Month: November 2016

2016 SL project updates 45/2: Bento update 33 w/audio + server / viewer

Posted on by Inara Pey
Project Bento – extending the SL avatar skeleton
Project Bento – extending the SL avatar skeleton

The following notes and audio were taken from the weekly Bento User Group meeting, held on Thursday, November 10th at 13:00 SLT at the the Hippotropolis Campfire Circle. and chaired by Vir Linden. For details on the meeting agenda, please refer to the Bento User Group wiki page.

There is a further RC update pending, as the Lab continues to work on reported bugs. Issues in particular which are receiving attention are:

  • An issue affecting some Mac systems running Nvidia graphics running out of the GL uniform buffer space. This can be fixed by cutting the number of joints per mesh, which may not always be ideal from a creator’s perspective. However, a further fix has been suggested by the alchemy viewer team, which Vir is looking at, which may be an option going forward.
  • An issue with the Reset Skeleton option not always un-deforming an avatar. This appears to be a permissions issue (you can generally deform your own avatar, but may not be able to properly un-deform someone else due to the permissions set on their animations). Vir is currently having a hard time pinning the issue down, and has requested than anyone able to consistently repro it with a model to drop him a line.

A further fix still to be added to the RC viewer is for collision volume joint positions which were failing to reset correctly when using Reset Skeleton.

There have been more bugs filed as a result of the Firestorm Bento pre-release and alpha version being made available to testers, which is helping to pin down the more significant issues and ensure that, where possible, fixes are put in place.

The most recent RC for the viewer at the time of writing (version 5.0.0.321250) has been showing an improved crash rate, with no significant spikes when compared to the current release viewer.

Legacy Content Deformation Issues

The deformation issue affecting some early Bento avatars and due to bad joint position overrides, as initially reported in BUG-40672 doesn’t appear to be widespread. As such, and subject to final confirmation by the Lab, it looks as though no changes will be made to the viewer to fork rendering behaviour (as discussed in my Bento update #32), which would require Bento content to be re-uploaded.

There are other bugs reported within BUG-40672 which have fixes, such as for the eye problem (again, see my Bento #32 update), the Haste Coy product problem, and the 1st Act Garou Male Avatar, and these either are, or will be in RC updates to the Bento viewer, where code fixes are required.

Firestorm Bento FPS Issue

Some people on the Firestorm Bento alpha release are reporting poor performance / low FPS when around other avatars. However, others are reporting an improved performance with the Bento version over the current 4.7.9 – although that could be a placebo effect. For those experiencing lower than expected FPS on their systems,try running the latest official Bento RC and see if the same performance issues are apparent. If they aren’t, try one of the following:

  • Try raising your Avatar Complexity to a high value / No Limit, as there is an odd issue on some systems where rendering a lot of “Jelly Dolls” can negatively impact viewer performance
  • Back-up your settings, and then reset everything to default values (e.g. as defined by the Bento RC) and check performance. If there is a noticeable improvement, gradually work through graphic settings and see if / when the updates start to impact performance. If you see a consistent impact which can be reproduced, file a Firestorm bug report.

Additional Bento Links

The Prim Rig, ANWR Channel
The Prim Rig,  – blog post

Other Updates: Server, Viewer, Avatar Complexity and Aditi Log-ins

Server Deployments – Recap

  • There was no Main (SLS) channel roll on Tuesday, November 8th.
  • On Wednesday, November 9th, the three RC channels should all receive the same new server maintenance package, which includes:
    •  llGetEnv() will support “region_max_prims” (feature request BUG-40825).
    • llGetObjectDetails() will have a new OBJECT_GROUP_TAG function  (feature request BUG-20064) – when pointed at avatars it returns the group tag you see floating above them; and also OBJECT_TEMP_ATTACHED – to tell you if something is a temp attachment (feature request BUG-5195).

SL Viewer Updates

The Maintenance RC viewer updated to version 4.1.2.321518  on Thursday, November 10th. This may well be the next RC to gain promotion to release status, given the Bento viewer is still awaiting a further RC update, as noted above.

The 360 Snapshot project viewer updated to version 4.1.2.321431 on Wednesday November 9th.

Avatar Complexity Issue

As noted in the Bento update, some people are experiencing FPS / performance issues on the Firestorm Bento viewer. However, there are a number of issues related to the level of detail (LOD) on “jellied” avatar attachments, which can have an impact on general viewer performance. The Lab is working on these problems, and hopefully, a fix will be appearing in a Maintenance RC at some point.

Aditi Log-ins

Some people are having issues when trying to log-in to Aditi, These are generally people who having logged-in to the beta grid in a very long time or are trying for the very first time with a particular account. If you are encountering problems, the best solution is to file a support ticket. It should generally be dealt with within 24 hours (weekends allowing), and your Aditi inventory will be synced with Agni (Main grid) as a part of the process of granting you access. You should only need to file a support ticket once.

