Introducing The Cute LA Ancient Civ. Builder: Keira Gearz

My name is Keira Gearz and I have a small story to tell you. This story takes place in a Land far far away called Second life, It begins on March 14, 2009...

Once upon a time there was a girl who entered an unknown world called Second life. She had no idea what she was getting into, the wonders, the fantasies, the great things she would soon find.. Starting out in this new world I was offered no help, no support and was forced to figure out things on her own..
Well that was exactly what s he did she studied people and watched how they did things and soon realized what it was she wanted to do in Second life, She wanted to build.. So for the next year she practiced and practiced and practiced some more till she got the basics down then it was on to learning more, her brain desired to know all that was in SL and she kept on learning..
Then one day while not even on SL she was searching the web for land to buy when low and behold she came across a place that offered free land to students.. Thinking this is too good to be true she swiftly signed onto SL and teleported to this new place it was called Learn Avatar and it was a school for people who wanted to learn how to build or improve upon their building skills.. Well that day she joined this new group ( December 19,2010 ) and has been a student since..

Now I want to tell you a little about the place I call home. It's a great sim and the story behind how I came to be here is quite neat actually. I didn't pick it, it picked me I actually picked a themeless sim and during one of my classes ended up on Ancient Civilization and when I saw it I wanted to move ASAP so I did and I'm happy it happened. It's a great sim and most of all I like how helpful the people are that I have met here Ancient Civ. I couldn't have ended up in a better place.


Now I want to tell you about my builds here in Ancient Civ. I am all about the zen way of life..
My build is asian inspired I am all about zen. Peace, happiness, love and all things pure and good. I also love the history that comes from the asian culture read some about what I built here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_pagoda Now my first build was not exactly what I wanted, but due to prim limits I made it work, it ended up being a small asian house and i liked it very much.....now after doing some classes and being a good student i was given the chance to move to a bigger plot where i was able to build more of what i wanted to the results were awesome ..


And this is what I built... Now keep in mind I am never finished with my own builds and have never decided to stop changing things around, but hey thats what learning is all about..


Now as for owning a shop in sl the answer is No I do not have a shop and yes I would love to open one, but the cost to do so is to high for me at the moment so I am starting a market place store to sell my stuff and if anyone wants to buy one of my items they can always IM me for prices .... (which are negotiable)


I love to build it's the only reason I come to SL. I have very few friends and rarely ever leave my home unless I need something for building. I like to help others learn to build, but am very shy about it so I'm starting out slow very slow in the teaching area(I'll get there soon) and I don't like mean people..

What is it that makes your SL worth while? my own answer is that here in SL things are never just a dream they can become reality anything your heart or mind can dream up you can make or find...

Zachary Barrowstone: An introduction to an Atlantis Apprentice

My name is Zachary and I have a bit of a tale to tell. While wandering in a place called MistyMoon, seems I came too close to the waters edge and must have slipped and fell to the depths below. Perhaps a bump to my head from the fall caused me to lose consciousness or perhaps I drown. Whatever happened, it has changed my life.

Upon waking, I found myself in a new place unlike anything I knew before. It seems that having survived whatever had happened to me, not only was I in a place I had never known, I had myself transformed. It seems the transformation had adapted me to survive in my new surroundings.

I found myself within an orb. Not a "prison" but meant to protect me from any outside danger. My personal transformation was shocking to say the least. Fins had grown and in place of my feet I now had a tail like a fish and found that even though underwater, I was well able to breathe without the aid of an oxygen tank or any other type of device. My upper body was for the most part unchanged except for the fins and some new scales.



Looking around me I saw that the orb that held me was placed in what to me looked like some kind of temple. Ruins of statues littered the ground nearby and colorful fish swam about the area. I saw no immediate danger around me and being curious, I tried to stand from the pedestal I was on. Having no legs as I was used to in my past state, I seemed to "float" instead my new tail swaying keeping me in place just above the ocean floor.

I hovered in place a few moments getting used to my new body. It seems that movement came naturally in my new state. The orb was solid keeping me safely within. I wanted to venture outside to look more closely at the surrounding area. Placing my hands upon the interior surface of the glass like orb and having thoughts of venturing outside its containment, I suddenly found myself on the outside.



