For a 3D world there sure is a lot of information in Second Life being communicated in 2D form. The attempted strategy for signage here on Capozzi Winery Island is two-fold:

1. Design the place to require as little of it as possible.

Finding your way around the island should be as easy and intuitive as we can make it without being boring. We’ve tried to create a very clear path from the intro point, following the gravity driven steps of the wine-making process to the cellar, and finally ascending a ramp up to the tasting room. For the planned event stage and wedding arch, access pathways through the vine rows connect directly to the the Welcome Area.

2. Integrate it into the architecture as seamlessly as possible.

The signage completed thus far consists either of wood burnings or glass etchings. Each of the five stages of the wine making game and the introductory area is framed by a large slab of sandblasted glass with the letters appearing as transparent. As well, the stages of the wine game are also demarcated by large numbers burned into wooden board strips with the intention of being seen from a great distance.

At the moment we’re tweaking the transparency of the large glass slabs to optimize legibility. Like any standard piece of signage, readability varies depending on distance and camera angle, however being made of glass the color of the sky also has an impact. If the sim is set to follow normal day/night cycles the signage background will therefore be continuously variable.

I say ‘if’ because one is also presented the possibility to hold the sim at a fixed sun position, and you may have noticed a gravitation on my part toward the dramatically colored skies of sunrise/sunset states when it is time to post screenshots on this site A reddish/orangish color also seems to make the signage more legible as well. We’re still considering the pros and cons of either approach.

What do you think?  Let ‘nature’ take its course, or ‘preserve the moment’?