INTRODUCTION

This guide is provided to establish coherent, consistent policies for builders to follow when creating content for the International Spaceflight Museum (ISM).

By having a written guide, policies can be easily communicated and will remain consistent over time. Also, by being freely available in written form, they can be more easily discussed and modified as required.

VERSION

This is version 2.0 of the Builders Guide, dated 2025 Nov 26.

These guidelines will be posted on this website. Submit suggested changes to inquiries@ismuseum.org.

PREREQUISITES

• You must be a member of the Spaceflight Museum Planning Group with the ISM Builder role.
• You must be a member of the ismuseum org in GitHub.
• You must be a member of the appropriate exhibit wiki.

EXHIBITS

Installation of Exhibits

Before the exhibit is completed, create a group notice to notify the Spaceflight Museum Planning Group of your intent to display the exhibit. The Planning Group will decide where it should be installed upon completion.

After completion,

• Rez the completed object at the agreed-upon location.
• Set the object's group to Spaceflight Museum Planning Group.
• Check the "Share" checkbox, so any group member can move or modify the object(s).
• Create an exhibit sign and rez it next to the new exhibit.Learn how.
  • Get a copy of the exhibit sign object at the Creator's Space in Spaceport Bravo. The exhibit sign will contain the exhibit script.
  • Create the exhibit sign texture.
    • Copy the Gimp template from GitHub>.
    • Modify the .xcf file with the appropriate exhibit name and creator(s).
    • Save the .xcf file as ISM_exhibit name.xcf.
    • Export the .xcf file into an ISM_exhibit name_blank.png file.
    • Check the .xcf file into the GitHub xcf folder.
    • Check the .png file into the GitHub png folder.
    • Import the .png file into Second Life.
    • Add the texture into the inventory of the exhibit sign object. The script will apply the texture to the appropriate side of the object.
  • Create the wiki pages.

    To be done by an admin:

    • Go to the ism-exhibits wiki in wikidot.com.
    • Under Add a new page, enter the name ISM exhibit: exhibit name. Click new page.
    • For Initial content:, choose template - ISM exhibit: //Exhibit Name//.
    • Fill in the fields: Locations, Exhibit creator(s).
      • Under Sponsorship history, enter None.
      • In the entire field, replace abc with the name of the exhibit.
    • Save.
    • Copy the URL of the page and provide it to the exhibit creator.

    To be done by the exhibit creator:

    • Add the URL of the page to the description of the exhibit sign in Second Life.
    • In the new page, click on one of the language pages (de, es, fr, it, ja). You will be prompted to create the file.
    • Choose the correct template for that language.
    • Fill in the fields.
    • Repeat for the other supported languages.
    • Save.
  • Rez the object next to the exhibit. Check the "Share" checkbox.

Modifying Objects

Do not modify any exhibit object unless you are the creator or you have the creator's permission to do so. If you want to make changes, please create a copy of the build and work on the copy instead of the original.

Scripts: Permission Settings

If you want your code to be hidden, you may disable "Modify" under the "Next owner" permissions for in-world scripts, and you are not required to check your scripts into GitHub.

However, we would prefer to receive modifiable scripts sent to BetaGeek Luminos, in case we need to edit them in the future when/if you are no longer participating in the group. Scripts that are not modifiable could be deleted or replaced, as the need arises.

Textures: Depository

A group object is provided in the museum office for storing a copy of uploaded textures used for museum exhibits. Please ensure that full permissions are set (Modify + Copy + Transfer).

Textures are also available at GitHub.

BACKUPS

To allow the ISM to duplicate builds in other virtual worlds and other platforms and to store exhibits in temporary rezzers for rotating exhibits, we ask for full permissions of the files and components used in the build:

• Check the source files of the meshes, textures, and, optionally, scripts (.blend, .obj, .dae, .png, .jpg, .xcf, .lsl, .txt, etc.) into the appropriate repositories and branch(es) of https://github.com/ismuseum.
• Submit a folder containing a copy of the complete exhibit and its components (object, textures, scripts) to BetaGeek Luminos with "Next owner" permissions set to full permissions (Modify+Copy+Transfer) for objects and textures and to Copy+Transfer for scripts. The folder can have subfolders with the names: final, mesh and objects, textures, scripts, and optionally misc.

Also, all builders are urged to keep a copy of each exhibit (and its components) that you contribute to the museum in your personal inventory as a backup.

REIMBURSEMENT FOR UPLOADING FEES

Because uploading fees could become burdensome for very elaborate builds, builders may request reimbursement from the museum fund.

Requests for reimbursement must be sent by email to inquiries@ismuseum.org with the upload transaction details and the subject titled "Reimbursement request: ...". (Be sure that you have submitted a full-permissions copy of your exhibit and its components to BetaGeek Luminos.)