't possibly live without -- well, certainly don't WANT too as life would be much more difficult.

One of these is DERENDER which in the new Firestorm comes in two choices -- derender (the object becomes invisible to you for awhile but is viewable again the next time you log in or return to the sim) and derender + blacklist (the object disappears for YOU only forever or until you open up your block list and take it out).

Don't want to see that chair in your shot? Just derender it. You can even derender something large like a couch and place YOUR couch in its place. If you are working with actors they will also need to derender the item as this is a client side feature.

New Trailer and Group Gift

Wondering what you may have missed lately? Well there is a new MOSP trailer just up. Available in HD if you system can handle it.   Don't recognize a spot? If it is new, then check out the NEW room for posters of all the areas that have been added to MOSP after the HUD was built. That's a good place to landmark as I don't plan on remaking the HUD until the beginning of the year.

Be sure and note the cola machine in the entry shot of the film. It comes packed full of fun animations. Find it at Sound Stage 1. And if you are a group member there is a group gift of this snazzy megaphone (rez or wear - one land impact) in the archives. I included a pose but you most likely have many that would work well with it.

Live at SL10B

For anyone that might want to journey over, I will be giving a live interview (in voice which I almost never use *insert cringe here*) at SL10B on Friday at 3.

My interviewer who I am sure will be kind is Rowan Derryth. You can read up on the other interviews of the week here.The full auditorium schedule is here.

Be sure and descript as there are naggers around. I guess I better start getting my outfit together. This one definitely flunked the test.

LEA Land Grant Applications are Open

LEA 12 - Pirats Art Kahos                          LEA23 - Inside Art                           LEA16 - Ascension

Have some big ideas? Ones that need land and prims to come to fruition? Grab your virtual pen and head over to the LEA Artist-in-Residence land grant form. Read how you -- and perhaps a few of your friends and colleagues can apply for a full sim for five months.

The Artist-in-Residence program is open to all residents. Tell a story; make a statement; curate an exhibit -- the possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

Applications close  July 16, 2013.
Sim handover and public announcement - August 1, 2013.

Here is all the info you need.

See all the exhibits before they are gone.

Getting Famous

Lots of old time primmy props were replaced with some gorgeous low land impact mesh alternatives this week. Plus there is more furniture in the new cabin in SOIL. I'll let you explore and find those. I also found a 120 prim guitar in one of the sound stage sets. What was I thinking? It was long ago when I believed that the prims on a sim could be measured in the infinite; it seemed that way -- so naive was I *wink*.

I've seen lots of little groups of green dots in clusters on the map this week so I hope you are having fun with film and photos. Now wasn't that a great segue to my lead shot?

Just up yesterday in the gallery area, a photo board where you can ADD YOUR OWN MOSP PHOTOS. Instructions are on a poster nearby. For those of you in search of perfection, the ratio on most of the spots is 2 to 1 or 1 to 2 "ish". I have adjusted a few of them to be crops, so it is a puzzle in a way. This gives you a reason to try out some wide screen or vertically cropped photos.

Here is where you want to go. 

Also MOSP is at SL10B. Pick up a very nice framed and menu driven photo collection.
 
You can also stop by on The Long Walk and find a homewares gift.  Info on the event is supposed to show up on the official blog soon.

Machinima HUDs are available at the plot; just touch the black sign.

Nothing too fancy here. I went for a breath of calm in what is a cacophony of shape and color that is the two week long celebration. You may find you need a bit of calmness amidst trees and clouds and ocean. If so, this is your spot.

Docks Horses and Tents

This newness report is brought to you by derender and Windlight. Put the two together for this misty view of the new boat dock, a big upgrade from its predecessor. Find it on the lake at ground level. High rez photo here.

And there be horses at the ranch! Well, one in residence as the white one is a riding version. You can pick up the riding horse at SL10B when it opens. Look for the Carriage Trade plot.

Last up for today, an exotic locale placed outside the dungeon. It is in view from the gates for filming purposes. Find it here.

That's the update! Come use this stuff!

B-C-C

Things, they are a changing. 

