Month: January 2014

SL project updates week 3 (1) Server and viewer + misc items

Posted on by Inara Pey
Simulator User Group meeting (stock)
Simulator User Group meeting (stock)

Server Deployments: week 3, 2014

There are no server deployments this week on either Tuesday 14th (Main channel) or Wednesday 15th January (RC channels). The latter was anticipated to be the case, after Maestro Linden indicated there were no maintenance or other projects in the RC pipeline during the Server Beta meeting of Thursday January 9th.

While it had been thought that issues relating to STORM-1831 were not sufficient to prevent the RC package deployed in week 2 from being promoted to the Main channel, the decision has been taken to allow the package to run a further week on the RCs.

Week 4 Deployments

It now seems as if the plan is to deploy the RC maintenance project to the Main grid in week 4 (week commencing Monday January 20th), and to issue a new server maintenance project on the Wednesday of that week, although details on this have yet to be finalised.

SL Viewer

The Project Interesting viewer with the viewer-side interest list changes (notably the changes to how region information is cached and re-used by the viewer) gained a further update on Tuesday January 14th, with the release of release candidate 3.6.14.285213, which includes a number of additional bug fixes – see the release notes and download page.

STORM-1831: LSL Syntax Highlighting

This contribution by Ima Mechanic will allow LSL syntax highlighting in the viewer’s LSL editor to be updated and defined using a file obtained directly from the simulator the viewer is connected to, with the intention to eliminate issues of the viewer using outdated versions of the file. The server-side updates for this work are currently deployed to all three RC regions. However, as of the end of week 2, additional work was required on the syntax file itself.

In addition, there are a number of issues which are currently being addressed with the viewer-side code. These are listed on the JIRA for the project – STORM-1831, and require resolution prior to the code being issued  in a release candidate viewer. Most of these are currently being worked on, and are not seen as major show-stoppers, but will delay the code’s appearance in the short-term.

Other Items

Values for brush constants in calls to llModifyLand

One issue which has (again) been raised through STORM-1831 is that the values for brush constants in calls to llModifyLand, used for scripted terraforming operations, are out by 1 each (they are set to 1, 2, 3 and should be 0, 1, 2). This means that, for example, a call using LAND_SMALL_BRUSH will edit an area of 4×4 metres, not 2×2. The wiki documentation for the function notes the error as well. As a result of discussing this issue in the Open-source Developer’s meeting on Monday January 13th, a STORM JIRA was raised to (again) highlight this issue (STORM-2006).

However, as the issue itself is actually related to either STORM-1831 per se and because it will actually require server-side changes, the issue is liable to be moved to a BUG status and triaged from there.

Snapshot uploads to the SL Feeds

“It has to do with authentication under the hood when getting the credentials and then using them to fetch the snapshot config info,” Simon Linden said at the Simulator User Group meeting on Tuesday January 14th. The problem is still being worked upon for those still affected by it (I am), but there is currently no ETA as to a complete fix for the matter.

With thanks to Mona Eberhardt for the meeting notes.

Farewell Frisch?

Posted on by Inara Pey

Frisch Castle, January 2014, December 2013Frisch Castle – click for full size

Back in late 2012 I wrote about Frisch Castle, a Norman-style set of ruins and once an  orentation spot for new users, particularly those from Germany.

The article struck a cord with many, and Frisch itself was highly regarded in SL for its historical context. At the time of writing, I noted that it was on Governor Linden land, and one worth the visit for those who hadn’t seen it before.

Now it appears to have come to an end. Frisch region, where the castle once sat, is gone, as has the castle’s entry in the Destination Guide (where it once appeared under “Castles and Ruins”). This isn’t conclusive proof that the castle has indeed vanished form Second Life – it may (perhaps) have been relocated. If anyone is aware of this being the case, please drop me a line!

Frisch Castle, January 2014Frisch Castle – click for full size

If the castle has indeed gone, that it is something of a loss. The build may not have been recent, but it did have a sense of grandeur and offered a very photogenic location and an ideal backdrop. As to when it may have been “retired” is hard to say,  my last visit was in July 2013, and I’ve not had the opportunity to return since – or take any further high resolution images 😦 . So here’s a collection of some taken between November 2012 and June 213.

Of light and glass and picturing Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

The Linden Endowments for the Arts is hosting a series of 16 “interim” art projects through until the end of January 2013. I’ve already covered the Flash Mob event on LEA26 and LEA 27, and both The Wonderful World of Particles and Paper Observatory, which are displayed at LEA13 and LEA21 respectively. Here I pay a visit to two more of the installations, created by Frankx Lefavre and Thea Dee.

