Logos representative only and should not be seen as an endorsement / preference / recommendation
Updates from the week through to Sunday, October 8th, 2023
This summary is generally 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.
Note that for purposes of length, TPV test viewers, preview / beta viewers / nightly builds are generally not recorded in these summaries.
Official LL Viewers
Release viewer, version 6.6.15.581961 (formerly the Inventory Extensions Viewer), promoted October 2 – NEW.
Release channel cohorts:
Maintenance V(ersatility) RC viewer, version 6.6.16.582093, October 6.
Maintenance W RC viewer, version 6.6.16.582075, October 5.
Calas Galadhon Shadowfell II, October 2023 – click any image for full size
Every year, Tymus Tenk, Truck Meredith and the Calas team bring us worlds of wonder to explore in the form of their Halloween and Christmas wonderland builds as an adjunct to Calas Galadahon Park, and each year we are gifted with regions of mystical / seasonal delight. Mixing an atmospheric setting rich in places to explore, scenes to uncover, rides to enjoy and events to attend, all knitted together by the weave of environment settings, soundscape and supporting music, these builds are always and genuinely a highlight of Second Life.
For October / Halloween 2023, the Calas team once again present Shadowfell II, a journey to a realms which although probably not modelled specifically after any element of Tolkien’s mythology, carries with it something of a sense of Middle Earth during the Second and Third Ages, mixed with hints of other franchises to offer an engaging potpourri of elements deserving of careful exploration. First presented in 2022 as The Gardens of Shadowfell, things have this year been expanded into a third region for visitors explore.
Calas Galadhon Shadowfell II, October 2023
As with all of the Calas themed builds, this is one in which it is very important visitors note at least some of the guidelines regarding a visit, all of which can be found at the landing point – with the most important perhaps being:
Make sure you Used Shared Environment (via World → Environment).
Make sure Advanced Lighting Model is active via Preferences → Graphics).
Enable local sounds.
Make sure you have particles visible.
Calas Galadhon Shadowfell II, October 2023
It also is suggested that those who can, should also enable Shadows via Preferences → Graphics. This is worthwhile if you can – and with the roll-out of the performance improvements within the viewer, this should be easier than it might have once been for a fair number of Second Life users – and I’d at least recommend it for photography.
Those familiar with the Calas Halloween builds will know that there are two primary means of exploration – on foot, following the paths winding through the regions; and via tour boat (available a short walk from the landing point). I strongly recommend you take the time to use both; the paths and trails offer the most comprehensive way through Shadowfell – including to the teleport portals which are a vital part of the complete experience, but which are beyond the reach of the boats (for obvious reasons); just be sure to allow around 50 minutes for the boat ride.
Calas Galadhon Shadowfell II, October 2023
I would also suggest, perhaps, that when exploring on foot, the accompanying music track is turned off during a first visit so that the ambient sounds can be fully appreciated. Instead, turn the music on for the boat tour (and for subsequent visits). Finally, and as per the guidelines at the landing point, keep an eye out for the eye-in-hand tapestries along the routes – they offer teleport opportunities to additional sit points and locations that you might otherwise miss.
Shadowfell really isn’t so much a single place, but more a realm of multiples environments, all interlinked by the paths and trails as they wend their way through it. There is the forest, with its twists of Tolkien’s Mirkwood, and the caverns dark and old (and on the ground and in the air); places where spiders wait to trap the unwary and even more unearthly creatures have come to call “home” (and where I again found myself wishing that music streams could be defined by altitude as Jerry Goldsmith’s theme for a 1979 Ridley Scott film remains highly suitable for the caverns in the sky!
Calas Galadhon Shadowfell II, October 2023
Then there are the ruins where the cold eyes of battle-ready orcs keep watch, or which mark the place where a kingdom of men (or elves) has fallen. There’s also the caves cut by the aeons-long passages of water, lit by the glimmerings of crystals and otherworldly plants as the water leads inexorably to swamps as beautiful as they are mysterious.