Strange I thought. It seems the device was able to read my thoughts and had by thought only transported me where I mentally imagined myself wanting to be. However, being outside the orb now, I ventured out to see what wonders lie beyond.

Swimming easily now around the temple, I moved freely and gracefully through the water as if I had been doing so all my life. The fish seemed to accept me not scared by my presence, more curious than anything. They approached me taking me in as I did the same of them. Beautiful creatures, and me in my current state, I was at least half if not more like them.



Sensing no immediate danger nearby, I swam looking more closely at the fallen statues that littered the area. Seems they were human in nature, perhaps representation of the gods and goddesses worshipped by the civilization that once inhabited this place?


Now I was really curious. Who had built this place? Was this once dry land and now under the ocean due to some disaster? What were the people that had once lived here like? Were they like me in my new current state? A race half human and half fish?



These questions and many more raced through my mind. The biggest question: How did I become what I am today?

Feeling tired after my adjustment and explorations, I returned to the orb, touching it once again I just thought of being safely within once more. Instantly I was transported within and sat upon the pedestal once again. Weary and still with many questions in my head unanswered, I drifted off to sleep.



These words dear reader, are my thoughts as I drift away once more, magically transferred here to be shared with you. Perhaps you have answers for me? Or you would like to join me and seek out the answers together. I think of where I am hoping you may find me in this place and help me seek the answers to my fate.............

Join me if you dare.

Introducing LA Ancient Civ. Builder: Emerald Sveiss

Me uni a Learn Avatar Academy el 16 noviembre 2010, gracias a otro estudiante que me hablo de este emprendimiento y me hizo conocer el lugar y el sistema de enseñanza.

Me llamó la atención la dinámica del funcionamiento, con clases casi contínuas y diversas para todos los gustos. Fundamentalmente una frase que escuché decir: " Todos somos estudiantes, todos somos profesores", me pareció de gran importancia y me estoy preparando para ser profesora además de alumna.

(please click to enlarge, chasque por favor para ver del mismo tamaño)

(please click to enlarge, chasque por favor para ver del mismo tamaño)

Cuando me dieron a elegir el tema, el de Ancient Civilizations fue mi preferido, me gusta la Historia, y para cada construcción hay que investigar.

En la actualidad elegi el tema de los Vikingos.

(please click to enlarge, chasque por favor para ver del mismo tamaño)

(please click to enlarge, chasque por favor para ver del mismo tamaño)

Decidí no hacer un edificio solamente, sino una pequeña (y osada) representación de la vida de los habitantes nórdicos, tanto de sus armas como muebles o barcos, dentro de mis limitaciones de constructor.

Lo atractivo de Ancient Civilizations, es que después de cierto tiempo, se puede cambiar totalmente de civilización elegida y construir sobre otra y volver a investigar; eso le da una dinámica muy interesante.

(please click to enlarge, chasque por favor para ver del mismo tamaño

)

No tengo tienda en SL, y aún no he pensado sobre ello.

Hay un factor que me preocupa desde que entré a esta academia, y es el no comprender del todo las directivas o funcionamiento de la misma, por la diferencia del idioma. Las personas son sumamente generosas y todos tratamos de entendernos y ayudarnos, hago mi mejor esfuerzo para, mediante traductor, no quedarme rezagada.

Atentamente

Emerald

*******

Note from HM: Emerald Sveiss is one of my talented builders, who doesn´t settle with building one type of house and then letting it stand. She leaves her latest building for some time, then searches for a another Ancient Civilizations she has not yet built and recreates it. I was happy to see the Viking Invasion on Ancient Civ. since Vikings are in my blood. She did a great job and I love it, We use the translator to communicate, I wish I could speak spanish or all languages for that matter, but we understand eachother and Emerald is a lovely person. Thank You

