Category: Second Life

2025 week #18: SL SUG meeting

Posted on by Inara Pey
Isla Enchanted, February 2025 – blog post

The following notes were taken from the Tuesday, April 29th, 2025 Simulator User Group (SUG) meeting. They form a summary of the items discussed, and are not intended to be a full transcript, and were taken from my chat log of the meeting.

Meeting Overview

  • The Simulator User Group (also referred to by its older name of Server User Group) exists to provide an opportunity for discussion about simulator technology, bugs, and feature ideas.
  • These meetings are conducted (as a rule):
  • Meetings 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.

Simulator Deployments

  • On Tuesday, April 29th, the Main SLS channel was restarted without any update
  • On Wednesday, April 30th:
    • BlueSteel and a snack channel should be updated with the Elderberry simulator update (see below).
    •  All remaining RC channels should be restarted without any change.

Upcoming Deployment – Elderberry

  • A new option to llDerezObject – DEREZ_TO_INVENTORY, which returns the targeted object to inventory and saves its current state (e.g. has the same behaviour as Build → Object → Save Back to Object Contents.
  • llIsLinkGLTFMaterial  – which can can determine if a face on a linked prim is PBR.
  • REZFLAG_DIE_ON_NO_REZZER – which will cause a rezzed prim to die if its rezzer is no longer present in the region.
  • llSetGLTFOverrides, rather than changes to llSetColor and llSetAlpha to work with PBR, as changing the latter was “starting to lead down some very scary paths WRT ‘What is the right thing to do'”.
  • Possibly a fix for llSetGroundTexture, which currently has the NE & SW values swapped. The question was asked in this was in the release, but the question wasn’t fully answered.

SL Viewer Updates

  •  Default viewer: 2025.03 7.1.13.14343205944, issued April 9th and promoted April 15th – No Change.
    • New UI element for water exclusion surfaces: Build / Edit floater → Texture Tab → Hide Water checkbox.
    • The maximum amount of Reflection Probes can now be adjusted to better accommodate low VRAM scenarios.
      • Values will be set automatically depending on your chosen graphics quality. OR
      • Use Preferences → Graphics →  Advanced Settings →  Max. Reflection Probes to manually set.
    • An issue with being unable to see Sky Altitude values in the Region/Estate window has now been resolved.
    • Preferences → Graphics → Max. # of Non-Imposters has been renamed Max. # of Animated Avatars for clarity.
    • Bug and performance fixes and memory optimisations.
  • Second Life Project Lua Editor Alpha, version 7.1.12.14175675593, April 2nd.

In Brief

  • A (reasonable) request was made to have simulator release names (“Elderberry”, “Puff Pastry” or whatever) actually reflected on the release notes rather than referencing them solely by release number.
  • Questions llDerezObject() DEREZ_TO_INVENTORY:
    • Is the clean-up procedures after de-rezzing any different to other objects? Should not be, the; the object is killed from in-world on receipt of the derez command, then a new asset is generated to replace the deleted one in the rezzing object’s inventory.
    • Is DEREZ_TO_INVENTORY to to any capability? No. The code was originally set up to respond to a message from the viewer and so would report messages back that way; however it is being updated to be smarter than that to avoid missed messages, etc.
  • A feature request to allow attachment rezzing directly from another object’s inventory has been received (e.g. to assist with changing outfits). It is regarded as a large project and, if accepted, has yet to be added to the development roadmap.
  • A feature request to Add function to get a list of objects in the region (somewhat similar to the Area Search in some TPVs) has been submitted and is currently being tracked. Upvote if you’d like to see it get onto the roadmap for implementation.
  • A discussion on prim manipulation and LSL and differences between viewer-side and simulator-side disconnects (e.g. LSL cant set sphere taper, and viewer can’t set floating text or particle). This drifted into discussion of prim / linkset ordering and an actual node hierarchy for the same that is known to the viewer, together with a means to set the linkset number for a given object in the linkset / “click and assign” root prim for a linkset.
  • Leviathan Linden offered some feedback to those testing the SLua regions on Aditi:
One thing I was working on a week or two ago but currently on hold: people on the Lua servers were using the faster scripts to thrash a log of prim properties, which would generate a storm of Full Updates. Someone noticed some hot spots in the generation/sending of those updates, slowing things down making the problem look like Lua’s fault. So, I was working on a speed-up there. Wasn’t done, got side-tracked. Will get back to it.

