If you've visited any of the Infohubs in SL, indicated by a bright blue "i" when you click on the Map button, you may have noticed ... HIPPOS! They have landed overnight. What are they doing here and what do they mean?
More importantly: What kind of hippo are YOU?
This is going to be an exhibition showcasing the variety of resident art as channeled through the spirit of the hippo. Knowing what resourcefulness we have in SL, we encourage everyone to participate. Even if you think you can't, you may be surprised! Give it a try. At the very least, it's worth a smile among friends, and at the very most, it exemplifies how wonderfully creative you can be!
There is a message board at each Infohub which says the following if you click it for a notecard:
Hippos in Second Life!
Since the very beginning, hippos have been part of the culture of Second Life. So what better way to inaugurate our new Infohubs than to fill them with hippos!
Please take a copy of the hippo and go to town. Texture it, give it hair, a hat, wings, whatever you think will make it extra special. When you're finished, drop your creation on Robin Linden (not literally). When we're finished there will be a beautifully decorated unique hippo in each Infohub. If we have more hippos than we have Infohubs, we'll rotate more in after a month.
Stop by each hub and start collecting!
Since the very beginning, hippos have been part of the culture of Second Life. So what better way to inaugurate our new Infohubs than to fill them with hippos!
Please take a copy of the hippo and go to town. Texture it, give it hair, a hat, wings, whatever you think will make it extra special. When you're finished, drop your creation on Robin Linden (not literally). When we're finished there will be a beautifully decorated unique hippo in each Infohub. If we have more hippos than we have Infohubs, we'll rotate more in after a month.
Stop by each hub and start collecting!
A few tips
* There's a Hippo Parent and a Hippo Child. This is not only lovable (aw how cute), it's to symbolize growth in our community, passed from one generation to the next.
* You can choose one or both. If you choose both, you may find it enjoyable to decorate your pair of hippos in a theme. For example, sun/moon or polka dots/stripes or rainbow/monochrome or wherever your imagination takes you.
* You should be able to right-click hippo and select More > Take Copy to adopt them for yourself. If you find an Infohub that doesn't let you copy, please send me an IM, and I'll send you hippos!
* The hippos, in their "natural" state, are kept simple so you can customize them easily. Here's a basic way how to: once you have a hippo, rez it. That means, drag it from your Inventory to the ground on land where the Build button at the bottom is a bright (not dark) blue. A public sandbox like Sandbox Island or Sandbox Cordova is a good place to do this. Next, when your very own hippo appears, right-click the hippo and select Edit. Then, choose the Texture tab, click the Texture square, and find any texture in your inventory. Then, click Select. Watch for the change! It's that easy.
* Yes, the Hippo Child is a biped and has learned how to walk on hind feet. Although you can change that if you wish. After all, there is no rule against giving a hippo eight legs and three arms.
* If you are careful, you can unlink the hippo and re-pose. This can add dramatic flair: for example, a Hippo Child with arms spread out waving a flag in one hand, flexing atop a furious Hippo Parent who is trampling lag underfoot.
* Remember, you can change the eye textures too if you'd like!
* An example is provided below. It was done in 10 minutes.
* Don't forget to send your creations to Robin when you're done! To do this, click the Find button on the toolbar at the bottom of your screen, select People tab, then search for Robin Linden. Find the hippos in your inventory and drag-and-drop them on her profile. You may want to rename your creation uniquely to stand out, for example I might call mine
Hippo Parent - Altruima Linden's Sun
Hippo Child - Altruima Linden's Moon
If you need any assistance with the finer points of building/texturing in SL, feel free to ask here on the forums or in-world, use Help menu > Live Help. We have many wonderful residents helping out! You can IM me too. Holler for hippos!* You can choose one or both. If you choose both, you may find it enjoyable to decorate your pair of hippos in a theme. For example, sun/moon or polka dots/stripes or rainbow/monochrome or wherever your imagination takes you.
* You should be able to right-click hippo and select More > Take Copy to adopt them for yourself. If you find an Infohub that doesn't let you copy, please send me an IM, and I'll send you hippos!
* The hippos, in their "natural" state, are kept simple so you can customize them easily. Here's a basic way how to: once you have a hippo, rez it. That means, drag it from your Inventory to the ground on land where the Build button at the bottom is a bright (not dark) blue. A public sandbox like Sandbox Island or Sandbox Cordova is a good place to do this. Next, when your very own hippo appears, right-click the hippo and select Edit. Then, choose the Texture tab, click the Texture square, and find any texture in your inventory. Then, click Select. Watch for the change! It's that easy.
* Yes, the Hippo Child is a biped and has learned how to walk on hind feet. Although you can change that if you wish. After all, there is no rule against giving a hippo eight legs and three arms.
* If you are careful, you can unlink the hippo and re-pose. This can add dramatic flair: for example, a Hippo Child with arms spread out waving a flag in one hand, flexing atop a furious Hippo Parent who is trampling lag underfoot.
* Remember, you can change the eye textures too if you'd like!
* An example is provided below. It was done in 10 minutes.
* Don't forget to send your creations to Robin when you're done! To do this, click the Find button on the toolbar at the bottom of your screen, select People tab, then search for Robin Linden. Find the hippos in your inventory and drag-and-drop them on her profile. You may want to rename your creation uniquely to stand out, for example I might call mine
Hippo Parent - Altruima Linden's Sun
Hippo Child - Altruima Linden's Moon
Show your hippos off to the world!
Happy Hippo-ing!
