Approximately two weeks ago we got a description of the workshop activities. The workshop needed a preparatory phase. The participants had to create a T-shirt for the avatar in RL and upload it in SL. Therefore was a step-by-step instruction included in the workshop description.

The preparatory phase: Firstly I downloaded the template for a SL T-shirt, saved and unzipped the folder. Afterwards I opened the file with Photoshop and created my first T-shirt. I imported a picture and adapted it to the form of the t-shirt, by selecting a part of the picture for the front, the back and the arms of the t-shirt. Then I saved the file as jpg. and loaded it up within SL. I renamed the texture in “my new T-shirt “and chose this texture for my t-shirt. It does work!!! I was very happy because I tried to change the appearance without visiting a tutorial before and I learned a new thing.

I created one more t-shirt (including the MUVEnation-logo and different sizes of the cube) and for that I used the software Paint Shop Pro. I tried another way for creating the t-shirt. I chose the pipette and extracted the purple colour from the MUVEnation logo and filled the new layer with this colour. Then I chose the rubber-tool and removed the colour round the back, front and the arms delineation. Afterwards I imported the MUVEnation-logo and minimized it so that it fits on the back of the t-shirt. Then I cut out the cube from the logo and also imported it on the t-shirt for several times. I saved the file and uploaded it in SL.

The workshop: The workshop started on Wednesday at 15:00 (CET). I teleported my avatar to the MUVEnation island and saw far away some little avatars. I ran to them. CorDeRosa, Maerad and Elious already were there. Maerad and Eloius I met the first time. We talked via chat and waited for the others. Then Rosie and Ere arrived. CorDeRosa welcomed everybody and started the workshop. She gave us step-by-step-instructions. We created one box, copied the box three times and renamed and edit each box in their appearance. After editing the four boxes we assembled all together and pulled all parts straight down until it looked like a gift box. The next task was to link all parts together to one box. At the beginning I had some problems to link all parts together. I moved the box in the air to look if all parts are linked together. CorDeRosa gave further instructions and finally all my created parts were linked together. Afterwards I created a new notecard, wrote a message and renamed it. Then I created a new script by copying the script description from CorDeRosa and replaced a text with the name of my created notecard. With drag and drop I put the notecard into my giftbox. On the same way I tried to put my created T-shirt in the box but it didn’t work. The texture of my T-shirt appears on the box and not in the box. I tried it with the other T-shirt and the same happened. The texture of the T-shirt appeared on the box but not in the box???

Yesterday I try this step again – and I understand the instruction “drag from inventory into the open content tab” – my T-shirt appears in the giftbox now.

It was a very nice and interesting workshop with a pleasant and collaborative atmosphere. I recognized that I learned further things and got more familiar with doing things within SL since my first in-world workshop. While the first workshop it wasn’t easy for me to follow the tasks of the workshop – talking to the others via the chat, looking in my inventory and building objects.

Thanks to CorDeRosa for organizing this workshop!

I already learnt how to teleport to places within SL: After getting the SLURL I teleported myself to the MUVEnation workshop area and I, MelAnn Vlodovic, met Paz Lorenz, StevenW Bohm, Futura Fortas, Fraser Fonda, Nifara Blackadder, Suzetta Blackadder, Ere Nitely and Vecna Bookmite.

They were all very nice and we communicated via chat. Then the leader of the workshop, Nifara Blackadder, gave us the first task: we should split us into two teams: the blue and the red team. I belong to the red team with Paz, StevenW and Suzetta. We were asked what is meant by scavenger hunt and we exchanged our opinions about this item. After that all participants got a notecard with a list of tasks, which every team had to fulfil within 45 minutes. The scavenger hunt began! We had to present a list of objects on the land provided after 45 minutes – and we were free – how to fulfil the task. We could build, buy, put the object from our existing inventory, search for freebies etc.

The main focus lay on the team collaboration and communication. We had to decide how to fulfil the different tasks. For that Paz started an IM group chat for the red team and we discussed about the team task. First we decided that each one of us take a look in the own inventory and search for things of the list. I had no object of the task list within my inventory. Paz and Steve put different objects from the list on the workshop area.

I checked the notecard with the list of objects we had to present again and thought about how to create them. Search within SL, search for it in the internet, take a picture of it??? Paz suggests taking pictures from a few objects, creating a prim/quarter and put the jpg. as texture on the object. But how does it runs? I asked for that via chat.

Paz gave me some instructions:

1. I have to take a picture or search for a picture within the internet of an object.
2. Then I have to upload the jpg. in my inventory
3. I have to create an object
4. I have to upload a jpg. as texture for the quarter

I already knew how to change the texture of an object, but how I can upload a jpg. within SL? I found the function how to upload a file and I saw that I have to pay 10 Linden Dollars for that. I asked the other team members if it’s true that I have to pay 10 Linden Dollars when I want to upload a file. Paz confirmed that and gave me Linden Dollars so that I could upload the jpg., because I still had no money. I uploaded the jpg. and built a quarter with the texture of that jpg. In so doing I created a quarter with an apple and with a dog. Then I checked the list of tasks and compared it with the existing objects on the workshop area.

