Internationalizing Your Pandorabot's Wikipedia Query

If you want to allow non-English speaking Second Life residents to trigger a Pandorabot Wikipedia query in that person's native language then use the following settings in the Configuration notecard of your Pandorabot.

In order to detect German (Deutsch)  residents input and also to output Deutsch answers from your Pandorabot, use these settings:

LANG_CODE = de
LANG_NAME = Deutsch
WIKIPEDIA_TRIGGERS = was ist ein ,?, was sind die ,?, was ist ,?, was sind ,?, wer sind ,?, wer ist ,?, wo ist ,?, wo sind ,?, what is ,?, what's ,?, what're ,?, what is a ,?, what is an ,?, what is the ,?, what are the ,?, what's a ,?, what's an ,?, who is ,?, who are ,?, who're ,?, who's ,?,,?

To detect French (Français) residents input and output Français answers from your Pandorabot, use these settings:

LANG_CODE = fr
LANG_NAME = Français
WIKIPEDIA_TRIGGERS = quelle est la ,?, qui est le ,?, ce sont ,?, quelles sont les ,?, ce qui est une ,?, qu'est-ce qu'un ,?, quels sont les ,?, ce qui est ,?, qui est ,?, qui sont ,?, où est ,?, what is ,?,what's ,?,what're ,?,what is a ,?,what is an ,?,what is the ,?,what are the ,?,what's a ,?,what's an ,?,who is,?,who are,?,who're,?,who's,?,,?

 To detect Dutch (Nederlands) residents input and output Nederlands answers from your Pandorabot, use these settings:

LANG_CODE = nl
LANG_NAME = Nederlands
WIKIPEDIA_TRIGGERS = wat is een ,?, wat zijn de ,?, wat is de ,?, wat is ,?, die is ,?, die ,?, what is ,?, what's ,?, what're ,?, what is a ,?, what is an ,?, what is the ,?, what are the ,?, what's a ,?, what's an ,?, who is ,?, who are ,?, who're ,?, who's ,?,,?

To detect Italian (Italiano) residents input and output Italiano answers from your Pandorabot, use these settings:

LANG_CODE = it
LANG_NAME = Italiano
WIKIPEDIA_TRIGGERS = cosa è un ,?, ciò che è uno ,?, qual è il ,?, cosa è ,?, chi è ,?, che è il ,?, cosa sono ,?, chi sono ,?, quali sono le ,?, what is ,?, what's ,?, what're ,?, what is a ,?, what is an ,?, what is the ,?, what are the ,?, what's a ,?, what's an ,?, who is ,?, who are ,?, who're ,?, who's ,?,,?

To detect Portuguese (Português) residents input and output Português answers from your Pandorabot, use these settings:

LANG_CODE = pt
LANG_NAME = Português
WIKIPEDIA_TRIGGERS = o que é ,?, quem é ,?, o que é o ,?, quem é o ,?, quais são ,?, quem são ,?, o que é um ,?, o que é um ,?, o que são o ,?, what is ,?, what's ,?, what're ,?, what is a ,?, what is an ,?, what is the ,?, what are the ,?, what's a ,?, what's an ,?, who is ,?, who are ,?, who're ,?, who's ,?,,?

To detect Spanish (Español) residents input and output Español answers from your Pandorabot, use these settings:

LANG_CODE = es
LANG_NAME = Español
WIKIPEDIA_TRIGGERS = lo que es ,?, quien es ,?, ¿cuál es la ,?, quien es el ,?, ¿cuáles son ,?, que son ,?, ¿qué es un ,?, lo que es un ,?, ¿cuáles son las ,?, what is ,?, what's ,?, what're ,?, what is a ,?, what is an ,?, what is the ,?, what are the ,?, what's a ,?, what's an ,?, who is ,?, who are ,?, who're ,?, who's ,?,,?

To detect Polish (Polski) residents input and output Polski answers from your Pandorabot, use these settings:

LANG_CODE = pl
LANG_NAME = Polski
WIKIPEDIA_TRIGGERS = co jest ,?, , który jest ,?, co jest ,?, , który jest ,?, jakie sa ,?, którzy sa ,?, co jest ,?, co jest ,?, jakie sa ,?, what is ,?, what's ,?, what're ,?, what is a ,?, what is an ,?, what is the ,?, what are the ,?, what's a ,?, what's an ,?, who is ,?, who are ,?, who're ,?, who's ,?,,?

 And so ends the most awesome blog post ever.

How to Make METAbolt based Pandorabots' Chat Appear to Come from the Alt Avatar

A new option in the METAbolt_Config notecard controls whether a METAbolt based Pandorabot's chat originates from the base prim or the alt avatar bot. Setting USE_LSL_SAY = TRUE in METAbolt_Config causes all chat from the bot to appear as if it is coming from the avatar thereby making it even more difficult for a guest to tell if he or she is chatting with a bot or a real person.

This uses METAbolt's LSL API and therefore only works if the MD5's METAbolt password is specified in the MD5SUM variable in METAbolt_Config. Find the METAbolt password in METAbolt preferences by clicking Application -> Preferences -> Security/L$. Copy the password and chat the following within 20 meters of your METAbolt based Pandorabot:
    /777 password=the-password-string-you-copied
The Pandorabot should then chat the MD5'd password. Copy the MD5 string, edit METAbolt_Config and set MD5SUM=the-md5-string-you-copied.

