I was very busy being very bored and waiting for someone at the Convention Center when my IM window went *bling bling* and said this: ‘Well well well small world’. Loki?!

I’ve met Loki Clifton at the Paradise Lost back in those days when I was still dangling down my dancing pole and I had not the slightest clue what he did in Second Life, so I was a bit surprised seeing him here. But even more surprised that he even remembered me. Willing to safe me from utter boredom, he gave me the TP I asked for.

Hmmm. An empty room? Let’s see. There’s an aquarium sim lag meter, but that’s about it? When I found the guts to ask what it actually was that he was showing or selling, he pointed out to me that I should press the screen. ‘The aquarium?’ I asked very confused. ‘No, beneath that.’ And so I did. And all of a sudden, I found myself inside a beautiful Oriental Palace, 10 seconds later it looked like I was on a very fun camping trip and yet another click later there was a romantic scene with a table for two. Wow! Just utter ‘wow’!! Holodeck kicks (meta) ass!

One click in the menu and it’s like you’ve TP to another sim. Or at least spend ten hours redecorating your room. Everything changes/rezzes very quickly and within seconds you’re in a total different environment. Although still in the same room. You just wouldn’t tell. Amazing(ly fun)!

So what’s a holodeck? A Holodeck stores Second Life scenes and lets you load them from a menu whenever you want. The old scene is cleared and the new one appears. Scenes can include any prim objects including furniture, pose balls and particle generators and I quote Loki:

[10:39] Loki Clifton: btw vint we now have the option of adding sex anims to holodecks
[10:39] Loki Clifton: lol

I did mention we first met at an auction in the Paradise Lost, no? :D

Of course that made me curious and ask more questions. First thing I did was inquiring after the prize as the holodeck would be an awesome thing to add to my skybox. The number he told me made me faint, as first life me can buy a very nice pair of shoes for that. Luckily you can get the simple ones already starting from L$500. If you want both the interior (interior Holodeck) and the exterior (exterior Holodeck) to change, you pay more, and there are other options too like retail Holodecks and production Holodecks.

No payment plans, I’ve asked, but they found a great solution for if you are good at building content, but do not have the money to pay for the holodeck: ‘Build a scene in Holodeck proportions; 15m wide x 20 deep x 10 high and get us to approve it (IM Biscuit Carroll). Make another 4 scenes and get us to approve them. We will then give you a Production Holodeck in return for full rights to sell the scenes.’

Next thing to ask was who made the Holodeck. Loki scripted the system and handles all support and made ‘like 2 rooms’, as most of the rooms are made by holodeck users and then resold by InsideThisWorld at a commission.

And the uses of the Holodeck? They seem endless! Amongst others: for photographic scenes, as a convention boot, as a meeting room annex living room annex bedroom, for building portfolios, for renting out, … and I especially like their idea about ‘giving complete 3D scenes away‘. Neat! You’ve surely impressed me!

If you want to read more about the Holodeck, check out it’s website at insidethisworld.com or get your own free version at their main store in Kenora. And up to the 6th of May you can check it out at the Joysko Convention Center too. Say ‘Hi’ to Loki from me!

And will you all remind me of not buying any guns or clothes anymore until I’ve saved enough for a 2in1 Production Holodeck?

I’ve just been given a production Holodeck with in it all the rooms created up to now, so the next two weeks I’ll be way to busy experimenting with that to go shopping for clothes and arms.

I certainly see the benefits for SL photography. Amongst others:

1. Instantly save scenes you’ve created for later use.
   
2. Not having to excuse myself to people because my skybox is still messy with a photoshoot setup.
   
3. Making your own light set-ups, cleaning them up and getting them back with on click in the menu.
   
4. A way to sort furniture and other primmy thingies by scene in stead it being a total mess in my inventory.

*drewls*

What Loki forgot to tell me: one of the rooms is a working photography studio with posestand with over 200 poses (yeah! new poses!), over 70 backdrops (yeah! new backdrops!) and working studio lights. Make that three weeks. :d

Tags: gadgets, holodeck, SL photography gear, SLinovation

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