Talking about Server Side Baking and Materials
Join us at 2pm SLT today, Monday 13th May, for the new episode of Designing Worlds at our studio in Garden of Dreams, as we are joined by Oz, Brooke, Troy and Nyx Linden to discuss the issues of Server Side Baking and materials.

If you're wondering what these are and how they might affect your Second Life, this show should explain it.

But - as server side baking means earlier viewers will no longer work properly, it is essential that every user of Second Life should be prepared for the changes.

Nyx, Troy, Oz and Brooke Linden explain the changes coming

Server side baking is a whole new way of solving the problem of avatars (and system clothing) that fails to load properly, by moving this from the viewer side client to the server side. It will need significant changes to the client viewers (like Linden Lab's own viewer, and also third party viewers like Firestorm and Exodus). Nyx and Troy Linden will be talking about this and explaining what Second Life users should expect.

Katana, created by June Dion of Bare Rose, demonstrating materials

Then Oz and Brooke Linden will be explaining about materials, normal and specular maps, what this is and what it will mean for our Second Life experience. And there will be samples to see too - when Oz and Brooke took us to see the work in progress at Hippotopolis. You can go there and check this out for yourselves but if you want to see the items properly displayed, you'll need to download the special Materials Viewer (it doesn't overwrite the main Linden Lab viewer).

A simple cube takes on depth and texture under changing light

Materials are going to mean a richer Second Life experience, and creators are going to be very excited about the possibilities, we suspect! But don't take our word for it - come and watch the show at 2pm!

Or – if you can’t attend in person – tune in at 2pm SLT on Monday for the live show on http://treet.tv/live – or catch it later in the week on our shows page on the Treet.tv web site at http://treet.tv/shows/designingworlds – our very own version of the iPlayer!

Fairelands Junction - photograph by Wildstar BeaumontJoin us at 2pm SLT today, Monday 29th April, for the start of an exciting new season for the opening episode of Designing Worlds at our studio in Garden of Dreams.

Fairelands Junction - photograph by Wildstar BeaumontWe'll be visiting the amazing Fantasy Faire (a visit filmed before the Faire actually opened) and talking to Zander Greene and Elicio Ember (the creator of the amazing Tiitans' Hollow as we explore some of the fascinating regions in the quiet days before they filled with eager visitors, and learn about the work and ideas that led to their creation.
Titans' Hollow - photograph by Wildstar Beaumont
And we'll be learning something about the Hunt too. Remember - although the first part finishes with the Faire, you'll be able to carry on with the second part of the Hunt from May 1st - May 19th.
So – come and join us at 2pm.
The Valley of Ish'Nar - where the second part of the Hunt occurs - photograph by Wildstar Beaumont

Or – if you can’t attend in person – tune in at 2pm SLT on Monday for the live show on http://treet.tv/live – or catch it later in the week on our shows page on the Treet.tv web site at http://treet.tv/shows/designingworlds – our very own version of the iPlayer!There's also a special short story competition sponsored by Prim Perfect and the Fantasy Faire team - you can find out all the details here.

Magnificat - photograph by Wildstar Beaumont

Join us for today’s Happy Hunting! in the treet.tv studios in Garden of Dreams at 3pm, Friday 22nd March, with our host Cinders Vale and hunt reporter Rosamoo Mendelsohn and an interview with Gavinmyer Resident and Katiemichelle Resident, talking about the Him and Her Hunt.

Happy Hunting for some awesome items!

Rosamoo, of Hunt SL, has found some amazing hunts and items this week – including the most amazing full-sized windmill (with a complete farmhouse attached)!

Him and Her Hunt logoAnd then Cinders will be travelling across the grid to meet Gavinmyer Resident and Katiemichelle Resident of the store Curve and Curvaceous, and talk about the Him and Her Hunt. It's a hunt that is designed for both men and women to get clothing, poses, accessories, or anything that would appeal to either gender.

Plus there will be news from Rosamoo of exciting hunts that lie ahead!

So join us at 3pm today in the studio for the broadcast. Bring along your hunter friends too. We will be glad to have you all join us for the show.

Or – if you can’t attend in person – tune in at 3pm SLT on Friday for the live show on the Happy Hunting! channel on YouTube (it will go live at 3pm!) – where you can now chat with other audience members and even some of the participants during the show – or catch it later in the week on our shows page on the Treet.tv web site at http://treet.tv/shows/happy-hunting.

Inside Cloud Party - looking at the islands
Join us at 2pm SLT today, Monday 11th March, for our new episode of Designing Worlds at our studio in Garden of Dreams as we take a trip to a whole new environment - Cloud Party!

Designing Worlds has long looked outside Second Life to explore new virtual environments. But previously all such environments have been based on the Second Life infrastructure (you might say): Inworldz, Open Sim, Kitely, Reaction Grid, Science Grid and Heritage Key. But Cloud Party is very different, being accessed through a web browser and, initially, requiring a Facebook log in.

Stormy Rustica in Cloud Party - photograph by Wildstar Beaumont

Cloud Party uses the metaphor of islands floating in the sky, which can at times look like an album sleeve designed by Roger Dean. The menu systems uses the metaphor of a smart phone with various apps - a rather clever way of introducing users not used to virtual worlds to what can be a complex set of tools.

To help us explore Cloud Party, we're joined by three creators from Cloud Party - Maxwell Graf, who is well known in Second life as the designer of Rustica, Ashasekayi Ra, who has been doing some interesting work on avatar customisation, and Phate Shepherd, who has been exploring some of the possibilities of scripting and game creation in Cloud Party.

Art work by Claudia222 Jewell in Cloud Party - photograph by Wildstar Beaumont

We'll be taking a look at a number of islands within Cloud Party, including the starting including,Phate's fascinating Misfit Toys, Maxwell's stormy forest ... and an amazing art creation by the well known artist in virtual worlds - Claudia222 Jewell.

It makes for a fascinating show – so do come and join us at 2pm.

Or – if you can’t attend in person – tune in at 2pm SLT on Monday for the live show on http://treet.tv/live – or catch it later in the week on our shows page on the Treet.tv web site at http://treet.tv/shows/designingworlds – our very own version of the iPlayer!

A Home in Cloud Party - photograph by Wildstar Beaumont