Month: December 2015

SL project updates 51/1: server, misc items

Posted on by Inara Pey

Kaleidoscope; Inara Pey, December 2015, on FlickrKaleidoscope (Flickr) – blog post

Server Deployments

As usual, please refer to the server deployment thread for the latest updates / news.

  • On Tuesday, December 15th, the Main (SLS) channel received the server maintenance package previously deployed to all three RC channels. This package comprises simulator crash fixes (including one for the issue found during the original final testing of the package in week #49) and implements feature request  BUG-10192: adding constant OBJECT_OMEGA to llGetObjectDetails(), so that it can return a vector matching what is returned with llGetOmega(), allowing applications to determine an object’s rate and axis of rotation.
  • On Wednesday, December 16th the three RC channels should all receive the same new server maintenance package, comprising:
    • A simulator crash fix and internal fixes
    • LSL HTTP requests can access data sources that require non-text Accept headers (such as the Destination Guide)
    • Some of the group member counts as reported in the viewer will now be larger. These member counts will include inactive users, and will only updated on a daily basis. This change is to help with some of the problems we have encountered recently with group functions.

This last item is intended to help with the group database issues I reported on in my last project updates report.

SL Server

There have been no updates within the viewer release channel, leaving things as they were in the latter half of week #50:

  • Release viewer: 3.8.6.305981, dated October 26 and formally the Notifications RC viewer
  • Valhalla RC viewer, version 4.0.0.308641 and dated December 7th, comprising the Chromium embedded Framework updates to replace LLQTwebit
  • Maintenance RC viewer, version 3.8.7.308556 and dated December 3rd, comprising over 30 fixes, updates and enhancements
  • Azumarill RC viewer, version 3.8.7.308134 and dated November 25th. comprising a complete replacement of the under the hood HTTP infrastructure within the viewer
  • Vivox RC viewer, version 3.8.7.307744 and dated November 17th, comprising a number of Voice quality and connection issues on both Windows and the Mac
  • Quick Graphics RC viewer, version 3.8.7.306758 and dated November 12th, containing the new Avatar complexity code and the ability to create, save and load graphics presets – see here for more.

Similarly, the Oculus Rift project viewer remains unchanged, and the obsolete platforms viewer remains available.

As there has not been any TPV Developer meeting in the last three weeks, it is hard to determine the overall status of these viewers, or what (if any) the delay is in promoting one of those which had looked set to become the de facto release viewer (the Maintenance viewer looked most likely, following recent issues with the HTTP RC viewer).

Animation Syncing

BUG-7729 is the latest iteration in a long-standing request related to syncing animations, the idea to be to present a consistent view of animations, rather than having animations (e.g. couples dances, etc), either start out of sync or drift out of sync. Commenting on the idea at the Simulator User Group meeting on Tuesday, December 15th, Simon Linden said:

[It’s] part of a list of script feature requests we’ve looked at and said “that’s a good idea and would be nice to do someday”, and it probably involves a new message between the server and viewer. But I totally agree that it would be nice … I’ve seen way too many funky animations glitches due to them being out of sync.

There is certain information that the viewer has which should allow it to more easily track animations and help to maintain sync being avatars using them; however, things get complicated when the user is camming around, which can cause Interest list updates to come into play, or the arrival / departure of other avatars can have an impact, all of which can cause animations to drift out of sync.

One of the concerns with BUG-7729 is that it could evolve into a fairly major project, involving both server and viewer updates and the potential need for new messages, as Simon notes above, hence why he stated on leading-in to the discussion:

When we pick what to work on, the obvious high priority things are stuff where the grid is breaking (like the group db problems) or crashes or exploits, then it’s a matter of figuring out the best thing for a limited effort .. some projects are just too big.

As such, it would seem that a more economic solution in terms of scale possibly using what information the viewer already has, or what it might do, might be a preferable approach.

Firestorm, for example, already has a Resync Animations button, which can be a one-stop means for someone to resync the animations in their personal view should they show signs of drifting. The suggestion is that something like this, or a simple timed adjustment to sync animations might stand a better chance of implementation, were it to be contributed to the Lab for implementation into the viewer.