† 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 rooftop of people every week. They are taken from my list of region visits, with a link to the post for those interested.

2025 SL viewer release summaries week #17

Posted on by Inara Pey
Logos representative only and should not be seen as an endorsement / preference / recommendation

Updates from the week through to Sunday, April 27th, 2025

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.
  • Outside of the Official viewer, and as a rule, alpha / beta / nightly or release candidate viewer builds are not included; although on occasions, exceptions might be made.

Official LL Viewers

  • Default viewer: 2025.03 7.1.13.14343205944, issued April 9th and promoted April 15th – No Change.
    • New UI element for water exclusion surfaces: Build / Edit floater → Texture Tab → Hide Water checkbox.
    • The maximum amount of Reflection Probes can now be adjusted to better accommodate low VRAM scenarios.
      • Values will be set automatically depending on your chosen graphics quality. OR
      • Use Preferences → Graphics →  Advanced Settings →  Max. Reflection Probes to manually set.
    • An issue with being unable to see Sky Altitude values in the Region/Estate window has now been resolved.
    • Preferences → Graphics → Max. # of Non-Imposters has been renamed Max. # of Animated Avatars for clarity.
    • Bug and performance fixes and memory optimisations.
  • Second Life Project Lua Editor Alpha, version 7.1.12.14175675593, April 2nd – No Change.

LL Viewer Resources

Third-party Viewers

V7-style

  • Black Dragon for Windows version 5.3.4 (PBR) April 22, 2025 – release notes.

V1-style

  • Cool VL Viewer Stable: 1.32.2.45, April 26, 2025 – release notes.

Mobile / Other Clients

  • No release updates.

Additional TPV Resources

Related Links

Finding Tolla’s Nemo in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Nemo, April 2025 – click any image for full size

Saturday, April 26th saw the opening of the latest addition to Tolla Crisp’s Frogmore / Witherwood Thicket estate (Tolia also holds Goblin’s Knob under the Frogmore banner, but that sits apart from Frogmore / Witherwood Thicket on the grid).  All three locations tend to be collaborative works by Tolla and landscaper Dandy Warhlol (terry Fotherington), and I’ve covered them on numerous occasions in this blog.

However, the new area is entirely Tolla’s own work, and has been causing no small amount of excitement in the Frogmore group in the run-up to it opening.

Nemo, April 2025

It is called simply Nemo, and it’s name should give away the fact that it is an underwater environment. In this it both stands apart from the Gothic mystery of Witherwood Thicket itself whilst perhaps also adding another chapter to that location’s enigmatic presence.

Whilst comparatively small in size when compared to the above water element of the region in which it sits, Nemo is by no means a quick, easy visit. There is rather more to be discovered than might at first be apparent from an initial cam-around on arrival (part of the setting are nigh-on a half-region walk from the Landing Point. It is also a setting rich in detail – and I really do mean rich; a casual hop-in / hop-out a waste of time – Nemo is a place to be experienced.

Nemo, April 2025

That said, it is also a place leaning heavily into the use of PBR materials. I’m not sure of Blinn-Phong fallbacks are provided (I no longer run any non-PBR viewers), so if you’re not running a PBR-capable viewer, consider this a warning that Nemo might not appear at its best for you.

In terms of design, the setting really does bring together a lot. Tolla has made superb and considered use of lighting, colour density, reflection probe ambience and animated mesh elements to give a real sense of being undersea. The sea floor is beautifully carpeted in a mix of swamp grasses and ferns, corals, seaweeds, sea anemone, trees and vines as to create the sense of a living, breathing ecosystem warmed by groups of fumaroles.

Nemo, April 2025

Within this environment, all manner of (largely tropical) fish swim, including clown fish. Turtles might also be found together with the odd shark – although his grin suggests he’s not into causing mischief – while jellyfish rise and fall. The Landing Point sit within a ruined structure, its arches suggesting it might have once been a place of worship – although given the Witch King styled statue standing to one side, one has to ask who or what might have once been worshipped…

It is actually one of several submerged structures to be found within the setting. some of these appear to be as equally old; others perhaps more recent, their wooden forms having yet to give in to the predations of water and salt. There is an intriguing mix of detritus and jetsam to be found. An old canon which might be indicative of a ship having come to grief here (and indeed, there is a partial wreck a short distance away) vies with the car from a Ferris wheel for the attention of local growths, the car also sitting close to part of a carousel, suggesting both might have been tossed into the sea intentionally.

