Tiling test for Dolphin (3.4.6.26773+): image taken at 3500×2134 resolution using Dolphin 3.4.6.26773. Location: The Island of Armenelos (M) (click to enlarge) – fix also in the latest SL official viewer (3.4.3.28262), Niran’s Viewer (2.0.5+) and RLV (2.8.3.5+)
Graphics Preferences Updates for GPU Classes
The SL viewer, Dolphin and RLV all include the new Graphics Preferences settings related to the ongoing GPU table updates. These new options place additional “stops” on the Quality and Speed slider between the four original settings of Low, Mid, High and Ultra, which are intended to better represent the default SL capabilities of different GPU classes,
The new “intermediary” graphics settings intended to better represent the default SL capabilities of different GPU classes
SSAO Fix for Horizon Haze
Also included in the recent Dolphin and Niran’s Viewer releases, is Tofu Buzzard’s SSAO improvements for generating horizon haze over Linden Sea (“ambient distance fog”). This helps overcome a long-standing bug within the viewer which has effectively broken / nerfed horizon haze over Linden Water for a considerable time.
SSAO haze effect – fix from Tofu Blizzard, available in deferred mode on Dolphin and Niran’s viewers. (image courtesy of Niran V Dean) – click to enlarge
Space Reflections
Niran’s viewer also introduces an interesting / experimental viewer-side feature from Tofu Blizzard called “space reflections”, designed to create reflections on shiny surfaces when running in deferred mode and with the appropriate Graphics Preferences option enabled. It’s not perfect, but it can be used to produce some interesting effects, as shown below, if only for those running a viewer which can render the desired results.
Tofu Blizzard’s “space reflections”: (l) a viewer running in deferred mode; (r) Niran’s viewer running in deferred with “space reflections” active to produce reflections both on the floor and inside the large sphere (click to enlarge)
Tuesday 18th December saw the Main Release channel get the maint-server release as deployed to Magnum in week 50, as Maestro Linden indicated might be the case during the Server Beta meeting on the 13th December. There have been some reports of teleport issues following the deployment, but these are thought to be a network-side issue, rather than a problem with the server code itself.
All three RC channels should be receiving the same package on Wednesday 19th December, 2012 which is also the Magnum deployment from week 50, with a single additional bug fix.
Release notes (for Magnum, but applicable to all three RC channels)
This is the last set of server-side deployments for 2012.
A low-key Simulator User Group meeting on 18th December, the last for 2012
SL Viewer Updates
The release version of the official SL viewer rolled to the 3.4.3 code on Tuesday 18th December, with the release of 3.4.3.268262. Among a range of updates, this release include the major GPU table updates seen in recent beta viewer releases, the additional graphics settings and the tiling fix for high-resolution snapshot (MAINT-638). This release also sees the return of JIRA numbers to the release notes, matching the recent beta viewer release notes update.
The new “intermediary” graphics settings intended to better represent the default SL capabilities of different GPU classes
The beta viewer should be moving to the 3.4.4 code with the next release, although it is not clear whether this will be before or after the holiday period.
Interest List Update
Andrew Linden has been tweaking and optimising his Interest list code. The first phase of the new interest list code is aimed at reducing the amount of information being sent to the viewer by the server. Speaking at the Simulator User Group meeting on the 18th December, Andrew commented, “Last week I managed to find an optimisation opportunity in my Interest List project, which shaves a few hundred usec off of some cases where there are a lot of Full Object Updates. So this would translate to better server FPS when in large groups of avatars or when in the presence of stuff that is generating lots of full updates.”
As I reported last time, object updates take three forms, Full, Terse and Delete. Full updates are generated when an object is seen for the first time, or which is undergoing a constant change in appearance / position. Terse updates are sent only when an object changes its appearance / position. Under the current Interest list system, both types of update are sent to the viewer, regardless as to where the viewer actually needs to process them. A primary part of Andrew’s work has been reworking the code so that updates – particularly terse updates – are only sent to the viewer when the object generating them is in the camera’s field-of view. This new optimisation work should further help reduce the number of updates being sent to the viewer regardless as to whether or not it has to process them.
With the SL Community Convention ending in 2012, after AvaCon declined a revised contract from Linden Lab, the non-profit, volunteer-operated company has today announced the Metaverse Cultural Series 2013.
