Visiting Condensation land

Visiting Condensation land

This is my 5th post on a visit to an OpenSim grid. 

( with comments and help from Zonja )

I first heard of Zonja on Vints blog on how to install OpenSim on XP. I tried it and it worked, and I was happy, and then I tried it on Linux, and it worked...eventually, with a bit of tuning, and reading OpenSim.ini, and rereading the ini file as I didn't read it properly the first time.

Then I added her blog to my reading list, eventually discovering that she has built her own grid, Condensation land. 

Having your own Grid is a bit of an exotic hobby, and I asked some time a go for an account and I visited and looked around, performance was quite good, border crossing, didn't throw you a hundred or so metres away (As SL still can).

is not really through choice, and she did at one stage have quite a few SL Sims, and these were OpenSpace Sims.

Then came the day when linden Lab decided that these Sims where no longer being used for their stated purpose, and were being abused. I have my own theories of what happened, but to read through Zonjas eyes, go to here. Zonja and her friend Ludmilla with Favio Piek, have taken all the work they had done in SL, and set up their own grid to save it all. I'm actually quite sad that so much work was lost, but so many people had no way to back any of it up at the time.

But it's probably true to say that this event was the major shot in the arm that spurred on the development of OpenSim. 

                                                                

Zonja is builder, scripter, artist, a brilliant machinemist, an excellent dancer, ** she was also a major SL evangelist, so not only was the Openspace a financial assault, it was a kick to someone who had been telling everyone what a great potential SL had. 

Here we can see Zonja in SL, and in OpenSim.

                                                      

                   

It's not a conscious choice that I choose Zonja for my next visit, but it is an interesting contrast to Reaction Grid. As Reaction Grid is a commercial entity, Condensation Land is on a PC running windows, on the end of a 2mg SDSL line, and it works, it's fun to visit and to look around. 

 Ludmilla Writer                                                                                  

It's a private grid, but I  believe you can hypergrid from Osgrid. Hypergrid is a protocol so you can travel between Grids, it's also in Alpha, and still has a few bugs, and doesn't play nice with the Diva Distros, such as Condensation land is running. 

She has also demonstrated on how you can use very large linksets on OpenSim by constructing a Klein Bottle, you to can have your own to play with. 

Currently Zonja is hosting an art show called Mirror Worlds 

                                                                        

                          

It reminds me of the early days of the Web, people on dial up, and in company offices, and in government agencies around the would would run a web server on their PC. Ok, so the webpages at this time were very static, and you had to wait for the entire picture to download before you could see it, and we were  using Mosaic as a browser, but then, maybe, just maybe OpenSim is the new Apache Server.

My only real problem with OpenSim in the lack of any currency, and centralized shopping as does SL . There are skins and and clothes, and AOs available, you just have to find them. You really do miss your normal appearence, but thankfully it's getting better, as Botgirl also shows below. Left hand side is Reaction Grid, right hand side is SL

                                           

Thanks to the joys of Open Source, is that I could offer clothes or items to the main developers to include in the Libraries, so I can't really complain can I?

When you first login, your back to being Ruth again, Currently Zonja hasn't installed any Freebies to wear or use, but this is only due to being busy in RL

                              

The Condensation Land grid is about 5 regions, as you can see on the Map below:-

The main focus of Condensation land is the Large Gazebo [that's my club at Condensation -- Zonja], and also the Gallery.

  

Below you can see the rotating Klein bottle.

Zonja also has a Zeppelin, that you can TP to, and a Balloon that goes around on a circuit. So this is almost the same view as SL Condensation Land

The following pictures display a panorama from near the Home point, as it's quite small you can almost see across the 5 Sims

Below is shoshisn's Shilova's "Stairway to Heaven"

The Tower below is in Condensation land north, and it's big, really big. I'm standing at the 9:00 position. [That was supposed to be a rotating restaurant, which I neved finished -- Zonja]

I'm flying back from the tower, and turn to look at it again.

Then face the other way

 (Didn't I say something about pictures of the back of my head in my last post?)
I saw this sculpture at Condensation Beach [That's "vase 101" from shoshisn Shilova, you can find it also in the Mirror Worlds exhib -- Zonja] .

Now here we are at the Gallery, I do feel a little under dressed :-)

Well, there goes my thoughts in being under dressed :-)

Remember the title of the display is Mirror Worlds, so it's not just the main image your looking at, it's also the mirrors and reflections in the glass, and the surfaces. 