METAbolt based Pandorabots supporting this feature include:

• Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On
• Smart Dance Pole & Tip Jar Combo Pack
• Smart Dance Pole
• Smart Sex Bot Fur Base

Note, you must have the METAbolt LSL API plugin loaded for this to work. The METAbolt Wiki has instructions on auto-loading the LSL API plugin.

METAbolt Based Pandorabots Updated With Multiple Tip Jar Support

All METAbolt based Pandorabots have been updated to provide support for deployment of multiple Smart Tip Jars. The products updated are:

• Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On
• Smart Dance Pole
• Smart Dance Pole and Tip Jar Combo Pack
• Smart Tip Jar 

The Smart Tip Jar now includes a notecard setting to specify the key of the METAbolt based avatar bot to associate with the tip jar. The Tip_Config notecard in the Smart Tip Jar can be modified to set BOT_KEY. Once a valid key is specified in Tip_Config that tip jar will only trigger outfit changes in the avatar designated by that key. The avatar bot's key can be located in the base prim description field or, with some viewers, in the avatar bot's profile. Connecting the Smart Tip Jar to an individual avatar bot allows multiple tip jars to operate within 20 meters of each other.

If you only deploy a single METAbolt based Pandorbot and a single Smart Tip Jar then there is no need to set the BOT_KEY in Tip_Config.

Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On is not associated with or sponsored by METAbolt (http://www.metabolt.net).

How to Animate Your Actorbot or METAbolt Pandorabot

The Pandorabot Actorbot Add-On and Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On can utilize dance, sit, and stand animations much like an Animation Overrider (AO). To enable this feature, drag animations from the owner's inventory into the base prim. In order for the preconfigured dance, sit, and stand commands to function properly the dances must contain the string “dance” in their name, the sits must contain the string “sit” in their names, and the stands must contain the string “stand” in their name. The strings “dance”, “sit”, and “stand” are case insensitive. To rename an animation in your inventory, right click on the animation and select “Rename”. Alternately, you can simply load your animations in the dance pole without renaming them and ignore the dialog menu otions to specify animation type. Renaming animations according to type is recommended.

Note that any AO the bot is wearing will most often have no effect since the bot is "sitting" on the base prim. In fact, it is recommended that bots detach any AO prior to being deployed as some AO's can interfere with the animations in the base prim.

Many excellent animations are freely available either inworld or on the Second Life Marketplace. Once you have located an AO for your bot, extract the animations from the contents of the AO, rename them if necessary, and drag them to the contents of the base prim. To extract the animations from an AO, drag the AO from your inventory to the ground. Right click on the rezzed AO and select "Edit". Click on the "Contents" tab and drag the animations you wish to use from the edit window to your inventory.

A few Marketplace links to free or inexpensive AO's and dances:

• AO's L$0 - L$10
• Dance Animations L$0 - L$10
• Dance Pole with 17 sexy animations (for the Smart Dance Pole)
• Vista Basic Female AO (2 stands)
• TuTy's Elite Sexy Female AO (9 stands, 4 ground sits)
• Bright AO (lots of male and female animations - excellent AO)
• Restless Dance Ball (my dance ball - several dances, L$75)

Inworld you can find many excellent inexpensive animations for L$10 - L$15 at Kuso Kuso. Note also that you do not have to use animations from an AO. Many standalone animations are suitable for use in the base prim.

How to Create Custom Pandorabot Responses

Second Life Pandorabots come preconfigured with AI response capabilities using Wikipedia, Wolfram Alpha, and an Artificial Linguistic Internet Computer Entity (A.L.I.C.E.) programmed in AIML. By default, all Pandorbots use a customized Bot ID at pandorabots.com for their AIML responses. This default Bot ID has been extensively customized for use in Second Life by the Second Life Pandorbots. However, some owners of Second Life Pandorabots may wish to customize their Pandorabot to provide responses specific to their deployment (e.g. shop attendant, tour guide, roleplay bot, etc).

Create Your Own Bot At Pandorabots.com
In order to provide site specific customized responses for your Pandorabot you need to create your own Bot at pandorabots.com. First, sign-up for an account at pandorabots.com by visiting http://pandorabots.com/botmaster/en/new-account. After you have registered for an account and logged in, click "Create a Pandorabot". Enter a name for your Pandorabot in the name field and select one of the "Startup AIML" choices. The default Pandorabot Bot ID uses Dr Wallace's A.L.I.C.E. for the startup AIML and this is the one you should select if you are going to be copying the Second Life Pandorabots AIML (see below).

Train Your New Bot
Once you have entered a name and selected a startup AIML, click "Create Pandorabot". You are now ready to either train or program your customized Pandorabot. The easiest way to provide custom responses is by "training" the Pandorabot. Click on the "Train" button near the top of the page. This allows you to enter phrases a human might say to your Pandorabot, see what the Pandorabot would reply, and type in the response that you would like your Pandorabot to give instead.

Edit Your New Bot's Properties
In addition to training your Pandorabot for specific phrase recognition and custom responses you can edit the Properties of your Pandorabot by clicking on the "Properties" button near the top of the page. Fill in, add, or change any of the Property fields on this page and click "Submit Changes" at the bottom of the page.

