Month: April 2016

SL project updates 16 14/2: TPV Developer Meeting

Posted on by Inara Pey
Light Thoughts 2, LEA20 - blog post
Light Thoughts 2, LEA20 – blog post

The following notes are primarily taken from the  TPV Developer (TPVD) meeting held on Friday, April 8th, 2016. A video of the meeting is embedded at the end of this report, my thanks as always to North for supplying it, and time stamps in the text relate to this recording.

SL Server Deployments  – Recap

There was no scheduled deployment to the Main (SLS) channel this week. All three RC channels received the same server maintenance package, comprising a fix for (non-public) BUG-11163 llHTTPRequest returns 400 from some sims and not others, and some minor improvements. Assuming nothing goes sideways with this update, it should be promoted to the Main channel in week #15 (commencing Monday, April 11th).

As of the Server Beta User Group meeting on Thursday, April 7th, it seems that there will not be any RC deployment in week #15.

SL Viewer Update

Maintenance Viewer

One of the changes within the new Maintenance RC sees the When I Spend Or Get L$ notification tick box (Preferences > Notifications) split into two options
One of the changes within the new Maintenance RC sees the When I Spend Or Get L$ notification tick box (Preferences > Notifications) split into two options

A new Maintenance RC viewer, version 4.0.4.313759, arrived on Friday April 8th. This includes fixes for a range of issues related to viewer crashes, memory leaks, input/cursor issues, graphics bugs, formatting, notifications, etc.

This Maintenance viewer sees invisiprim texture UUIDs revert to their “old” behaviour: they will mask whatever they are covering (feet, water in dry docks or in boats, etc) when ALM is disabled, and are ignored when running with ALM enabled (see here for further background on recent changes to how these texture UUIDs are handled by the SL viewer).

The familiar situation with invisiprims
The Maintenance RC viewer sees the return of the “old” invisprim texture UUID behaviour: masking items (e.g avatar feet in shoes; Linden water in dry docks – above – or boats, etc), when ALM is disabled (left) and being ignored by the rendering engine when ALM is enabled

During the TPVD meeting, Grumpity Linden described this as a “partial” fix [11:35, in text], and Oz Linden indicated that the Lab has not reached a final decision on how these textures should be handled in the future [18:35]. both of these comments suggest further work is yet to come with how invisiprims are handled.

Quick Graphics Viewer

[00:50] The Quick Graphics viewer, version 4.0.2.312297 at the time of writing, is being merged with the current release viewer code, but still has some remaining bugs to be resolved. It would therefore seem unlikely this viewer will be promoted to release status in the immediate future.

[31:44] Testing has shown that this viewer is relatively successful in preventing people wearing mesh graphics crashers from crashing it. While those using this viewer can experience a drop in frame rate in the presence of such crashers, they tend to remain connected to the simulator.

Change in how Avatar complexity is calculated means that other avatars such no longer appear as "Jelly Babies" when the slider is set to Umlimited
Change in how Avatar complexity is calculated means that other avatars such no longer appear as “rainbow avatars” when the slider is set to Unlimited

[33:24] A further change to the view means it no longer uses attachment geometry when calculating avatar complexity. This should prevent situations where setting the Avatar Complexity slider in the viewer to Unlimited still results in some avatars still appearing as solid colours.

[35:00] However, the recommendation is that if you want to have avatars mostly rendered normally but still have protection against like graphics crashers, you set the Avatar Complexity value to 350K rather than Unlimited.

[36:05] Avatars rendered as solid colours have been informally referred to as “Jelly Babies”. However, as this is actually a trademarked name (Bassett’s / Cadbury-Schweppes / Mondelēz International), the Lab prefers that it is no used, and are informally referring to solid colour avatars as “rainbow avatars” and more formally as “muted avatars”.

Oculus Rift Viewer

[06:49] The Lab is still committed to getting the Oculus Rift project viewer, version 3.7.18.295296 and dated October 2014 at the time of writing, updated. Progress has been slowed due ongoing changes in the Oculus SDK. However, the plan remains to have this viewer support the consumer release version of the headset.

64-viewer

[28:48] The Lab has started building 64-bit versions of their Windows and Mac viewers. There is no firm date on when these will appear as project viewers, but the progress to date has been relatively rapid.

SL Voice

[07:40] The recent HTTP / Vivox release viewer (version 4.0.3.312816) contains a number of updates to improve issues like Voice quality, drop-outs, connection failures, etc. The Lab has suggested TPVs might want to investigate dropping the updated voice package into their own viewers, if not about to update to the 4.0.3 code base, so users can benefit from the newer Voice package.