Nemo, April 2025

Paths wind through all of this, leading to ruins and structures, caverns and corners as if in a natural maze. Paths are lit  by sunlight filtering through from above, the glow of phosphoresce from plants and from what might have once been aboveground lamps which sometimes share space with marble and stone statues. Rock walls also mark routs and divide these underwater gardens into more discrete settings.

With a name like Nemo, the “Finding” part (as I’ve used here) easily comes to mind – but is the setting really about fishy adventures? Sure, there are clown fish – there’s even one on his own waiting to be found. However, to consider the name a direct reference to the Disney / Pixar film (and its sequel) might be a mistake. There is another Nemo worthy of consideration here; one again the subject of the Disney treatment – albeit in live action format in his case, as embodied by James Mason (although he is far from the only actor to have taken on the role in question).

Nemo, April 2025

I’m of course referring to Jules Verne’s anti-hero, Captain Nemo, commander and designer of the marvellous Nautilus. The reason I feel the “Nemo” reference is more to him than a clown fish is simple: within the set it is possible to find Nemo’s Study, a very human retreat, albeit it now flooded. There is also a submerged library – and Captain Nemo was most certainly a learned man; while clown fish may have many gifts, I’m not convinced reading is one of them!

Of course, we’re all free to let our imaginations construct theories and stories to go with the setting – and leave us not forget, it does lie under waves that wash against Witherwood Thicket, as if the setting might once have been a part of that landscape. So perhaps there is a story there as well. But whatever paths our imaginations take, one thing is abundantly clear, Nemo offers a richly engaging visit.

Nemo, April 2025

SLurl Details

  • Nemo (Witherwood Thicket, rated General)

Cica’s Rocks and Drums in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Cica Ghost, April 2024: Rocks and Drums

Cica Ghost’s latest turn of whimsy opened in Second Life towards the end of April, bringing with it another opportunity to leave the weight of the world behind and just have a little fun and let a smile or six crease your lips.

Rocks and Drums is another charming setting featuring giants, strange houses, beautiful flowers, vehicles, dancing, and a sense of fun. It comes with a line from  American singer, songwriter, poet, painter, author, and photographer, Patricia Lee “Patti” Smith, If you don’t have what you need, just rock with what you’ve got!

Cica Ghost, April 2024: Rocks and Drums

Given the core aspect of this installation is rock, it’s an apt quote. This is a place of rocky hills, rocky cairns, stone of primitively-hewn rock, and most notably rock giants and strange houses hewn from rock. Some are on the ground, other balance precariously on the top of stacks of flat rocks or rocky plinths. Like the stone giants, the houses are topped by tufted grass-like hair.

Across the land, grass and flowers grow tall, and people can wander freely. The stone giants are not the only creatures here, huge friendly treemen can also be found, and can rocks with fair-sized teeth!

Cica Ghost, April 2024: Rocks and Drums

While the houses on the ground are easy enough to access, those atop rock piles and plinths present something of a problem.  However, the answer comes in the form of flat rock tablets. Some have balloons attached, others are propellor-driven. Simply step up onto one as it reaches the ground and then allow it to carry you elevator-like up to one of the houses.

Those who fancy a shot of making like Fred and Barney can jump on one of three rock car rezzers and go for a drive around the setting. And of course there are Cica’s familiar dance stations and places to sit. So, go on over and let Cica’s creations raise a smile. Her shop means you can even bring some of them home with you if you like!

Cica Ghost, April 2024: Rocks and Drums

SLurl Details

2025 Raglan Shire Artwalk in Second Life: call to artists

Posted on by Inara Pey
Raglan Shire Artwalk 2024

The Raglan Shire Artwalk is one of the staples of the SL art calendar, and for 2025 the 20th Artwalk will take place between Sunday, May 18th and Sunday, June 15th, inclusive.

Running across four weeks, the Artwalk is popular event among artists and residents, often attracting over 150 artists, who display their 2D and 3D art across the regions of Raglan Shire. All the displays are open-air, with 2D art is displayed on hedgerows in and around the regions, while sculptures and 3D art is displayed in a number of designated areas, all of which allows visitors to both appreciate the art and explore the Shire regions.