Upload Replacement And New AIML Files
Advanced botmasters can more extensively program the Pandorabot by editing the AIML (Artificial Intelligence Markup Language). This allows you to more generally specify patterns to recognize, categories, and templates with which to respond. To edit your Pandorabot's AIML, click on the "AIML" button near the top of the page. Here you can download, modify, and upload the AIML files your Pandorabot uses. First, let's see how you would replace some of your Pandorabot's AIML files with the ones I have customized for use in Second Life.

To use the AIML I have customized download a zip file of my AIML files at http://tinyurl.com/c433udn . My modified AIML files have been  named "AnaA", "AnaB", and so on denoting they replace the default AIML files named "A", "B", and so on.

Once you have downloaded my custom AIML return to the AIML tab at pandorabots.com. In the right hand column, uncheck the AIML files you will be replacing (e.g. uncheck A.aiml if you will be uploading my AnaA.aiml). At the bottom of the page, upload the custom AIML files you wish to use (e.g. the ones you downloaded from Scribd).

In addition to uploading my custom AIML replacement files you can create your own new AIML file specifying the responses you wish your Pandorabot to use. Copy an existing AIML file, rename it, and modify the categories, patterns, and templates to suit your individual bot's deployment. For instance, copy the "pandorabots" AIML file and rename it "MyShop.aiml" replacing the categories, patterns, and templates with phrases to match and responses suited to your shop. Upload your new AIML file(s).

Publish Your New Bot And Copy The Bot ID
Once you have customized your Bot as pandorabots.com you must "Publish" it to get a Bot ID. Click on the bot's name then the "publish" link. You will be taken to a page which says:
This pandorabot is published at:
http://www.pandorabots.com/pandora/talk?botid=blablabla 
Where "blablabla" above is your Bot ID. Copy this string.
Edit the Configuration notecard in your Second Life Pandorabot.
Add a line at the top of the notecard something like:
    BOT_ID = b8dad52dce344c95
but instead of "b8dad52dce344c95" use the Bot ID you copied
above. Save the notecard. You're done.

Subsequent changes to AIML you make at pandorabots.com will
be reflected immediately in your Second Life Pandorabot once
you republish your bot at pandorabots.com.

How to Setup Your Wolfram Alpha App ID

All recent Pandorabots can query Wolfram Alpha for factual answers and computational replies. This includes the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On, Pandorabot Actorbot Add-On, Smart Dance Pole, Inner Spheres, and all Pandorabots. Wolfram Alpha provides what is arguably the largest most intelligent database of publicly accessible information in the world. Wolfram Alpha and Wikipedia enabled Pandorabots are arguably the smartest scripted agents in the world.

However, your Pandorabot is initially configured to access Wolfram Alpha with a shared Application ID that is limited to 2000 queries per month and used by all other unconfigured Pandorabots. It's important to setup your Pandorabot with its own unique Wolfram Alpha AppID.

To configure your Pandorabot with a unique Wolfram Alpha AppID, signup for a Wolfram Alpha Application ID by visiting http://products.wolframalpha.com/api and click the "Sign up" button. Fill out the form with a valid email address, any name you wish, and a brief description of your Pandorabot. Check the terms of use agreement box and enter the password you wish to use and confirm your password. Click "Sign up" again.

You should now be signed in to the Wolfram Alpha Developer Portal and, on the My Apps tab. Click the "Get an AppID" button and fill out the "Get a New AppID" form. Use any Application name and description you like. Click the "Get AppID" button. Copy the APPID string and click "OK".

The APPID string you copied should be stored somewhere. This is the Wolfram Alpha AppID you will use in your Pandorabot. Edit the Pandorabot Configuration notecard by right clicking on the Pandorabot or base prim and selecting "Edit". Click on the Contents tab and right click on the Configuration notecard selecting "Open". Add the following line at the top of the notecard:
    ALPHA_APP_ID = the-appid-string-you-copied
Save the notecard and close the edit window.

To recap:

• Visit http://products.wolframalpha.com/api and click "Sign up"
• Fill out the form and click "Sign up"
• Click "Get an AppID" and fill out the form
• Click "Get AppID
• Copy the APPID string and click "OK"
• Edit the Configuration notecard and set ALPHA_APP_ID

How to Start METAbolt Every Time Windows Starts

The PC on which your METAbolt client is running can restart for a variety of reasons. Microsoft frequently installs updates which require a restart. Power interruptions, system crashes, and other temporary failures can cause your computer to reboot. You can easily configure your system to restart METAbolt when this happens thus keeping your bot(s) active and logged into Second Life.

Follow the procedure outlined previously and create a BAT file to start your METAbolt bot(s).

Copy the BAT file(s) to the Windows System Startup Folder:

Start -> All Programs -> Startup on the Start Menu

On Windows 7 this is the folder: 

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Windows 7 does not allow shortcuts in this Startup folder so a copy of your BAT file rather than a shortcut must be created. Earlier versions of Windows will allow a shortcut.

How to Configure a Non-English Second Life Pandorabot

I receive frequent requests from Pandorabot owners asking me how they can get their Pandorabot to respond in a non-English language. The default behavior of all Pandorabots including the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On, Pandorabot Actorbot Add-On, Smart Dance Pole, Inner Spheres, and Pandorabot V5 is to look for trigger phrases in English and respond in English. Some default responses are non-English where translations have been provided in the Artificial Intelligence Markup Language (AIML) the Pandorabot is using at pandorabots.com. Here's how you can configure your Pandorabot to recognize non-English trigger phrases and respond in a non-English language.