Widespread Voice Drop-Outs

[08:40] There have been instances of widespread Voice drop-out across SL recently. These are apparently the result of DDoS attacks aimed at the Vivox services, rather than any issues within SL. Vivox are working to reduce the impacts of these attacks and improve service resumption following them, but the current updates provided to the Lab obviously won’t help when these issues occur. However, an upcoming version of the Voice package should over improvements when reconnecting to the Vivox services after problems have occurred.

Security / Privacy Improvements

[10:25] In addition to the above, the Lab and Vivox are also working on various security and privacy improvements around Voice. When these are available, they will form a new version of the SL Voice package which will not be backwards compatible with older viewers.

Continue reading “SL project updates 16 14/2: TPV Developer Meeting” →

Stepping into Luane’s World in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

Luane's World; Inara Pey, April 2016, on Flickr Luane’s World – click any image for full size

I was drawn to Luane’s World by Owl Dragonash, who recently blogged about this charming Homestead region. The work of Luane (LuaneMeo), the region is the home of her store and is offered to visitors as, “a romantic sim where you can relax, cuddle or hang out with friends. Made with photography in mind”. It also offers a number of gallery spaces featuring the work of some of Luane’s favourite artists,

It is one of the gallery spaces which serves as the landing point, on the north side of the region. This sits alongside a watery  fantasy area where you’ll see a unicorn can indeed fly (or possibly take an amazing leap!) under golden boughs and leaves, as misty particles drift through the glade on a gentle breeze. Close by sits a beach overlooked by a long-fingered headland pointing out to sea, upon on which the ruins of an old castle rest, reached by a grassy stair.

Luane's World; Inara Pey, April 2016, on Flickr Luane’s World

The ruins looks out over the sea, and inland across a woodland copse. Close by sits a small island reach by a little wooden bridge, while the woodland plays house to elk, the misty wafting through it offering plenty of scope for photographs. Travel west via the woodland track, and you’ll come to a gated field where horses graze, and beside it a broad sea of wild flowers separating you from a cottage and windmills – each the home of further gallery spaces – which rise from the tide of flowers on a ridge-sided island of grass.

A cart track running through the fenced field offers the way to another island, every bit as rugged as the headland, and the home of another castle ruin, this one reached by the arched trunk of a once  mighty tree. Once explored, you can rejoin the cart track and follow it around the coast to the cottage and windmill.

Luane's World; Inara Pey, April 2016, on Flickr Luane’s World – click any image for full size

With swings and seats and cuddle beds scattered across the land, Luane’s World offers touch of romance for couples seeking a place to rest and enjoy pleasant open spaces, while the free-spirited can run through the wide expanse of wild flowers as the lovers of SL art roam the gallery spaces.

Luane’s World is a simple, open design with welcomes visitors to explore, with some excellent opportunities for photography. The default windlight is (or appears to be) Annan Adored Morning Dream, but the landscape naturally lends itself to visitors playing with viewer settings. If you do visit and take photos, Luane offers a Flickr group for sharing them; what’s more, there is a photography contest running through until April 30th with cash prizes on offer. Details can be obtained near the region’s landing point.

Luane's World; Inara Pey, April 2016, on Flickr Luane’s World – click any image for full size

SLurl Details

 

A Look at Tyche’s private estate survey March 2016

Posted on by Inara Pey
Rocca Sorrentina
Rocca Sorrentina – blog post

Tyche Shepherd, who tracks land statistics in Second Life, issued a full Private Estate survey at the end of March 2016. It’s the first such survey she has published since the end of November 2013, representing a 28-month gap between reports. Given this, it makes for some interesting reading, some of which is highlighted below.

Overall, the distribution of regions between Full, Homestead and OpenSim in March 2016 remains very similar to that of November 2013 (in fact these figures tend to  remain fairly constant as representative indicators of region distribution).

Year
 Full
 Homestead
 OpenSpace
March 2016
 53.9% (+/-1.28%) 45.6% (+/-1.28%) 0.5% (+/-0.18%)
November  2015
 53.8% (+/-1.30%) 45.5% (+/-1.29%) 0.7% ( +/-0.21%)
Surveys based on 4,208 accessible regions in March 2016; 4,402 accessible regions in Nov 2013

However, Tyche indicates that, overall, the amount of private estate land has consolidated more within the top 20 estates over the 28-month period from November 2013 (39.5% of private estate land) through March 2016 (49.1%; +/- 1.3%). Using supplied list prices, Tyche estimates that the top 20 estates account for some 40.6% of total private estate tier, compared to 30.5% in November 2013.

In terms of regions held, of these top 20 estates, seven are actually under the Anshe Chung Studio (ACS) brand, accounting for 19.1% of private estate holdings, compared to 13.8 in November 2013 for ACS; again a significant increase.

