The Tree of Forest

Our first stop this week was on Neverworld, at the Forest of Azure the home of singer, storyteller, builder, erotic photographer, and Safari regular Forest Azure. Forest was the principal guest in a really interesting episode of Inworld Review back in 2024 too, and hopefully she will soon be a guest again. As you know, each Safari is made up of two destinations, often with very different themes, and this week our second destination was in a mermaid's lagoon, that's why some of us look a little ...fishy. 

The landing point of the region is on a sky platform, where you can find both the Maze build - it looks like a one story stone castle, and also the Azure Gallery where you can see some of Forest's photos.

We quickly teleported down to ground level to meet up with Forest, under the branches of a gigantic tree growing directly out of the Opensim Ocean.

Forest Azure: Welcome safaristas!  Today we will visit this tree and the maze gallery that you saw before, but with a different content. We will start our safari with this tree: Lothlorien. There are several spots in this tree-world to explore. While you are exploring, I will tp groups of 3 to the maze. I will start teleporting for the maze in about 15 minutes. The maze is now about a story you all know: Cinderella. But mind you: this is Cinderella Azu style!

OSGrid Goes On

 SO after all that drama, OSGrid is not completely closing and disappearing at all.  Having worked everyone up into a froth with the announcement that Sunday 18 October was going to be "the Last Community Meeting",  they walked that back to simply the "Last Community Meeting of 2026". 

Big difference.

The cupboard under the podium has whiskey and vodka.
Both much needed during this meeting.

As of today (and I guess things could easily change again) the idea seems to be this:

Into the Vortex

 Our second destination this week was the Electric Vortex region of Tenth Dimension grid, home to newlyweds Star Ravenhurst and Drew Blood. 

Star's been a regular Safari tourist for the past few years. However some months ago, her gaming laptop died and she found it impossible to do a lot of group grid-jumping with the 'potato' computer she had to resort to. This was sad for us, but it led to a big increase in her creativity in other ways. Always a fan of AI, Star began to explore ways of using it to make music, and has created a whole lot of tracks. New husband Drew Blood is a DJ so it's a match made in heaven as he curates song lists that often feature Star's work. This week in combination with the ongoing OSFest, Star and Drew invited us to an entertainment region, and like Drew's playlists it's an eclectic as well as electric place to visit. 

Drew Blood: Greetings. Welcome to the Electric Vortex

Aphra Hendrix: hey Drew, nice to meet you in person

Petlove Petshop: Sorry Angelica!

Angelic Kisses: no prob...didn't hurt at all :)

Lavia Lavine: My cloak vanished.  The parachute from our first destination did it.

Shelenn Ayres: Greetings carbon units!

Spax Orion: This unit is mads of plasma not carbon

Thirza Ember: some missing textures but on the whole, pretty darn impressive for the Safari

Spax Orion: I see everything just fine

Lavia Lavine: Same here I see it all beautifully

Koshari Mahana: I hope I am wearing clothes lol

Cherry Manga: candiiiies for the eyes!

Star Ravenhurst: Welcome everyone. This is a club region and we will be having an event with music this Sunday, Oct 18th and Drew will be spinning the music and I will do my best to host you all.

Drew Blood: I kinda made the track go into the next, like the album

Chute Case

 Pack your bags it's time for another Safari trip this time a sort of return journey to the big Airport build by Jason Flux and master scripter Karsten Runningbear. Jason's beautiful and meticulous mesh sets off a series of industrial landscapes with trains, planes, and commercial vehicles. This is a man's world, the ultimate train set with all the advantages of automation and no bits left lying on the floor to step on in the night. I love it.

Karsten Runningbear and Jason Flux

Jason and his wife Finja Flux are of course famous for their sci-fi build Fluxantis, a jewel of original hand-blendered meshwork. Karsten - well, for my money he's king of the transport scripts. The whole sim zings with life, movement, industry, and the charm of interlocking movement.

There were loads of us this week, but arriving on Pangea the lag was minimal. 

We have visited the Air Race before, but on a different region, with much less infrastructure. This time we were on a region called Pangea A023, so if you go exploring or following in our footsteps, make sure you're in the right place! The HG Address is of course at the end of the post.

