104 Virtual World Design
6.3.1 The Box
Box, our basic building block, has six faces when it originates. However, this box has numerous polygons
per faces to accommodate form-changing edits like hollow, taper, twist, and path cut. From this simple form,
an abundance of architecture can be generated—walls, steps, doors, windows, the list is long. Take a look
at Figure6.4 and try to make each of these forms using the path cut, hollow, twist, taper, shear, and slice
modiers in the Build/Create menu. They have all been applied to the same basic box, and as you can see,
there are many variations. Note: if you are curious about how many triangular polygons are being rendered
on a selected object, go to the Develop/Show Info/ menu, and select Show Render info. At the bottom of the
onscreen list that appears, the number of Ktris (triangles) will be displayed for the prim you have selected.
You will notice how the number decreases as your avatar walks away, and another Level of Detail takes over.
6.3.2 The Cylinder
Cylinders are another useful form for architecture (Figure6.5). With three faces (top and bottom caps and
one side surface) in its beginning form, this prim can take the form of columns, machine parts, and other
elements of the mechanical world. Try creating these forms with the cylinder modiers that are similar to the
box modiers and available in the Build/Create menu when you create a cylinder form.
6.3.3 The prism
Prisms are three-faced wedges that can come in handy for many things, like ramps, weapons, and even
cheese. Try to make these forms with the available modiers shown in Figure 6.6 with the prism modiers
in the Build/Create menu.
FIGURE 6.4 OpenSim screen shot of the range of virtual forms that can be made with a box and its modiers: shown
from the left going right they are: none, path cut, hollow, twist, taper, shear and slice. On the fth sample from the left,
the grid texture demonstrates how a Taper modier will affect the look of a texture. Distortion of a mapped texture on
the tapered box is removed with a Planar mapping setting in the Build/Texture menu.
1053D Modeling, 2D Graphics, and Data Visualization
FIGURE 6.5 OpenSim screen shot of the range of virtual forms that can be made with a cylinder and its modiers:
shown from the left going right they are: none, path cut, hollow, twist, taper, shear and slice. Note how in the twist
modier, fourth from the left, the texture shows more of the effect of the modier than the form.
FIGURE 6.6 OpenSim screen shot of the range of virtual forms that can be made with a prism and its modiers: shown
from the left going right they are: none, path cut, hollow, skew, twist, taper, shear and slice.
106 Virtual World Design
6.3.4 The sphere
Spheres are geometrical perfection, one face; all vertices are equidistant from the center. You will note
that once you make a sphere that slice is no longer an option, and a new modier has appeared called
dimple. Try twisting the sphere with the slice modier in the Build/Create menu for some interesting
forms (Figure6.7).
6.3.5 The Torus
The torus is an interesting form. Created from an oval or circle that has been stood on edge and extruded
on a circular path, it looks like a doughnut and can be modied into making car axles, bar stools, and
elf house roofs. This prim introduces another modier, hole size, and now the modiers prole cut, taper
prole, and revolutions will have some interesting effects. Look at the samples in Figure6.8, and try out
these modiers in the Build/Create menu.
6.3.6 The TuBe
Tubes may fool you into thinking that they are cylinders with a hollow center, but in virtual worlds,
they are a different type of form. You will nd that the top and bottom faces of the tube will display a
texture map differently from a hollowed cylinder, and that is useful when you want a radiating texture
on a curved walkway. When a tube is created, the hole size setting is at 0.5; you will need to change that
to actually see that it is a tube. Try making the tube-based forms in Figure6.9 with the modiers in the
Build/Create menu.
FIGURE 6.7 OpenSim screen shot of the range of virtual forms that can be made with a sphere and its modiers:
shown from the left going right they are: none, path cut, path cut and hollow, skew, hollow and twist, taper and hollow,
dimple begin and end, taper prole.
1073D Modeling, 2D Graphics, and Data Visualization
FIGURE 6.8 OpenSim screen shot of the range of virtual forms that can be made with a torus and its modiers: shown
from the left going right they are: none, path cut, path cut and hollow, twist, hole size, top shear, prole cut, taper prole,
and skew with revolutions.
FIGURE 6.9 OpenSim screen shot of the range of virtual forms that can be made with a tube and its modiers: shown
from the left going right they are: hole size, path cut, skew, twist, top shear, prole cut, taper prole, skew and revolu-
tions, and revolutions with a hollow modier.
108 Virtual World Design
6.3.7 The ring
Rings are what you get when you stand up a triangle and extrude it around a perpendicular circular path. They
are useful for mechanical parts, clothing like collars and cuffs, and all sorts of surface details. Try making the
modied ring forms in Figure6.10.
All of the other forms that are offered in the creation menu (the pyramid, hemisphere, hemicylinder,
and tetrahedron) can be made from the basic seven forms. To derive the greatest benet from this exercise,
itis recommended that you spend some time creating these families of forms, and saving samples into a
“ building component” folder for future reference and usage.
6.4 MESHES AND HOW THESE CAN BE IMPORTED
Since 2011, the 3D objects made with externally generated meshes have been available for a builder’s use
in Second Life and OpenSim. In fact, meshes have always been used in builds; the standard prim objects
native to the virtual worlds are simply custom meshes designed for use with the modication tools included
in the viewer. For the purposes of this book, the instruction in various methodologies for building meshes
in Blender, 3DS Max, or any other 3D modeling package are left to the wide range of tutorials available
online or through your local educational institutions. It is highly recommended that you take an online or
in-school course in your chosen program so that you learn to model quickly and efciently. One of your
most valuable assets is interaction and social networking with your peers. Join the inworld groups, visit
the software bug tracking and program development pages (JIRA) to comment on the new programs you
use, and share what you have learned freely with your peers. When you start to make your own meshes in
a modeling program like 3DS Max or Blender and want to import them into Second Life, you should be
aware of what the options and costs are. Fortunately, the Firestorm Viewer has an easy-to-use importation
FIGURE 6.10 OpenSim screen shot of the range of virtual forms that can be made with a ring and its modiers:
shown from the left going right they are: none, path cut, path cut and hollow, skew, hole size, top shear, prole cut,
taper prole, and revolutions.
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