Category: SL Tech

SL project updates 23/1: server, viewer, environment updates

Posted on by Inara Pey
Out on the Calas horse trails, Caitlyn leading the way – blog post

Server Deployments

As always, please refer to the server deployment thread for the latest news.

  • On Tuesday, June 6th, the Main (SLS) channel was updated with a server maintenance package (17.05.26.326655), containing fixes to help with the caps (capabilities) router, particularly with reference to trying to teleport to regions which have a heavy avatar load (see here for details).
  • On Wednesday, June 7th, the RC channels should be updated as follows:
    • BlueSteel and LeTigre should each receive the same server maintenance package (17.06.01.326763), comprising internal fixes.
    • Magnum should receive a server maintenance package, but details were still TBD at the time of writing.

Capabilities Losses at Region Restart

Some regions are still suffering capabilities failures at restart (see this forum thread for an example, and see these wiki pages for more information on capabilities: Capabilities and Current Sim Capabilities). This overall caps system is shared at the server level, so when problems like this occur, it affects all of the regions on that server, which then require an individual restart to correct.

SL Viewer

There have been no further viewer updates since my last project updates article. This leaves the current viewer pipeline as follows:

  • Current Release version 5.0.5.326444, dated May 18th, promoted May 23rd – formerly the Maintenance RC viewer overview
  • Release channel cohorts:
  • Project viewers:
    • Project Alex Ivy 64-bit viewer, version 5.1.0.505089, dated May 11th
    • 360-degree snapshot viewer, version 4.1.3.321712 dated November 23rd, 2016 – ability to take 360-degree panoramic images
  • 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.

Other Items

Environmental Update

“We are going to kick off a set of environment improvements – exact scope is still TBD,” Oz Linden states at the Simulator User Group meeting on Tuesday, June 6th. “[but] there are a couple of hot problems that need to be stomped first.”

While the exact nature of these improvements is still TBD, the comment sparked a conversation on parcel windlight settings, which Oz indicated the Lab is still planning on implementing. While all discussion on this is still somewhat speculative, the current thinking on this at the Lab is:

  • The precedence will be 1) viewer local (so if you set a windlight through the viewer, that will take priority over any windlight indicated by the region / parcel) , 2) parcel (if allowed by estate), and 3) region
  • Currently, it is unlikely that the parcel controls will allow setting windlight environments by altitude (aka Firestorm zoning).

The latter point is perhaps the most contentious for those using the current Firestorm zoning for windlight – not only does this allow different windlight conditions for different altitudes (particularly useful in role-play regions which may have different locations stacked vertically, each of which is ideally suited it its own environmental setting), it also things like caves and caverns to have their environment set to midnight, naturally darkening them (a technique we use at Caitinara Bar for the benefit of those using Firestorm).

In addition to parcel windlight, the Lab is looking to add an experience-controlled way to change environment for an individual avatar – so that those joining an experience will have their viewer automatically adopt the windlight setting for the experience, if one is set. This could also provide a means for “altitude zoning” of windlights to some degree.

None of these additions will prevent users applying their own viewer-side windlight should they wish (as noted above).

Other subjects possibly on the list of environmental settings:

  • Selectable cloud textures (similar to the capability in Firestorm)
  • The ability to change the moon texture
  • Adjustable day length (so, for example, one SL day =  a physical world day)

As Oz noted in the meeting, the details of what the Lab would consider working on with the environment improvements has yet to be fully defined; however, he also added, “When we get to the point where we’re ready to start work on it (hopefully very soon), we’ll post a description of what we’ve got in mind … and yes, we’ll accept suggestions for improvements then.”

2017 Viewer release summaries week 22

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

Updates for the week ending Sunday, June 4th

This summary is published every Monday, and is a list of SL viewer / client releases (official and TPV) made during the previous week. When reading it, please note:

  • It is based on my Current Viewer Releases Page, a list of all Second Life viewers and clients that are in popular use (and of which I am aware), and which are recognised as adhering to the TPV Policy. This page includes comprehensive links to download pages, blog notes, release notes, etc., as well as links to any / all reviews of specific viewers / clients made within this blog
  • By its nature, this summary presented here will always be in arrears, please refer to the Current Viewer Release Page for more up-to-date information.