The new series will comprise, “A set of events featuring performances and lectures that highlight unique aspects of metaverse culture. The events will take place in multiple virtual world spaces and the series will showcase innovative artists, thinkers, performers, and academics whose work is on the forefront of exploring what it means to work, play, and live in the emerging metaverse.”
The focus of the series is on exploration of aspects of living, working, and playing in the metaverse which differ from other forms of online activity. As examples of this, AvaCon suggest subjects such as exploring themes such as identity play and avatars, language and customs unique to virtual worlds, or other kinds of art and expression that are only possible in the metaverse.
As well as seeking performances and presentations, AvaCon is inviting virtual world providers, grids, or venues to host a Metaverse Cultural Series event as event partner. In order to do so, venues should be able to:
Accommodate 30 – 50 in-world attendees
Permit voice and media streaming media capabilities.
Note that AvaCon will work with venues selected to participate in the series to determine technical specifications and other requirements as needed for each type of presentation or performance.
Request for Presentation / Performance Proposals
AvaCon ar currently accepting proposals for presentations / performances which fit the focus of the series as outlined above. All proposals should include an abstract describing, in no more than 500 words, the proposed performance / presentation and how it relates to the goals and themes of the Series. Reviewers will specifically be looking for proposals that explore unique aspects of metaverse culture, particularly as it differs from other kinds of online activity.
Additionally, AvaCon are accepting proposals from grids / virtual world providers / venues wishing to host an event in the Mataverse Cultural Series.
The closing date for all proposals is January 31st, 2013. AvaCon are offering a $50 stipend to all successful presentation / venue applications to cover time and expenses.
I’ve been covering the upcoming improvements to region crossings – referred to as threaded region crossings – in my weekly SL project reports.
During the Server Beta meeting on the 13th December 2012, the subject came up for brief discussion, during which I suggested to Caleb Linden (who is heading-up the work) that perhaps a pile-on test would be an idea.
I’ve no idea if he read my suggestion, or was already planning to go ahead with such a test, but on Monday 17th December, 2012, he posted an announcement of just such a test to the Server thread of the TEchnology forums. The announcement reads in full:
In an upcoming server build, Linden Lab has changed the way agents and their attachments get carried over in the event of a region crossing. And we need your help to test region crossing in a pile-on fashion.
On Wednesday, December 19th at 16:00 PDT (Pacific Daylight Time) please join IRC (EFNET -> #sltest) to launch Second Life and join us via the following SLurl GC Test 9
In the meantime, please let us know if you need access the test regions mentioned on the wiki or have additional questions.
How the tests will be carried out, and on the wiki page, Caleb invites suggestions to be e-mailed / forwarded to him. Currently, ideas for testing include:
Region crossing with regular avatar
Region crossing via manual TP
Region crossing on a vehicle (including Mesh based vehicles)
Region crossing while sitting on moving objects
Region crossing via scripted TP
Region crossing with attachments of varying sizes (including complex HUDs)
Issues have already been found with the new code when wearing script heavy objects during a region crossing and with repeated region crossings on vehicles, and the pile-on test looks in part to be a further investigation of these issues, as well as testing for other possible problems.
Note that this test will be on the beta Aditi grid, so you will need to be able to access that grid. If you haven’t done so in a while, you may want to check your ability to log-in, given recent issues. Also, as this is server-side code tests, it should not be required that you use a specific viewer, but keep an eye on the forum thread in case a decision is made to use a particular viewer.
My favourite time for exploring Second Life is after dark. Not after dark in SL, you understand, but after dark in RL. At the end of the day, with the house quiet and little chance of being disturbed, I can cozy down in my little study / office and go a-wandering to my heart’s content. Sometimes doing so leads me to staying up well past silly o’clock.
Fortunately, I work from home most of the time, which allows me to large set my own schedule; I also have a weird body which is generally satisfied with around 5 hours sleep a night before it decides I need to be up and about (and bits of it are given to complaining if I don’t get up) – although occasionally it will demand a good, solid 8-9 hours under the duvet. Even so, there are times, generally when staring at the bathroom mirror first thing after getting up, when I ask myself just what the heck I thought I was doing sitting up to 4:00am in the morning, and whether I’m completely, certifiably bonkers.
Most of the time, however, it is worth it. There are so many beautiful, creative and inspiring places to visit in SL that trying to catalogue just a small selection of them in my own way makes the late nights worthwhile.