Cherry (in the white shirt) asks for scripting tips

Jason Flux -> en: Hello everyone

Karsten Runningbear -> en: Welcome to our Sim! Jason and I are building it and we have some news for you. Some of you may already be familiar with The Sim; we've added a few new things.  First we'll take a look at the railway. Then we'll go skydiving. Please click on the "Viewing Platform" sign.

Dings Digital: I like the busy port and industrial area

Cat's Labyrinth

Our second stop this week was on Alternate Metaverse grid where we were guests of Cataplexia Numbers who invited us to come see a maze build called Labyrinth, inspired by the 1986 movie of the same name. 

Stories-high hedges flank long passageways full of strange and improbable plants that are eerily beautiful and just a little unsettling. The final goal is to reach the palace in the sky, where Cliff Hanger, the grid's top man, was spinning some tunes.

If you're curious about how the format of a Safari visit works, then please take a minute or two to carefully look at this page on our blog where it explains the concept, the limitations and the tactics that make for a successful journey - if it looks like something you'd like to do, get in touch with Thirza on OSGrid or HG Safari grid.

Cat and half a dozen AMV residents were on hand to meet us on the big sign at the beginning of the adventure. 

Cataplexia Numbers: Hello everyone. Nice to have you join us. The labyrinth began in 2023. I made my own textures and many creations in it. I just began sculpting 3d meshes. Expect big changes in AMV. Magic will be a roleplay for Witches, wizards, goblins, Magicians, etc... Fun fantasy stuff!

Kellie's Hero

Opensim, like life, can sometimes throw a curved ball and this week our planned first destination had to be postponed at short notice. But it worked out great, because Spax Orion said we could come and preview the big changes he's been making at his funfair, Dismayland. 

Spax will be our guest on Inworld Review this Sunday - a Live show about OpenSim on YouTube, so if you watch at 11am SLT, you can also comment and ask questions! Just recently, he's worked hard to give a typically bright and busy tribute to one of Opensim's most memorable creators, the great Linda Kellie. The HG Address is at the end of the post, as always.

Dismayland is diabolically clever

Spax Orion: Dismayland is starting to look like one of the "Sierra: Roberta Williams" Point and Click Adventure games (we had tons of games like those around the turn of the millennium) - Return visitors will notice the world with more interactivity. Plenty of little distractions to wade through before passing the gate...

Tosha Tyran: giggles

It's true. When you arrive on Dismayland you find yourself in a sky box organized like the entrance to a theme park with security personnel - the terrible Wanda and poor, mistreated George are legendary. There are lots of signs and NPCs talking, and for some of us, it feels overwhelming and the first reaction is to get out of the crowd and hurry down to the rides, but if you take your time here, you'll discover that there is more going on in this one skybox than there is on many a 4x4 region!

Con-Versation

 Our second stop on Safari this week was to meet up with Frans Charming and Lyr Lobo of Avacon grid. Frans is the grid's tech guy, and Lyr is a consultant and Koshari Mahana: Hi Lyr, thank you for having us.

Thirza Ember: I think that we are all here

Spax Orion: Nice to see another operator running YETI mono

Lyr Lobo: Welcome, everyone. This is AvaCon grid. AvaCon is a nonprofit organization devoted to encouraging community in virtual worlds. Frans here is our amazing mastermind behind the Web and scripted content on the grid.  Itis a joy to share with the HG Safari 

Frans Charming: We use this grid, sometimes for new users, in education or professional settings, so having some plain default avatars, is useful for that.

Spax Orion: I love building with prims

Francisco Koolhoven: Hi Lyr!

Lyr Lobo: I do too *grins*

Thirza Ember: how old is this grid?  and how many residents?

Frans Charming: Close to those 14 years, i would say. We dont really have residents. The grid is mostly used as an introduction area, for non profits. Or used as a teaching platform.

Lyr Lobo and, with his steaming brew, Frans Charming

Lyr Lobo:  Today is the kickoff of our OpenSimulator Community conference call for proposals. AvaCon sponsors and hosts the OSCC. This is our 14th year. You can submit a proposal for a talk here. Then we will go on to Primland, the documentation for that is here  

Into the Hidden Vale

 Govega Sachertorte invited Safari to come over to Neverworld to sample a recently completed build called Hidden Vale, by Nexus Storm. On arrival, we were welcomed by Gov, Joshua and Alba who guided us around this lush landscape during the first hour of this week's trip. The HG Address is at the end of the post, as always.