Throughout it all creatures of many places and world watch or roam. Some are clearly hostile; others perhaps content more with the watching. Some might even look friendly and welcoming (although with one, I’m always reminded of a comment by the legendary Robin Williams: “Mickey Mouse to a three-year-old is a six foot RAT!” – so perhaps some of the funnier-looking characters here aren’t as innocent as they might appear!).
Calas Galadhon Shadowfell II, October 2023
Given this is an expansion of 2022’s Shadowfell, there is much which is likely to look and feel too familiar to those who visited in 202. However, looks really can be deceptive, and there are many new and subtle touches which bring a fresh sense of discovery and exploration. This is obviously very much true of the additional region, a place which extends the swamplands into something darker and more chilling and in which ruins mindful of both adventures in the depths of the forests of the Far East and also of places like Moria, hewn from living rock and long deserted by those who created it.
Here fires burn from high stone ledges, perhaps awaiting visitors such as yourself – or perhaps indicating those who lit them heard your approach and even now lie in wait should you stray from the path. Then there are the statues and figures: a hint of Sauron (or perhaps the Witch-King of Angmar) here, a hint of Herne the Hunter there; whilst all across the regions are hints of and suggestions of all walks of fantasy and horror.
The Shadowfell II calendar of events
As always with Shadowfell and Calas special events, entertainment is also provided throughout the time the realm is available to visit; check out the schedule below for dates and times of performances at The Pavilion. But above all else – do visit and enjoy; Calas events like this are not to be missed.
Ray Bradbury (August 22, 1920 – June 5, 2012) is perhaps best known as a science-fiction and futurist/speculative fiction author responsible for titles such as Fahrenheit 451 (a book perhaps of special relevance currently), and his short-story collections The Martian Chronicles, and The Illustrated Man. However, he cast his writing net far wider, dipping into coming-of-age stories, screenplays, television scripts, poetry and both fantasy and dark fantasy. In the latter categories we have (the semi-autobiographical) Something Wicked This Way Comes, and The Halloween Tree.
It is this last story in particular, together with Bradbury’s creation of Green Town which form the latest chapter in immersive, event-driven projects developed and staged by Seanchai Library entitled, appropriately enough, The Bradbury Project.
The Halloween Tree
Running through until November 16th, with activities commencing on Monday, October 10th and running through until October 30th, The Bradbury Project will feature readings of The Halloween Tree by Seanchai staff and their friends together with entertainment provided by eClipse Club & Resort, and additional self-guided activities available for anyone who visits through until the project closes on November 16th, 2023.
Th Halloween Tree is the story of eight boys as they attempt to rescue their friend on Halloween night. Under the guidance of the mysterious Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud, they travel through time and space, learning about different cultures, and the role that the fear of death, ghosts, and hauntings has played in shaping civilisations down the ages, and which has contributed to much that is encompassed in modern-day Halloween activities.
The Project take place across two levels within the Seanchai Library home parcel, and for the best enjoyment, visitors to the Project should make sure their viewer is set to Use Shared Environment (World menu → Environment). Also, anyone visiting who isn’t already a member of either the Caledonian Studios or the Quantum Products SL experiences should join them when a dialogue to do so is displayed, as they will allow for a more seamless experience whilst exploring the Project’s locations.
The two levels for the event present interpretations of Bradbury’s Green Town and elements from The Halloween Tree, with both levels the focus of the Project’s events and activities.
The first of these – reached via the teleport portal close to the Library’s main landing point – is a corner of the outskirts of Green Town. Based on his birthplace of Waukegan, Illinois, Green Town was a fictional construct Bradbury used to juxtapose the comforting familiarity of Small Town America with the mysterious (and sometimes dark) events within several of his novels – including The Halloween Tree.
