Welcome to the AI Character Designer guide. This resource is designed to help you create and refine AI-driven companions in Second Life, whether you’re a seasoned resident or exploring this feature for the first time. As the platform evolves, we’re committed to improving these tools and expanding functionality – for insights into upcoming enhancements and new features, see the announcement post on our Featured News blog, Introducing the Character Designer (Alpha Release).
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- 1. Introduction & Requirements
- 2. Getting Started with the AI Character Designer
- 3. Choosing Your Character’s Purpose & Personality Template
- 4. Defining Your Character’s Persona
- 5. Configuring Character Settings
- 6. Activating Your Character
- 7. Meeting Your AI Companion Inworld
- 8. Interacting with Your Character
- Object Interactions (Experimental)
- 10. Predefined Actions
- 11. Running Multiple Characters
- 12. Troubleshooting & Adjustments
- 13. Additional Guidance: Foundational Account & Setup Steps
- 14. FYI While in Alpha
- 15. Feedback & Improvement
1. Introduction & Requirements
The AI Character Designer empowers you to create custom AI-driven companions or public characters in Second Life. To begin, ensure you have:
A Premium Plus membership on your main account (for accessing the Character Designer)
A standard (free) alt account to serve as your character’s avatar
If you need more detailed guidance on account creation and Premium Plus upgrading, please refer to the Additional Guidance section below.
2. Getting Started with the AI Character Designer
Step 1: Confirm Your Premium Plus Status
Check that your main account is upgraded to Premium Plus. If not, click here to visit the Change Membership Plan page. After upgrading, log out and back in to activate all benefits.
Step 2: Prepare Your Alt Account
Your AI character will use a separate alt account. If you don’t have one, create a new account at https://join.secondlife.com.
Log in once with the alt and select an outfit.
Ensure the alt has accepted the Terms of Service and can access Second Life without issues.
Remember: Only the main account accessing the Character Designer needs Premium Plus. Your alt does not.
Tip: When prompted to enter the alt’s username later in the Character Designer, use the format “username”. If you have a custom last name, use the format “username lastname”.
Step 3: Access the Character Designer Website
Using your Premium Plus-enabled main account, go to https://characters.secondlife.com to begin.
You’ll first see an initial dashboard, then proceed through a series of prompts to define your character’s purpose and personality.
Need More Foundational Steps?
If you’d like a more step-by-step walkthrough of creating accounts, upgrading to Premium Plus, or installing the Second Life Viewer, visit the Additional Guidance section below. These steps are especially helpful if you’re just starting out.
3. Choosing Your Character’s Purpose & Personality Template
Step 1: Character Purpose
Personal companion – A private character to accompany and interact mostly with you.
Public character (Coming soon) – A character designed to interact with multiple residents, like a store greeter or assistant.
Step 2 (Optional): Personality Template
Kindred spirit – Compassionate and selfless
Fierce flame – Bold and intense
Curious trailblazer – Adventurous and inquisitive
No template – Start from scratch
After choosing, click “Continue” to move forward.
4. Defining Your Character’s Persona
In the personality design window, you can modify any of the following parameters:
Character Name – How your character refers to itself.
Backstory – Third-person description defining personality, preferences, and history.
Speaking Description (Optional) – Sets the character’s tone and manner of speech.
Speaking Style Examples (Optional) – Helps refine your character’s vocabulary and style.
Take your time. The more detail you provide, the richer your inworld interactions will be. Changes can be refined later. Click “Save and continue” when ready.
Tip: Speaking description and style have strong influences in how your character responds.
5. Configuring Character Settings
After finalizing personality details, proceed to the Character Settings page.
Step 1: Confirm account Credentials & Arrival Location
- Username & Password – Enter your alt’s credentials; this is not the account you’re using to access the Character Designer.
- Arrival Location – Paste a region SLURL where your character will spawn. If the location restricts bots, choose another region.
Step 2 Adjust Moderation & Interaction Settings
Moderation Filters
Control sensitive or adult-only topics as needed.
Interaction with You & Others
Set a welcome message you’ll receive when your character logs in.
Decide if the character can reply to others and initiate conversations.
When satisfied, click “Continue.”
For reference, below are the settings used for this guide:
6. Activating Your Character
After completing settings, you’ll see your character’s card on the AI Characters dashboard.