"B" is for billiards. Find this beautifully made set in Sound Stage Two. Bring your own animations, it is just for looks!

"C" is for the crying lady statue (it is large) and the new cherry trees in the previously empty corner of the Cherry Blossom Romance section. Now I am going to warn you, if you haven't visited. It may be laggy. All that flora adds up to s-l-o-w-n-e-s-s, but it is so very pretty. Stills are fine for me with shadows but no smooth camming for sure. YOUR system may be better than mine though. It IS lovely there.

"C" is also for cabin, a new addition in SOIL, replacing the dated and extremely primmy (690 when all the accouterments were counted) of the Steampunk - Victorian build. This cosy place weighs in at 39 and I have used only low land impact mesh and similar items -- so that's many hundreds of "prims" returned to the bank. 

One big addition at ground level will be coming next week.

One exotic backdrop is already out and waiting for you to discover it, should your explorations take you to that landing spot.

Meanwhile enjoy some of the current changes, grab some photos --

and FILM!

Drawing Outside the Lines

Happily I am filming. My current work is entitled "Drawing Outside the Lines". It didn't take too much pondering to convince me that posting each Sunday at noon was  --- less say "stringent" *wink*.  So posts will happen when there is news; and since there is always news -- check now and then.

First up in the list of newness, the Rainy Day Loft is now open. A small and very nicely furnished abode, its biggest perk is the rainy vista and balcony.

Sound Stage 1 is now the happy home of a classroom. There are a variety of textures on the chalkboard along with both reading to the class and writing on the board animations. Click the books at the desk for a chair to rez. The animations are exceptionally nice!  All graphics are public domain or home made -- so no copyright issues.

Upgrades are always happening at MOSP and this week is no different. One of my favorite sets is the designer workshop at Sound Stage Two. While still very serviceable, it was going on 9 months old which in SL is ancient *smile*.  So a bit of shopping was in order. The new vintage dress form is sensational with lovely detailing. It also logs in at 6 instead of 26 prims.

We want MORE! And having more means replacing older primmy items with new smart mesh ones.

While I was hanging out at Sound Stage 2 I upgraded many textures and it is looking pretty spiffy.

I also -- while filming -- discovered that I really wanted a back wall in that classroom (not the sound stage clutter). So Sound Stage One now has invisible and phantom walls for the fourth wall of each set. When you are inside you see a matching wall texture.  I know the sound stages are very popular and this will no doubt help those filming. I will work on Sound Stage Two very soon. (done)

Other additions include a very cool sign up at the sim long country road, a comfy pillow corner with foodstuff upstairs at the Cherry Blossom Romance house and some classy beach chairs out in front of the artist's studio at Beach Walk.

Beam Me Up

Not all of this week's additions take us into the future, but the theme does run through the list.

First up a gorgeous space corridor with matrix-like control room and side panels. The creator was nice enough to donate part of his full sized ship (a prim thing) for your filming pleasure. This is so very impressive; my photo doesn't come close to the reality. Find it here.

There is an addition to the formerly empty surreal landscape in SAND.  Opportunities abound if you have shadow capabilities. The house is happily very low land impact and in one piece. If you want that emptiness back for your shot, just derender the house and you will have it. I am not planning on adding furnishings so aside from some broken shards there will be little else to remove from your field of view.

Back in our everyday time and place, there is a fun new raft and inner tube (not shown) out by the blue bungalow at Beach Walk. These are primarily props for couples, but happily many of the poses work well for singles also.

Use the "SWAP" function to switch between the animations. There is even a fun one where a shark appears.

If you visited the new Cherry Blossom Romance section last week, you know how pretty it is. Well there are many more plants now and a fantastic new mesh house. It is a "primmy" little devil with lots of details, but I couldn't resist putting it up as it is a beautiful example of mesh work. You can happily rez inside the house (yeah). There is a living room set and a patio set of furniture. I don't suspect much more will be added because of the land impact.

And in the news, MOSP is now in the Destination Guide, happily sitting at the number two slot in the Media and TV section.