Two further portals with the Green Town setting provide access to the Project’s second level. This contains settings such as the home of Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud, esq., a good portion of the ravine just outside of Green Town, and the Halloween Tree itself. Of the two teleport portals connecting to this level, I recommend making your way to the the one within the first part of the Ravine on the edge of Green Town and using that when exploring.
Bradbury Project Activities and Events
Activities
“Where’s Mr. Lurky?” – Explore The Bradbury Project – everywhere from the main landing in Town, to the Kite Barn and The Halloween Tree. Look for the funny little black guy with the grinning purple face as you explore, and keep count! Full details for this hunt are available within The Bradbury Project locations.
Nosferatu on TV in the Halloween Open House – Town Level.
The Play Park in Green Town.
The Interactive Bradbury Library at Moundshroud’s House.
The Bradbury Project: Green Town
Readings and Entertainment
Readings of The Halloween Tree as follows:
19:00 SLT every Tuesday of the event (October 10th, 17th and 24th), featuring Shandon Loring, Faerie Maven-Pralou, and Kayden O’Connell.
13:30 SLT every Sunday of the event (October 15th, 22nd and 29th), featuring David Abbot, Gloriana Maertens, and Caledonia Skytower.
Music entertainment (via folk from eClipse Club & Resort) will be offered on the following dates (all times SLT):
19:00-21:00 Friday, October 20th: DJ Momma Hoi.
19:00-21:00 Saturday, October 21st: DJ Iniry Vaher.
19:00-21:00 Sunday, October 22nd: DJ Caledonia Skytower.
21:00-23:00 Thursday, October 26th: DJ Tiger Pawz.
21:00-23:00 Monday, October 30th: DJ JAdmiral Maelstrom.
In addition, other Seanchai Library events may take place at the Project, including additional readings of Bradbury’s work, so keep an eye on the Seanchai Library website.
The Bradbury Project: The Halloween Tree
The Bradbury Project has been built by Dagmar Kohime, Gloriana Maertens, Stevie Basevi-Morane and Caledonia Skytower. All tips received by the Project will be donated to Reading is Fundamental.
The following notes were taken from my audio recording and chat log transcript of the Content Creators User Group (CCUG) meeting held on Thursday, October 6th, 2023.
The CCUG meeting is for discussion of work related to content creation in Second Life, including current and upcoming LL projects, and encompasses requests or comments from the community, together with viewer development work.
As a rule, these meetings are:
Held in-world and chaired by Vir Linden.
Conducted in a mix of voice and text.
Held at 13:00 SLT on their respective days.
Are subject to the schedule set within the SL Public Calendar, which includes the location for the meetings.
Open to all with an interest in content creation.
The notes herein are drawn from a mix of my own chat log and audio recording of the meeting, and are not intended to be a full transcript.
Viewer Updates
The Maintenance W RC viewer updated to version 6.6.16.582075 on October 5th. The rest of the current official viewers in the pipelines remain as:
Release viewer, version 6.6.15.581961, promoted October 2 (formerly the Inventory Extensions Viewer).
Release channel cohorts:
glTF / PBR Materials viewer, version 7.0.0.581684, September 8.
Maintenance V(ersatility) RC viewer, version 6.6.15.581557, August 30.
Project viewers:
Puppetry project viewer, version 6.6.12.579958, May 11.
glTF Materials and Reflection Probes
Project Summary
To provide support for PBR materials using the core glTF 2.0 specification Section 3.9 and using mikkTSpace tangents, including the ability to have PBR Materials assets which can be applied to surfaces and also traded / sold.
The overall goal for glTF as a whole is to provide as much support for the glTF 2.0 specification as possible.
Up to four texture maps are supported for PBR Materials: the base colour (which includes the alpha); normal; metallic / roughness; and emissive, each with independent scaling.
In the near-term, glTF materials assets are materials scenes that don’t have any nodes / geometry, they only have the materials array, and there is only one material in that array.