Grandfathered Homesteads stand at around the 85.32% mark for 2016,  compared to 82.4% in November 2013. The year-end reports do not indicate the percentage of Full private regions that are Grandfathered, but in a comment on SLU following the Lab’s announcement on Grandfathering and buy downs, Tyche indicates that the current number of Grandfathered Full private regions stands at just over 11%.

In terms of private region decline on the grid, Tyche offers the following:

November 2013 March 2016
 28-Month Region Loss
 %age Decline
19424 17549 1875 10.7%

Comparing annual region losses for the period January 2012 through December 2015 shows that overall, while the decline still continues, it has slowed considerably as a percentage of the total grid since hitting a peak in 2012. However, 2015 did see a slight increase in the rate of decline, but just under 1%.

2012 2013
 2014
 2015
Loss %age
 Loss
 %age
 Loss
 %age
 Loss
 %age
2863 12% 1719 8.2% 673 3.5% 825 4.4%

In terms of revenue for the Lab, in  November 2013 the Lab was generating approximately US$3,857,000 (+/- US$52,000) per month. By March 2016, this figure was approximately US $3,385,000 ( +/- US $43,000), representing a 12% decline in monthly private region revenues across the 28 months.

While this is a drop, and allowing for the fact that figures can only estimated, it would suggest that the Lab is still generating around $49 million revenue from tier (private + Mainland) at this point in time, representing approximately 80% of their total revenue. Taking into the assorted costs involved in running, maintaining and enhancing Second Life and the company as a whole, this would suggest the Lab is still reasonably profitable.

Which is not to say there are not other clouds on the horizon. The recent buy down offer on regions could pose a problem to small or medium-sized estates where full regions are concerned (given that the majority of Homesteads are already Grandfathered), as they may find meeting the up-front US$600 difficult to meet. If so, this could make it even harder for them to remain competitive on pricing with the larger estates, and potentially lead to further consolidation of land among the latter at the expense of smaller operations forced to turn in their cards.

Tyche’s ongoing reports make for interesting reading – particularly these month-end reports, which have been sadly missed (and my thanks to Ciaran Laval for pointing-out that we now have a new one to look at). As such, I hope the March update might signal the return of these reports are returning to something of a more regular appearance, assuming Tyche has the time to pull them together!

Related Links

Thoughts of light and form in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Light Thoughts 2
Light Thoughts 2

Artist Slatan Dryke drew my attention to Light Thoughts 2, a full region installation by Mario2 Helstein which is now open. “I really would recommend a visit, it’s a jewel!” Slaton said, refusing to give away more. Intrigued, I hopped over to have a peek – and “jewel” is precisely the right description for this build, glittering as it does with light and colour.

The arrival point occupies the centre of the region, which has been flattened and flooded for this installation. Lights flicker up from under the waves, while all around, huge structures and sculptures rise into a midnight sky.

Light Thoughts 2
Light Thoughts 2

And when I say huge, I mean just that. On one side, great seahorses hover above and exotic torus of spines from which two human figure seem to be attempting to escape, arms and legs snagged by the spines. On another what appears to be a great swirling stage offers an ever-changing pattern of colour beneath turning spotlights which play back and forth across its surface.

Elsewhere the forms seem purely geometric or abstract; however, look carefully, particularly at the larger elements, as there is  more to be seen than might first appear to be the case. Take, for example, the DNA double helix rotating slowly at the heart of a huge sphere held aloft by a giant hand. Others elements embody both form and abstract, such as the giant butterfly hovering over exotic plants rising from the water.

Light Thoughts 2
Light Thoughts 2

The entire installation is both striking and extraordinary. It brings together light, colour, form and motion in the most captivating of ways guaranteed to hold the eye and boggle the brain.

For those seeking meaning in the art they see, Mario2 offers a disarmingly simple description of his creation, “Light Thoughts is a world of forms and light,” he states, otherwise remaining enigmatic on the matter – and quite rightly so. Light Thoughts 2 isn’t something to be witnessed through the dryness of words or through the two-dimensional limitations of images. It is something to be experienced.

Light Thoughts 2
Light Thoughts 2

This being the case, I will close the same way as Slatan first brought Light Thoughts 2 to my attention:  by recommending you pay a visit yourself. And do keep an eye on the LEA blog for news of the music and particle shows Mario2 plans to present at the installation.

SLurl Details

Oriental mornings in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

Tatakai Tochi; Inara Pey, April 2016, on Flickr Tatakai Tochi – click any image for full size

I was drawn to Tatakai Tochi for two reasons. The first is that it features the work of Shen Molinaro. The second is that it offers an oriental theme, something guaranteed to attract my attention much like a moth to a flame 🙂 .

