Unit 3 - Our First Holodeck

These are the trials and tribulations of my first holodeck build!  It is a tale of script glitches, floating boxes, and disappearing scenes.  But through much trial and error, I completed my campfire ring and it works like a charm.

Step 1:  The Box

I created my 10m x 10m x 10m box to see how large a space I had to work with.  Once the cube was complete, I went texture shopping on the Second Life Marketplace.  I tried to find a texture that would look good on each inner wall of my cube that would create some type of scene.  I wanted something that would have a definite theme.  I found a texture that was an eery picture of a forest at night.  This made me think of having a nighttime campfire scene.

Step 2:  The Campfire

I have to check to see if I had a fire that I could use or if I was going to have to figure out how to make one.  Luckily for this assignment, I had a full perm fire that would work perfectly for my theme.

Step 3:  Benches

 

I created four log benches with balls with sitting scripts.  This will be important later on in the troubleshooting part of this blog.  

Step 4: Logs & Realism

Once I had the fire and benches I felt the fire pit needed logs.  I found a wav file on the internet that had cricket sounds and a crackling fire.  I added it to the logs and added light to cast the proper highlights in the scene.  

 Step 5:  Trees

 I added trees to the corners to add depth to the scene.

 Step 6:  Adding Extras for Realism

I created a log sign and created a lettering texture in Photoshop.  I uploaded the texture and combined them in SL.

I added a graphic from my old Boy Scout camp sign and hung it on another tree.  I also created some stones and made a fire ring. 

We were supposed to create 12 items in our scene.  I created more than that through duplication but felt like I needed more created items.  So I decided to create a tripod.  I made rope to lash the tripod together. 

I also made a cook pot.  I found a rust texture that looked like chili.  I then went to the SL Forums and found a steam script that I added to a ball and placed in the chili to make the pot steam over the fire. 

In my last assignment, my son Christopher had me place a teddy bear on the bed I created.  This time, my other son Noah wanted me to put in his favorite animal, a "hoot owl!"  So, I stuck him up in a tree.

Step 7:  Packaging

After linking everything together I added the holodeck script to the root prim, renamed it, and took the whole holodeck into my inventory.  I then Touched the holodeck and to bring up the control panel.  I selected "build" and then "New Crate."  It rezzed a crate.  I right clicked the new crate and selected edit.  I renamed the crate to Camp PR.  I then copied my holodeck crate into the contents folder.  I then took the holodeck crate into my inventory.  I right clicked on the holodeck and added the holodeck crate to the contents folder.

Step 8:  Troubleshooting

I touched the control panel again to rez my holodeck.  I selected "scenes"  and then "CampPR"  The ring of my holodeck disappeared, rezzer hummed, and nothing appeared.  Here began an Odyssey trying to figure out why my holodeck was rezzing in the wrong place.  After several attempts, I realized that a sitting script was interfering with the holodeck script.  I took the scripts out and the holodeck worked fine.  I have since made another holodeck in which a script interfered with the construction.  Scrips and holodecks can be very tricky when used together.