Black Dragon 2.4.4.5

Posted on by Inara Pey

Blackdragon logoBlack Dragon, the v3-style viewer by NiranV Dean updated to version 2.4.4.5 (aka version 4.0.0.36527) on Monday, December 14th.

The update primarily includes fixes for issues with Niran’s implementation of Avatar Complexity, and for crash issues, and includes a refactored Places floater.

Niran introduced Avatar Complexity in version 2.4.4.4 of Black Dragon. As I noted when reviewing that release, the split between controls Niran had introduced meant that it could require some juggling with the sliders to get things settled when making random adjustments. However, the was a slightly worse issue for Black Dragon users in that many found that by default, all avatars around them were either “jelly babied” – appearing as a single solid colour to reduce the rendering load on their computer – or not at all.

The reason for this seems to be that Niran missed the fact the LL code sets a default value for Avatar Complexity, based on the anticipated graphics performance of the system on which the viewer is installed, as calculated by the viewer on initial start-up – something he removed from Black Dragon a while ago.  Thus, avatar rendering was defaulting to an exceptionally low value, causing avatars around the user to appear as “Jelly Babies”.

Niran has now introduced his own default value to the viewer, which should correct things. Some users may find it worthwhile playing with the sliders to achieve an ideal for their system / circumstance. He also offers a brief explanation of Avatar Complexity, which essentially replaced the old Avatar Draw Weight (ADW), which in turn replaced the original Avatar Rendering Cost (ARC), within the 2.4.4.5 release notes, and those interested can find out more by reading the official SL wiki entry on Avatar Complexity, or my own overview of the capability.

The Places floater overhaul sees the layout refactored to match other panels in the viewer, and a number of fixes added to certain niggles found with it, such as buttons not working (e.g. the Back button at the top of the panel) or it remaining stuck in its last used state.

The Places floater has been overhauled for Black Dragon 2.4.4.5 (left). Issues such as buttons not working correctly or the floater getting stuck in its last used state (shown on the right) have been corrected and the floater's layout tidied-up
The Places floater has been overhauled for Black Dragon 2.4.4.5 (left). Issues such as buttons not working correctly or the floater getting stuck in its last used state (shown on the right) have been corrected and the floater’s layout tidied-up

Black Dragon 2.4.4.5 also includes two additional crash fixes which make updating to it highly recommended. This first is for a bug arising from leftover code, which would be triggered as soon as certain avatars, objects, etc., came within the viewer’s Draw Distance. The second is for a crash occurring whenever you right-click while in either zoom/pan/orbit mode in the tools floater (build window) or when in object view mode in the camera controls floater. As always, please refer to he release notes for the full list of updates.

Additional Links

Go Dutch for the Red Cross in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Image courtesy of Serious Request of SL 2015
Image courtesy of Serious Request of SL 2015

Serious Request is a major charity event which takes place in the Netherlands every December. It sees a team of 3 DJs have themselves locked into a glass studio for a week, playing non-stop requests 24/7 to raise money for a good cause – each request being accompanied by a donation from the person making it.

In 2015, Serious Request is raising money for the International Red Cross to help give a better future to children and young people living in some of the world’s war zones. And the event restricted to the physical world.

Serious Request SL sees a team of DJ's presenting music non-stop from December 12th through 21st to raise money for the International Red Cross to help children and young people in some of the world's war zones
Serious Request SL sees a team of DJ’s presenting music non-stop from December 12th through 21st to raise money for the International Red Cross to help children and young people in some of the world’s war zones

For the last few years Dutch DJs with a foot in Second Life have been supporting Serious Request by playing tunes in-world in return for donations in Linden Dollars, and 2015 is no exception. Running through until Sunday, December 20th, Serious Request Second Life is now under way.

Taking place at a specially constructed event space in-world, Serious Request SL offers everyone a chance to enjoy great music across all genres and languages, dance, and pick-up special promotional items.