More art works by Florence Babenco

You have to come here to see the rest of the gallery.

Marla Korolov has posted on Grid Statistics and grids numbers, but as she says, there will be many Grids and Sims not listed. Condensation Land one of the many grids not listed anywhere. (Someone should really make a good name for these..eg grey grids or something.)

At the end of the Gallery Zonja has a secret passage. Watch your step  :-) . Don't fall in!!

I arranged to meet Zonja on a later date, where she was able to give me some clothes and shoes. I also uploaded my shape via the Meerkat Browser. I believe the latest Imprudence browser can also do this. I didn't have time to get a better skin, or shoes or an AO.

 

You know, I'm certain the sliders move just a tiny bit upwards, when you move your shape across. I didn't get a new skin, but Zonja and I really only had 5 minutes together due to our RL schedules.  So I'm off to explore a bit more.

Here I am seated at the Arrabal Tango Club, no one to dance with me :-(

As I was passing here again I thought it a well framed shot with the sculpture, the bottle and the Balloon flying over head.

After all that, it was time to relax by the pool.

Well I hope you can see what is possible with a home PC, a Broadband connection, some creativity, and OpenSim , so I'll wave bye for now.

Links below for further reading and viewing

 

 

Zonjas latest post on oar files

Condensation land blog

Zonjas blog

An interview with Zonja on Maxping

Zonjas Flickr Stream

Condensation land Flickr group, both SL and Opensim

Zonja on Youtube

Maxping Article on Ludmilla Writer

Ludmillas Flickr stream

Zonja has donated her club as an oar file so anyone can import it to their OpenSim

also available in the OSgrid

** this has nothing to do with the fact she is my sl Landlady....really...promise  [Ha Ha /Zonja]

In my day, we didn't have virtual reality.  If a one-eyed razorback barbarian warrior was chasing you with an axe, you just had to hope you could outrun him.

- Anon                          

Reaction Grid

My Visit to Reaction grid

This is my fourth blog post on a visit to an OpenSim based Virtual world.

Reaction grid is a rather large and growing Grid, so there is no way I could really visit everywhere, and see everything, even with multiple visits, it's also PG rated so it's safe to login with your grandmother (if you can get off that dance pole in SL).

They recently had their 3000th user account, ok that's not big compared to the massive millions who have set up accounts in SL, or even the 21000 for OSgrid, but it's a steady growth pattern, but then again it's not the sort of business where you want an population explosion that you can't handle.

Reaction Grid is one of the more commercial and professional of the OpenSim providers. In that it actively seeks out markets, and promotes itself as an alternate to
Second Life. They do seem to be growing quite well, and have just had Microsoft move in from Second Life.

Reaction grid are very pleased to say they run it all on Hyper-V on 2008 Windows Server using SQL Server 2008, so I guess Microsoft are going to where their own technology is being used.

They are also Partners with ESRI, and if you have ever worked with GIS (Geographic information systems) products, you know that ESRI is considered the number one application by many people.

They have also released they own private Grid for business Service called Banbury, in competition with the Linden Lab Enterprise.

This post is not going to be very up
to date, as they are such a moving target, it's hard to keep up with them (shakes tiny fist). They not only work with OpenSim itself, but a product called Unity 3d, hopefully to bring a web based interface to OpenSim. I tried it once during a early test, potentially it should be able to import avatars from poser, Daz3d, and other modelling software.

I suspect the grid is in one data centre, this should hopefully help with Sim crossing.

The Website is very helpful, and has lots of information, on who they are, where they are, and how it all runs.

First thing to do is to create an account at the Reaction Grid website, you have 6 choices for your initial avatar. It would be best to try out the Hippo Viewer, as it should have the Reaction Grid Settings in it's Grid Manager

Here is a pic of the Login point, on the raised platform in the background, there is a screen to show you who is inworld.
You may notice the large red emblem on the
ground, it's that of Reaction grid, This place is set as your home location, so if you get lost, click on the Home on the menu to return here. As you can see the Avatar is better than the basic Ruth you get on most OpenSims.

This is the Teleport centre, the picture is not clear enough to show you what is written on them, sorry.