Nota del HM: Emerald Sveiss es uno de mis constructores talentosos, que settle del doesn´t con el tipo del edificio uno de casa y después de dejarlo de colocarse. Ella le deja el último edificio por algún tiempo, después busca para otras civilizaciones antiguas que ella todavía no ha construido y las reconstruye. Me placía ver la invasión de Vikingo en Civ antiguo. puesto que Vikingos están en mi sangre. Ella hizo un gran trabajo y lo amo, utilizamos el traductor para comunicar, deseo podría hablar español o todas las idiomas para esa materia, pero entendemos que el eachother y la esmeralda es una persona encantadora. Gracias

Moving Day on PG Mistymoon

We not got the PG/General standard as a SIM. What will change and what is the difference between our sim now and before as it had the Mature/Moderate Standard? Read more on SL WIKI "leaks"

There has been some remodeling of the SIM and I am happy about the outcome. Thank you Bogey.

The first one´s have already moved to their new plots and startet building new great things. The SIM looks prettier and prettier with every hour :)

Who has to move? The Apprentice/Starter plots are now moved inside the sim and are no longer on the "ocean" sides. But instead guarded by builders/scholar, mentor and the headmaster plot. With this line up, we gain more apprentice plots and will have more capacity to welcome new residents on our sim.

From now on, the old apprentice plots will be changed into builder plots and the Ancient Civ HM Plot has been moved towards the sandbox. This way on both ends of the sandbox are the HM Plots of Atlantis and Ancient Civ.

All apprentice plots have been reclaimed and new ones set out for sale to our apprentice residents. Please get your plots as soon as possible and clean out the old plots. So we can set up the rest for anyone to buy.

I wont keep them reserved for you forever, reservations will be till the end of the week after that the plots will be set out for any LA Member to buy.

Tomorrow latest all plots not reserved for Mistymoon residents will be set to buy for any LA Member. I will send a notice out when Mistymoon is open for business :)

HAPPY MOVING DAY

your HM

Introducing Sintara Lexenstar

I was one of those kids at school that just couldn't draw. I was more likely to be found with a crayon up my nose rather than creating a drawing good enough to stick up on the fridge, and I looked on with envy at those other kids that made it seem so easy. Well, this is my second life, so I get to create something different and here I like to play with colour.

Light and Colour (second floor interior)

I like to paint every surface of plywood with texture. I change repeats per face on individual surfaces and spend hours stretching, rotating and changing them... btw (tip to self) ... before changing a texture make sure you have "edit linked parts" checked on the build menu AND select texture ... I have inadvertently retextured my entire house with the same stone TWICE (you think I'd learn the first time .... maybe the girl with the crayon up her nose still lives on).

Shade and space (second floor interior)

In real life (particularly before I discovered second life), I love to read. On holidays, I read "low fibre" books ... mostly fantasy trilogies and sci-fi. That's where my name (Sintara) came from. The character Sintara was a dragon in a book that was beside my computer when I was signing up to second life on April 3^rd 2010. Sintara is a vain and naive dragon, and is yet to live up to her potential. I hope that's not a metaphor for my avi, but it does sort of describe my learning curve. Since joining Learn Avatar I have discovered that what I knew then was almost nothing, and what I have learnt now is the like one tiny book in a huge library of knowledge ... I don't know if there's another book to come in the Sintara series, but for me at least I am hoping to grow toward my potential and keep learning here on LA.

As I write this I am working on building a new house. I am not sure that I can say it is a typical representation of an ancient anything. It's really just that I built it that way because that's what turned up. I started out with what is now a silk awning.

I was trying to work out how to make an Asian style roof like one of the beautiful buildings made by one of our other Ancient Civilisations' builders ... anyway, my attempt was very bad so I dismantled it. I kept that one part, added an arch (I love archways), chucked in a few columns (I love columns too) and then just kept adding.

If I am to name what I am trying for it is the kind of house that is has been influenced by Indian, Arabic, Moroccan sensibility. Open space, stone, metal, and water where it can be found. Opulence juxtaposed with scarcity.

In reality however it is probably a pastiche of iconic clichés – like what happens on Stargate after the Goa'uld take different ancient peoples though the chapa'ai and dump them on distant planets so they can come back later and put snakes up their nose (frankly I'd rather have crayons).