Qualifying Art

For the purposes of this show, qualifying art is defined as original representations of RL photography, painting, drawing, printmaking, collage, and digital fine art that can be displayed on a prim; and SL photography, manipulated SL photography and SL sculpture. AI-generated art and pictures of RL crafts, such as beadwork, leatherwork, etc., are not part of this show definition.

Call to Artists

A Call For Artists for the 2025 event has been issued for those wishing to participate, and key points about the exhibition in addition to the above, are as follows:

  • It is a non-juried show.
  • Artists can display more than one piece if they wish.
    • 2D artists (“flat” art – photos, paintings, etc.) will be awarded a maximum of 15 LI. Individual pictures should be 1 prim, including the frame, and pieces should not exceed the height of the hedgerows against which they are displayed. No hovertext allowed.
    • 3D artists (sculptures, etc.), will be awarded a maximum of 500 LI for up to three pieces of work. Artists are requested to state the LI per piece in their application, together with its overall dimensions (length, width & height). Note that any piece exceed 10m in any of these will require special permission from the organisers.
  • In addition:
    • Sales of art are allowed, but tip jars and floating text are not allowed.
    • All art must be rated PG / G – so no nudity, please!
    • Group membership will be required in order to display work.
    • Touch-based landmark / biography givers may be included, but will count against an artist’s total LI allowance.

Registration

Those wishing to display their art should complete and submit the 2025 Artwalk Registration Form by no later than 21:00 SLT on Tuesday, May 12th, 2025.

Raglan Shire Artwalk 2024

Event Dates

  • Tuesday, May 12th: applications close at 21:00 SLT.
  • Friday, May 16th (after 09:00 SLT) and Saturday May 17th: Artist set-up days
    • Hedgerow space for 2D artists is on a “first come, first serve” basis.
    • Areas within Raglan Commons, Heron Shire,  Athen Shire, and Morning Shire will be designated for sculpture set up – available locations will be designated with with a marker.
  • Sunday, May 18th: Artwalk Opens.
  • Sunday, June 15th: Artwalk closes.
  • Sunday, June 15th (after 21:00 SLT) through Tuesday, June 17th: takedown of works.

Event Contacts

In-world contact preferred.

  • Artwalk Director: Linn Darkwatch.
  • Artwalk Assistant: Panacea Pangaea.
  • Artwalk Assistant: Kayak Kuu.
  • Artwalk Assistant: Karmagirl Avro.
  • Questions may also be asked through the Friends of Raglan Shire in-world Group.

Related Links

2025 Week #17 Project Zero User Group Meeting

Posted on by Inara Pey
via Linden Lab
The following notes were taken from the Thursday, April 24th 2025 Project Zero User Group (PZUG) meeting.

  • They are based on my audio recording of the meeting + chat log.
  • They should not be taken as a full transcript of the meeting.
Table of Contents

Meeting Purpose

  • The Project Zero User Group provides a platform  for open discussion about Project Zero, the cloud-streamed version of the Second Life Viewer. Topics can range from sharing the goals for Project Zero, demoing the current experience, and gathering feedback to help shape the future of cloud access for Second Life.
  • These meetings are conducted (as a rule):
    • The second and fourth Thursday of every month at 13:00 noon SLT.
    • In Voice and text.
    • At the Hippotropolis Campsite.
  • Meetings 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.

Resources

Note: “Zero” or “Project Zero” in these summaries always refers to the SL official viewer running in a browser; “Firestorm Zero”, “FS0” or “FS Zero” always refers to the Firestorm viewer offering in a browser.

Avatar Picker

  • Released on April 24th, 2025.
  • Actually the first part of presenting Project Zero with a new UI, built using HTML / React, and first discussed by Philip Rosedale when Project Zero was initially launched.
  • Takes the form of a UI element that “pops in and out” of the left side of the browser window for the viewer.
  • Allows a user to select one of the avatars available within the new Avatar Welcome Pack, and the dress it in one of the available outfits.
  • The idea is to help new users get started with the kinds of avatars and avatar accessories more generally found in SL, thus grounding them more in the platform and the avatar ecosystem.