Govega Sachertorte: Hi everyone, welcome to Hidden Vale

Thirza Ember: Joshua is armed, so no jokes about his outfit

Sven Ingersoll: we all have arms... legs too - no big deal

Spax Orion: am I here?

Alba Puca: Hello all

Cherry Manga: hello

Arriving on Neverworld

Sven Ingersoll: if you're not here...where would you be?

OSFest Countdown

This year, OSFest is in October, for the two weeks from Monday, October 12 through Monday, October 26 and the theme of the event this year is fantasy and science fiction. 

Principal organizer Shelenn Ayres gave an informative interview about the motivation and the philosophy of the event when she was a guest on Inworld Review, you can watch that show here. 

Shelenn Ayres on Inworld Review

It's not just Shelenn of course; and she would be the first one to thank the volunteers and helpers, new and old, who have come forward to help with the organizing and publicity.  

WolfFest26

Over on Wolf Territories Grid it's almost time for WolfFest 2026, a showcase of the creativity of the residents and a chance to party. The festival is a weekend affair, on October 4 and 5 and the event begins at 8 am Grid time. You can find the program of events here on the WTG website.

Luna Stormfeather's Ferris wheel

The fairground is organized on a grid system with parks, a lake, and various sized parcels stretching as far as the eye can see, and with lots of places to party and relax

Chelly Stewart's Rocking Sands music Venue

I really like this building, a music venue, and was swept away inside the aquarium experience. 

Herding Cats on 2nd Sanctuary

Arriving on Second Sanctuary grid is a bit like arriving at a beautiful Carribbean resort. A pirate ship, gorgeous beaches, and a relaxed atmosphere are the hallmarks of this small but beautifully landscaped grid. On hand to greet us when we arrived on the region called Vanaheim were Pete Taylor and Naomi Volturi, you may remember them from a recent blog post called... what else,  Second Sanctuary.  Pete and Naomi had invited us to go cat hunting - for some very sophisticate cats! as a way to explore this island where anyone looking for a beachy pied-a-terre in the metaverse. HG Address as always at the end of the post.

Naomi Volturi: Hello all, nice to have you here

Pete Taylor: It might be a good idea to reduce the draw distance. Otherwise, you’ll have a lot to load.

Alex Salamander: Hallo und guten Abend :-)

Koshari Mahana: I see everyone naked lol

Thirza Ember: our clothes travel second class,  it's economy rates

Angelic Kisses: hahaha

Jojo Apple: lol

Koshari Mahana: Hi Naomi, Hi Pete

Bink Draconia: hello

Naomi Volturi: hello Bink long time no see 

Pete Taylor: welcome all

Pete Taylor and Naomi Volturi, owners of Second Sanctuary

Forest Azure: ah James, sitting again? you have been sitting on a horse all the time!

James Atlloud: I know, but I have a walk AO that just won't stop, so I think this is better.

Pete Taylor: thirza, are all guests here?

Thirza Ember: Yes, I think we are all here... maybe not all our textures, but in spirit we are all here... we may smell of horse, sorry about that

Lovely Mexico Lindo

Our second stop this week was on OSGrid, to visit a Spanish speaking community that is as vibrant as it is various.

 Lina Kahlo [es→en]: Everyone is welcome to Mexico Lindo, your visit coincided with a very important date in the history of Mexico, we celebrated 216 years of independence

Lina and Niko

Niko Stone [es→en]: With a lot of effort and dedication she achieved this cultural meeting for everyone. We are just in the main square. The plaza you are visiting here in Mexico Lindo Virtual represents this historical place and allows us to experience, in a virtual environment, one of the most important national traditions of Mexico. The plaza you are visiting here in Mexico Lindo Virtual represents this historical place and allows us to experience, in a virtual environment, one of the most important national traditions of Mexico. 