I first visited the RGshop which didn't seem to be there?? Hmmm

Ok lets go to Little Japan




So we have a rather large Oriental styled house..lets go in...

It's big...yes it's quite big inside

The land it nicely done with nice ponds and streams and landscaping

OK, Teleport back Home...a random choice and lets go to 1939 Worlds Fair

Lets go into the Information building, that the one straight ahead, on the end of the bridge.
It contains a large amount of posters and displays of the 1939 Worlds Fair

City of New York Display


The next three pictures show the Hemispere. A circular structure, with a long spiral path to walk along...but I would rather fly instead.

A large dome with a Jack o lantern was on display. Aparently this is how it actually looked when the fair was on

OK, there is more, but I decided to go check out some neibouring area, I flew across to the next region Code Torque and took snapshots.

I seem to be the 213th visitor.

They have plants here, you know if this was SL, it would grab you and try to drag you under.

Crossing regions was quite good, except when I seem to have hit a corner of 4 sims, and got stuck. The only way out of this is to TP home, Which didn't work this time
so I logged out.

Logged back in and TPed to Gridizens market, one thing I have notice is all these little one person boats everywhere. I had a short go in one,they work fine, I was just wondering why they are there? I am also wondering where my picture of them went, oh well never mind.

The market is quite small but it has a Few Scripts, Animations, and furniture and items. Hmmm OK, lets go back to Home

My next randon choice to see is Elf Clan, and it seems to be fairly close to what I remember in SL.

I might one day remember not to put the back of my head in most of my pictures

Around this time I thought to myself I should put my draw distance to maximum...and then I noticed I hadn't really been TPing very far.
As below is the view above the Home point

I think this is the Master Control room.

The overwhelming feeling is that crossing regions is so good, although I always seem to have the habit of crossing where 4 come together, and getting stuck. (So don't do it, ok?)

With the increased in draw distance I realized how much I missed, but I was travelling very slow, it's a business laptop, with a average video card :-).

On my second visit I dropped in on Trever Meister who was working away on his land, who was nice enough to talk to me, and show some of the items he has created. His main interest in OpenSim is how it can be used in education

On my 3rd visit I just imported my Avatar settings via Meerkat, and strangely felt much better, and taller, and just a bit err, you know..bustier :-)

I then started to fly randomly, and found myself approaching a Gas Giant

I seemed to have found someones plans for a housing estate. This would be a good idea. First create your houses, and estates, and get is all sized up.

On a random Map selection I found the Grid CSI department.

I wonder if anyone has told Desmond Shang he has a Caledon outpost here?

Now here I came across Cube3, who make the Spaceships in SL, he has been rather busy!

I'm trying to sit down, but I guess this is some sort of anti-theft device.

A nice Spaceship

MOVIE NIGHT!!

Possibly I should have brought a date, but there was no movie showing, I suspect Sci-Fi may be a popular choice.

CAn I have some Popcorn please? Anyone.

On my fourth visit I looked at the Map and did some random jumps, and then i found the Hypergrid...not having tried the Hypergrid I gave it a go and ended up on Virtual Recovery.

It was not very big, just 4 -6 Regions, so I had a quick look around
and them went back to the login point, and stayed there, while clicking
on the ground, the air...and couldn't see how to get back or go
anywhere else... so I logged out.

I logged back in again, and just did another final map jump, and found myself here. I have an idea what it's all about. But I am still amazed at the things that people create

And this is when I logged out. I do belive that Reaction Grid is going to be one of the frontrunners for a viable OpenSim environment.

Microsoft case study on Reaction Grid

Microsoft in ReactionGrid on Flikr


ReactionGrid on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/groups/reactiongridlandscapes/

http://www.reactiongrid.com/Community/FlickrCommunity.aspx

Pachube is a site/system that bring sensor data to the public. I belive it can be directly written into a Database, this can then animate objects in OpenSim

Pachube and Reaction Grid
http://www.reactiongrid.com/Community/TDAQ/pachube.aspx

Reaction Grid Support site is

http://www.metaverseheroes.com/



Karl G is on twitter as http://twitter.com/Dr_Manhattan and as
far as I can tell, he's having a great time, and enjoying what he does.


The number one benefit of information technology is that it empowers people
to do what they want to do. It lets people be creative. It lets people be productive.
It lets people learn things they didn't think they could learn before, and so
in a sense it is all about potential. - Steve Ballmer