(OOC / IC) Caledon Wellsian project

(OOC) I was contacted early Sunday by Desmond, seems he had a project for me. I port over to the new Wellsian sim (still being terraformed / tweaked) and see a HUGE gap / inlet. Turns out, we needed a railroad bridge. Per Desmond, something big, solid, and eye catching....and in 25 prims or less. I did it in 29...and Des squeezed out 4 more prims for the overage.

(IC) Hrm, a telegram from the administrator of Caledon Rail. A project for Caledon National Rail? In the rugged Wellsian mountains? Interesting.... With vastly limited resources? How unsurprising.... However, I take this as a challenge and I am not one to turn down a challenge of this nature.

Travelling to the newly surveyed Wellsian Province, I assessed the ruggedly mountainous nature of the site and determine that special materials (megaprims) will be required for the building. After acquiring the required specialized oversized steel beams, I conducted a second survey to determine the exact location of the railway roadbed. Completing this preliminary work, I began the task at hand. The rail administrator wanted something rather stylistic, so I designed bridge for appearance as well as utility.

In design, the bridge is a custom hybrid suspension-support design. The steel superstructure is composed of a series arcs and circles (in fact, I am told part of the upper part resembles a stylized and rounded 'W' for Wellsian. I daresay, this was NOT intentional on my part, perhaps it was a subconscious thought? Perhaps it was just manner in which the arcs intersected?). The reinforced steel deck is supported by suspension rods from the superstructure in addition to an upward curving steel substructure for it to rest on. Both ends are anchored into solid stone piers, built deeply into the solid rock of the Wellsian Mountains.

In the end, the bridge presents an appearance both solid (the decking, substructure and anchor piers), yet airy with the great arcs of steel above. I am quite satisfied with the final outcome of the project, based on feedback from the CR administrator and local residents who have visited the build site.

(OOC) A submarine that works!

Thanks to a wonderful fellow Caledonian (thank you again, Kandace Commons!), I now have a working submarine! Turns out, I cannot use a modified air flight script, even with hover ability, as it negates some of the flags like HOVER_HEIGHT_GLOBAL, which means I cannot cap altitude at the water level (with llWater() )...it just ignored it completely.

She took about ten minutes out of her schedule on Sunday to look at my code and quickly gave me a working script! The camera even follows behind with some flexibility, it doesn't RIGIDLY stay behind the sub which gives it more the illusion of free motion as the vehicle moves. I really like how it looks, especially with the first submarine being roughly shaped like a manta ray.

(OOC) Its a Submarine, sort of

OK, finally got it to where it works...for the most part. Having a LOT of dificulty capping the unit at surface level. If I try to prevent it from applying impulses via the linear.z props (setting it to 0 or -n when Altitude > water) results it in it slamming straight to the bottom... No idea why changing linear.z +=12; to +=0; causes it to slam to the bottom.


So I decided to use llMoveToTarget. Like most of LL functions, its nearly useless except for one or two SPECIFIC and LIMITED applications (like things that follow set courses)...you can't move it to ONE specified axis, oh no...have to do the whole XYZ. AND add in the joy it doesn't just move it to the coords and stop, it moves it to the coords AND KEEPS IT THERE until you issue the llStopMoveToCoordinates command. LL has a knack for making commands useless.



So on the surface it stutters....for some reason, even with a buoyancy that causes it to sink when stationary, it CLIMBS when moving forward or backward, making it hit the limit and stutter as its pushed back down. Underwater, it runs fine...just suface level motion is not good.

(OOC) Updated Vendors - Humidors

Got the vendors updated with the 2 models of humidor (Counter-top and upright, each in oak and walnut). Also added the humidors to SLExchange, since I seem to do quite well there.

Finally finished off a portable steam-powered electrical generator...a very small steam engine, generator, transformer and switching console placed on a cart wtih small wheels. With the jacob's ladder style arcing rods, and animated piston, its really nice looking...but VERY prim heavy...over 100.... Prims, the primary turn-off to building....I love detail and there is only SO much you can do with texturing...at times, you have to prim it!

Other than the above, lots of ideas, little motivation. :( After last night's debacle with the LSL-powered anchor, I have sort of lost heart / interest for the moment. Nothing just springs out and says 'You must build me NOW!' Couple lines out of a Pink Floyd song (Time) seem to sum up my mood at the moment, especially the last.

'Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time. Plans that either come to naught, or half a page of scribbled lines.'

This weekend, I might put up a Deckard & Quinn Co., website....I have a server sitting here unused with plenty of free space, ODBC and .ASP, so I can dust off Dreamweaver UltraDev and work up a 'catalog' of things I have made.

(OOC) Submarines in SL, or how to build an LSL-powered anchor

I spent part of the evening banging away at making a submarine...which is a complete waste of time at my programming skill level. I have made a couple hulls, but for the life of me cannot figure out how to code the miserable things to A) Not fly and B) not sink like a rock when rezzed.

I did find a few posts with ideas on the old forums, tried them, modifying a basic boat script that I have used in the past....I make the most excellent anchors. These things sink faster than the CSS Hunley (nicknamed 'the floating coffin'). There are all sorts of car, boat and plane freebie scripts, and even full-permission for-pay scripts (like the Drifting Thoughs car scripts) but people treat a submarine script like its gold plated! I haven't found one anywhere....at this point, I'd buy a working one that was full permission (to allow for resale of the finished product) and be done with it!

If by some miracle someone reads this, and knows where I can buy a submarine script that actually works, PLEASE let me know here or ingame!

(OOC) Start of a journal / tonight's project

(Enjoying a drink and cigar in the library)

Tonight, I have decided to start a journal, outlining the life and times of an inventor and shopkeeper in the Independent State of Caledon.

I spent the early evening building Humidors (for the uncivilized, humidity controlled cases for storing fine cigars). Built a counter-top humidor with doors that open, then added a base to it to make a true free-standing piece of furniture. The humidors will be on my vendor in the next few days...and go well with the opening cigar boxes with changeable labels that I have already put on them.

(Added 7/31 - Oak Counter-Top Humidor)

These are not really an invention, per-se, but I noticed that Caledon was SORELY lacking in some of the finer things in life, like a good cigar. We Caledonians, and especially those with MY upbringing, enjoy the finer things life has to offer.