Ayla Alvarez: ♥.;:+THUNDEROUS  APPLAUSE+:;.♥

Ayla Alvarez: so that would be independence from the Spanish

Niko Stone [es→en]: If you want, you can join us where independence was proclaimed. In the early morning of September 16, 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla called on the people of Mexico to rise up against Spanish rule. The call began with the ringing of the bell of the church of Dolores, Guanajuato, gathering people in the town square. Hidalgo then gave a passionate speech in favor of freedom, encouraging the people to fight for independence.

The Review and You

Another Wednesday, another Safari. Each time, the group is different. Sometimes there are loads of us, sometimes there are people trying the tour for the first time, sometimes it's a more intimate group of regulars - and what you might define as the 'regulars' has also morphed and evolved over the years, with familiar faces disappearing and new ones taking their place, a bit like the constant ebb and flow of opensim itself. It's not an exclusive group, anyone's welcome, for as often as you choose to join us.
Our plans changed at the very very last minute this week, because, you know, stuff happens, which is why it's so handy to meet ahead of time at the Clubhouse so you don't miss anything or get lost. Here's what we got up to...

Ayla Alvarez: hi gang

Thirza Ember: hello lovelies

Taarna Welles: Heya

Alex Salamander: Hello Thirza :-)

Thirza Ember: it looks like the first destination may have some big last minute problems

Taarna Welles: O dear,  Can we switch to the second?

Ayla Alvarez: the second hour is having problems too?

Thirza Ember: no, the second will be fine, but I'd like to do something different with this first hour

Jupiter Rowland: Hi everyone!

Ayla Alvarez: here comes the bunny again...

Livin' the Dream

 If you read the previous article about the 5th anniversary of Belze and Chubby, there's another notable anniversary this weekend in the German speaking community of opensim. Over on Vela Dreams grid,  Cleopata and Myrena Rajal are marking their 4 years together. 

Myrena and Cleopata

Vela Dreams grid is on a home server with 128 RAM and it hosts 42 Vars, the equivalent of 142 standard sized regions. Each Tuesday they have a regular dance meetup on a sim appropriately called Vela Disco that houses a number of prim-built venues with bright colors and vivid textures. Not to mention the fish!

Gothic Bliss

This weekend is a milestone in the life of Chubby and Belze Cherub. They are celebrating five years of marriage.

That matrimonial bliss has given life to a very special creation, their own grid called Chubelz. 

The grid is compact and varied, with a wedding venue, numerous freebie regions including furniture, textures, avatars and clothes and it's well worth a visit any time,

Arriving on Chubelz

 not just for the big Goth event on Saturday 12 September - that's tomorrow, at time of writing. The party will begin at 8pm Euro time, that's 10 am Grid time, and with several DJ's performing, it's going to be quite a night!

Around Chubelz Welcome you'll find many gothic shops full of great freebies

Belze Cherub: Back then, I was in Nextlife and Chubby was with Cleo Rajal. After we got together, we initially teamed up with friends on the Ankabi grid before creating our own grid.

Fairy Dreamland

The grid has numerous sims. The colorful Fairy Dreamland is always open and well worth a visit any time, and then there are numerous others that are open on a seasonal basis, including of course a winter wonderland, an Easter build, and that Opensim classic, a Halloween sim. About a year ago, they held a fantastic fashion show, demonstrating some of their outfits for men and women. 

Belze Cherub: The purpose of the grid is this - to meet up with friends, have fun, and escape everyday life.

Thirza Ember: There are dozens of small, lively German speaking grids in Opensim. It's a very different model to the big grid approach, with many residents and one owner, and it seems to work very well. What do you think is the secret of your success?

Belze Cherub: It’s important to be friendly, especially in small groups. We’re here to have fun and escape the daily grind—we don’t need any drama here.

Congratulations on your five years together Chubby and Belze, and wishing you many more to come!
HG Address: 

chubelz.de:8002:ChubelzWelcome

Saturday's party is at   chubelz.de:8002:ChubelzBallsaal

Ipso-Fari

Our second stop this week was on BloodMoon Pack grid, to meet up with the French painter and videographer Prodyck Theas. We were there to see Ipsofacto, a sim with deep connections to Prodck's RL artistry, and also his many eyars of activity in opensim. Prodyck often streams inworld events on his Twitch account, though today he was busy showing us around - so here's the words and pictures part; if you'd like to see more pictures, why not join our Facebook group where photographer extraordinaire Roff Kisses has posted a few.

