Over 50 Educational Usages of Second Life

Educational Uses of Second Life is amazing list includes works from Harvard, MIT and others... that demonstrate what IS BEING done today in second life. The list is detailed including screen demos and further resources.

The Look of 50,000 on-line users

This is a visual picture of 50,000 users currently on second life.
Left is general map, and right is local map for Metaverse Islands.
(each green do is one user, most dots overlap).

Second Life: New Web Based Search

As I was preparing a talk about Virtual Worlds search I was happy to see that Second Life now supports results on the web. There are few bugs -- but it is working. This has a lot of potential. I like it. (to get the url, go to the new search in-world, and copy the url from the lower part of the results).

Examples:

• A group view - Shenkar Group.
• An island view - FREEBIE HEAVEN
• A user view - Dera Kit. see picture below.

Very good 3D tools compare table

TDT3D is now offering an updated comparison table of 3D tools. I have looked at it few times and they guy is updating the list from time to time. (another good source is of course the compare table of the CG Society ): Here's what the author says:

If you ever wanted starting in 3D creation today, you probably need to know with which 3D applications package with you will feel better and which is the most suitable for you and business ?

Many new CG artists try many softwares before really starting their 3D business, that's of courses the best solution to try out and know if you feel coMfortable with one than other, so after you can't know all specs of all 3D softwares when starting in 3D...

Here is a comparison table with cons. and pro. for the most know today top industries 3D applications. This table isn't intended to be complete with all softwares features available but try to surround the common today 3D cg artist tasks.

Summary Table:

3ds max	By far the most well know and used 3D dcc applications in the industries all around the world, so the prices for freelance is too much expenssive and old core based. The Bad since version 7 is the price vs poor new features, evolving !
Maya	One of the most know by popularity in the Film and VFX industries. Maya downside's is on learning curve interface not intuitive and !
Blender	A good all around application first for freelance. Blender downside's is on interface, who is not today "industries" common (no drag & drop, poor intuitive tools,...) and structured / centralised documentations, so it's the best free all arround solution.
Modo	Probably the most modern 3D software and it is being developed rapidly. Very affordable and has a super strong user community. Multi-threading and a super flexible user interface And 3D sculpting tools!
Cinema4D	Very good all around application suitable for freelance/designer best quality tools for the price ! Not enough popular yet !
LightWave	An old but very powerful suitable first for VFX and VIZ market. LightWave downside's is on Rig tools, so Render engine and shaders are the best you can found !
Softimage XSI	No doubt for the prices the Foundation is the best all around, so Imports/Exports is the dark side, but for 450 euro you can't get better (exlude Blender for free !)

Meet me at Virtual Worlds 2008, NYC Apr 3-4

This year seems to be a lot of new and old people in the big Apple.

The focus this is: The Future of Media, Marketing and Entertainment

Virtual Worlds 2008 is where leading media, consumer entertainment, youth brands and agencies come to understand how to monetize their intellectual property using virtual worlds.

Entertainment brands and youth-oriented companies are increasingly integrating virtual worlds into their product mix. Forward thinking brand advertisers and agencies are aligning themselves with high-quality virtual worlds franchises in order to further engage consumers.

“We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us.” Thus wrote Marshall McLuhan, author
of “Understanding the Media." We can consider "Real Virtual Worlds" (AKA the Metaverse) as a new tool, a new medium, crawling and advancing, preparing to pounce on us in the next years. A medium combining entertainment, learning and work into one experience – that is its power and therein its danger.

Using Second Life for 3D math

One of the most interesting ways to look and use second life comes to us all the way from Paul Bourke from the The University of Western Australia. In his very well written web site "Representing and modelling geometry in SecondLife" he demonstrates some of the more unique features of generating objects automatically in second life.

Few of the pictures include: (There is also LSL code samples that explain how to build some of these programatically).

Virtual World Definition: Granny

OK this is so cool. (txs to Amnon S. for the Lead -- I'm looking for the source).
(Look at what she is really doing).

EXCLUSIVE - Rosedale to step down as Linden Lab CEO

Interesting news...
see full item in Reuters
(Last time I met him (Virtual Worlds) he looked very "busy" too busy...)