The following settings in the Configuration notecard control language preferences in Pandorabots:


Quick & Easy

Edit the Configuration notecard in your Pandorabot and add the following two lines to the top of the notecard:

    LANG_CODE = xx
    WIKIPEDIA_TRIGGERS =what is ,?,what's ,?,what're ,?,what is a ,?,what is an ,?,what is the ,?,what are the ,?,what's a ,?,what's an ,?,who is,?,who are,?,who're,?,who's,?,,?

Where "xx" is one of the 2 letter language codes from the "Wiki" column in the table at http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/List_of_Wikipedias

More Difficult

Add translations of the Wikipedia triggers in the language you prefer. For example, to configure your Pandorabot to query the French Wikipedia when it detects "who is", "what is", or "who are" in French spoken in local chat, set the following:

    LANG_CODE = fr
    WIKIPEDIA_TRIGGERS =what is ,?,what's ,?,what're ,?,what is a ,?,what is an ,?,what is the ,?,what are the ,?,what's a ,?,what's an ,?,who is,?,who are,?,who're,?,who's,?,ce qui est ,?,qui est ,?,qui sont ,?,,?

Similarly, add translations for the EMAIL_TRIGGERS, SPELL_TRIGGERS, and SHUTOFF_TRIGGERS

Detailed & Thorough

Edit the Configuration notecard in your Pandorabot and modify the following notecard settings:

LANG_CODE
Use one of the 2 letter codes from the "Wiki" column in the table at http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/List_of_Wikipedias
For instance, to query the Italian Wikipedia, set
    LANG_CODE = it
If no Wikipedia article exists for your query in the preferred language then the Pandorabot will try the English Wikipedia.

LANG_CODES
A list of 2 letter language codes which will be selectable via the Pandorabot dialog menu.

LANG_NAMES
A list of language names that correspond to the LANG_CODES list. This is what will be displayed in the Pandorbot dialog menu buttons.

UNWIKIABLE_PHRASES
This is a list of phrases which should not be passed to Wikipedia. To accomodate non-English speaking guests, you can translate these phrases into your guests' language(s) and either replace or add to the list.

WIKIPEDIA_TRIGGERS
These phrases trigger a Wikipedia query. Add to this list similar phrases in the language(s) your guests will be using. Alternatively, to force every message the Pandorabot hears to Wikipedia, add an empty string to the list of triggers. For example:

        WIKIPEDIA_TRIGGERS =what is ,?,what's ,?,what're ,?,what is a ,?,what is an ,?,what is the ,?,what are the ,?,what's a ,?,what's an ,?,who is,?,who are,?,who're,?,who's,?,ce qui est ,?,qui est ,?,qui sont ,?,,?

ALPHA_TRIGGERS
These phrases indicate the resident wishes to query Wolfram Alpha for a factual answer. The default Wolfram Alpha triggers are “wolfram alpha”, “wolfram “, and “alpha “. For example, to ask Wolfram Alpha for the cube root of 387 you could say “wolfram what is the cube root of 387”. If you wish to provide Wolfram Alpha triggers in another language, add them to this list.

EMAIL_TRIGGERS
These phrases indicate the resident wishes to send email. Add to this list similar phrases in the language(s) your guests will be using.

SPELL_TRIGGERS
These phrases indicate the resident wishes to check the spelling of a word. Add to this list similar phrases in the language(s) your guests will use.

SHUTOFF_TRIGGERS
These phrases will shut the Pandorabot off until touched. By default the Pandorabot will stop responding when it hears either “Be quiet” or “Shut up” in local chat. Add to this list similar phrases in the language(s) your guests will be using.

Greeting New Arrivals

To set the greeting issued to new arrivals, edit the Greeter_Config notecard and set the GREET_1, GREET_2, GREET_3, and GREET_4 variables with a welcome message in the language of your preference.

Custom Language AIML

Many of the Pandorabot responses are generated with the Artificial Intelligence Markup Language (AIML) at pandorabots.com. Even with all of the above settings configured for a non-English language the Pandorabot will still draw some responses from either the English language Wikipedia, Wolfram Alpha, or the AIML responses at pandorabots.com. Many of the responses at pandorabots.com have been translated into German and French. However, most are English only.

To provide for non-English pandorabots.com responses it will either be necessary to translate the existing default AIML or create a custom set of AIML files in the preferred language. If you have a custom set of AIML files already prepared and used by a public Pandorabot at pandorabots.com then you can configure your Second Life Pandorabot to use that AIML by setting
    BOT_ID = that-pandorabots-id
in the Configuration notecard.

Setup the Smart Tip Jar with the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On

You can easily configure your Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On so that it will operate with the Restless Studio Smart Tip Jar. This can allow your Smart Tip Jar to accept tips, trigger outfit changes, and chat emotes when tipped. Normally the Smart Tip Jar is used in conjunction with the Smart Dance Pole to accept tips and trigger outfit changes of a pole dancer. However, it can also be used in conjunction with the latest Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On.