Under the Awning (top floor interior)

I wanted to use 2 new textures I bought recently from one of my favourite texture makers and I thought they would look good together. Maybe it's because my graphics card (chip actually) is crappy, (and maybe it's because my eyesight is not what it was when I was younger)... but if I am to see what things look like I need to see it BIG ... so I build big... anyway this house is the result.

View from above (exterior)

I found Learn Avatar through chat in another group I am part of. An LA member was talking about this place where you can get free land to build on and you get to attend free classes. I joined up in November 2010. I am a builder in Ancient Civilisations and have just moved to the plot next to the park, between the lake and the water. I am on Second Life on a little laptop that is not really very good. When I am in a space with lots of avis, or scripts running, or anything much going on, I get eaten by lag. I can't move or see and so Ancient Civilisations appealed to me because there was open water and space and no bling bling visual noise and crowds. I liked the idea of a simpler life where people had time to know their neighbours and what was beneath the surface was meaningful and had substance.

Entrance (ground floor)

My windows are open and although my door can lock, it doesn't. You are welcome to come in anytime, whether I am there or not and take a look around (but please clean up after yourself if you rez anything – I don't want to do your dishes –

To Blog or Not to Blog

With the Introduce yourself week, residents get the opportunity to write a blog post and adding images. For those new to blogging I set together few slides to explain the steps you need from writing the text, adding the images and publishing.

If you still need help on something, or something isn´t clear, please leave a comment or contact me.

Please click on pictures to see full size

Lets start with the compose menu, after having added a Title to your post you can add here

your text, pick the font, size, bold, italic and colour.

Since adding pictures to our blog post is important - notice the small symbole for pictures you have to click to get the picture upload menu

best is to have pictures in jpeg or gif format

Here we see the same blogpost but in Edit Html menu - highlighted is the resolution for the picture used in the blogpost. By uploading a picture in large menu you see S400 pop up in the url of the picture, you can in compose menu, stretch the picture with your mouse (works on mozilla and explorer) but if you do so the picture might get blurry, change this by editing this number from S400 to S800

after clicking on the upload picture Icon, this window pops up. You can decide where your picture should be at left, center or right on your screen and the image size.

I usually use Centre and Large for my blog posts

after you have search for the correct picture - hit the UPLOAD IMAGE button

another feature to blog posts is adding links. For Second Life Blogs these Links are mostly SLURLS to shops. Highlight in text the word you want to use as a hyper link, click the symbole for Link and add the url to the small pop up window and click ok.

For big posts or when you want to wait untill you hit the publish post button, just save your post as draft, then later, when you want to publish, open the post option and change date and/or time and hit publish post

If you have any other questions or comments, please let me know by leaving a comment here or IMing me in World.

How to Edit the Spreadsheet

To be able to edit the spreadsheet, you need an invitation from me, just IM me your email adress and I will send you one. If you are using googlemail (gmail) you will then find the spreadsheet under text & tables and after signing in be able to add new classes to the time schedule and then just hit safe. The spreadsheet gets automatically updated after each edit.

This is the public link to the spreadsheet -> click here

And if you scroll down on that page, you see the option Edit this page (if you have permission)

Then you will see something like this

(please click on pictures to enlarge)

add the classes missing, then under file pick safe

In Blue Highlighted you can see when the sheet was last updated and by whome

Late for Class...

New week starts at 11PM

Have a good new week in LA

Introduce yourself week - Stjarney Starsmith

Headmaster of Atlantis and Ancient Civ. - Stjarney Starsmith

Time for us all to stand in the spotlight ;-) I have asked all my residents to introduce themself here on the blog and tell a few words about themself, their buildings, the ideas behind them and what aera on ancient civilizations they are suppose to be from as well as future plans.

I found out about LA through a friend, who sadly is no longer a member of LA. But I have so much to thank her for, cause I really do love LA and all the people I have met there and the things I have learnt.

I have always been a watergirl - meaning lived on Atlantis. As i started Cricket was my headmaster and then Anastasia after her. I had great Headmasters and hope I am doing just half the good job they did. Hugs and kisses to you. I love all myths and stories on ancient times, so Atlantis was the perfect spot for me.