Frankx LeFavre – LEA19

Frankx Lefarve at LEA19
Frankx Lefarve at LEA19

“I  build  at night,” Frankx Lefavre explained during my visit to his installation at LEA19, “And no, I’m not  a vampire! I see the light better in the dark.”

Speaking as one who likes to play with scripted lighting effects in the darkness of SL’s night, I understand exactly where he is coming from; the interplay of light and dark has always been fascinating to many people from earliest times – right from when humans first looked in awe  at the night sky with its myriad of stars and started to wonder as to their meaning.

Frankx Lefarve at LEA19
Frankx Lefarve at LEA19

Awe is the emotional response one has with Frankx’s build. While it has no formal name, in talking to me about it, Frankx used the term “light and glass” – and it is altogether an appropriate description of this piece. At its centre is a beautiful, towering sculpture of light and glass set against the backdrop of a starless night (do make sure you accept the region’s windlight on arrival or set your viewer to midnight. you might also want to set your draw distance to around the 400 metre mark). Surrounding this at ground level and on platforms reached by beautiful stairways or floating in the air on their own, are a series of sculptures and set pieces for the visitor to discover.

No descriptive note card is provided for the installation, and there is no clear way down from the elevated arrival point. both of these are intentional, the aim being for the visitor to explore the build as they please, on foot and by flying, and to form their own ideas and opinions about and on it. “It is what it is,” as Frankx said to me: it is what our imaginations see.

Frankx Lefavre - LEA19
Frankx Lefavre – LEA19

And there is much to see here – far more than may first seem to be the case. Prims, sculpts, particles are all are used to tremendous effect, both as a part of the whole installation and as individual set pieces and focal points within and around it. Movement plays an important, if subtle role as well, both within in individual sculptures, many of which have their own moving elements, and within the larger build, such as through the cloud-like sheets of glass and light which scud across the sky.

This is very much a design where words and photographs are simply not enough; it is an installation which should be visited and experienced. Recommended.

Thea Dee – LEA18

Thea Dee LEA18
Thea Dee LEA18

Thea Dee has been a resident of Second Life since 2011 and has established a reputation as a photographer who creates striking images of Second Life using minimal post-processing for the most part.

The  installation at LEA18 is an exhibition of Thea’s work in capturing many memorable images from the very diverse nature of regions and builds across Second Life. These are offered to the visitor in a very simple, but highly effective environment comprising an oval wall around the region, passing through a series of simple wooden structures – pavilions, if you will – in which thea’s work is displayed in groups of six.

Thea Dee LEA18
Thea Dee LEA18

Thea’s work is always eye-catching, and the design and layout of this installation allows the visitor to enjoy it to the fullest, and it makes an ideal place to visit if you simply want to wander an enjoy the sights of Second Life through the eyes of a creative photographer and artist.

Make sure you take the note card at the arrival point – it will point you to more of Thea’s work in-world.

Thea Dee LEA18
Thea Dee LEA18

Related Links

Firestorm Q and A January 11th: next release, fitted mesh and more

Posted on by Inara Pey

firestorm-logoOn Saturday January 11th, the Firestorm team hosted the first of their informal question-and-answer sessions for 2014. The meeting was called at short notice, and I was unable to attend. Due to other pressures and work, I’m not in a position to provide a full transcript of the meeting. Instead the following is offered as a summary of the key discussion points raised in the meeting (with timestamps so that the relevant parts of the recording can be listened to), and a summary of the main questions asked during the Q&A session.

As always, please note:

  • Questions /comments were made in chat while speakers were talking. This inevitably meant that replies to questions would lag well behind when they were originally asked. To provide context between questions and answers, questions in the transcript are given (in italics) at the point at which each is addressed by a member of the Firestorm team, either in voice or via chat
  • There was some general discussion to topics such as lag and clearing cache which took place during the “Q&A”, notes on these have been included in the General discussion section below, rather than in the Q&A section
  • This report  is provided for informational purposes only. As such, questions on technical issues relating to Firestorm and  / or project-specific questions cannot be answered here unless one of the Firestorm team drops by.

There was a lot of back and forth and sundry chat during the meeting on a range of topics which is not reported upon here.

As ever, my thanks to North for recording and supplying the video of the meeting.

General Discussion

0:00:01- 0:03:09 Firestorm Support: One-on-one Help

The Firestorm support volunteers will be commencing one-on-one help for users who feel they need it. The support will be offered as and when volunteers are available, and will take place in the ground-level central area of the Phoenix Firestorm Support Island. Sessions will likely be held on a drop-in basis: if you have a particular issue with which you need help, drop by and if there are volunteers available, they’ll do their best to help you, both in voice and / or in text.