Tip: You can use the same alt account for all 20 Character Cards. This keeps your avatar appearance consistent while letting you experiment freely with different personalities. Keep in mind that only one Second Life account can be logged in at a time.
7. Meeting Your AI Companion Inworld
Log in to Second Life with your main account and go to the arrival region set in Step 5 . Wait for your character to rez and come to life.
If it appears as a cloud, ensure the alt account has an outfit selected. If issues persist, see Troubleshooting & Adjustments.
8. Interacting with Your Character
Offer Teleports
Right-click your character’s name in chat or your Friends list and select “Offer Teleport.” If allowed, your character will join you, making group experiences more engaging.
Chat & Commands
Use IM to give instructions. Ask your character to follow, dance, or perform other actions. If you notice delays, give it a moment or try again.
Object Interactions (Experimental)
Your character supports two main categories of actions: “Predefined Actions” and “Environmental Actions”.
Predefined Actions are predefined actions your character can perform immediately when prompted in chat. These require no special setup and can be triggered by simply asking your character to perform them. For example, say “show me a backflip” or “follow me,” and the character will attempt the action.
Predefined Actions:
Movement: MoveTo, Follow, SitOn, FlyTo, RunTo
Gestures: Clap, Blow_Kiss, Belly_Laugh, Salute, CourtBow
Emotions: Cry, Sad, Tantrum
Dance: Dance1 through Dance8
Combat Actions: OneTwo_Punch, Roundhouse_Kick
Misc: Crouch, CrouchWalk, Dead, Backflip, Jump, Run
Environmental Commands, on the other hand, are actions that involve the character interacting with objects inworld (e.g., “touch,” “siton,” and advanced interactions via llDialog menus).
Unlike Predefined Actions, Environmental Actions require setting up object-specific details through the Interaction Window. By defining object names, actions, and optional coordinates, you give your character the ability to engage with inworld items in a more nuanced way.
How It Works
The Interaction Window provides fields where you specify the target object’s name, the action your character should perform, and optional parameters like XYZ coordinates for positioning. Once set, your character will attempt to interact with the matching object as directed, enabling richer, environment-aware behaviors that go beyond basic chat commands.
Assigning a Character-Object Interaction
Below are the steps showing how one might configure a character to sit on a barstool in Second Life:
Step 1: Identify the Object
In Second Life, locate the object you want your character to interact with and click edit. This will open the General tab for any barstool, dance machine, or other scripted object.
Note its exact name as it appears inworld. Remember: This name is case-sensitive and it's best to copy the name directly.
Step 2: Open the Interaction Window
Hover over the character’s card on the AI Characters dashboard. Click the ellipsis (…) and select “Assign Interaction” to bring up the Interaction Window.
Step 3: Enter Object Details in the Interaction Window
In the Interaction Window, fill in the required fields:
Name – Type the object’s name exactly as it appears inworld (case-sensitive).
Action – Specify the action your character should perform, such as “siton” for a chair or “touch” for an interactive device.
Description – Provide a simple identifier followed by a semicolon and a descriptive note (e.g., barstool;high wooden stool near the bar).
XYZ Position (Optional) – If you want the character to move to a specific location before interacting, enter X, Y, Z coordinates. If left blank, the character will attempt to interact with the closest matching object by name.
llDialog (Optional) – If the object has a menu, list the exact menu items separated by semicolons. They must match the inworld menu options precisely.
Once you’ve entered all the details, close the Interaction Window. Changes may take up to one minute to apply, but you can stop and restart your character to see the effects immediately.
For this guide, here are the inputs used for the barstool example:
Name: GCD - Metal Bar Stool (Mesh V1.2)
Action: siton
Note: Choose the action that best fits your desired interaction. For a chair, “siton” works perfectly. If the object has llDialog menu options, “touch” is likely more appropriate. A good rule of thumb is to mentally walk through how you would interact with the object inworld and select the corresponding action.
Description: redbarstool5;a regular red barstool with a drink ready to go
Note: The portion before the semicolon (in this case, “redbarstool5”) serves as a shorthand name the character will recognize. The second part provides context and detail. This helps the character understand what the object is, what it can do, and why it’s relevant—factors that will become increasingly important as character capabilities expand over time.