Official LL Viewers

LL Viewer Resources

Third-party Viewers

V5-style

V1-style

Mobile / Other Clients

Additional TPV Resources

Related Links

SL project updates 22/2: TPV Developer meeting

Posted on by Inara Pey

Chess Wonderland, Egypt; Inara Pey, May 2017, on Flickr Chess Wonderland – blog post

The majority of the notes in this update are taken from the TPV Developer meeting held on Friday, June 2nd, 2017. The video of that meeting is embedded at the end of this update, my thanks as always to North for recording and providing it. Timestamps in the text below will open the video in a separate window at the relevant point for those wishing to listen to the discussions.

Server Deployment – Recap

  • On Tuesday, May 23rd, the Main (SLS) channel was updated with a server maintenance package (#17.05.22.326523), containing a fix for BUG-100704, “[Server] If Anyone Can visit is selected after Allow Group was set only group members can enter”, related to the parcel overrides update.
  • On Wednesday, May 31st, the RC channels were updated as follows:
    • BlueSteel and LeTigre received the same server maintenance package (#17.05.26.326655), comprising “Tweaks to help with capability loss”.
    • Magnum received a server maintenance package (#17.05.26.326659) for the simulator operating system update, which does not contain and functionality changes.

SL Viewer

[0:20] The Voice RC cohort updated to version 5.0.6.326589 on Wednesday, May 31st.

[0:31] The Asset HTTP viewer is doing reasonably well in its latest RC update (version 5.0.6.326593, dated May 26th), and this might be the next viewer to gain promotion to release status.

[28:22] Once the asset HTTP viewer has been promoted, the Lab plan to develop a schedule for removing simulator support for the old UDP messaging the HTTP updates have replaced. The actual removal of the messaging paths might not occur until 2018.

Maintenance RC

[0:40] A new Maintenance viewer was released as a RC cohort on Thursday, June 1st, 2017. Version 5.0.6.326731 includes a range of bugfixes and updates, including further updates to Trash management:

  • Fix for number of items in Trash calculation
  • Trash is full floater wasn’t showing in some conditions when it should have been. It will do as it should now.
  • Fix for when Trash version gets out of synch
  • A delete warning will now show up once every session to cut down on accidents
  • Trash purge message will include number of items deleted.

Alex Ivy (64-bit viewer)

[0:55] A new update for the 64-bit viewer will be appearing soon, it will include the new viewer update code, to help ensure the correct version of the viewer (32-bit or 64-bit) is delivered to the user.  Additional changes to the server-side viewer update manager (the code which tells the viewer there is a newer version available) have delayed this update from appearing sooner.

[2:10] When this version of the viewer is issued, it is anticipated that work will commence on building and QAing a Release Candidate version of the viewer. At this point the Lab will also start work on updating the SL wiki instructions for building the viewer.

[5:35] The Lab’s reocmmendation is that if Windows users are using the 32-bit version of the viewer on a 64-bit system, they should swap to a 64-bit version of the viewer for a less crash-prone experience.

[6:16] A caveat to this is 64-bit systems using the Intel HD and Intel HD4000 GPU chipsets. These systems cannot run the 64-bit version of the viewer and require the 32-bit version.

360-degree Viewer

[3:43] An update to the 360-snapshot viewer is expected soon, pending the fix for an issue with the Mac OS X build.

When the update appears, it will not require any post-processing of a ZIP file (as is currently the case). Instead, it should produce an equirectangular image with all the necessary metadata required for displaying on sites which support 360-degree images.

OTR and Chat Text Encryption

[7:14-18:56] Questions have again been raised on the use of end-to-end encryption of IM conversations by TPVs. This was a thing several years ago, largely derived out of misplaced fears that LL staff where reading people’s IM conversations willy-nilly. However, as it used viewer code never intended for that purpose, it was “broken” when the underpinning code was updated / removed.

At the time the encryption was used, it was problematic for the Lab, as it interfered with things like verifying abuse reports by checking IM logs (if the conversation is encrypted, LL cannot verify what was said, and so cannot take any action, even if warranted), and could also be an issue assisting in other types of necessary investigation (e.g. possible fraud / money laundering acts).