As a part of this work, PBR Materials will see the introduction of reflection probes which can be used to generate reflections (via cubemaps) on in-world surfaces. These will be a mix of automatically-place and manually place probes (with the ability to move either).
List of tools and libraries supporting glTF: https://github.khronos.org/glTF-Project-Explorer/ – note that Substance Painter is also used as a guiding principal for how PBR materials should look in Second Life.
There has been a reported issue with animated textures on glTF materials which is under investigation.
Work is focused on clearing the backlog of niggling issues. Part of this is a glTF update which clarifies glare on transparent surfaces (e.g. things like glass and the degree of glare / sheen on it) which is helping for properly define this property (index of refraction), rather than leaving it up to artistic licence.
Mirrors
Mirrors are a part of the glTF / PBR materials project, but something of a separate tranche of work.
The idea is provide the means to have via high resolution reflections (i.e. mirrors) within a scene.
Initially only one active mirror surface per scene will be active for any viewer.
The process will use the PBR reflection probes mechanism, combined with a automated “Hero Probe” mechanism which with generate high resolution (512×512) “reflections” for the mirror.
The system will operate on the basis of avatar / camera proximity to a mirror surface triggering the closest reflection probe to become a “Hero Probe” for that avatar / camera. This means that if there are multiple mirrors placed within an environment, only the one closest to a given avatar / camera will be active and display the “reflections” generated by the reflection probe.
Depending on testing and performance, the number of mirrors might be expanded to two – one for mirror surfaces and one for Linden Water to generate high resolution water reflections where appropriate.
Status
Geenz Linden is working on performance improvements within the viewer. There is a target than an active real-time mirror should not exceed cutting a viewer’s frame rate by more than 50% at the highest impact.
Culling has been updated so that objects that are physically behind a mirror are no longer reflected by the mirror.
Shader work is in progress to get mirror reflections generally looking better visually.
Combat and Gameplay
Rider Linden confirmed he is adding a new function and event to llRezObject per the discussion in this forum thread about features for combat gameplay.
He also referenced his idea for moving Second Life damage from being a function of a script o being a function of the object, per his comments at the Simulator User Group meeting, and if possible this will include “negative damage” (or health recovery, if you prefer!).
A request was made to have a means to cap or better manage damage in some way, in order to prevent scenarios where it is possible to have a single bullet strike a object on which (say) five avatars are seated and have them all be killed (100% damage each), wherein in reality the bullet would only kill one and (maybe) wound another (so instead of all of them getting 100% damage, it is capped to each of them only getting X%). This request grew out of feature request BUG-231985, “Incoming LL Damage Cap”.
In Brief
BUG-234493 “Add an “until shortcut key released” option to gestures so we can do properly user-mappable keys” has been raised as a means of potentially making gestures more versatile, particularly in gameplay / combat, but also other areas, such as vehicle control options (e.g. creating a gesture to raise / lower the forks on a forklift truck and have the creator free to bind that to whatever keys / controller button(s) they like), etc.
A wide-raging discussion on the ability to create large-scale games in Second Life to attract a new audience, running from the technicalities involved and the need for more integrated toolsets (e.g. viewer-side scripting for HUD creation; and updated physics engine) through the ideas for a type of Second Life Endowment for the Arts (SLEA) but focused on content creation specifically targeted at encouraging people in to SL, to various ideas for new specialist simulator / region types, such as on demand regions and “game / event / entertainment” region types that can be instanced on the basis of demand.
The majority of this discussion was among users, the Lindens at the meeting not being in a position to comment on policy or revenue matters.
† The header images included in these summaries are not intended to represent anything discussed at the meetings; they are simply here to avoid a repeated image of a gathering of people every week. They are taken from my list of region visits, with a link to the post for those interested.
Open through October at the NovaOwl Sky Gallery is an exhibition of art by Louvre (Iamlouvre), a physical world artist who is now making her mark in Second Life, having joined (I believe) in 2021. This is the first time I have witnessed at exhibition of her work, and found it to be richly expressive.