To configure your Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On to work with the Smart Tip Jar, edit the METAbolt_Config notecard in the add-on's Contents. Set the following variables at the top of the notecard:

DEFAULT_OUTFIT_UUID = some-clothing-folder-uuid
NAKED_OUTFIT_UUID = clothing-folder-uuid-used-when-tipped
TIP_LISTEN = TRUE

Also edit the Tip_Config notecard in the Smart Tip Jar's contents and set the following variables at the top of the notecard:

DANCER_NAME = Bot's Fullname
WILL_STRIP = TRUE

The NAKED_OUTFIT_UUID is the UUID of the clothing folder that will be worn when the tip threshold is reached. The DEFAULT_OUTFIT_UUID is the UUID of the clothing folder worn after the tipped outfit duration is over. Setting WILL_STRIP = TRUE simply means that your bot avatar will change outfits when the tip threshold is reached - that may or may not be a naked outfit, it's up to you.

In addition to the above notecard changes, follow the setup procedure detailed in the Restless Studio Smart Tip Jar Manual.

You can purchase the Restless Studio Smart Tip Jar on the Second Life Marketplace.

Setup a Pole Dance Bot with the Newly Released Smart Dance Pole

I recently modified the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On and integrated it into a dance pole I created. I released this as the Restless Studio Smart Dance Pole, available on the Second Life Marketplace. Using the smart dance pole you can easily setup a pole dance bot.

Setup steps are detailed in the Restless Studio Dance Pole Manual. To setup your Restless Studio Smart Dance Pole for use with a METAbolt avatar:

1. Create a Second Life account with Scripted Agent Status set to bot 
2. Install METAbolt on a Windows computer and enable Auto Sit 
3. Drag the Restless Studio Smart Dance Pole from your inventory to the desired location 
4. Right click the pole and select "Edit"; Click the "Contents" tab of the edit window
5. Edit the Configuration notecard and set FIRST_NAME and LAST_NAME 
6. Drag desired animations from your inventory into the dance pole Contents 
7. Set the "Description" field of the dance pole to your dance bot avatar's Key 
8. Place your dance pole bot avatar within 10 meters of the pole 
9. Login your dance pole bot with METAbolt

This allows you to have a dancer on her pole in your club 24/7. Since the smart dance pole is a Pandorabot, it can chat with your guests, query Wikipedia, send email, check spelling, greet new arrivals, deliver notecards and landmarks, and all the other features of a standard Pandorabot. All for L$395.

Private Channel Pandorabots and Chat Channel Spam

Recently I received a report from a customer whose Pandorabot suddenly started spewing spam into local chat. I traced the problem down to a freebie penis that continually announces its location on channel 2. The customer's Pandorabot had been configured to listen on channel 2 rather than the local chat channel (channel 0).

This does not appear to be a common problem. I've only had one report of private channel spam and there are hundreds of Pandorabots scattered all over the grid. It may be limited to the rare case where a Pandorabot is listening on channel 2 and a resident wearing the OnDuty penis is within chat range. I've asked whether continually announcing your location on a private channel is considered griefing and have yet to receive a reply.

If your Pandorabot suddenly starts spewing spam take the following steps:

• Turn your Pandorabot off by saying "menu" on the Pandorabot's chat channel then clicking the "OFF" dialog menu button
• Edit the Configuration notecard and change the CHANNEL setting. I recommend using a channel number greater than 10 as private chat spam has thus far only been detected on channel 2.
• Restart your Pandorabot by clicking the base prim. If you cannot see the base prim, click View -> Highlight Transparent or CTRL-ALT-T
• Email missyrestless@gmail.com or IM Missy Restless to report the problem. Please provide as many details as possible including channel number and a copy of the chat spam.

I have not yet filed an abuse report against the OnDuty Penis as I'm not sure this is considered abuse (seems to me it should be). I will be making a free Pandorabot update available with private channel spam protection.

How to Upgrade Your Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On

There have recently been a number of improvements to both METAbolt and the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On. Support for the recently released METAbolt Group Responder has been added to the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On. This allows your bot to detect trigger phrases in group chat and respond with customized group IM's. Additional security has been added to the METAbolt LSL API and configuration for this security feature has been added to the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On. Also added is support for easily moving your Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On to another SL object (e.g. a drum kit or dance pole). Many improvements have also been made to the Pandorabot scripts.

If you own a Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On and want to freely upgrade to the current version, you can do so by following these steps:

• Copy any changes you have made to configuration notecards
• Copy/Move any items you have added to the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On Base Prim (e.g. landmarks, notecards, textures, ...)
• Take the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On Base Prim back into your inventory (log your bot out, right click the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On Base Prim and select "Take")
• IM Missy Restless (search for "Missy Restless", click on the "Missy Restless" search result, click on "View Full Profile", click "Instant Message")
• Drag and drop the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On Base Prim item from your inventory onto the Instant Message window (note, the object will have the name of your bot)

You should receive the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On update as soon as I receive notice of the transfer. When you receive the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On box, rez it, open the box, copy the contents to your inventory, and rez the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On Base Prim. You will need to re-do any changes you made to your previous Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On Base Prim (use the saved configuration notecards as reference). Note: I may be away from my computer - if you do not hear from me drop me a reminder.

Enjoy!