The Phoenix Firestorm Support region: one-on-one assistance
The Phoenix Firestorm Support region: one-on-one assistance

Do keep in mind that the support team are all volunteers, and as such, they have individual approaches to providing assistance (some will not provide support in IM, for example). Also, as volunteers, it is possible that there may be times when the drop-in area is not staffed; if this is the case, people can either seek assistance through the Firestorm support groups or try the drop-in area another time.

0:03:15-0:10:00 Official Firestorm Support

There have been issues of users presenting themselves as “Firestorm advisors” and IMing people in the support group chat, etc. If anyone using Firestorm is unsure as to whether someone talking to them in support chat (or IM), they can verify the person’s status in a number of ways:

  • If the conversation is taking place as a result of contact via the Firestorm support group chat (either in chat or initiated from their and taken to IM) – check to see if the person’s group chat is in bold – if it is, this indicates they have moderator status, and are a member of the Firestorm Support team
  • If you use Firestorm legacy profiles, open the profile of the individual concerned and check the Account section  – if they are a member of the Firestorm support team, it will be listed (If you’re using web profiles by default, go to Preferences > General and uncheck Use Web Profiles by Default, top right – a viewer restart is not required.)
  • Check the Support page on the Firestorm web site. This lists the support volunteers – but do check the last updated timestamp at the bottom of the page, as it may not have been updated recently (although the team do maintain it).
How to identify if someone is a member of the Firestorm support team (top) and how to see the Firestorm legacy profiles (bottom)
How to identify if someone is a member of the Firestorm support team (top) and how to see the Firestorm legacy profiles (bottom)

This is a something of a sensitive issue, as the support chat is a community service, and as such the support team members appreciate other Firestorm users providing help to one another if official support team members are unavailable or already busy. As such, they do not wish to discourage users from providing such help to one another. However, what is (understandably) not appreciated is people presenting themselves as “official” Firestorm reps when they are not, and who consequently may not be in a position to access all information relating to a support issue or provide accurate information on the viewer’s future.

Continue reading “Firestorm Q and A January 11th: next release, fitted mesh and more” →

Viewer release summaries 2014: week 2

Posted on by Inara Pey

Updates for the week ending: January 12th, 2014

This summary is published every Monday and is a list of SL viewer / client releases (official and TPV) made during the previous week. When reading it, please note:

  • It is based on my Viewer Round-up Page, a list of  all Second Life viewers and clients that are in popular use (and of which I am aware) and which are recognised as adhering to the TPV Policy
  • By its nature, this summary will always be in arrears
  • The Viewer Round-up Page is updated as soon as I’m aware of any releases / changes to viewers & clients, and should be referred to for more up-to-date information
  • The Viewer Round-up Page also includes comprehensive links to download pages, blog notes, release notes, etc., as well as links to any / all reviews of specific viewers / clients made within this blog.

Official LL Viewers

  • Current Release version updated on January 9th to version 3.6.13.284995 (formerly the PackageFix RC) – core update: fix for old versions of the viewer executables not being removed during viewer installation after the executable was remained in the 3.6.12 code (release notes)
  • Release channel cohorts (See my notes on manually installing RC viewer versions if you wish to install any release candidate(s) yourself):
    • No updates
  • Project viewers:
    • No updates

LL Viewer Resources

Third-party Viewers

V3-style

  • No updates

V1-style

  • Cool VL updated on January 11th to:

Mobile / Other Clients

  • No updates

Additional TPV Resources

Related Links

Kokua Mac test viewer: request for assistance

Posted on by Inara Pey

kokua-logoOn Saturday January 11th, Nicky Perian announced a test version of a Mac build of Kokua is now available, and has also issued a call for assistance from Kokua / Mac users.

The blog post reads in part:

Several hours ago the first Mac build completed and I logged on to Second Life beta grid, Aditi. Rebranding from Second Life to Kokua is needed. If there are Mac users that would like to help in this area please respond and I’ll help set up a build environment on your system. I would like Mac users to test and provide look and feel opinions as comments to this post. If there are bugs please report them to our issue tracker.

Having a Mac build of the viewer has been one of the more popular requests made to the Kokua team, so if you have a Mac system and are willing to help out test-driving the new Mac build and reporting back both opinions (via the Kokua blog post) and on any issues you discover (the latter via the Kokua issue tracker, as indicated above), please download the viewer from the Kokua nightly builds directory.

Similarly, if you are willing to help with rebranding the viewer from Second Life to Kokua (which, as noted above, will require a viewer build environment created on your system which Nicky can provide help with setting-up), do please contact Nicky either directly (via in-world IM or through the comments on the Kokua blog post.

(Please do not leave feedback or offers of assistance on this blog, they may not be picked-up.).

Release Notes