Entitled Agua (the Spanish for “water”), this is an exhibition which fully embraces the space in which it displayed, Louvre demonstrating that as well as being a skilled artist, she has an innate sense of space and design, offering an environment that neatly folds itself around the exhibition’s theme, with the art split between the two levels of the gallery.
Water symbolises much more than an infinite space where we lose ourselves when we look to sea. Water symbolises transformation, Life. All of us are water.
– Louvre (Iamlouvre)
NovaOwl Sky Gallery, October 2023: Louvre – Agua
On the upper level, prints of her work are mounted on easels and walls, some of the latter backed by curtains of water tumbling to the floor below. On the lower level, this water spreads across a floor decorated with squares, some just below the surface other rising above it. All offer a sense of being stepping stones, encouraging visitors to make their way across them. These squares and mirrored by cubes and blocks climbing up the walls, the shimmering curtains of water visible in the gaps between them.
Close to the gallery entrance, sixteen cubes present sixteen paintings by Louvre, each painting repeated on all six faces of the cubes. Further back sit two larger cubes, each with an image of one of her paintings projected within it whilst further pieces are mounted on easels in an intentionally understated display, the entire level dominated by a single piece entitled Submarine.
Almost all of the paintings might be seen as portraits of a most unique kind. Few present a complete individual; rather they present images wherein the subjects are blurred or obscured, as if seen through a sheen of water, or with their subjects incomplete of cracked and fractured. In amongst them are paintings of a more abstract nature, but even these contain a sense of water-like fluidity and motion.
NovaOwl Sky Gallery, October 2023: Louvre – Agua
All of this is heavily suggestive of the opening lines of Louvre’s description for Agua, of water giving, being and transforming life. But there is more here as well, as Louvre goes on to note:
Water is also the tears produced by pain and sorrow. It is the force of the DANA flood that just hit my city. Washing away the homes of many neighbours and friends, taking within it their daily objects and their homes. Never in all my life have I been able to contemplate a greater disaster so closely.
Water is the effort of my hands helping them, to the point of exhaustion, with water and more water.
– Louvre (Iamlouvre)
Storm Dana lashed Spain with torrential rain in early September, causing widespread flooding, particularly in the region of Castilla La-Mancha, home to the cities of Madrid and Toledo, with water levels rising such that streets, major transport arteries – and most particularly, homes were overwhelmed. Such was the force of the water in places that cars were overturned or smashed together and evacuations were ordered. At least two deaths occurred, and several more people were reported missing.
NovaOwl Sky Gallery, October 2023: Louvre – Agua
It is this devastation, this sense of loss Louvre conveys through her paintings through their blurred / missing / incomplete elements. This reflection of Dana’s destruction is – as Louvre notes – very personal. She has witnessed the loss and hurt it has caused, and sought to help alleviate it through practical support for those around her hit by the storm’s ferocity. That this has also triggered her creativity through her art additionally completes the circle represented by Agua: that as a force of nature, water has the power to both positively and negatively bring about transformative experiences in life.
The following notes cover the key points from the Web User Group (WUG) meeting, held on Wednesday October 4th, 2023. They form a summary of the items discussed and is not intended to be a full transcript. A video of the entire meeting is embedded at the end of the article for those wishing to review the meeting in full – my thanks to Pantera for recording it.
Meeting Overview
The Web User Group exists to provide an opportunity for discussion on Second Life web properties and their related functionalities / features. This includes, but is not limited to: the Marketplace, pages surfaced through the secondlife.com dashboard; the available portals (land, support, etc), the forums.
As a rule, these meetings are conducted:
On the first Wednesday of the month and 14:00 SLT.
They are open to anyone with a concern / interest in the above topics, and form one of a series of regular / semi-regular User Group meetings conducted by Linden Lab.
Dates and times of all current meetings can be found on the Second Life Public Calendar, and descriptions of meetings are defined on the SL wiki.