Moving the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On Into Another Object

The Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On base prim is, by default, a box. The box disappears when the METAbolt logged in avatar bot sits on it and reappears when the avatar logs out. What if you want that base prim to remain visible and you want it to be something other than a boring box ? Maybe you want it to be a drum kit for your bot drummer or a bar for your bot bartender. Here's how to do that.

First, get the latest Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On from the Second Life Marketplace or by exchanging your current base prim for the latest. Follow the setup procedure described in the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On Manual but add these two settings to the METAbolt_Config notecard:

INVISIBLE_BASE = FALSE
RESIZE = FALSE

Set TEXT_ENABLED = FALSE in the Configuration notecard.

That's it, you can move the scripts and notecards into any object that has Modify permission. I've even had success moving the scripts into already scripted objects although of course this can be problematic if the existing scripts have channel or other conflicts with the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On scripts.

When moving the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On to another object it may be necessary to adjust the sit target. This is a vector consisting of 3 offsets from the base prim - left/right, forward/back, and up/down. The sit target can be specified in the METAbolt_Config notecard with the TARGET setting. For instance, a sit target for a thin vertical object where you want the avatar at the bottom of the object might be:

TARGET = <0.0,0.0,-0.6>

A drum bot might need a sit target toward the rear of the object:

TARGET = <0.0,-0.5,0.2>

How to Enable the METAbolt LSL API for Outfit Changes

Quick & Easy Summary
To enable Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On dialog menu outfit changes, set your METAbolt preferences to disable LSL command security and autorun the LSL API plugin.

Background
Recently the METAbolt LSL API was moved from the METAbolt core to a plugin. In addition, preferences were added to allow METAbolt users to restrict the LSL API use to the owner and/or a scripted object. These changes, although arguably beneficial for METAbolt architecture and security, broke the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On dialog menu commands for outfit changes.

If you are not using outfit folder changes via the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On dialog menu interface then you do not need to make any changes.

In order to re-enable outfit changes in METAbolt 0.9.51.0 and later you will need to make the following changes to your METAbolt preferences (Application -> Preferences).

Enforcing LSL Command Security
The easiest way to enable dialog menu outfit folder changes is to disable LSL command security. This can be done in the Application -> Preferences -> General -> Security/L$ METAbolt preferences pane by unchecking the "Enforce LSL command security" checkbox. See the section "Enhanced LSL API Security" below for an alternate, more secure, and somewhat difficult way to enable outfit folder changes via the dialog menu.

Loading the METAbolt LSL API Plugin
In addition to disabling LSL command security (or using enhanced LSL API security) you will also need to load the LSL API Plugin. To load the plugin automatically on each startup of METAbolt, go to the Application -> Preferences -> Plugins METAbolt preferences pane. In the "Available plugins" window, click on "MB_LSLAPI" then click the ">" button to add it to "Selected plugins". Click "Apply" and "OK". Alternately, the plugin can be loaded manually by clicking "Plugins -> MB_LSLAPI".

Individual Avatar Preferences
Each avatar you login with METAbolt has their own individual preference settings. The preference settings described above (disable LSL command security and autorun the LSL API plugin) must be done for each avatar. To do so, login as an avatar and make these changes to your preferences. Repeat for each METAbolt avatar you use for which you would like to enable outfit folder changes via the dialog menu.

Enhanced LSL API Security
Additional LSL API security is available with the "Enforce LSL command security" checkbox in the METAbolt preferences via the Application -> Preferences -> General -> Security/L$ checkbox. To enable outfit folder changes via the dialog menu _and_ enforce LSL command security you need to set the Master Avatar and Object UUID's. To find the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On base prim UUID you will need some elementary LSL script skills. Create an LSL script with the default state entry as follows: 

state_entry() { 
        llOwnerSay("Owner UUID is " + (string)llGetOwner());
        llOwnerSay("Object UUID is " + (string)llGetKey()); 
}


Drop the script into the base prim Contents. Copy the base prim owner's UUID to the "Avatar UUID" setting. Copy the object UUID string to the "Object UUID" setting. Delete the script from the base prim Contents. Make sure the "Enforce LSL command security" box is checked then click "Apply" and "OK". Repeat for each avatar for which you wish to enable enhanced LSL API security.

METAbolt LSL API Documentation
METAbolt maintains an excellent website with News, Announcements, Downloads, an Add-On/Plugin Directory, a Community Forum, and the METAwiki which provides extensive documentation & tips. The following METAwiki pages provide information on the LSL API:

• General information on how to use the API
• Using preferences
• Controlling the API security level
• Auto loading the MB_LSLAPI plugin

How to Login Multiple Pandorabots with METAbolt

If you are using METAbolt to login more than one Pandorabot then you may find it convenient to create a DOS batch file allowing you to login multiple bots with a single click. To do so, follow this procedure:

• Exit METAbolt if already logged in
• Start METAbolt - enter your avatar's first and last name
• Enter the password
• Check the "Remember my password" option box
• Check the "Create av BAT file" option box
• Click on the login button

This will create a BAT file with the name of your avatar in the "Roaming" folder. To find the location of your Roaming folder:

• Click on the "Help" menu on the top right hand corner of METAbolt
• Select the "About METAbolt" menu option
• "Data Dir" is the location of your Roaming folder

If your bot's name is Jane Doe then the BAT file will be called Jane_Doe.bat, the INI file will be called Jane_Doe_METAbolt.ini.