A homestead region held by Regina Mills, (heatherfury) Takakai Tochi literally means “land of flight”. In keeping with this name, it presents visitors with rugged highlands pushing their way into a misty sky, an early morning sun just edging over the highest peaks.  Sitting atop the shoulders of several of this craggy hills are flat-topped plateaus occupied by traditional Japanese houses and buildings which overlook the deep slices of the valleys and gorges dividing up the land.

Tatakai Tochi; Inara Pey, April 2016, on Flickr Tatakai Tochi

Water flows through these deep valleys, fed by high, tumbling falls and winding its way out towards the surrounding sea. Several of these channels are bordered by wooden board walks or stone footpaths, offering the traveller paths through and around the region and a chance to explore it in detail.

“When I set out to make this sim,” Regina says of Tatakai Tochi in the notes presented to visitors on arrival, “My intention was to create a peaceful and serene place where I could come and hang out with my friends without any distractions or bothers.” For a time she toyed with the idea of adding rol-play to the region, but in the end decided to offer it as a place others could visit, enjoy and photograph without the added distraction role-play might have brought with it, and Shen Molinaro, Regina’s friend, and who designed the equally atmospheric and stunning Suomi, a place I wrote about in early March.

Tatakai Tochi; Inara Pey, April 2016, on Flickr Tatakai Tochi

While described as a Japanese themed region, Shen has drawn on both Japanese and Chinese influences – as is fairly common in many oriental themed regions in SL – whilst building Tatakai Tochi. The former is by far the more dominant of the two, but the latter eases into the consciousness as one comes across the occasional giant panda or when encountering a Foo Dog (Chinese imperial lion) standing guard at a fork in a walkway.

This is a place for quiet contemplation as well as exploration. Walk through the meandering valleys and gorges and you’ll pass through bamboo groves or under the gently rocking arms of blossoming trees to small shrines and past figures of Buddha, very occidental wrought iron benches offering places to sit and listen and think.

Tatakai Tochi; Inara Pey, April 2016, on Flickr Tatakai Tochi

From the bay alongside the landing point, visitors can embark on a walk around the island, following one of the wooden walkways mentioned earlier, before these also turn inland. For the energetic, there are also various paths to be found up to the high regions – and climbing quickly reveals the more panoramic nature of the region.

Tatakai Tochi is a picturesque region, beautifully capturing the orient from which it draws inspiration, and offering some excellent photographic opportunities, making for an ideal visit. You may need a little time to explore all of it, but it is more than worth the effort.

SLurl Details

SL project updates 16 14/1: server, viewer

Posted on by Inara Pey

Noire'leans; Inara Pey, April 2016, on Flickr Noire’leans – blog post

Server Deployments Week #14

There was no scheduled deployment to the Main (SLS) channel this week. All three RC channels received the same server maintenance package, comprising a fix for (non-public) BUG-11163 llHTTPRequest returns 400 from some sims and not others, and some minor improvements. Assuming nothing goes sideways with this update, it should be promoted to the Main channel in week #15 (commencing Monday, April 11th).

It is currently not clear if there will be a further update to the TC channel in week #15; this will apparently be determined on work being carried out over the next few days.

SL Viewer

Current Release Version – HTTP / Vivox Updates

The HTTP  / Vivox RC viewer was promoted to the de facto release viewer at the end of week #13. Version 4.0.3.312816 (dated March 23rd) presents a complete replacement of the under the hood HTTP infrastructure, replacing the self deleting responders with coroutine implementations for improved performance and stability, and to provide finer grained concurrency allowing the Viewer greater control over the numbers and types of HTTP requests that can be simultaneously outstanding.

The HTTP changes affect all areas of the viewer that use Sim Capabilities. These include, but are not limited to:

  • Asset upload (Images, Meshes, Animations)
  • AISv3 inventory manipulation
  • Viewer Managed Marketplace
  • Simhost event polling
  • LSL script compilation
  • Experience management (blocking, allowing, creating)

Alongside of this work, undertaken by Rider Linden to extend Monty Linden’s previous work on HTTP, this viewer sees the removal of  a considerable amount of deprecated and unused code, and a range of Voice fixes and improvements.

Remaining Viewer Channels

The promotion of the HTTP / Vivox viewer leaves the remaining viewer channels as follows:

  • Release candidate cohorts:
    • Quick Graphics RC viewer, version 4.0.2.312297, dated March 11th – awaiting update to bring it to parity with the release viewer
  • Project Viewers:
    • Oculus Rift project viewer updated to version 3.7.18.295296 on October 13, 2015 – Oculus Rift DK2 support (download and release notes)
  • Obsolete platform viewer, version 3.7.28.300847, dated May 8th, 2015 – provided for users on Windows XP and OS X versions below 10.7 – expect this viewer to potentially vanish once TLS 1.2 is implemented.