A pilgrimage of the prim in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Temple of the Prim
Temple of the Prim

There are many places in Second Life from which legends and tales are sprung. As I recently noted, there is the famous Prim Rig of ANWR, itself linked to the deeper legends of Magellan Linden, Heterocera, Nova Albion, et al. Then there is the mysterious fairground at Pyri Peaks from whence Moles were said to have vanished (see here) and the equally mysterious Cape Ekim, involving Professor Linden (see here), to name but two more.

Another such place of mystery is the Temple of the Prim, located in Corsica. This strange site, ancient and perhaps hallowed, lies atop the south-east corner of the continent’s great rocky plateau, at a point where the naked rock thrusts outwards in a shoulder-like ridge. But to reach it requires no small amount of dedication, as to visit it properly requires something of a pilgrimage.

Temple of the Prim - walkway
Temple of the Prim – walkway from Viktarin

First, one should begin at the beginning – a wooden walkway strung from pole piled into the grassy ground, which slowly and gently winds its way around the base of the ridge, Trees line the walkway, and there are little rest points along the way where you might catch your breath – and you’ll need plenty of breath! Why? Because at the end of this walkway lies the start of the next part of your journey: a switchback climb up the side up the ridge.

While this starts on the grassy lower slopes, it quickly leaves all forms of flora behind, to cut its way up the side of the living rock, twisting sharply back and forth as it does so. And just as you feel you can climb no more, it turns and levels out suddenly, and there stands the Temple, its great stone walls towering over you, thick and strong, a massive gate raised between two defensive towers, inviting you to enter.

Temple of the Prim
Temple of the Prim

A at the top of the great stone ramp rising from the courtyard sits the Temple proper, its domed entrance flanked by trees and shrubs. Within its great hall stand three great statues, each holding aloft a giant prim so that it catches sunlight pouring through openings in the roof. Such is the intensity of the captured light, the statues themselves glow in its radiance.

On the wall close to one of the statues, aged and slowly fading, is an ancient map, perhaps the very first ever made back at a time when this world was new, revealing the (then) known lands. To one side of the room is a wooden stair, leading down to a lower level, and thence to an underground river which strangely rises and falls within the walls of the Temple’s foundations.

Temple of the Prim
Temple of the Prim

But what are we to make of all this? I turned to the one authority I could think of: the legendary Michael Linden himself, ensconced in his dusty office at the LDPW.

“Ah yes!” he replied. “After traversing several hundred meters of precarious rope bridges, you come to the bottom of an enormous stone mountain. A path winds up the face of the mountain. At the peak is a stone fortress, clearly meant to repel invaders. Passing through the gate you find yourself in a courtyard; majestic steps lead up to the Temple of the Prim.”

“Yes!” I replied, “I know!” But what is it for?”

He sat in thought for a moment, eyes reflecting the light of the fire burning slowly in the hearth, nose twitching. Then he looked up, eyes still shining. “You know, I haven’t the foggiest! The DPW cleared away the dust and sediment, but many questions remain!”

Temple of the Prim
Temple of the Prim

Perhaps one day, they will be answered. But for now, the Temple of the Prims stands tall and strong against the march of time, open to visitors and pilgrims alike.

Will you be one?

SLurl Details

Quotes from Michael Linden in part borrowed from an old and dusty forum post which spurred this article.

2016 OpenSimulator Conference registrations open

Posted on by Inara Pey
Image courtesy of the OpenSimulator Community Conference
Image courtesy of the OpenSimulator Community Conference

On Tuesday, November 8th, registrations for the 2016 OpenSimulator Community Conference opened.

The 2016 conference will be over two days: Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th December, with social events being held in the run-up to, and around the dates of, the conference itself.

Since seats are limited, registration is open on a first-come-first-served basis until the maximum number of virtual conference centre tickets is reached.  At that point, community members will still be able to register for the live streamed version of the conference that will be available.

Attendance is free, but those wishing to financially support the conference can sponsor or participate in the OSCC Crowdfunder Campaign when registering. Participants in the Crowdfunding Campaign will receive a variety of thank you gifts depending upon their level of participation, including early access, conference promotional items, and ability to have a virtual expo booth at the event.

Registrations can be made here.

Image courtesy of the OpenSimulator Community Conference
Image courtesy of the OpenSimulator Community Conference

In addition, the organisers are still seeking individuals and groups willing to host  social events If you are interested, please complete the Community Events Sign-up page.

Volunteers are also still being sought as:

  • Greeters / audience helpers
  • Moderators
  • Builders
  • Scripters
  • Social Media / Communications
  • Streaming and Technical Support

Those interested in volunteering can do so via the Volunteer Sign-up form,  Depending upon their interests, volunteers can select more than one role if they wish.