Paz and StevenW were very fast in building objects and searching for objects and had different ideas how to fulfil the task list. For me it was not easy to follow the things as quickly -‑ talking to the others via the chat, looking in my inventory, building objects and compare the already existing objects with the list of tasks we had to fulfil ‑- and doing these activities nearby to the same time. I had the feeling to be one step (or two, three …) past the others; but at the end I was satisfied that I created two objects of the list and learnt how to do that.

It was an interesting experience to attend to the workshop.

Thanks to Edwin for organising the in-world scavenger hunt!

After I had done my first steps within SL I decided to learn and explore some places within SL, especially I searched for educational environments. I used the searching tool where I insert in the searching mask the words “Music School”. One of the outcomes was the place “De Paul University, School of CTI”. I decided to teleport myself to this place because the description of this place sounds interesting: “Most beautiful campus in SL: Explore, Reflect, Learn (Distance Learning), Animation, Gaming, Digital Cinema, Security. “

The starting point of the “DePaul University, School of CTI” was a teleporting opportunity to the place “Fireworks” within the environment. I got the information that there is every Tuesday at 8pm a firework. I choose the teleporting tool and arrived in front of an information board where I firstly read some information about the university. The points were divided in four topics: Welcome, Course OnLine, Requirements and History. After that I visited the website of the university where I find out that the university has changed his surname. Instead De Paul University of CTI (Computer Science, Telecommunications and Information Systems) the surname is now CDM (College of Computing and Digital Media).

After I visited the website I began to explore the campus environment. I achieved the “Tall Ship” where I found a “Stool of Destination”. I sat down on the chair and was teleported to a castle. I opened the door to the castle, looked around and explored via mouselook the area. There were posters on the wall, an aquarium with goldfishes but it was difficult for me to find out what active things I can do in this castle. I went upstairs and found in a corner the game “Whack-A-Mole”. Aim of the game was concentration, speed and reaction. I had to whack the moles per mouse click which came out of a hole. I got 10 points for every successful whack on a mole. But there were rabbits, too. When I whacked on a rabbit I lost 10 points. After a minute of play the game was over. It was an interactive game but the really sense of that game I didn’t understand. On the third floor I sat down on a coach where I could change the sitting position via the keys “Page Up/Page down”. I found at the first floor another “Stool of Destination”.

I was teleported to “Tenny Threa”. There I could jump on a trampoline, could look and take different forms, drive by car and motorbike (it was too fast to drive) and play with balls.

There was a “Destination Stool”, too. I found out that via double-click a list opened and show me a list of places within the campus where I can go and teleport myself. Via double-click on a place at the list the “Destination Stool” changed his destination to my chosen destination. Here some places of the list that I can choose for the teleporting: Fireworks, Open Zone, Teeny Threa, Castle, Lighthouse (There you can test the function “climb Ladder”), Potterswick, Tall Ship, Class/Kiosk, Main Plaza, Vic’s Sub, Race Course, Final Piece of Land Information (here you can use a elevator to go from one floor to another) etc.

One of the main places for me was “Class/Kiosk”. Here you get further information about the management of inventory, a prim finder, about prim creation etc. That is one of the things I still have to learn within SL. I thing that is a complex theme a you have a lot of possibilities to create buildings.

Finally I found info prompter (one day after I wrote my story) which looks like a quarter; I got the hint to wear it. But how can I use the info prompter?

The main functions of this environment for the moment are:
- the function of teleporting within the environment
- the function of opening doors (via double-click on a door)
- the use of camera positions; settings to different perspectives
- the function to create texture applications in the area Class/Kiosk; there you can buy and create texture applications and get some information how it runs
- info prompter (but unclear how to use it)

I think that on that place are much more things to discover and to learn but they are not obviously at once.

It was not easy for me as a nearly beginner to get an overview what possibilities are offered to me at this environment. It would be good when you arrive at a new place to get some information (either via a person who gives you some input and which you can ask some questions or an information board where you can get an overview) about the aim of the environment, what you can explore there etc. I recognized that I have to learn more about creating and changing buildings.

This story evokes me that I need more orientation points in a ‘new world’. What I can do, what can I learn there, what opportunities are offered to me etc. Learning by doing and self-exploring of new things makes fun to a certain degree. When you can’t recognize the really sense of the environment and have no possibility to ask a person it is difficult to getting motivated to explore an environment.

I wrote that story one month ago… In the meantime I learnt more things how to handle, communicate, move and create objects within SL, for example I attended on my first in-world workshop with the topic “Scavenger Hunt”. But I know I have to learn, explore more things within SL to get more familiar with this world.

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