As I started, I would have loved to have a blog like this to read about LA, get the links and help and to blog ;-) Since I am a little blogger girl a blog is a medium many shops use and SL Residents read and get syndicated on sites like iheartsl.com and read by thousands.

For every creator, there is the dream of own business - and practicing early in taking pictures of the things you make and even blog about them, is something very usefull for later on. If you want to show some of your pictures and get good pointers on them you can post them here for discussion :)

Headmaster Plot Atlantis - View from the Sandbox

(please click on picture to enlarge)

Questions from notecard:

#1

When did you join Learn Avatar? September 2010

#2 How did you find out about Learn Avatar?

Through a friend who was Member, found the idea great and got hooked on classes and learning

#3 What do you like the most about Learn Avatar?

The community and all the great people I have met here. What makes LA special is that you have a place to express yourself and a bunch of people ready to give their time to teach you tricks and practice skills, you would have needed alot longer figuring it out on your own - beside that wouldn´t have been half the fun ;)

#4 Why did you pick the theme you are living in?

Because I love myths, ancient times and water

#5 What is your building suppose to showcase?

My main building on Atlantis is in 3 parts, so to speak, first part above water the Temple Ruins that didn´t sink in the sea, by the destruction of Atlantis. This was a sacret place, where people came for guidance to the dolphin oracle. You will see this last Island of Atlantis rising out of the sea from the sandbox, guarded by it´s ancient fishy Hungry Chester. Sometimes you can spot your headmaster dancing on his head, but stay away from his mouth ;-).

By finding the secret key one of the rocks fall down and land you in the deep infront of a closed cave. A secret cave, the oracle used to live in and now your headmaster. There is a trick to enter it though ;-)

The Third area of the plot is the underwater one. Underwater ruines of Atlantis taken over by Mermaids. Several sit and dance poses are hidden among the exotic plants and fishes.

At this time we also have a visitor there by the SIM Map, a diver called Andy who gives you a hint on the first ever made LA Hunt. He has been down there since before christmas, and I am truly suprised that he is still standing ;)

#6 Where did you get the Idea behind your building?

I wanted to make a nice scene from the sandbox for visitors, something that would bring them back to ancient and mythical times. I didn´t want to build on a floating megaprim, I wanted it to look special and that´s when I came up with a rocky Island with stepping stones to combine the plot with the sandbox building a bridge between the two themes.

#7 What are your plans on your building or future builds?

I am full of ideas, I rather not discuss here, alot of those are for future classes. So stay tuned ;-)

#8 Do you have a shop in SL or plan to open one up?

I do not have a shop or ever had one in SL, but I might open one up soon and/or figure out the marketplace

#9 What else is on your heart, you would like to share with us?

Oh I think I have talked enough for now, I am really looking forward to read your posts about your plots and the ideas behind them and all

#10 Your own question to the readers

Just those 9 at this point ;)

Introducing Ancient Resident Harlp Daylight

LA Ancient Civ Builder - Harlp Daylight

"I joined LA in September of last year. I love that LA allows you to build on your own land, and learn about how to improve your builds. I love that ancient civilisations allows me to try to build older buildings, I have much more interest in older buildings than modern ones. My current building is a castle that I made."

Edit Menu

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For many who might have their viewer in other language as in english - here you have the two most common used edit menu tabs. The Object and Texture Tab. Most lessons are in english, and if you are having problems knowing what Taper or Twist etc. is on your viewer, you can compare now to your viewer edit menu. I would love to see the portuguese version of the edit menu as well in here.

(please click to enlarge)

Feature Tab is commonly used when prims are changed to flexi, like for flags, clothes or other parts.

Content is the last Tab in your edit menu, this is where you drag your things from the inventory that are suppose to be inside your prim, lika animations, scripts, sounds etc.

Linking Prims and Root(Parent) Prim

Small help for those unsure of how to link prims

How to Shift Copy Prims

A Pefect way to line up new prims, great tool everyone should master

The Shift Key is the key you use to make capital letters