Sometimes we just have to believe...and that is just what I did when I searched YouTube for anything that would help my husband RW (Reemer Waco) and I, bring surfing to Virtual Highway. I searched “wave making in Second Life (SL)” and was stunned to see a video actually come up. It didn't explain how to make the wave but it was clearly brilliant marketing strategy on Kayaker Magic's part to list his video as such.
Watching the video I knew I had to have his wave. I had never seen one so perfectly sculpted with a curl that actually curls over and falls to the beach and breaks on shore, amazing wave he created using Blender and the years of coding experience he has in RL (Real Life).
The wave was only one aspect of surfing that we had to acquire and then tweak the scripts to work in OpenSim environment which is a daunting task for most but with Kayaker's experience in coding and OpenSim capabilities we had a chance. The other of course is the board. Imagine if you will, scripting a board to work is a challenge even in SL but in an OpenSim it is even more so. OpenSimulator is neither a clone of Second Life's server nor does it aim at becoming such a clone. On the contrary, OpenSimulator lacks support for many of the game-specific features of Second Life (on purpose), while pursuing innovative directions towards becoming the bare bones, but extensible, server of the 3D Web. So with that being said we had quite the challenge ahead.
I contacted Kayaker Magic and within a very short time I had a reply he was willing to try. So we had him begin what would become the most exciting days in Virtual Highway for us. Testing the scripts as he worked his “magic” Kayaker in no time had his wave running and crashing to the shore in perfect rythym to the virtual moon. Next came the board.
Kayaker had designed a system in Second Life for surfing that I tried. I felt if we could just bring that to Virtual Highway with perhaps a few other tricks added that I liked... this would indeed be awesome. The tricks we will need if we have competitions in the future. Kayaker explained once again the challenge that lay ahead.
He added the animations and the script he had painstakingly perfected for OpenSim environment and he totally amazed me with the quality of surfboard he achieved. The only issue I had was that it didn't turn easy enough for me to cut up and down the wave and flip as I loved to do. I explained this to Kayaker and he added my flip and explained the turning in OpenSim would require a bit more tweaking then told me he had one more trick up his sleeve.
Before trying that trick, Kayaker took a day off and had a play with weathermaking.
It was about 10 at night when Kayaker IM(instant messaged) with the news his trick worked!! He got it to turn easier for me!! He said he placed Corona Girl, my surfboard in my inventory. All smiles here!! Tomorrow morning I rise to test the first Virtual Highway surfboard thanks to Kayaker Magic.
(Editors note: While surfing in Virtual Highway is significantly different from surfing in Second Life and is still at a very early stage, it is a brilliant starting point to achieving in opensim a sport that many love and enjoy in Second Life. The input and participation of the virtual surf community will only help to refine and improve Virtual Highway surfing.)
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