Project Zero and On-Boarding New Users

  • With the resumption of direct advertising of SL, the Lab has noted:
    • Only around 10% of users responding to an ad and who are directed through the sign-up process that requires them to download and install the viewer, actually get as far a logging-in.
    • However, the number responding to an ad and being directed to the sign-up process culminating in them being able to access SL directly through their browser using Project Zero, has a success rate of over 50% actually logging-in.
  • Data gathering on incoming new users responding to ads suggest that the majority are using computers that would not be able to run the viewer to its fullest visual extent; however, 90% of those users coming in via the Project Zero route are able to properly “see people and hear the birds”.
  • The next strategic step is seen as encouraging those new users to more fully engage with the platform, and two steps are being taken in this direction – the Avatar Picker noted above, and an upcoming “Destination Picker”, which is seen as an extension to the avatar onboarding process.

Project Zero “Destination Picker”

  • This is liable to be the next element for the new UI.
  • When available, it will allow (new) users to select one of the 12 destinations, in a similar manner to the Go button seen on the web account registration  / join pages.
  • The desire being to point them towards locations and experiences that bring home the value of Second Life, and which encourage them to continue to log-in to the platform.
  • In this it is recognised that:
    • Simply listing a plethora of destinations which may or may not have active use risks losing incoming new users on the basis if they get sent to places where there is no engagement with others, they simply will not stay.
    • Similarly, just sending people to “crowded” places (clubs, shopping areas, etc.), is not necessarily a good idea, and people within those environments may not be amenable to answering questions / offering assistance. etc.
    • People are much more likely to stay if they find people who are friendly, willing to offer help, point them towards community resources, etc.
  • As such, the destinations placed in the Picker are going to be curated (and possibly rotated), based on how well they assist in helping new users feel “part” of SL.

Additional Notes on Destinations / On-boarding

  • Selections for inclusion are liable to be along lines that reflect the typical reasons people give for signing-up to SL – such as an interest in art, a desire to experience live music, etc.
    • In this regard, incoming new users are already being “round robined” to a number of potential starting points: the Welcome Hub, Gateways such as Firestorm’s gateway, experience-oriented hub like MadPea, etc.
    • However, the Lab wants to move this on to the users themselves being able to make a choice as to where they go on logging-in.
  • A new channel will be provided to those managing the selected destinations, which will provide them with data such as: numbers of new users returning for a further session, number of users going to no upgrade to a subscription tier, and other data that can help illustrate the success of a location in supporting new users, and possible highlight areas for possible optimisation.
  • With regards to the success of destinations used within the on-boarding of new users over the year, Philip Rosedale noted the following:
Over all these years, when we have looked at the statistics for destinations for areas as different as those I’ve mentioned – the Welcome Hub, the Adventure Island, the Firestorm Welcome Island, the MadPea games, for example – fascinatingly enough, we see that the success at retaining new users is virtually identical for all of those destinations; and overall, is of course very poor. 
So its interesting to not that we’re not even close, it would seem, on what the right on-boarding experience is; because all of the ones we have tried are equally unsuccessful. 

– Philip Rosedale

New Users and a Sandbox

  • Sntax floated the idea of offering incoming users the opportunity to go to a specific sandbox environment were they could join other users and new users in collaborative building / learning to build.
  • Active Worlds used to have something similar for its incoming new users.
  • Responses to this at the meeting were mixed.
    • Positives: offers the opportunity for collaborative work using the built-in tools; allows experienced 3D content creators new to SL experiment with importing mesh; could become an informative learning “playground”.
    • Negatives: built-in tools for content creation are both complex and have not seen any real TLC in years; primitives fall well short of more refined meshes; the potential for griefing.
  • This lead to a more general discussion on engaging new users, opportunities for engaging them in activities and how to direct them (e.g. offering those wanting to use Voice to “Voice friendly” locations; offering experiences such as games, sailing, flying, etc.

Notes on Availability

  • Existing users can also use the Avatar Picker, however:
    • It is only available on Project Zero.
    • Project Zero is geared towards incoming new users, so existing users might find it difficult to obtain a slot when trying to log-in via Zero.
  • Part of the reason for this is the Lab feels the capability needs to mature before becoming more widely available to existing users.
  • That said, if people would like to use Zero because it would potential offer a better experience than a viewer running locally on their computer, should IM Sntax Linden stating why they want to use Zero and what, specifically, they would use it for and the perceived benefits. Such use cases might then help speed the development of the capability.
  • Passes for Firestorm Zero are currently not available.

Date of Next Meeting