Repeat the above procedure for each of the bots you wish to login with METAbolt, creating a BAT file in the Roaming folder for each bot. After this is done you can create a master BAT file for all of your bots as follows:

• Open Notepad from the Windows Start menu
• Copy the contents of each of the BAT files in your Roaming folder into Notepad
• In Notepad click  "File -> Save As" and save the file with an extension of ".bat" (e.g. by the name "Login_All.bat")

For example, a batch file to login two avatars named Anya Ordinary and Easy Islay with METAbolt might look something like: 

@ECHO OFF

START "" /D "C:\Program Files\METAbolt (64 bit)\" "C:\Program Files\METAbolt (64 bit)\metabolt.exe" Anya Ordinary password1

START "" /D "C:\Program Files\METAbolt (64 bit)\" "C:\Program Files\METAbolt (64 bit)\metabolt.exe" Easy Islay password2

You can now create a Desktop shortcut for your METAbolt login master BAT file:

• Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the folder where your master BAT file was saved
• Right click on the BAT file and select "Send to -> Desktop"
• An icon for the shortcut to your BAT file will now appear on your desktop

Make sure all METAbolt bots are logged out and click on the newly created desktop icon for your BAT file shortcut. Your bots will all be logged in with METAbolt.

Greeter Disabled By Default

As of 10/10/2011 all Pandorabots available on the Second Life Marketplace have default settings that disable the Greeter. To enable the Greeter in these newly revised Pandorabots:

• Edit the Configuration notecard and set 

     GREET_ENABLED = TRUE

• Edit the Greeter_Config notecard and set one or more of

    GREET_ENABLED = TRUE
     GIVE_LANDMARK = TRUE
     GIVE_NOTECARD = TRUE
     GIVE_NAMED_NOTECARD = TRUE

These changes are also reflected in the updated Pandorabot Actorbot and Pandorabot METAbolt Add-Ons. In addition, support for the Group Responder plugin was added to the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On.

NEW! METAbolt Group Responder Now Supported

A new revision of the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On was released today with support for the METAbolt Group Responder plugin. Now you can configure your Pandorabot to monitor group chat and respond when specified trigger phrases are detected.

This new feature is available in the version 6.0 and later Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On package at https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Pandorabot-METAbolt-Add-On/1793057

There are several add-ons and plugins available for METAbolt. These can be found at http://www.metabolt.net/metawiki/METAbolt_Addins.ashx . Included there you will find the METAbolt Group Responder plugin. Details and installation instructions for the METAbolt Group Responder plugin are available at http://www.metabolt.net/metawiki/METAbolt-Group-Responder.ashx

The Group Responder plugin allows your METAbolt Pandorabot to monitor group chat and respond when group chat contains one or more trigger phrases. To enable this feature first configure your group response settings by editing the METAbolt_Config notecard and setting the GROUP_LISTEN, GROUP_UUID, EXACT_MATCH, TRIGGERS, and RESPONSES variables.

Example Group Responder settings in METAbolt_Config:

GROUP_LISTEN = TRUE
GROUP_UUID = f8e95201-20af-b85f-a682-7ac25ab9fcaf
EXACT_MATCH = FALSE
TRIGGERS = permission to land|permission to takeoff
RESPONSES = cleared for landing on runway 23|cleared for takeoff on runway 11

Once you have configured your group response settings in METAbolt_Config, the Group Responder plugin is installed, and METAbolt is running:

1. Click “Plugins” ? “MB Group Responder” from the METAbolt menu bar
2. Check the "Enable LSL interface" checkbox
3. Click the "Start" button 

In addition to the added support for the METAbolt Group Responder, this new release of the Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On has the Greeter disabled by default. To enable the Greeter edit the Configuration notecard and set GREET_ENABLED = TRUE then edit the Greeter_Config notecard and set one or more of:

    GREET_ENABLED = TRUE
    GIVE_LANDMARK = TRUE
    GIVE_NOTECARD = TRUE
    GIVE_NAMED_NOTECARD = TRUE

Help If You Get Stuck In Setup

It's not unusual for a first time customer to get confused or stuck when setting up their Pandorabot. This is especially true of the Actorbot and METAbolt Add-Ons as they are a little more complicated. I'll try to distill down the most common problems in setup here and in a "Help" notecard.

1. Read the Manual
The first thing I do when contacted for assistance in setting up a Pandorabot is to point out the PDF manual and make sure the user is following the step-by-step setup procedures detailed there. The manuals are included in the product as a notecard but are far easier to read in PDF format. Each Pandorabot model has its own manual but all of them include the Pandorabots Owner Manual V5. In addition to the base Pandorabot setup, if you have purchased either the Actorbot or METAbolt Add-On then there is a manual for that as well:

• Pandorabot Actorbot Add-On Manual
• Pandorabot METAbolt Add-On Manual

If you have one of the Add-On's then start with that manual and use the Pandorabot Owner Manual V5 for later configuration of your Pandorabot. If you have the Pandorabot V5 then ignore the Add-On manuals and start by reading the Pandorabots Owner Manual V5.