Sometimes I stumble upon a place, sometimes it is recommended to me or I stick my finger into the Destination Guide and see what comes up, sometimes reading other blogs piques my curiosity and off I trot to poke a nose into things. Whatever I find, there has to be a certain something which “clicks” with me. If I’m honest, it doesn’t always happen; there are many places in SL I’ve visited and not blogged about because, while they are in their own way amazing or fun or immersive, I personally don’t find that indefinable something which grabs me.
Sleepless Nights, the home of :Fiction and Chaos and [House of Usher] is one of those places which definitely has “it” for me. I first came across it in Honour McMillan’s blog, and her images were enough to convince me this was a place I had to visit. Honour is someone I read daily and whom I admire for her skills with both the written word and with SL photography. She’s also someone I tend to find I’m frequently following around SL, as there are times when we are drawn to the same regions even within me finding inspiration in her blog pages, and Honour is invariably 3 or 4 steps ahead of me, so I invariably put a planned post back on the shelf for a bit, so posts don’t clash :).
I love regions with a focus on water wat the best of times, and so in some ways, it’s hardly surprising Sleepless Nights appeals to so much. It has been brilliantly and evocatively framed, and I confess to having gone a little snap happy the other week during my visit, pumping out shot after shot to my profile feed. Pity I initially made such a pig’s ear of things.
A couple of weeks back LL finally got the snapshot tiling issue somewhat fixed. It’s not a perfect fix, as issues can still occur if you push your graphics card too hard, but it does allow those impacted by the issue to take snaps at significantly higher resolutions than perhaps they’ve been able to for quite a while.
I’d spent the days following the release happily bimbling around SL, revisiting old favourites and seeing how much better things look at 3500×2134 compared to the maximum of 1440×900 I’ve had to use pre-fix. So it was with huge delight that I arrived in Sleepless Nights, whapped up my snapshot floater to 3600×2195 and started posting away to my feed. The problem being that at the time I was using Firestorm – which doesn’t yet have the tiling issue fix.
Cue curses and a number of feed reposts, followed by a late-night revisit to re-work the images also saved to disk.
Leaving that crisis aside, there really isn’t much I can say about the region. Not because there isn’t anything to say about it, but simply because it speaks very eloquently for itself, as anyone arriving will immediately see for themselves. Suffice it to say that is it one of the most evocative I’ve visited, and I look forward to the day when I have a viewer / PC combination (and the skill) to really do it justice through photographs.
The region is minimalist in style and water-focused (something which will immediately attracted me, as I love water-based regions). The default windlight is enough to generate a deeply atmospheric feel and is absolutely ideal for SL photography. Together they combine to present a place which demands you simply experience it and let your thoughts roam free.
It’s also a place which can be quickly tweaked using viewer-side windlight options to create some truly remarkable frames – as I hope some of my offerings here go some way towards showing.
If you’ve never visited Sleepless Nights, I really recommend you do.
On Monday 17th December, Linden Lab announced the release of “Creatorverse Lite” on the iOS platform.
The new product is available for through the App Store for the iPad, iPod Touch and the iPhone. The press release announcing the release states:
This free version of Linden Lab’s shared creativity app allows users to explore and play with the entire Creatorverse galaxy – every creation made and shared by users of the full Creatorverse app on any platform. To remix others’ creations or create and share their own, users will continue to need the full, paid version of Creatorverse.
Creatorverse – now available in a free “Lite” for the iPhone and iPod Touch
The press release doesn’t make mention of the “Lite” version being available for the Android / Kindle platforms, but it would seem likely that whither the iOS version goes, the Android / Kindle offerings will follow. We’ll doubtless find out in the new year.
In the meantime, the full version for both the Android and Kindle platforms has been updated to version 1.1.1 as of the 15th December, placing it once again on a par with the iOS version, with object shadows, etc.
What is to be made of this move? Clever marketing ploy to encourage more take-up of the application, or indicative that while early interest was strong, things may have waned somewhat in terms of interest / purchases? Figures for sales / downloads aren’t available on either the Apple App Store or Amazon, so the take-up on those platforms is hard to judge. Google Play does provide a graphical indication of downloads; while this is very generic, it does show that after an initial strong interest in the product, installs do appear to have plummeted. However, this may be indicative of nothing more than the fact the application is somewhat less popular on Android devices, the majority of which tend to be mobile phones with small screens rather than tablet-sized devices, and Creatorverse is not so ideally suited to these (although the flip side to that, of course, is the same can be said of the IPhone and iPod Touch).
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 