Creating and building in virtual worlds.

Let's start out by saying that you may never need to use the skills covered in this module.

Let's say that but I think it is nonsense. After traveling around the virtual world and seeing the amazing diversity of things people have created, at some point you are going to get the urge to create something yourself. Of course, you could pay someone to create it for you, but hey, what's the fun of that. So this module will give you the very basics of how to create objects in the virtual world of SecondLife.

Just a reminder that you will need to be in a sandbox area to do the things we will talk about here, unless you've already gone out and bought your own land. Aw, come on. A full island of your very own would be a great investment.....everyone will be impressed that you spent a thousand real American dollars for an island that doesn't really exist. And then pay a couple hundred dollars month to keep it.

Ok, for now, find the imagiLEARNING sandbox area, and let's get started.

First, right click on the ground somewhere in the sandbox. In the menu then click CREATE. A small window will appear with a dozen or so basic shapes in it....for now, just leave it on the box....and then then left click with the cute little magic wand cursor on the ground.

POOF!

You are the proud parent of a bouncing baby box. Thank you, we're done.

Ok there is more. When it is created it is still selected (remember that?), so you can drag it around with the arrows. Go ahead, drag it, you know you want to.

When you have it where you want it...in that little window that showed up on the screen click on the little radio button (yep, that's what they call them) next to the word STRETCH. Now the arrows are gone from your baby box and have been replaced with little red, green, blue and white squares. Now drag on of those colorful squares.

See how this works? The most amazing part is that everything you have seen throughout Secondlife started out just like this....with little boxes, balls, cones and such. Imagine the creativity. Imagine bringing that creativity into your classrooms. HAH, gotcha. That's what this is all about anyway, remember.

The best way to learn this is to just play around with the buttons, and drag things, rotate things, taper things, you name it. But before I let you go, I have one other thing to show you.

Make sure your box (or whatever the heck it looks like now) is selected. Then click on the tab that says 'TEXTURE'. Don't see a Texture tab? How about a little button that says MORE? Click that. Now click the Texture tab. You're doing fine.

There are two little pictures in the texture window that pops up. Click on the one on the right to change the colors of your object....ok, I'll wait. Clicking on the left box lets you change the texture of your object......this gets awesome.

So, click on the left box, and that Inventory thing opens up again, this time showing all of the textures you have there. If you haven't any of your own, just find the Library folder in your inventory and there are some there. Click on a texture in you inventory list, then click SELECT on the texture window and your box has become.....what the heck is that thing now?

Ok, its creation time. Go create things, color things and texture things. Just remember to clean-up after yourself when you are finished....the old share the sandbox with others thing.

And when you are ready, move on to the next module.

Next Module

or, go back to Module 6

or, go back to the Introduction