About the Conference

The OpenSimulator Community Conference is an annual conference that focuses on the developer and user community creating the OpenSimulator software. The conference is a joint production by Core Developers of OpenSimulator and AvaCon, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the growth, enhancement, and development of the metaverse, virtual worlds, augmented reality, and 3D immersive and virtual spaces.  The conference features a day of presentations, panels, keynote sessions, and social events across diverse sectors of the OpenSimulator user base.

Everything is Lit in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
A scene from Tutsy Navarathna's Death of Death?
Tout Est Allumé: a scene from Tutsy Navarathna’s Death of Death?

Second Life is a powerful medium for machinima. It caters for everything from promo videos for events, stores, and activities through to music videos, or showcasing region builds and role-play locations, etc., through to offering the perfect medium for telling narrative series and short films.

One of the great masters of machinima in Second Life is the award-winning Tutsy Navarathna. At the MetaLES art region, curated by Ux Hax and Romy Nayar (and reached via teleport from the landing point), he is presenting a special retrospective of his work.

Tout Est Allumé (“everything is lit”) is a festival of 16 of Tutsy’s films  – including the award-winning The Residents and Metaphore. The films are being shown together with 19 of his animated shorts, and a series of 3D art pieces by Yoon (Toyono) and Romy Nayar.

It’s a machinima tour de force, one which ideally requires more than one visit in order to capture everything, particularly given the display environment itself requires a little exploration. However, the effort is mote than worth it; Tutsy’s mastery of the medium and his gift for storytelling are both outstanding and guaranteed to capture your eye and mind.

There is just one slight technical point to note: it is recommended that the films are watched using QuickTime. However, QuickTime is no longer supported on Windows, leaving it with some potential security vulnerabilities. So, if you are a Windows user, and your viewer can’t play the videos at MetaLES, it might be preferable for you to swap to the current official viewer rather than installing QuickTime. This uses the VLC media plug-in, which will play the videos without issue (TPVs are in the process of swapping to VLC or GStreamer for Windows media support as well).

But this aside, Tout Est Allumé is an outstanding opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of one of SL’s more visionary and creative visual storytellers. Just catch The Residents, from 2013, below, to get a flavour of his work and then hop on over to MetaLES to see the rest.

SLurl Details

Tout Est Allumé (MetaLES, rated Moderate)

2016 SL project updates 45/1: server, viewer, attachment issues

Posted on by Inara Pey

Dystopia // [flit ink] + aberrant; Inara Pey, November 2016, on Flickr Dystopia // [flit ink] + aberrant – blog post

Server Deployments

As always, see the server deployment thread for the latest updates and information.

  • There was no Main (SLS) channel roll on Tuesday, November 8th.
  • On Wednesday, November 9th, the three RC channels should all receive the same new server maintenance package, which includes:
    •  llGetEnv() will support “region_max_prims” (feature request BUG-40825).
    • llGetObjectDetails() will have a new OBJECT_GROUP_TAG function  (feature request BUG-20064) – when pointed at avatars it returns the group tag you see floating above them; and also OBJECT_TEMP_ATTACHED – to tell you if something is a temp attachment (feature request BUG-5195).

SL Viewer

There have been no changes to the current batch of viewers in the various pipelines since the end of week #44, leaving things as follows:

  • Current Release version: 4.1.1.320331 (dated October 4th), promoted October 10th – formerly the VLC media plug-in for Windows RC
  • Release channel cohorts:
    • Project Bento  RC (avatar skeleton extensions), version 5.0.0.321250, dated November 2nd – bug fixes
    • Maintenance RC viewer version 4.1.2.321183, dated October 28th – over 70 crash fixes, improvements and other fixes
  • Project viewers:
    • 360-degree snapshot viewer, version 4.1.2.320965, dated October 26th – ability to take 360-degree panoramic images – hands-on review
  • Obsolete platform viewer version 3.7.28.300847 dated May 8, 2015 – provided for users on Windows XP and OS X versions below 10.7.

Avatar Attachments Being Unexpectedly Detached

This has been an issue for a while, but has recently seen an uptick in occurrences. IN essence, and for some reason, when undertaking at TP or physical region crossing (both amount to the same thing), a “kill object” (attachment) message can be sent by the simulator.

Essentially, there is an issue in messaging between the simulator and the viewer during region crossings (physical or teleports), which can result in attachments being detached or, harder to detect, attachments being removed server-side, but remaining visible (but effectively ghosted) in your view, and which cannot be individually removed, as the simulator doesn’t recognise them as being there.

