Blackett Buoy Gets a Bulge

[Jane Fossett]

Several USS race courses use a red buoy in the South East corner of Blackett Strait as one of the race markers. It's included in the NYC race course for the upcoming Round Two of Fizz Cup 2008.

For a few months now however, "Blackett Red" has behaved badly. It rezzes very late, and in a fast boat you often pass the marker before you see it. I frequently accidentally find the marker by hitting it.

Big thanks to Svar Beckersted for helping fix the problem. A few days ago he terraformed a mound underneath the buoy, so now it shows up nicely on the mini-map!

Woot Svar!

[MarkTwain White]

For a few months now however, "Blackett Red" has behaved badly. It rezzes very late, and in a fast boat you often pass the marker before you see it. I frequently accidentally find the marker by hitting it.Woot Svar!

Hmmm. I guess I thought I had passed this one along. There is an easy fix for objects that appear late but you wish could be seen from a long distance. Since SYC does not use the Blackett mark I never paid attention to that situation. However, if you will notice, all the marks on SYC courses can be seen up to two sims away (maybe more?).

Here is the trick. the SL engine draws objects based in part on the "weight" of those objects. Small low prim objects such as marks are low on the draw list and get drawn after "larger" objects. What I have done with the SYC marks is create a 10m cylinder (you can use any shape), make it invisible and phantom, sink it under the mark, and link it to the mark.

Presto. You mark can be seen "miles" away.

[Liv Leigh]

Thanks Jane and Svar.

I have been hitting that mark frequently, causing me to almost give up on 'hotlaps' course

Guess Mark's solution may be more elegant, not intervening with terrain heights, this saves 1 prim

[Alain Gloster]

Hmmm. I guess I thought I had passed this one along. There is an easy fix for objects that appear late but you wish could be seen from a long distance. Since SYC does not use the Blackett mark I never paid attention to that situation. However, if you will notice, all the marks on SYC courses can be seen up to two sims away (maybe more?).

Here is the trick. the SL engine draws objects based in part on the "weight" of those objects. Small low prim objects such as marks are low on the draw list and get drawn after "larger" objects. What I have done with the SYC marks is create a 10m cylinder (you can use any shape), make it invisible and phantom, sink it under the mark, and link it to the mark.

Presto. You mark can be seen "miles" away.

I wonder if the FIYC is considering the same trick as most of their bouys seem to have cloaking devices fitted as standard

[Liv Leigh]

Hi Alain, I have trained at Sailors Cove past few days and reported the issue, that you have been experiencing too apparently. Marks don't rezz until 20m away from them. If you know a fizz runs 10-20 m/s at novice mode.. this is no fun. I was happy to have sailed those courses many times in the past to avoid total loss of direction.

[Jane Fossett]

Hi Alain, I have trained at Sailors Cove past few days and reported the issue, that you have been experiencing too apparently. Marks don't rezz until 20m away from them. If you know a fizz runs 10-20 m/s at novice mode.. this is no fun. I was happy to have sailed those courses many times in the past to avoid total loss of direction.

I gave Epi a notecard a few weeks ago with two small suggestions that I thought he could do (with minimal effort and no cost) that might noticably enhance SC racecourses.

#1 was fixing th buoys so they are visible from your boat or on a map. Epi agreed, but said SC management was busy with a number of other issues at the moment.

Speaking of which, Patrick Lynch will be at FIYC on Thursday at 1pm slt to talk about sailing issues. This might be a good item to bring up at the meeting.

/JFos


PS: the other issue I mentioned to Epi was the "EOW problem" on several race courses.
And.... at least in one serious spot... He fixed it!

Woot Epi!

[Alain Gloster]

oh thats where that came from....
Truth to tell I got kinda used to the eow when I was learning the big cat cup courses..the yellow bouy just south of there still gets me every so often.

[Alain Gloster]

oh thats where that came from....
Truth to tell I got kinda used to the eow when I was learning the big cat cup courses..the yellow bouy just south of there still gets me every so often.

[Liv Leigh]

LOL Jane, thanks. I'll try to make it to this meeting. I have only been able to sail the courses because I have used them for my own event there and sailed them with M1sha's races often enough.

I guess Epi got a lot of feedback on them now already