You can donation at the event region and hear your request played there, or through any of the distinctive donation kiosks
You can make a donation to Serious Request Second Life through any of the distinctive donation kiosks

Above all, you can use your requests to help raise money for the International Red Cross in their efforts to provide support and assistance to children and young people trying to survive under the most extreme conditions in Syria, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Donations can be made with requests at the event, or donations can be made through any of the distinctive orange donation boxes (shown right).

You can find out more on the Serious Request SL website, which includes a live running total of the amount raised, a stream of the event so you can listen while not logged-in to Second Life. If you prefer, you can use the website to obtain the iOS or Android app for Nieuwland FM, allowing you to listen to Serious Request while on the move.

Supported by a range of brands and content creators providing sponsorship, and featuring clubs and shops from across SL as active participants, Serious Request Second Life offers something for everyone.

So – why not go Dutch this week and help raise money for an international cause?

The Serious Request of SL 2015 event space
The Serious Request event space

Related Links

Pocket Metaverse no more?

Posted on by Inara Pey

PM-logoUpdate: As per the comment from AI Austin below, those who have previously purchased Pocket Metaverse can currently still update the the latest version / obtain a replacement version through iTunes.

Pocket Metaverse has been a text-based client available for iPad and iPhone users to access Second Life and engage with friends through chat and IM, manage inventory, teleport, make payments, etc.

It was last updated on September 8th, 2015, ostensibly providing compatibility with iOS 9, although in the process, this appeared to break support for iOS 7 and 8.

During November the download page for Pocket Metaverse vanished from Apple’s app listings on the iTunes store and so is no longer available to those wishing to download it for the first time, a fact more widely noted earlier in December. While the dedicated web site for the application remains live, searches of iTunes still fail to yield any results.

Search of the App Store on iTunes fail to yield any sign of Pocket Metaverse, which vanished from the store during November 2015
Search of the App Store on iTunes fail to yield any sign of Pocket Metaverse, which vanished from the store during November 2015

While the application may have vanished from iTunes, I understand existing versions are still working in-world (with the possible issue of version 1.9.4 not supporting iOS 7 or 8); however, as I am not an Apple user, I cannot verify this.

I’ve attempted to contact the developer of Pocket Metaverse, Edward Magic, both in-world and via e-mail during the last couple of weeks, to try to ascertain news on the application’s overall status, but have yet to receive any response (Edward doesn’t appear to have logged-in to SL since June 2013, although as noted, the application has continued to be updated through until September 2015). Should I receive a response I will update this article.

2015 viewer release summaries: week 50

Posted on by Inara Pey

Updates for the week ending Sunday, December 13th

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 Current Viewer Releases 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. This page 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
  • By its nature, this summary presented here will always be in arrears, please refer to the Current Viewer Release Page for more up-to-date information.

Official LL Viewers

LL Viewer Resources

Third-party Viewers

V3-style

  • Black Dragon updated to version 2.4.4.5 on December 14th – core updates: crash fixes; corrections to Avatar Complexity code to prevent incorrect rendering of avatars; overhaul of the Places floater (release notes)

V1-style

  • Cool VL Viewer updated as follows: Stable version to 1.26.16.3 and Experimental branch to 1.26.17.1, both on December 12th (release notes).

Mobile / Other Clients

  • Pocket Metaverse no longer available (?)

Additional TPV Resources

Related Links

Pursue Impossible: celebrating art and machinima in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Image courtesy of UWA
Image courtesy of UWA / Eliza Wierwight

 

On Sunday, December 13th, 2015, the Grand Finale of the University Of Western Australia’s (UWA) Pursue Impossible was held at the impressive UWA-BOSL Grand Amphitheatre. During the event, over L$500,000 was awarded in prizes to artists, machinima makers and those who took part in the audience participation competitions. The last in an impressive line of grand challenges organised under the umbrella of the UWA, the event was a very special celebration of artistic expression in Second Life.

Pursue Impossible took its theme from the UWA’s clarion call to students in the physical world to achieve their fullest possible potential by studying with the university. For artists and machinima makers it sought to have them consider what their “impossible” might be – personal, part of their lives or those they know, or a consideration of the things we deem to be impossible, but which yet be overcome, or illustrations of how the virtual encourages us to reach beyond the possible, etc.