The circumstances under which someone from LL can view IM files are strictly limited and controlled, both in terms of who can view them, when then can view them and how much of them can be viewed. As such, there is no risk in IM logs just being casually read at the Lab. Given this, and the issues it can cause, use of any form of encrypted IM exchange would likely be frowned upon or be regarded as a “normal” function of SL (and so wouldn’t be safeguarded from potential “breakage” during future changes to the viewer). Instead, those feeling they need secure communications with other are encouraged to use other means of doing so.

Shoutcast / Streaming Scripts Issues

[23:30-26:33] The Magnum channel RC has resulted in breakages to scripts used by various streaming service DJ boards (see BUG-10073). The issue has been diagnosed, and a means to allow these services to keep operating is being developed. However, when deployed it will mean that the scripts themselves will also need to be revised, and it will not be backwards compatible with systems that are not updated by their creators, which will remain broken. As the change causing the issue is integral to the HTTP updates being made to improve SL’s performance, it will not be rolled back.

Griefing Following Ban

[30:02-35:39] Some estate managers are finding themselves specifically targeted for griefing after banning someone from their land (identified by the griefer as ban notifications carry the banner’s name). In some cases the griefing can extend to groups associated with the land. One solution is to use a bot for banning purposes, however, the request has been made for better anonymity for those carrying out the ban. A JIRA has been requested, providing the fullest possible description of the issue, what happens, and how, and what is believed to be needed to counter it.

General

  • [19:17] BUG-40824, “Missing Offline Group Notice (Unreliable Delivery)” is still proving a problem for some. The Lab haven’t looked at the issue recently, but will get back to it.
  • [21:25] Local and group chat has been lagging – again, it’s been noted, but no specifics on possible causes.
  • [21:49] Increasing limits (physics, etc) – currently the focus is on the simulator OS update, which includes, software tools and libraries. Once this work has been completed, the Lab hopes to look at all the limits and see what can be adjusted, either directly or with some up-front work.

SL project updates week 22/1: server, viewer

Posted on by Inara Pey

Meadow Rose III, Tyme; Inara Pey, May 2017, on Flickr Meadow Rose III – blog post

Server Deployments

As always, please refer to the server deployment thread for the latest news.

  • On Tuesday, May 23rd, the Main (SLS) channel was updated with a server maintenance package (#17.05.22.326523), containing a fix for BUG-100704, “[Server] If Anyone Can visit is selected after Allow Group was set only group members can enter”, related to the parcel overrides update.
  • On Wednesday, May 31st, the RC channels should be updated as follows:
    • BlueSteel and LeTigre should each receive the same server maintenance package (#17.05.26.326655), comprising “Tweaks to help with capability loss”.
    • Magnum should receive a server maintenance package (#17.05.26.326659) for the simulator operating system update, which does not contain and functionality changes.

OS Update Notes

Alongside the Server Deployment notes for Magnum, Linden Lab also state they are working on a fix for an issue addressed with 17.05.23.326524 from last week (BUG-100737 “Shoutcast receivers unable to relay on RC Magnum”). This has been diagnosed, and they are working on a solution which will require a simple update to affected scripts.

SL Viewer

  • Current Release version 5.0.5.326444, released on May 18th, promoted May 23rd – formerly the Maintenance RC viewer – overview
  • RC viewers:
    • Project AssetHttp project viewer updated to version 5.0.6.326593 on May 26th – This viewer moves fetching of several types of assets to HTTP / CDN – overview
    • Voice RC viewer, version 5.0.5.325998, re-released on Friday, May 5th
  • Project viewers:
    • Project Alex Ivy 64-bit viewer, version 5.1.0.505089, updated on May 11th
    • 360-degree snapshot viewer updated to version 4.1.3.321712 on November 23rd, 2016 – ability to take 360-degree panoramic images
  • 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.

Radegast – new website and updates

Posted on by Inara Pey
Radegast Rebranded

Radegast, the third-party Second Life / OpenSim client which has proven to be especially popular with those on low-end systems and / or those with visual impairments, now has a new home, and recently underwent a new update. As I’ve missed the last couple of cycles with this client, the following is intended to be a quick overview of its status and a brief look at the updates which have been made since my last review.