Prodyck Theas: bonjour

Vlad Helsing: Please click on the ball on Prodyck's head and choose your language.

Cherry Manga: hello bonsoir

Forest Azure: more desert!

Dings Digital: bonsoir

Tina Bey: que bueno!! llego el traductor!

Prodyck Theas: Has everyone arrived? Welcome to all It's been a long time since I've made any visits. The last time was on Craft  A thank you to Vlad for hosting regions. The theme of this region is after global warming. Man had to make little artificial paradises

Tosha Tyran: Oh my god, that is why it seemed so familiar - like looking out of my window in RL

Cherry Manga: global warming made clouds bloom as flowers , how sweet

Prodyck Theas: Follow me. Here a nod to the spirit of the times

Linkup Opens its Doors

 Five friends  have set up a new grid and the opening party is today ! Starting at 10am SLT, there will be dancing and celebrating for four full hours with DJs and live singers.

The grid's called LinkUp and as the name suggests, the emphasis is on sociability, with many opportunities to play, to learn, and to chat together.

The five friends are Winter King, Dave King, Whisper Carfield, Sofee Supermarine, and Ted Junior. They've been working hard over the summer to bring the grid online, and it already looks very bright, friendly, and easy to navigate - with so many years of experience, that comes as no surprise. 

They have known each other from the days of Zangrid - to give you some perspective about how long these guys have been pals, I looked up the last times Safari visited that lovely but now offline grid, turns out it was back in 2016 and 2017. Of course, the past decade has brought with it all kinds of technical knowledge, and now they're in a position to open their doors to the hypergrid on a platform tailored for getting together.

Ted Junior: We want to link up everyone who contributes something special to OpenSim — whether it’s fashion, building, education, amazing places, events, creativity, technology, and so much more. By working together, sharing our knowledge, supporting each other, and bringing our different talents together, we can build something stronger as a community.

Thirza Ember: Can anyone join? What about if people have technical questions about Opensim and need some help or support ?

Ted Junior:  At Linkup Grid we believe in helping one another in any way we can. Anyone can join, it's easy to make an avatar. Whether you need technical assistance, publicity, creative support, or simply someone to work together with, we want to be there. Every person has something valuable to contribute, and together we can create connections that bring us closer.

The grid's just getting started but there are already a range of different styles to the sims here, this photo shows Summer Vibes, with boats and waterfront houses. But there is a strong emphasis on group activities here.

Ted Junior:  Yes, there will be AI, DJ, and building classes, at our dedicated Education building. Go there and you can find all the info. 

Sofee Supermarine: There will be regular events for Fishing, Greedy and BINGO during the week. There will be some special events too, but talking with people is more important then partying all day. And just having a chat with people is important to us.

The party begins at 10am SLT today Friday September 4 at 

hop://login.linkup-grid.com:8002/LinkUp%20Welcome/118/70/23

Safari gets into the Zone

Our first outing for the 2026 Fall season of Safari was on a new grid, called The Zones, which is the home of Kimm Starr and Cooper Swizzle. They have prepared an interactive build, or Experience, that is colorful, fun, and breathtaking, on the theme of 'Day of the Dead,' which is also the name of the sim. We were delighted to be invited to see it and while about halfway through our visit, there were some technical problems, it's clear that this is a lovely build you should see for yourselves! The HG Address is, of course, at the end of the post.

It was so nice to see many people on the trip, new faces and regular safarians alike. As you know anyone who wants to join us is welcome, so don't feel shy, come on over next week and be part of the event! Of course, no guarantees your bits and pieces will travel at the same speed when you grid jump...

Ayla Alvarez: I don't want to say hello until I look like a normal human avatar... ah... there I am...  phew!

Alex Salamander Hello everyone :-)

Star Ravenhurst: Hi Alex

Mike Fleetwood: hello everyone

Tutz Zabelin: hi to all new

Cooper Swizzle looking drop dead gorgeous

Cooper Swizzle: Welcome everyone.  We will begin at 5 after 12 so others can join us and rez in. In the meantime, if you turn your sound on there is music. Welcome Ayla, and Neo. Hello Alex.

