User's Manual

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Introduction

Second Life^® is a 3D virtual world that combines social interaction, 3D graphics...

It features persistent user-created content, a convertible currency,...

What you need

Interacting with the Second Life virtual world requires the following:

(1) A Second Life account

(2) A Broadband Internet connection

(3) A computer capable of running the Viewer program.

(4) The Viewer program installed on your computer.

(5) Web browser to access the Second Life website, which is necessary to use some features.

Optionally you may use:

(6) A microphone for voice interaction

(7) Joystick or 3D mouse as a control device

Basic Concepts

Since Second Life is not like any other 3D environment, some basic concepts are reviewed in this section. More words are defined in the Glossary.

The Grid - A set of servers hosting connected map regions plus supporting databases and networking. Together they make it possible for a user to log in, see, and interact with the 3D world. The main SL grid is called agni.

Map Region - Each server on the agni.secondlife.com domain runs several copies of a "Simulator" program, each of which represents one 256x256 meter area of the grid. When you move from one region to another, you are handed off from one server to another, giving the impression of a large 3D world. Currently the main (Agni) grid has about 29,000 map regions.

Technically a map region is a set of data, like a document, or spreadsheet, which can be saved, and reloaded if a server stops running. The Simulator program is constantly updating the data in real time, as users come and go, objects are added and removed, scripts running within the objects do things, etc. Map regions are also called 'sims' after the program that runs them.

Viewer - The program that runs on your computer that connects via the internet to the Second Life servers. It allows you to log in to the grid and then see and interact with objects and avatars around your current "location" in the virtual world.

Resident - An account that most Second Life users have, with a first and last name, profile, account balance, inventory, etc.

Avatar - The character that represents a resident when logged into Second Life, and appears on the 3D view area. Avatars are highly customizable.

Linden Lab - The company that owns Second Life.

Linden - Staff member of Linden Lab. Their accounts/avatars have the last name "Linden". For example, "Philip Linden" is the avatar used by Philip Rosedale, founder and Chairman of Linden Lab.

User-Created Content - Linden Lab codes the software and hosts the servers that runs Second Life. But most of the items you see when you are logged in are actually created by other users, such as clothes, furniture, weapons, animations, sounds, etc.

The Viewer

The Viewer uses your graphics card or chip to generate the 3D view that you see in real time. The data to produce the 3D view has to be downloaded from the servers as you need it for two reasons. First, the total data for the main grid is over 100 Terabytes, and second, it changes constantly. This is different than most online games, where the data is provided mostly on an installation disk.

As you travel from place to place, the servers send you data for an area around your current location out to a maximum 'draw distance' you have set. Within that distance, there will be an initial fast download of the area around you so you can see it, then slower updates as things change: other avatars come and go, and objects move and change.

Information on downloading, installing, and using the official Linden Lab viewer can be found at the Getting started with Second Life wiki page.

More detailed information can be found on the following pages:

Viewer menu - The 6 standard drop-down menus that appear on the top left are described here

Advanced Menu - There are two optional drop-down menus that can be turned on: Advanced and Admin.

Context Menu - These appear when you right click in the 3D view area. Depending on what the mouse was pointing at, the menus will change.

Inventory Menu - The inventory floating window which lists your inventory of items has it's own set of drop-down and context menus.

Floating Windows - Many functions in the viewer open a floating window over the 3D view area. These 'float' over the 3D view.

The Website

Some parts of the Second Life service are accessed via the website rather than the 3D viewer program. Both the website and viewer use the same account first and last name, and password.

Some of the more important pages include:

Things to Do

Once you are all set up, there are many things you can do. Where you go and what you do are up to you, much as you can surf the web and use it for whatever you choose. There is not a goal, or way to "win" Second Life as there is in some online games, even though it uses similar graphics technology.

Some of the things you can do and hints about how to go about them are listed below.

Play Tourist

• Travel the Grid
• Take Pictures