Scalable Shapes

I'm just about done scripting the first interactive models for our ScienceSim parcel; a cube and sphere that can be scaled up or down, giving their new sizes and volumes when touched. The info is given by llSay so it appears in the lower left. The sphere volume is the only part not working yet. While the formula is indeed correct, the script calculates it differently than when I do it myself. So I've got something wrong in my order of operations or something.

Messaging Prims in OpenSim (lsl)

I just had a big realization about how to make a lot possible in scripting prims with LSL in OpenSimulator. A great way to get prims to play off of each other is to have them send messages to each other on specific channels. This capability makes OpenSimulator and Second Life pretty special environments for network simulations, but that's another topic. What I have done so far with this is make a button that opens and closes curtains on a stage, and clothes that pack themselves when touched. In the first example, you can see the two scripts, the button on the left (the red button itself behind its script), and one of the curtains on the right. Both curtains can listen for the button's message and more than one button can be placed around the stage for easy access.

For the second example, the clothes message the suitcase, which responds with its position so the clothes know where to move. One piece of clothing is shown on the left and the suitcase is on the right. I thought there would be some way to dynamically update the suitcase's position for the clothes and this is it. It gets a little more complicated because there are three pieces of clothing, requiring three different messages from the clothes and three different reply channels depending on which message is received by the suitcase.

OpenSim Virtual Architecture Flythrough

Crash course on building in OpenSim with nine 10-12 grade students. Here are the results:

ScienceSim Land Grant Program

I'm really excited to be a recipient of a ScienceSim Land Grant. I will be developing a parcel from now until June with interactive educational content, with the assistance of science and math teachers and a few students. One student in particular is very interested in architecture and wants to design and build our welcome/info center. The content we have in mind so far range from scalable two- and three-dimensional objects that will assist in students' understanding of area and volume, representations of mathematical formulas, such as distance = rate x time, and molecular models.

Vocaroo, a nice little audio service

Vocaroo looks like a great little service. It seems to do just what you would want with your voice recording-link to it, embed it, or download it. And there's no sign-up and account hassle. You just use it. And it looks simple.