Virtual Building

Here's some things I've done in the realm of virtual building.

Portal 2

In recent months (2012) I have built a few "Test Labs" in Portal 2.  You can get to them here and play them if you have the game: http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197995399362/myworkshopfiles?appid=620

I have put a lot of effort into making them a challenge, and yet solvable.  I've also put a lot of effort into making sure there is no way to "cheat" them, or if there is, that it is just as risky and interesting as solving the puzzle "the right way."

The first series, I've called Visxor, with a 1, 2 and 3.  They have a common theme and make a progression so I will most likely eventually put them into a group.  I'm going to try to post some shots here which show the rooms to be interesting, but without spoilers.

The common theme here is that you have to do unexpected things with the usual mechanisms.  Vixsor 1 is pretty easy, and will give you some notion of where I'm headed in the next two.

Vixsor 1

Vixsor 1 Interior

Visxor 1 - Exit

Vixsor 2 

Vixsor 2 Turret

Vixsor 2 Back room

Vixsor 2 Escape

Vixsor 3

Vixsor 3 Design

Vixsor 3 - Interior

Vixsor 3 - Interior Back

Sombluogdy

Sombluogdy is, I think, harder than Vixsor 3, and a different sort of puzzle.  You can basically see everything when you enter the room.  It is all about how to get to the exit on the other side without dying.  Even though I know how to solve it, I usually die a few times each time I play it.  :D

Sombluogdy - Design

Sombluogdy - Interior Entry View

Sombluogdy - Riding 1

Sombluogdy - Riding 2

Sombluogdy - Riding 3

Second Life

I worked on these various projects in Second Life between 2006 and 2008. Unfortunately due to computer upgrades and hard drive failures over the years, I haven't got many pictures.  One of my favorite things that I did in there was build a robot to follow me everywhere and help me build stuff.  I could ask her (verbally, that is to say, by typing dialog to her in the public chat window) to rez me an object of whatever type and size I requested, among other things.  She could also rez various tools I needed for building.  She only listened to my voice commands but I could transfer commands to others if I wanted to.

Houses

I built (and sold) this house.

I was working toward something a little different than most of what you see in Second Life, so I went with vibrant colors, unexpected shapes and textures, and semi-transparent glass block walls.












Here's another shot from straight-on.

The Glow Gardens

I also was contracted to build an amusement park ride for a temporary exhibition.  I built The Glow Gardens - a walk through "ride" filled with glowing trees and flowers, a pond, snails and other garden things.  The user/avatar could walk a glowing deep purple path through a jungle of glowing shapes and forms.

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of that whole thing either, but here's one I found of the pond, which gives the basic idea.  There are a couple of people (avatars) in the photo, and one actually decided to sit in the pond.

Minecraft Castles

I love building sand castles in real life, and I love building cobblestone castles in Minecraft.  Take a look at some of what I've done HERE.

Triskalia