Whirly Fizzle has posted on possible fixes for the issue, including details of an experimental fix from the Firestorm team which might be included in the next release, pending Linden Lab addressing the root cause of the problems

One of the most common occurrences for the problem is having multiple items on a single attachment point (rigged meshes can often all default to the right hand, for example). So, should this problem occur, and once you’ve corrected matters (such as be a forced rebake (CTRL-SHIFT-R) or a complete change of outfit, for example), check the items affected by the problem, and if they do share an attachment point with one another or other attachments your avatar is wearing, trying relocating them to unoccupied points (this should be particularly easy to do with rigged mesh, which can be attached pretty much anywhere and render at the correct point on your body.

More home decor in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
The Leafy Hollow Cottage by Domineaux Prospero - our little island home
The Leafy Hollow Cottage by Domineaux Prospero – our little island home

We’ve been having fun at home. Or at least I have. Caitlyn has probably wanted to throttle me half the time …

At the start of October I wrote about the Leafy Hollow Cottage we’d come across entirely by chance. As I noted at the time, for those looking for a reasonably sized cottage with plenty of scope and which has some charming features, it really is just the job.

The garden offers place of space and locations to dsiplay our little collectio of sculptures by Ciottolina Zue (shown) and Silas Merlin
The garden offers place of space and locations to display our little collection of sculptures by Ciottolina Zue (shown) and Silas Merlin

Since then the rest of our little island home have been undergoing a face-lift and a “bit” of re-arranging, largely thanks to Alex Bader (as always!) and Mandingo Quan, with assistance from Cory Edo and Kriss Lehman. In particular, the wooded area now has Mandingo’s Summer Trees rather than Alex’s Scots Pines. The former are more in keeping with the intended theme of the estate, and they give exactly the foliage cover I was seeking for the southern end of the island. They are also low impact and low rendering cost.

However, Alex’s Enchanted Wood is still used to give a nicely uneven ground layer with path winding between the trees and through the ruins, with undergrowth and plants from a number of his packs providing a suitable blanket of flowers and foliage as the path winds up towards the cottage.

The woodland walk and old ruins leading to the cottage
The woodland walk and old ruins leading to the cottage

One of the problems we had in changing things around in October is the island ended up being a place of two halves which didn’t really blend: the cottage and its terrace and lawns, and the “wilder” wooded area. Enter Alex’s Ancient Stone Wall building set. It’s made the perfect divider between the more “curated” gardens around the house, and the more overgrown woods. The dry stone design (we think) sits nicely between the modern design of our tiered lawn of the garden and the rougher, more aged stone of the old chapel and ruined keep, which both now sit in the middle of the woods.

Cory Edo is another of my favourite designers; in the past I’ve made use of things like her Rustic Pavilion, as well as still using her indoor and outdoor furniture. One of the things I particularly like about her work – besides the fact it a well made – is that it is nicely modifiable: Cory seems to go that extra mile to allow many of her items to be modified with textures and materials across faces where others might be tempted to use a single face to represent difference surfaces of their models.

Our little ourdoor entertainmnet area, courtesy of Cory Edo and finished with items from Alex Bader (tree) and Mandingo Quan (hanging seat)
Our little outdoor entertainment area, courtesy of Cory Edo, using her Keliana Pool (modified & with the pools replaced by grass) and her Dorina Outdoor Hangout, finished with items from Alex Bader (tree) and Mandingo Quan (hanging seat) – steps and footpath by Kris Lehmann

For our redesign, we turned to Cory’s Keliana Pool (no marketplace listing) and  Dorina Outdoor Hangout. When put together (with a little bit of modification!). These have made an ideal outdoor area for entertaining friends, rounded-out by a hanging chair from Mandingo suspended from Alex’s Twisted Tree which enjoys widespread popularity among region designers.

Having dug out my copy of Alex Bader’s Willow Pond, it was obvious some wildlife would be needed. For this I turned to TLC, who offer a great range of fish, birds, ducks and so on. The prices are exceptionally reasonable.

The TLC swimming ducks are superb: low impact, a good price, and so easy to set up on any kind of water.
The TLC swimming ducks are superb: low impact, a good price, and so easy to set up on any kind of water.

The Mallard family of ducks arrived first. Eoth copyable adults and ducklings, swimming and static (in a nest), I really cannot recommend them highly enough. The swimming versions work on both linden Water and “artificial” prim / mesh water, and set-up is an absolute breeze. You’ll likely  fine the adult duck may need resizing a little – they’re slightly on the large size for “normal” sized avatars, but this is also easily taken care of.

Fish, and possibly a woodpecker are likely to be next in line 🙂 .

With our new beach to at the north end of the island, moorings for our matched pair of floatplanes,and the boats nicely docked to the south,  we’re once again ready for a spot of quiet living, and I’ve promised Caitlyn that, other than tweaking, the hard hats can be put away again 🙂 .