No adventures in today’s post. This one is about landscaping.

During the past month, as I’ve cavorted around, exploring, I’ve seen some amazing places. And I’ve noticed some significant changes in the art and technology of SL landscaping and gardening. I started making a list of some of the major advancements in the past that have gained acceptance.

* 1-prim Linden trees, plants and grasses
* Ocean reflections, shaders and shininess
* Sculpty rocks, trees
* Flexi and scripted trees and plants
* 1-prim non-Linden trees, plants and grasses
* Ocean wave effects
* Improved inland water prims
* Off-sim rocks with water effects
* Sculpted waterfalls with water effects

And I believe that in recent months, the giant off-sim mountains, islands and forests have added a new chapter in landscaping evolution. Here are two examples of landscapes that contain the new giant mountain elements.

These new majestic landscapes, especially with advent of the towering mountains signal to me that the art and technology has advanced to a new stage.

Obviously I’m impressed with the achievements of these sims, but here is one observation. I’ve noticed many new developments have put aside what I consider to be one of the most powerful elements in the toolbox, the Linden 1-prim trees and plants. The reason I call the Linden trees powerful is they have special properties no other type of tree has, they are somehow immune to the transparency problems that so many other trees face. That is, when two regular prim trees are in close proximity, the image of a tree in background can shine thru or show thru the tree in foreground. That’s kind of a simplistic description, but I think most SL landscapers know what I mean, the alpha-on-alpha effect. Anyway, I’m sorry to see that the Linden trees aren’t being used, because the only problem with them I know of, is there are a limited number of tree types. /me is just sayin’