2. Read the Configuration Notecard
By far the most common error in Pandorabot setup is mistakenly thinking you have set a configuration in a notecard when all you really did was modify a comment. All of my configuration notecards are in the following format:

setting_1 = value_1
setting_2 = value_2
END_SETTINGS
#
# Configuration notecard for the <whatever> script.
# Settings are specified in the format "<name> = <value>"
# DO NOT use "=" in either the <name> or <value>
# Place any uncommented configuration settings above the
# END_SETTINGS line above. Lines below END_SETTINGS
# will not be read and are here for information and help
# configuring.
#
# Comment describing setting_1
# setting_1 = default_value_1
#
# Comment describing setting_1
# setting_2 = default_value_2

You have to make your configuration settings above the END_SETTINGS line and delete the "#" character from the beginning of the line.

3. Isolate and Describe Your Problem
Know which step in the step-by-step setup process you are on. Be able to describe what you have done and what results you are seeing. How does that differ from the expected behavior ? It's hard to help when all I know is "I'm stuck!" or "It's broke!". I can provide assistance only if I know where you are, what you have done, and what you are seeing. So, take notes and follow the step-by-step setup procedure until you hit a snag. Then tell me exactly what you have done and where you are. This really helps. It's also often helpful if Actorbot or METAbolt users test their 3rd party text client first by logging the alt in with either Actorbot or METAbolt then logging themselves in with a standard viewer. Is the alt there ? Did it get successfully logged in with the text client ?

4. Send me an Instant Message or E-mail
I can see my Second Life IM's in my email even when I am not logged in to Second Life. I can also reply to IM's via email when not logged in to Second Life. You can IM me (Missy Restless) anytime. You can also send email to missyrestless@gmail.com. Because of timezone differences and scheduling conflicts I may not get to your message right away or even that day. Don't waste your time with a message like "Can you help ?" then wait a day for me to say "Yes" then another day for you to say what the problem is. Describe your problem, the steps you have taken, and the outcome you have observed in your initial request for assistance. Just assume I will help - I will. Do not hesitate to contact me if you are stuck.

5. Send me a copy of your notecard(s)
It often helps me to understand what you have done if I can review your configuration notecard(s). The Pandorabot base prim contains the Pandorabot V5 configuration notecard named "Configuration". If you have the Actorbot Add-On then there is another configuration notecard called "Actorbot_Config". If you have the METAbolt Add-On then the add-on configuration notecard is called "METAbolt_Config". The Greeter configuration notecard is called "Greeter_Config". To send me one or more of these notecards:

• Login to Second Life as yourself using a standard viewer
• Edit the Pandorabot prim - right click the prim and select "Edit"
• Click on the "Contents" tab of the edit window
• Click on the notecard you want to copy
• Drag the notecard to your inventory
• Open my Second Life Profile (e.g. search for Missy Restless)
• Drag the notecard from your inventory onto my profile window
• Send me an IM telling me what notecard(s) you sent me

I hope this helps a little. Let me know what other help tips I should add to this post and the Help notecard.

How to Setup a Quiet Model Pandorabot

Recently I assisted a shop owner with the setup of 6 Pandorabot METAbolt Add-Ons to be used as models in her store. Basically, the Pandorabots just needed to login, stand in a pose before a product board, wear the skin/shape/clothing/attachments the shop was selling, and shut the f**k up. If you want to deploy multiple "quiet" Pandorbots, here is how to do so.

First, set NAME_ENABLED = TRUE. This means that the Pandorabot will only respond to chat that includes either her first or last name. Set the first and last names to some strings not commonly used in chat. Also, set the CHANNEL to a non-zero value - the bot will be listening on a private channel and not on local chat. Set AI_ENABLED = FALSE.

Here is an example Pandorabot Configuration notecard for a "quiet" Pandorabot:

FIRST_NAME = Something_Not_Common
LAST_NAME = Also_Not_Common
NAME_ENABLED = TRUE
TEXT_ENABLED = FALSE
RESTRICTED_ACCESS = 1
CHANNEL = 9
GREET_ENABLED = FALSE
AI_ENABLED = FALSE

If you are deploying a Pandorabot as a model you may not want her to act as a greeter, issuing a welcome to new arrivals and delivering notecards and landmarks. To disable the greeter functionality of the Pandorabot, simply delete the Greeter script from the Pandorabot's base prim. You may want to make a copy of the Greeter script before deleting it. Delete the Greeter script in all Pandorabot model's base prims.

If you have multiple Pandorabot METAbolt Add-Ons deployed in the same general vicinity then you need to assign them unique channels. Edit the METAbolt_Config notecard and set the CHANNEL for each Pandorabot to a unique positive integer.

Using the Free EVE Avatar as a Pandorabot

You can use the really cute and well done EVE Avatar as the avatar for your Actorbot or METAbolt Pandorabot. Login to the Second Life Marketplace as the account you use as your Actorbot or METAbolt bot and search for "EVE Avatar". Click on the "EVE Avatar (Free)" link (somebody else copied the original and is selling it for L$100).

Login to Second Life as the account you use for your Actorbot or METAbolt bot, accept delivery of the EVE Avatar, rez the new object from your inventory, unpack and copy it to your inventory. After delivery and unpacking you can simply wear the new EVE folder and your bot should look like the EVE avatar. Logout of Second Life and Log back in using either Actorbot or METAbolt (I'm assuming here that you have already setup your Actorbot or METAbolt as a Pandorabot).

Caution: you cannot use sit and stand animations in the Pandorabot base prim with the EVE avatar as they cause the underlying shape to stick out of the robot attachments.