Last week Oz put out a call for help with testing the Mesh Parametric Deformer than Qarl Fizz has been developing, and which is now available in a Project Viewer (as well as some TPVs).
The response to that call has been somewhat slow, prompting Oz to pass a further comment on the JIRA related to the deformer (STORM-1716):
Oz Linden added a comment – 08/May/12 8:59 AM
Perhaps this issue really isn’t all that important, or worth the trouble to integrate.
So far, only one designer has responded with one test garment.
Let me be clear – the lack of test material is a major blocker for testing, and therefore accepting, this proposed feature. If you want it, step up and do it soon.
The comment has been reported elsewhere (and remarked upon in the comments following my original piece on the call), and has caused some consternation.
However before people start taking Oz’s comment to heart as a sign that he or LL want to “kill” or “drop” the deformer, I spoke to Oz directly on the matter after reading the comment and he wryly admitted that it was intended as an attention-grabber and that, indeed, several more mesh designers have come forward indicating that they wish to engage in the testing as a result. When I asked him about the shock value of the comment, he replied, “Yeah, it was certainly intentional, and I would not have actually dropped it. But it is true that it would have taken far, far longer (months maybe).”
So does this mean we should ignore the underlying call for help?
No – we just shouldn’t panic about the deformer being dropped. Help is still needed. So, if you are a mesh clothing designer, or know of a mesh clothing designer, then please consider getting involved in the work / asking them to get involved in the work.
Related Links
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 
Reblogged this on Colleen Criss's Weblog and commented:
Designers please send test garments!
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I respectfully submit that there are better ways to get attention than thinly veiled threats.
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Well, the problem with the communication from Oz—”wry attention grabber” or not—is that it sounds like a panic, and it’s indicative once again of the Lab’s inability to effectively communicate with residents. Given the importance the Lab has placed on mesh, and given that Oz’s request on the JIRA didn’t elicit replies, you’d think he would realize that that’s maybe not the best place to post the message. Blog? Twitter? Direct outreach? After all, the “Latest Update on Mesh” on the SL homepage is dated 18 October 2011. (And doesn’t the Lab have mesh clothing developed internally?) Maybe I’m just looking at this from the perspective of a communications professional, but Oz’s comment looks pretty snitty to me, as if he’s trying to ensure any issues with the mesh deformer implementation rest with the content creators rather than the Lab.
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In fairness, and perhaps I should have pointed it out, Oz does acknowledge that the JIRA is potentially not the best place for outward communications. However, it hasn’t stopped it being reported across several blogs, as was the initial call for help.
That said, I’d obviously prefer the Lab to be more direct and pro-active in communications – and I’m a strong advocate of the use of their own blog and forums a lot, lot more (I’ve actually harped on about the ageing state of their own blog in articles here that I’m afraid that it’s simply boring people each time I repeat myself).
I don’t think there is any attempt at laying blame anywhere; rather that there is as much frustration within LL as within the user community in seeing the project delayed.
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Hiring Oz Linden was one of the bigger mistakes Linden HR made. He’s done a lot of damaging things to the company he works for. Not only did he alienate the most proficient open source developers from contributing to Linden Lab (and he was supposed to make the open source effort benefit the company), he’s souring already strained relations between SL community and his employer. His favorite past time activity is telling people to sod off from JIRA. As soon as issue gets 10 comments or so, you can expect Oz to chime in with his condescending comments.
Rarely do you see such lack of skill and competence coupled with that amount of arrogance. I sure hope that, for our sake and the sake of Linden Lab, that he follows in the footsteps of Q Linden and finds employment elsewhere.
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I disagree.
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Of course you do. He lets you get away with illegal distribution of your viewer, instead of doing his job.
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I strongly disagree.
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I also disagree.
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Wow. Way to highjack a useful discussion. Who are you again, Latif?
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I’m not sure you’re right. But look up the Peter Principle: it’s possible that he was recruited on good evidence, but has reached a limit in his ability.
It’s a plausible pattern to explain a few other cases, but spotting false danger-patterns is one of those things we evolved to be good at.
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I, for one, am simply not buying mesh clothing until the deformer is implemented. I am not alone and I assume the creators of mesh clothing know it.
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Well here’s the question. Are mesh clothing creators aware? Is you position of concern to them?
