User:Octavio LeShelle

STALEMATE Second Life

STALEMATE[1] KBSDE focuses on in-world rapid application development for virtual modeling and avatar intelligence for mobile augmented-reality (AR) gaming in support of decisions in the investment markets.

All free software delivered permits copying, modification and transfer under the terms of the GNU General Public License v3.0[2] or the GNU lesser General Public License v3.0[3].

Second Life and virtual time travel: Feasibility considerations for A(ugmented )R(eality) gaming decision support

In evaluating Second Life as a viable immersive, decision-support platform for AR applications, the focus lies on the requirement of context switching (teleporting) seamlessly between past, present and future/potential scenarios or simulated worlds. While offering a stress test, a case is made for its usability for virtual time travel.

Complementing global grid-level implementation aspects, a local viewer approach from an intelligent avatar perspective employs a semi-transparent, geodesic dome-shaped, time-travel vehicle. From inside this vehicle the avatar ultimately projects a (prototyped) simulation model of the world in question (quasi-)panoramically onto the interior wall, which in turn is superimposed on a camera image of physical reality.

Earlier conceptual incorporation of the geodesic dome with (physical) time travel includes a Mojave Desert landmark[4] and Disney's Epcot Theme Park's Spaceship Earth[5] inspired by Buckminster Fuller. A Lego version of the idea has also been tested on ROBLOX[6]. The form also lends itself naturally in conjunction with from planetaria derived surround projection technologies as IMAX (3D).

Salient features inherent in the general approach include:

• human-computer interaction involving uploading knowledge-based models to or developing these assisted by the avatar for decision support in collaborative or educational settings
• physical augmentation of user-avatar interfacing and virtual augmentation of physical reality
• physical data acquisition for validation in virtual modeling
• the prospect of using the virtual world as an agile, knowledge-based, model-driven, simulation-directed development environment for virtual worlds and generated AR applications

Mobile agent-assisted virtual modeling for AR

The on Google Code hosted Project STALEMATE KBSDE Extension[7] includes investigation of requirements for a knowledge-based avatar modeling tool (cf. Blender[8] and the Valve Source Engine[9]) targeting a Second Life AR viewer (cf. Argon[10] and the Georgia Tech Augmented Environments Lab's AR Second Life Client[11]) and Mozilla Firefox[12] under Google Android[13] within the framework of the Eclipse IDE[14] (cf. DroidAR[15], Metaio[16] and Unity 3D[17]). The goal is to develop a mobile client environment for distributed, intelligent avatar-assisted virtual modeling of AR applications interfacing with simulators (cf. OpenSim[18] and OSgrid[19]) supported by Web mining and data warehousing.

Second Life according to AR Gaming

This is intended as a proposed alternative ontology/taxonomy of Second Life to exploit the potential target applications offered by AR gaming.

 * Featured Events[20]
 * Editors' Picks[21]
 * Popular Places[22]
 * Photogenic Spots[23]
 * Chat Hot Spots[24]
 * Adults Only[25]

• Simulation

 * General

   + Adult Arts & Culture[26]
   + Adult Clubs & Entertainment[27]
   + Adult Fashions & Commerce[28]
   + Art[29]
   + Bars & Pubs[30]
   + Beaches[31]
   + Business[32]
   + Castles & Ruins
   + Discussions & Communities[33]
   + Fashion & Style[34]
     - Animations[35]
     - Shoes[36]
     - Hair[37]
     - Jewelry[38]
     - Tattoos & Accessories[39]
     - Clothing[40]
     - Skins & Shapes[41]
     - Gadgets[42]
   + Help & How To[43]
     - Newcomer Friendly Spots[44]
     - Adult Newcomer Friendly[45] 
     - Creator Resources[46]
     - Sandboxes[47]
   + Home & Garden[48]
     - Furnishings & Decor[49]
     - Gardens & Landscaping[50]
     - Homes & Buildings[51]
   + Land & Estates[52]
   + LGBT Friendly[53]
   + Linden Realms[54]
   + Media, Movies & TV[55]
   + Miscellaneous[56]
   + Music[57]
     - Country & Folk[58]
     - Live Musician Spots[59]
     - Pop Music[60]
     - Hip-Hop, R&B & Reggae[61]
     - Rock & Metal[62]
     - Electronic & Dance[63]
     - Indie & Alternative[64]
     - Jazz & Blues[65]
     - Cafes & Cabarets[66]
     - Live DJ Spots[67]
     - Duran Duran[68]
   + Pets & Animals[69]
   + Premium[70]
     - Premium Gifts[71]
     - Premium Sandboxes[72]
     - Wilderness[73]
     - Racer's Gulch[74]
     - Premium Flight Zones[75]
   + Romance[76]
     - Wedding[77]
     - Romantic Spots[78]
   + Second Life Origins[79]
   + Spirituality & Belief[80]
   + Underwater[81]
   + Winter Attractions[82]

 * First Life

   + Cosmic[83]
   + Education and Nonprofits[84]
   + International[85]
     - Turkish[86]
     - Spanish[87]
     - Russian[88]
     - Portuguese[89]
     - Polish[90]
     - Korean[91]
     - Japanese[92]
     - Italian[93]
     - German[94]
     - French[95]
     - Arabic[96]
     - Other Languages[97]
   + Memorials[98]
   + Nature & Parks[99]
   + Science & Technology[100]
   + Virtual Tourism (Real Life)[101]

• Gaming[102]

 * Action
 * Adventure
   + Cyberpunk[103]
   + Haunted[104]
   + Strange & Mysterious[105]
   + Zombies[106]
 * Strategy
 * Role-playing Communities[107]
   + Historical[108]
   + Pirates[109]
   + Sci-Fi[110]
   + Urban/Noir[111]
   + Vampire[112]
   + Steampunk[113]
   + Fantasy[114]
 * Adult Role-playing Areas[115] 
 * Casual
   + Rides & Mazes[116]
 * Racing
 * Sports & Hobbies[117]
   + Sailing & Boating[118]
   + Surfing[119]

Second Life on Steam / Steam in Second Life within AR

After the 2012 announcement[120] concerning collaboration between Linden Lab and Valve Software with its Steam gaming platform[121], Second Life has to date yet to be submitted on Steam for Greenlighting[122], with Linden Lab apparently preceding this with its build tool Patterns[123] to engage the Steam developer community. Conversely Linden Lab has since introduced Pathfinder Non-Playing Characters[124] in emulation of mainstream gaming on platforms such as Steam. The implications and opportunities of cross-fertilization in this conjunction deserve consideration.

Specific aspects determining the potential of Second Life for hosting Steam game RPC's and AR sim mods include:

• interoperability among simulation environments on heterogeneous platforms
• portability of avatars and in-game assets
• physically augmented user-intelligent avatar interfacing for an AR viewer
• superimposition of the virtual world on physical reality and the reverse mapping
• standardization of/best practices for an integrated tool environment for application development

The specifics with respect to the Steam platform in this regard are considered on the Valve developer wiki[125]. For further developments from both Second Life and Steam perspectives please refer to the STALEMATE KBSDE Extension Project on Google Code[126].

Copyright = Copyleft

All material published on this Linden Lab Second Life Wiki user page is subject to the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 license[127]. The ideas expressed originate from the author alias user Octavio LeShelle[128] or are in the public domain or otherwise free unless referenced as prior art. Proper attribution to the author includes "© <year [span]> S.M. Claassen @ STALEMATE".