Kimm Starr: We will start in a couple of minutes... please check your environment is set to midnight and your in-world sound is on

Max Well: hello everyone

Cherry Manga: Hi all!

James Atlloud: wow, so many stars in the sky!

Jade Serenity: yeah and clothing :P

Marlon Wayne: Huhu Yara

Cooper Swizzle: Hello Koshari

Star Ravenhurst: Hi Dorena

Cooper Swizzle: Please come stand behind the yellow line...

James Atlloud: define 'behind'

Safari at the Crescent

 Yay back on Safari!  Oh, and there are ten weeks of Safari this season, so join us soon if you can! Wednesdays at 12 at the Clubhouse. Our second stop this week was on Winxtropia (addresses at the end of the post, as always). 

Here's what we learned from the lovely Bloom Peters of Winxtropia grid who had lost of news about things she's been building recently. There's quite a bit of info on the same subject in this blog post 'Giddy About MIDI', but yesterday's visit geve everyone the opportunity to meet with her in person. We met on Crescent Melody region, under this dome, where the animated orchestra resides.

Bloom Peters: Welcome all. Please,  enable your mic for this experience

Petlove Petshop: Hi Bloom!

Farstar Enoch: hi all

Boujee GamerGirl: hello!

Dorena Bree: i like the sky, its really pretty

Ayla.Alvarez: I'm afraid to ask what the buffer rate is

Bloom Peters: so far 190... not bad. Smart buffer is critical for timing

Bloom Peters: you are free to chat before the show case of course. Today will showcase a brand new viewer created.. as soon as thirza says she is ready. If your mic wont activate do a relog

Farstar Enoch: You need mic enabled to hear the music

Petlove Petshop: ahh ok!

Jade Serenity: i have no mic but i have voice enabled

Bloom Peters: yes that's perfect, as long as u get the dot hehe, you only need to enable Voice checkbox

Neo Cortex: Unfortunately I don't have that voice client on Linux

Nara Nook: I don't have voice either

Thirza Ember: i have voice but it doesn't kick in immediately in a big group but i am sure it will soon!

Bloom Peters: For those who cant get voice not a problem links will be provided for youtube demonstration

Dorena.Bree: great

 Farstar Enoch: Bloom has it all covered

Bloom Peters: this everyone?

Thirza Ember: looking... yes i think so...

Giddy about MIDI

 You already know this, but MIDI files, although often used for music, aren't like your average audio file. Instead of saving a continuous set of notes or sounds, like say an MP3 file, MIDI  (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) makes a tiny file out of every single noise. That means, each one can be tweaked to change the tone or the tempo, but it also means that you can assign each note on a keyboard to an inworld object, which would then move, make a sound, or do something else.

If like me your brain is now semi fried at this concept, yet intrigued by the possibilities, why not check out the work of Bloom Peters over on Winxtropia grid. She has been bringing MIDI to virtual worlds, so that you can either animate a fantastic 'orchestra' to move and play sounds forming a melody, has been the dream of Bloom Peters of Winxtropia for many years. 

If you've ever visited the region Crescent Melody, you may already be familiar with the core idea behind her MIDI project. Cats and instruments and clapping hands all move to the command of the MIDI tune being played. Here's an example if the Safari crew dancing on the sim some time back... these cats are a classic example of how Bloom ties each MIDI 'note' or file to a specific object on the build.

So this idea is far from new to Bloom, but her real aim is to make it available to other people. As she says, a musician could develop it to make any object move or flash or change color, creating a really bold and immersive experience for the audience, or a very cool video to go with their music.

Therefore the next step was demonstrate the interface and explain how it works - there's a blog post with some info about that here and the Safari visited Crescent Melody Studio to see the 'inner workings' of how to match up notes to 'instruments', here's a pic of that, as you can see it's a very complex piece of kit. Yes, it's quite complicated, but Bloom has done a great job in setting up lots of visual stuff to help you understand how to use the program.

revamped Crescent Melody Studio

Over the summer, the project has been 'blooming' in a bunch of different directions. For one thing, Bloom been redeveloping the instruments that she uses, as shown in this pic. 

Bloom Peters: The Safari visit on September 2 will be the final use of the old Crescent Melody Region because a new one is being made on the side, but this time enabling microphone is required for crescent melody since I am no longer using in world sounds.