I’m going to take my virtual life in my hands here and suggest that – going on STORM-1716 – those engaged in discussing the deformer there either don’t appear to be aware of your position or aren’t concerned by it. Why? Because despite the JIRA being about the Parametric Deformer, despite the fact that there is a JIRA (STORM-1800) to deal with the subject, despite pleas from OZ for STORM-1716 to remain focused on the deformer, the majority of discussion from designers on the deformer JIRA there is related to avatar sizes & rigging not the deformer itself. Even after Oz put out his request for assistance (which only saw one designer respond), the conversation, for the most part, resolutely continued on the subject of avatar sizes.
Of course, there is the argument that the JIRA was not the sole place the call should have been posted – nothing went out of the forums on the subject, officially or otherwise, until yesterday, when Oz posted to the fashion forum. Granted, this should have been done right from the start – but given we are all more than aware of LL’s incredibly bad track record on communications, one has to also ask why didn’t someone actively engaged on JIRA-1716 seek to ensure the original call wasn’t re-posted to at least the mesh content creation forum, to at least ensure the bases are covered?
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As I commented on the JIRA itself, I’ve got to say I’m somewhat stunned by Oz’s comment. I hope it was made in a personal capacity and not in an official capacity on behalf of Linden Lab.
As others have said, the request was only made last Thursday and such designers that have seen the request buried away in this JIRA can’t really be expected to just drop everything and come up with a load of samples at the drop of a hat.
For the record, as a long time Resident (since 2007), I think that this project is of vital importance to Second Life and I’m not alone in that opinion.
The very fact that people clubbed together to pay Qarl’s fee in record time should be all the evidence Oz needs that people want this.
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To be honest, I don’t think mesh was needed in the 1st place to make Sl survive!
i still believe prims are like Lego, any can play and build with them, mesh is much more complex to create unless any uses already made ones for other applications (wonder really how many of the mesh content in Sl is really made from scratch!)
Still the lack of communication between LL and its user base is terrible, looks like the lab thinks as its user base as a bunch of kids and treats us like them!
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Mesh has been a capability that creators have been requesting for years. As such, it is less about SL’s “survival” as it is about LL finally making the effort to deliver on a capability that has long been demanded.
And yes, much of the mesh contest in SL is created from scratch and clothing and other designers put a good deal of effort into creating it.
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To be honest, I saw amazing landscape building done with mesh, some sweet small avatars and
some creators also converted some prim items for mesh ones, reducing impact on land by that (can only say kudos to those who really made their products have less impact and still be the same, wish all could do so, to have a prim/sculpted version and a mesh 1 as well)!
As all before, it will take time and it will eventuality be as natural to see mesh as prim in World and it will hopeful a natural matter to choose one or another, but that time is still to come!
What i can’t accept is the mentality that says if its not mesh cant be in World, that a few advocate and dream about!
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I don’t think Oz Linden realises how much work is in an item of Mesh clothing.
It’s an established technology, over a decade in Poser, but each different user-Program environment has its own optimisations. I’d need to learn more about SL-Mesh, before I could even start. Even if I were SL-Mesh confident, my past experience suggests is would take a week to get to something adequate. Add to that the problem of whether there is a decent specification for Test items: I suspect I just don’t know enough about rigged mesh in Second Life.
I have made items for SL-Mesh, and then they changed how they measured the load on the systems. And they kept changing it. And, despite all the advantages compared to sculpts, I decided they were setting out to waste my time.
I started having fun again.
Maybe I should have another go. In my copious spare time.
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Amen to that. As someone who has worked with 3D and modeling at that, since the early 1990’s…In my dabbling with the feature….I found I am just not impressed with mesh enough to drop everything and just work on mesh for a project that at this time, is not one I want to use. In my personal experience….I still have less land impact with sculpts than I do with meshes which leads me to believe that the Lab has a LONG way to go in perfecting this feature. It does, however, make me angry that Oz thinks that using a thinly veiled threat will make us do his bidding. Does he think that little of Second Life users?
Ummm….no…not for me…I don’t work that way.
Perhaps if Oz just went to the Mesh Volunteers group and send out notices or personal invites to those enrolled in the group or as was stated before…hold grid-wide contests for the help they needed, they might….just might get better results. I personally get sick and tired of the use of scare tactics every time they need help or want to change things. The Lab NEEDS to reach out to the community more…be more visible and friendly….and they might just get the help they need.
As it is…I agree with everything Wolf said wholeheartedly. There MAY be some advantages to mesh, but right now….the trouble and time it takes to create quality meshes are GREATLY outweighed by the current benefits of sculpties.
I for one am surprised that Qarl is working on this project for the Lab. I wouldn’t have if I was treated the way they treated Qarl when they thought he would be of no further use. I sure hope they gave you a HUGE fruit basket Qarl and an apology to match.
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