Audrey's Latest Building Project

I have got a headache... I have been at the computer too long..
I need a coffee...
What could be so interesting that I haven't had time to get one?

I have been building a new home!

I'm not sure that it is finished yet. I am toying with the idea of adding a script for swirling smoke/twinkles.


Here I am in my Genie bottle! I spent all morning getting an outfit that was ok. I even have a pink diamond in my navel! Whitwoo!
Since I took the photos, I have fooled around a bit more with my new home and reduced the size a little to make it more snug. Even so, Lance who happened to be passing, managed to fit in without spilling out of the jar! He did have to stick his feet into the pillows though! LOL

The dreaded lag

Here is the situation:
I suffer from pretty bad lag. Sometimes very bad lag.
I can expect 8-11 second delay each time I enter any kind of command.
I don't think it is an insufficient computer as we have a reasonably fast one. I pretty much blame Big Pong (aka Big Pond...aka Telstra).

Some things I have learnt:

I have shortened my view so I don't see the open vistas that those with windlight enjoy. In fact I haven't even bothered with it.

Do not teleport too often and expect to succeed.

If I have done a lot of camera maneuvering, reset it first before doing anything important. It is most likely going to crash the computer.

Sitting is always safer than walking.

But do not sit before you have let things load after arriving somewhere. This brings on an experience I have not heard of anyone else having. My camera believes we are buried in a near by hill. I am still visible to the people I was with and we can still chat, but I just see hill.
If I leave it alone as soon as this begins there is a chance that it will fix itself. But if I have accidentally hit a second command, quitting is the only option.

Turn off live sound streaming except when I really want it working.

Keep active windows like maps to a minimum.

All multi-tasking is asking the band width to provide more and it isn't happy so the more the worser!!!

Clear the cache regularly.

Rebake textures.

If inventory is slow to load, I try to remember the name of the item I want and type it in. Often it can find it if you ask even though it isn't loaded yet. (???)

Flying is easier than walking but do it in stages. Walking has obstacles, but flying takes me too far for the rate of information arrival and brings on a crash.

My flights go like this:
Page up
(Count to 8)
page up
(Count to 8)
forward burst ( don't hold or else crash)
(Count to 8)
repeat until hovering where wanted.

Then I chose to stop flying as I think it is a hoot to sprawl all over the ground when I crash land!

Some say they could not enjoy SL with these limitations... but anyone who has been within earshot lately knows that I do anyway.

Lives Cross Over

A little while back, I went to my first Second Life quilt meeting. In the marrow of my bones I was quite convinced that I would win the door prize... and I did!!!!
And this is where the lives crossed over. The prize was real life thread. 42 spools of Aurifil thread. You should see it. It is so gorgeous. I must take a photo of it so that you can be equally impressed. I might have to stop fooling around in Second Life long enough to play with my wonderful new thread!

Skating Craze

I need to write a long blog about this later because I have discovered making my own textures! I am so excited. It is so fun and the instant gratification is fabulous.
Anyway, I have been skating. That is fun too.. I am so good at it!!! Who would have thought??!!
Here is one of the frocks for Christmas i have made.. I am thinking of popping it in a gift box but I don't know if it will fit anyone else...
So much to learn!

Building in Second Life

Santa and Friend-won first prize today

Sitting in NCI Kuula, one of the most repeated questions is "How do I get money?"
After 2 months, I have yet to purchase a L$. Honestly there is so much fun for free I still don't know why anyone bothers looking for money.
Never the less I went along to an NCI Salsa and won L$60. Untold wealth!!! I guarded my money like a miser.
Having sat and watched the builders at NCI I was realised that the building part of SL was actually very appealing. I joined my first building blitz simply because almost no one else turned up and I figured that even if I won a minor prize just by entering, then I could maybe double my money!

Ok. To be frank...The first thing, Rusty... was hideous. And yes, I did win one of the minor prizes.
And now I am 100% hopelessly addicted to building in SL.

I have since won some newbie blitzes and show and tell events with better builds and have accumulated and spent quite a bit of money. ..... all buying textures, scripts and sounds to make more things.

I am not the kind of builder that everyone sits back in awe over like Aley...
And I use way too many prims.
And my builds are more about a joke than perfection. They are not for sale or built with that as a goal.. they are just a challenge to me.

Can I? How do I? I wonder if..?
I love it!
Three cheers for the folk at NCI who have given me the tips, scripts, textures and tools when I needed them

And this is me in my first successful outfit! The skirt is made from scratch, I didn't make the top-just re-coloured one and added the bow. And fiddled the hair a from a freebie. I love that learning to build means that I can alter things I have picked up along the way....note to self: only buy all mods items!