On top of rethinking the instruments, Bloom also wanted to make it as easy as possible for people to use the tools, so she has created her own version of the Viewer, with added tools. These include a build-in mp3 player...

 ...real metal effects and fancy glowing  lighting effects, called Volumetric Lighting...

...and some remarkable enhanced weather...

Bloom Peters: The viewer also has storms built in still being worked on, here is a video of it. The thunderstorm affects the lighting in the region too, and all the rain and stuff is completely viewer sighted optimized. And works in every sim and second life also the water has been made 3D.

Thirza Ember: What does that mean?

Bloom Peters: The raindrops respect structures and therefore do not rain through roof. It does not rain inside of houses too. The rain particles bounce off the houses and the meshes. 

Bloom Peters: There is physical water now which makes things sitting on top of it float up and down, hey don't shift out of position. You can now go for a natural swim and float on water and swim inside. The Avatar floats on the waves and follows their curvature like the objects. The viewer automatically forces swimming animations which overtakes any other animation when you're in water.

Yeah, that's a lot to take on board! To return to the MIDI part of all this gorgeousness, this video shows  one of her performances, and you can see the window for the MIDI tool.  

Bloom plans to release the new viewer on September 2 at the Safari event, so of course you should join us! Or at least read the blog post about our visit the day after. The package that those who want to try this experience will consist of two things,  the Crescent Melody region, predisposed for bringing the MIDI tracks inworld, and Bloom's Viewer, which has not only the MIDI tools, and the modified Viewer with all the above-mentioned extra tools built into it. 

Bloom Peters:  Just to make it easier for people to understand, here's an image of the interface of crescent melody as it shows people can connect midi input devices and output devices too as well as game pads and VST, like this...

Bloom often posts about the development of her build on the HG Safari Discord server, so if you want to join that and check it out, her handle on Discord is AfroSniperGirl. That invite to the Discord server expires after about a month, but get in touch inworld if it's explored by the time you're reading this.

Important point - You don't need to have the modified viewer to be able to attend a performance of MIDI music, because that just comes through Voice, but it's what the person setting up the MIDI tune and corresponding moving parts will need to use to efficiently set up their installation. So what exactly are we talking about with the modified viewer?

Bloom Peters: It's just a normal PVR Firestorm with the custom stuff added it even has weather. And all of it is built into the viewer so anyone will be able to play anything they want and it will come with the OAR studio, The viewer will come with an oar with all 140 MIDI instruments. 

Thirza Ember: There's always some resistance by people to download a viewer that's not from the firestorm page (they always give dire warnings) so what can I say to non techy  folks who worry about that?

Bloom Peters: You might not want to use it as your main daily driver of course, it could have some odd bugs here and there. But for making movies and videos and midi trigger events or someone who wants to be in world musician could use it and find it handy for a performances. It would be released as something they would either choose to use or not there is nothing I can say that would convince people that it would be safe. Especially since it's not signed. 

Bloom Peters: However in crescent Melody tab it does have my contact information that's kind of like my you can trust me blueprint I certainly wouldn't tattletale on myself!! 

Bloom has even ported the same technology to Second Life. 

Here is SL Thirza, who earlier this week made a rare trip to the old place (specifically a parcel on sim Astral) where Bloom, aka Cute Potion, has a mini version of her Frutti build from Winxtropia. Here, rather than the big Crescent Melody orchestra we all know so well, Bloom has constructed a wearable mix of instruments, hands clapping, and so forth, like a one man band.  From the back view you can see the piano keys lighting up as she played the melody, and from the front, some very intense rythyms.

She showed off this instrument inworld to a party of friends, and I must say that for me, although textures were a bit slow in arriving, the music and the corresponding lights and movements were immediately flowing in sync - a lively performance!

Oh, and one last thing...

Cute Potion (apollosmile): i modified UBODE to support Hinges

Thirza Ember: oh nice! hinges on doors you mean?

Cute Potion (apollosmile): ya, exactly, and on roller coasters... supports multi dimension coasters now, which was impossible before,: it can now support this roller coaster which I am making haha 

Cute Potion (apollosmile): hehehe

Creativity makes you happy! Join us on Wednesday if you can

HG Addresses:

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Astral/225/212/23