Day: June 20, 2015

Second Life project updates week 25/2: TPV Developer meeting

Posted on by Inara Pey
Alpha.Tribe
Alpha.Tribe – blog post

The following notes are taken from the TPV Developer (TPVD) meeting held on Friday, June 19th. A video of the TPVD meeting is included below, with any time stamps in the following text referring to it. My thanks as always to North for the recording and providing it for embedding.

SL Viewer

RC Viewers

[0:39 / 08:00] The Viewer-Managed Marketplace (VMM) viewer reached release candidate status on Thursday, June 18th with the release of version 3.7.31.302677. This means the VMM code is now officially available for TPVs to integrate into their viewers. When this viewer reaches release status, it will signal the end of the current VMM beta period.

[22:37] Currently, the Lab is aiming to promote the Experience Tools, VMM and attachment fixes (Project Big Bird) in order – although what that order might be, has yet to be finally determined.

A new Maintenance RC viewer, version 3.7.31.302685, entered the release channel on Friday, June 19th, with some 50 fixes, improvements and updates, covering building, snapshots, group ban fixes, rendering fixes, etc. Please refer to the release notes for full details.

Project Viewers

An update to the Oculus Rift project viewer  (currently version 3.7.18.295296, and not updated since October 2014) is anticipated to be arriving “soon”, although no precise date is available.

[09:10] A new voice project viewer is expected to appear in week #26 (week commencing Monday, June 22nd), with fixes for voice issues directly from Vivox.

[09:32] A project viewer based on the latest HTTP updates (llcorehttp) that rider Linen has been working on is also expected to make its appearance shortly. This will likely remain at project viewer status for a while as it goes through various iterations as further improvements and revisions are made.

[10:00] A further project viewer with the Lab’s revamped notifications interface (see BUG-8000) is also anticipated as arriving soon as well.

A preliminary version of the proposed new notification panel (see BUG-8000). Note that is is a work-in-progress and may be subject to change prior to release (image courtesy of Whirly Fizzle)
A preliminary version from February 2015 of the proposed new notification panel (see BUG-8000). Note that is is a work-in-progress and may be subject to change prior to release (image courtesy of Whirly Fizzle)

Chromium Embedded Framework

[10:14] Work is progressing with the switch from webkit to the Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF) for media management such that it is entirely possible that a project viewer using CEF may be appearing in the next two weeks.

Snowstorm Project Viewers

[10:30] There are two Snowstorm (open-source contributions) viewers in progress. One of these includes the Avatar Complexity work and the ability to save graphics preferences for the viewer which are being developed by Jonathan Yap (see below for more on this viewer).

The second is a viewer build clean-up viewer that includes a number of TPV-contributed updates and fixes. This latter viewer is currently awaiting internal resources at the Lab, but should hopefully “very, very soon”.

Avatar Complexity

Work on the Avatar Complexity code has been halted due to the introduction of a bug
The introduction of a bug has paused work on the Avatar Complexity code

The Avatar Complexity (aka Jelly Babies) project is the upcoming functionality which provides greater control to user to define how other avatars are rendered in their world-view.

However, a recent  hiccup means that the project has been on hold. n making some changes to the code, Oz accidentally broke the code such that instead of rendering as a solid colour, avatars exceeding the limit are currently rendering as transparent, and this is yet to be fixed.

Commenting on situation at the TPV Developer meeting, Oz indicated any help any willing devs can provide to help sort the problem out, would be appreciated. The public repository for the code is here.

The code problem arose as Oz sought to make changes such that avatars above the rendering limit set by the user render as “Jelly Babies” (i.e. a solid colour, as previously indicated in discussing the project), those avatars with incomplete rendering data are rendered grey (as we currently sometimes see in-world), and those that the user has muted are simply not rendered at all.

Continue reading “Second Life project updates week 25/2: TPV Developer meeting” →

Reaching the end of a rainbow in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

L'Arc-en-Ciel, WinterFall; Inara Pey, Juune 2015, on FlickrL’Arc-en-Ciel, June 2015 (Flickr)

Asa Vordun has announced that her beautiful and atmospheric region, L’arc en Ciel (“rainbow”) is to close at the end of June 2015.

For anyone who has visited the region through its various iterations, this is indeed sad news; it has been a consistent output of creative vision since it’s original inception in July 2014. For many, it has become a regular destination, with people keen to see and enjoy each redesign Asa has undertaken; all of which have brought forth new delights – some light, some dark, for people to immerse themselves in.

L'Arc-en-Ciel, WinterFall; Inara Pey, June 2015, on FlickrL’Arc-en-Ciel, June 2015 (Flickr)

The reason for the closure is given alongside the announcement. In short: dealing with the muppets of this virtual world and their inability to abide by even the simplest of requests, behaviour-wise, finally took it toll on Asa’s patience.

It’s always sad when something like this happens; doubly so with a place as notable as L’arc. However, Asa’s decision isn’t hard to understand and support; I just hope she’ll find a way to continue give release to her creative flair, even on a smaller, more controlled scale.

L'Arc-en-Ciel, WinterFall; Inara Pey, July 2014, on FlickrL’Arc-en-Ciel, June 2015 (Flickr)

I say this because I’ve been a fan of her creativity for almost two years now, having first encountered it in November 2013, when I first visited her wonderful Caprice and Easy A builds, which offered two truly delightful designs, with whimsy in one and a rich Christmas spirit in the other.

I returned to them again in April 2014, after Asa had completed a springtime redesign, one which still leaves me wondering if it acted as the springboard for her seeking to work on something larger, and thus leading her to create L’arc en Ciel. The latter was utterly breathtaking when it first appeared in July 2014 – as I noted at the time – and as noted here, remained so ever since.

L'Arc-en-Ciel, WinterFall; Inara Pey, July 2014, on FlickrL’Arc-en-Ciel, July 2014 (Flickr)

L’arc is due to close on June 28th, so there is still time to visit – and I really recommend that if you have does so recently or before, that you do so before it vanishes.  In its current iteration, it offers a hauntingly beautiful blend of rural and run-down urban settings caught in a forever dusk as shooting stars streak the sky overhead. A place where the westering  Sun casts shadow long enough to encourage lamps and lanterns to be lit, even as the converted chapel out on the headland beckons one on a pilgrimage along road and over bridge.

At the chapel, one can find a place of sanctuary and peace which, while perhaps not quite in keeping with the religious intent with which it may have originally been built, is still nonetheless soothing to the soul and encourages one to terry for a time.

L'Arc-en-Ciel, WinterFall; Inara Pey, July 2014, on FlickrL’Arc-en-Ciel, July 2014 (Flickr)

Be sure not to miss it.

SLurl Details