SECOND LIFE, March 14 (Reuters) - Linden Lab Chief Executive Philip Rosedale said on Friday the company he founded has begun a search for a new CEO with more operational and management expertise.
Rosedale will become chairman of the Linden Lab board when his successor is found, replacing Mitch Kapor, who will remain a board member and the company’s largest investor. Rosedale said he will also keep a full-time role at the company working on product development and strategy.
“This is my life’s work,” he told Reuters in an interview. “I’m not going anywhere, and I’m still full-time on this, probably for the rest of my life.”

Second Life: Web Page on a Prim (new feature in Beta)

Second Life continue to show cool things... now with Web pages (HTML) on a prim. This opens lots of cool opportunities.

See movies here.
See post in Linden Blog.

Connecting Virtual and Real Worlds (based on Google Trends) for www.dryesha.com

After almost 2 years with an old tag line... and following some discussion with other people I ahve a new Tag Line: "Connecting Virtual and Real Worlds". Key points:

• Shorter.
• Follow Nokia's Connecting People (see reference).
• Usage of the word "Worlds."
• Gone the term "Metaverse" -- which I like very much and keep it for research.

The rationale for this can be found in the following picture taken from Google trends:
1. Virtual Reality -- was and is strong in search but going down.
2. Virtual Worlds -- going up. Even better in "News."
3. Augmented reality -- there ... but low usage.
4. Metaverse -- almost no usage. Well a bit in San Francisco.

Virtual Worlds Business Models: in the 15th Industrial Engineering and Management Conference

As part of the the 15th Industrial Engineering and Management Conference I will give a short talk about current and future business model of virtual worlds.

Location: Israel, Tel Aviv. David Intercontinental.
Date: Tuesday March 11, 2008
Time: 14:40-16:00 (about 20 min, the 4th talk in session).

Virtual Worlds: Libraries, Education, and Museums Conference

Update:
Following the session we had tonight:
1. Link to my presentation in PDF format.
2. List of worlds -- the best is from Wikipedia.
3. Location of the Metaverse Island -- see on the side quick link the SLURL.
4. Over 50 avatars in the same place (see above Picture).

Thanks again.

I will give a talk about my "101 course in virtual worlds."

The event: Virtual Worlds: Libraries, Education, and Museums

The purpose of this conference is to provide a gathering place for librarians, information professionals, educators, museologists, and others to learn about and discuss the educational, informational, and cultural opportunities of virtual worlds.

Over 30 presentations on various virtual worlds related stories. Apperantly more and more people are using the web for learning and teaching... I estimate that after sex, and fashion this is the largest industry in Second Life today.
My Talk: The 3D3C Metaverse -- a sample 101 course to Virtual Worlds using Second Life.
Date: March 8, 2008
SL Time 10:00am
Israel Time 8:00pm
Location in All VW LEM Conference events (with the exception of the Friday evening get-together) will be held on the NMC (New Media Consortium) Conference Center in Second Life (http://slurl.com/secondlife/NMC%20Conference%20Center/12/28/23/).
(Registration is full)

Yesha Sivan (Dera Kit in Second Life) is working on both academic and business sides of virtual worlds. He is the founder of Metaverse-Labs Ltd a leading think tank in the area of Virtual Worlds (http://www.metaverse-labs.com). Academically he works for the Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, Software Engineering department. (http://www.shenkar.ac.il)In this talk he will review his his 101 course. This will include detailed lesson plans and task allocation, and some technical tips and tricks. The course is now in its forth version. (His Second Life island can be located here: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Metaverse%20Labs/231/233/23). (His blog is http://www.dryesha.com).

Hebrew Intro Movies to Second Life

A set of intro movies in Hebrew thanks to Leonid and Leo:

סרטוני הדרכה:

פרק 1 - הרשמה לאתר (01:15)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDQ4mXT-doE

פרק 2 - מאפיינים והגדרות (00:22)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WO1nMhykm4

פרק 3 - כניסה ראשונה (00:57)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kjb5_7kC5LY

פרק 4 - תנועה וצילום (00:44)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uogzqxFAXzc

פרק 5 - פגישות וחברות (01:10)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAKxdT9X_Do

פרק 6 - בנייה בסיסית (01:32)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCLH53-_0LY

פרק 7 - קרדיט ליוצרים (00:32)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgz638KxC3A