Step 4: Test the Interaction Inworld
Log in with your main account and observe your character’s behavior. If the scenario and prompts support the interaction—such as inviting the character to sit (“Have a seat with me”)—the character should attempt to locate and interact with the defined object.
If it successfully sits on the barstool, the configuration is correct. Keep in mind that character personality influences behavior; a character designed to dislike sitting may refuse even when properly configured.
Important Notes
All fields are case-sensitive – Ensure the object name, action, and dialog options match exactly as they appear inworld.
Changes may take up to one minute to apply. For instant updates, stop and restart your character.
This feature is experimental and evolving. We value your feedback as we continue refining it.
10. Predefined Actions
In addition to the configured interactions and personality traits you’ve given your AI character, there are predefined actions that require no extra setup. Simply ask your character to perform one of these actions in Chat, and it will attempt to comply.
11. Running Multiple Characters
Premium Plus subscribers can create multiple AI characters and run two concurrently. Each character requires its own alt account.
Give each alt account a clear name.
During setup, enter each alt’s credentials and arrival location separately.
Manage each character’s appearance by logging into the corresponding alt account if adjustments are needed.
Use the main account to access the Character Designer dashboard and control each character’s status.
For more foundational steps on managing multiple characters, refer to the Additional Guidance section.
12. Troubleshooting & Adjustments
Character Not Appearing? Confirm the alt has logged in, accepted the TOS, chosen an outfit, and that the region allows scripted agents.
Cloudy Appearance? Log in as the alt, select an outfit, then turn the character back on.
Unresponsive Character? If your character’s not responding with you, give it a few seconds. If others, double check that the setting “Responds to chats from people other than you” is selected.
Please consider submitting feedback if persistent issues occur.
Updating Settings? Changes take about one minute to apply. For immediate updates, stop and start the character again.
13. Additional Guidance: Foundational Account & Setup Steps
If you’d like more step-by-step instructions on:
Creating your main account and upgrading to Premium Plus
Setting up an alt account for your character
Downloading and installing the Second Life Viewer
Checking if a region allows scripted agents
Continue reading! Our aim is that all readers, regardless of experience, can consult the below steps for additional clarity.
Creating and Upgrading Accounts
If you don’t have an account, create a main account at https://join.secondlife.com and upgrade to Premium Plus.
After upgrading, log out and back in once.
Create another free alt account at https://join.secondlife.com. This alt will not be Premium Plus.
Log into your alt, accept the TOS, and choose an outfit so it won’t appear as a cloud.
Installing the Second Life Viewer
Download the viewer from the official Second Life site and follow standard installation steps.
Log in using your main account credentials.
Teleport to your chosen region and ensure your character can spawn there.
Region & Permissions
Open World > Region/Estate settings in your Viewer (Second Life application).
Keep in mind that estate owners or designated estate managers have access to these controls.
Confirm that “Must Not be a Scripted Agent” is unchecked.
If your character doesn’t appear after these steps, most likely scripted agents are not allowed or your character’s alt is not on the estate allow list.
Consider selecting a different region. Club Arcane is a Linden-owned region that currently allows scripted agents, but this option may be taken down or adjusted as conditions change.
By following these foundational steps, you ensure a smoother experience when referring back to the main guide.
14. FYI While in Alpha
Scripted Agent Status – Turning on your character designates the linked alt as a scripted agent.
Rez Time – Characters need about 35 seconds to appear fully in a region.
Region Access – Closed or restricted regions send characters to info hubs.
Clothing Changes – Turn off your character before logging in as the alt to change outfits.
Region Restarts – Characters restart if the region restarts.
Character Visibility After Shutdown – Characters remain visible 1–3 minutes after shutting down.
Updating Settings – Wait one minute for changes or restart the character.
Viewer Integration – Use any viewer with a web browser.
Premium Plus Requirements – Only the main account needs Premium Plus.
Alt Account TOS – Alt must accept the Second Life Terms of Service.
Auto-Logout – During early testing, expect to be automatically logged out after periods of inactivity. Remember to save any ongoing work before stepping away.
15. Feedback & Improvement
Your insights are especially valuable during this early stage of development. Lindens carefully review submissions to shape future improvements, so we welcome all feedback and ideas. Share yours at https://feedback.secondlife.com/character-designer.