In 2022, LL commenced and overhaul of the “land journey” bringing all aspects of land “ownership” and land information – purchasing regions, renting or purchasing Mainland; obtaining a Linden Home and information on how to go about renting land from a private estate, etc., into a more fluid and updates set of web pages.
The first phase of this work went live in early 2023 with the launch of the Second Life Land Portal, with the promise that the Linden Homes web store would be the next element to be overhauled. This work has actually been underway for some time, and while “not 100% done” it will be released “very soon”.
Key elements of the new store include:
It is mobile device friendly.
It is accessible to anyone to view Linden Homes, whether logged-in or not (although, obviously obtaining a home still requires a subscription account).
It offers images and information on all the Linden Home styles in a browsable format and other information pertinent to obtaining a Linden Home.
Marketplace reviews have been updated so that aggregates of star ratings will now be rounded up, rather than always rounded down (e.g. where the aggregate of all star ratings on a product review might total 4.8, it would be rounded down to 4.5 – now it will be rounded up to 5. This change is being monitored, and further adjustments might be made.
Changes have also been made to the “Top Selling” report offered to Merchants to better match the “Top Selling” listing Merchants can generate for their products. In short:
The Top Selling listing was based on items sold in the previous 30 days; however, the Top Selling report was based on all products over the lifetime of the store.
The latter has now been revised to show both “best selling” over the lifetime of the store and the best selling items during the previous 30 days.
The work in archiving-off MP items which had not sold in 2 months and the store owner has not actively logged-in to the MP in two years has received a final tidy-up, with all related demos for the archived items also being archived as well.
Support have been furnished with assorted documentation and support notes for the MP so they can more thoroughly assist with reported MP issues.
Further bug fixing through September, but no details as several of the bugs were security-related.
In Brief
Please refer to the video for more on these items, and other points raised in the meeting.
[Video: 13:52-33:14] Marketplace gifting: an extended discussion on Merchants having the option to restrict items in their store which can be gifted to others.
The primary reason stated for this was on the matter of fraud wherein someone obtains Linden Dollars fraudulently, uses them to gift items to their main or alt accounts, then when the use of the illicit L$ is uncovered by the Lab, the amount is removed from the merchant’s account, and the merchant has no way to recover the goods.
Regardless of the pros can cons of gifting and matters of fraud, etc., there is a case to make that merchant creators should have the option to be able to disable gifting on specific products listed on the MP if they so wish, rather than being forced to opt-in to having all their products listed on the MP available for gifting.
[Video 38:50-end] A further discussion of the idea first raised at a recent CCUG meeting for LL to create their own version of Flickr-style site specifically for SL users to share their photos. Several reasons were noted for this:
It could become a potential revenue source for LL. Flickr is split between limited Free accounts and more flexible (with additional capabilities) subscription-based Pro accounts, so the idea would be for LL to follow a similar model, a limited service provided to Basic account users, and Premium and Premium Plus having access to more advanced features (e.g. ability to live-link, support for a greater number of images per account, etc). It is believed by proponents of this idea that people using Flickr Free accounts would be more prone to pay for the advanced features were they to be offered by LL, rather than paying Flickr.
It is seen as a means for merchants to gain an additional revenue stream (linking images on the service directly to MP listings), and to potential to offer selected bloggers / photographers featuring their products to revenue share off of any sale.
Whilst not an impractical idea (and although not raised at the meeting) there are obviously questions of actual ROI for the Lab in running such a platform / service against the cost of developing, implementing and maintaining such a service.
Again, please refer to the video for this discussion.
Some anger from a new meeting attendee on the fact that the WUG meeting is mixed text / voice and no warning of this is given through official channels (e.g. the User Group meetings page on the wiki, the SL Public Calendar or in any forum / feed / social media reminders for the meeting. It was agreed that pages and notifications will be updated to include the voice aspect of the meeting.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 