The Grand Finale was hosted by the UWA’s Jayjay Zifanwe, with the UWA’s art curator, FreeWee Ling also on hand to announce the special Curator’s awards in both the art and machinima categories.

Opening the event, Jayjay said:

Today brings to an end the 6th year of the major art challenges at UWA, with 59 artworks by 61 different artists (2 entries were collaborations) in the running for the 3D Art Challenge and 43 machinima for MachinimUWA VIII: PURSUE IMPOSSIBLE.

As announced on the web previously, this winners ceremony also marks the end of the yearly cycles of major art and film challenges at UWA. UWA still remains, the UWA Art Gallery still remains, and is in fact renewed, as FreeWee will take the helm fully when it comes to art, without me meddling, and we have a new partner for art as well, as the Main UWA Gallery will be renamed the Windlight-UWA Gallery as Windlight Magazine will be providing support for the art initiatives that FreeWee will run in 2016. Much thanks to Johannes1977 for helping to make this happen.

It’s been an absolute pleasure for me to work with all of you over the course of these challenges, and over the years, and especially to those who went above and beyond the call of duty to make all of this a success. Thank you FreeWee Ling, curator of art at UWA & RL Honorary Fellow at UWA. Thank you LaPiscean Liberty, co-host for MachinimUWA VIII, champion of machinima of Second Life. Also much thanks to those who have provided support and sponsorship which sees the overall prize pool standing at more than L$500,000 across both art and machinima.

Audience Participation Awards

There was a total prize pool of L$82,000 for the audience participation challenge, split equally between the 3D art and machinima categories. This saw members of the public invited to submit invited to what they thought the top 10 items in either or both of the categories would be, as decided by the Pursue Impossible adjudicating panel. In all 5 cash prizes were on offer, ranging from L$5,000 to L$12,000 in each category.

Prize 3D Art Audience Participation Machinima Audience Participation
1st Prize L$12,000 Lalie Sorbet Karima Hoisan
2nd Prize L$10,000 Elle Thorkveld Lalie Sorbet
3rd Prize L$8,000 Morituna Watanabe Pearl Grey
4th Prize L$6,000 Pearl Grey Zakali
5th Prize L$6,000 Lira Savira / Vivian Shan (L$2,500 ea) MAagicfairy Merlin

Art Awards

Note that SLurls are given with the titles of all winning pieces, and all the entries into the Pursue Impossible 3D art challenge can still be viewed at the UWA art gallery.

There were no fewer than four 10th places winners, all tied on a total of 16 points from the judge’s selections. The four winners each received a L$1,250 prize and were:

Mistero Hifeng: "Dream", one of the 10th place winners in the UWA's Grand Art Challenge Pursue Impossible
Mistero Hifeng: “Dream“, one of the 10th place winners in the UWA’s Grand Art Challenge Pursue Impossible

The ninth through seventh place prizes, all of L$5,000 each, were awarded to:

Due to a 5th place tie, there was no award for sixth place.

Sharni Azalee 0 PLANET: Earth; RACE: Human
Sharni Azalee: “RACE: Human – PLANET: Earth“, 9th place winner, in the UWA’s Grand Art Challenge Pursue Impossible

The top five winners were::

The Bridge by Alpha Auer - the 1st place winner in the UWA's Pursue Impossible Grand Art Challenge
The Bridge by Alpha Auer – the 1st place winner in the UWA’s Pursue Impossible Grand Art Challenge

UWA Special Prize and UWA Curator’s Choice Prize

In addition to the prizes above, the Pursue Impossible 3D Art Challenge featured three additional awards: the UWA Special Prize and the UWA Curator’s Choice Prize, and Jayjay’s Personal Choice prize, which was awarded to mark the conclusion of the Grand Art Challenges and the fact that since they were conceived in 2009, Jayjay has never had the opportunity to vote on any entries other than as a member of the adjudicating panel. These were awarded as follows:

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