New Home

Radegast now has a new web presence, where details of updates are blogged, and which will see things like the wiki and user guide move across to it in due course.

As there is no means to access the “old” Radegast site, this remains available for legacy purposes.

The client itself, as I noted towards the end of 2016, is now being maintained by Cinder Roxley, who would welcome any support that can be offered in helping to maintain and develop Radegast and the website.Those interested in doing so code-wise, can find the source code, build instructions, and examples at https://bitbucket.org/cinderblocks/radegast.

In her first blog post on the site, Cinder also provides a brief summary of things:

So far, any updates have been Windows-based. This has allowed me to roll with the punches and familiarize myself with the codebase without getting mono too much in the mix. The roadmap for other platforms is as follows:

  1. Update LibreMetaverse to be compliant with .NET Core
  2. Update Radegast to be compliant with .NET Core
  3. Begin packaging .deb releases for Linux
  4. Begin packaging installers for MacOS
  5. Bring speech support to Linux and MacOS

Updates

There have been two updates to Radegast since my last review of the client (which essentially laid-out the updates Cinder had made to restore Voice capabilities reliably after Beq Janus provided a workaround for issues being experienced as a result of Radegast no longer being maintained as a result of Latif Khalifa’s sad passing).

The first of these updates, which saw Radegast increment to version 2.21, was released on February 12, 2017, and comprised:

  • RLV updates
  • Second Life Enhanced Skeleton Support (Project Bento)
  • Branding changes
  • Updates to
    • FMODStudio 1.08
    • SLVoice files
  • Swap of base system to LibreMetaverse
  • Many bug fixes.

Version 2.22, release on May 17th, 2017, comprises:

  • Updates to:
    • OpenTK 3.0.0-pre nuget
    • VS2017 .NET 4.5
    • LibreMetaverse 1.4.40
  • New build system
  • Fix Give Inventory menu item for screen readers
  • Many bug fixes

General Notes

An important note to remember with Radegast is that while it has a 3D scene rendering capability, allowing you to see the world around you, it is very experimental, therefore, the degree of success you may get with rendering things might be variable. In testing the client, I found Radegast had a hard time trying to render rigged mesh body parts, making it impossible to visually confirm the Bento support. However you mileage may vary.

Certainly, the fact that the 3D scene renderer is experimental and may hiccup shouldn’t put those who need / prefer Radegast off (I sincerely doubt it ever would). The bottom line is that with or without the rendering capability, Radegast is a superb lightweight client, and both the 2.21 and 2.22 updates are ensuring it keeps abreast of updates to the “full” viewer, and remains a useful tool for those who rely on it.

Links

with thanks to John Brianna for the note on the new Radegest website.

Viewer updates: Kokua 5.0.6 for Second Life and RLV 2.9.21.3

Posted on by Inara Pey

In week #21, both the Kokua viewer for Second Life and the Restrained Love viewer updated to achieve parity with the current SL viewer release (version 5.0.5.326444 at the time of writing).

Kokua for Second Life updated to version 5.0.6.41208 (release notes) on Friday, May 26th, 2017, while the Restrained Love updating to version 2.9.21.3 (release notes) on Thursday, May 25th.

As the core changes to both viewers are more-or-less the same in terms of their parity with the official viewer, this review provides a combined recap of these updates for both viewers, from the oldest to most recent. Kokua users please note that the documented changes do not necessarily apply to the Kokua OpenSim version.

Custom Folders for Uploads

Kokua 5.0.6.41208 for Second Life and Restrained Love 2.9.21.3 users can now select the inventory folders into which uploads – images / textures, sounds, animations and mesh models –  are saved by default (rather than having all textures + images go to Textures for example).

To set a custom folder for an upload type:

  • Go to Inventory and right-click on the desired folder.
  • Select Use As Default For. This opens a sub-menu of upload types (shown on the right).
  • Click on the type of upload you wish to always save to that folder.

Note that this only applies to uploads: images / textures, mesh models, etc., received via transfer or will still go to the their “default” system folders (so a texture received via transfer will still go to Textures, for example).

The folders set for uploads can be reviewed via the new Preferences > Uploads tab.

The new options shown for selecting a default destination folder for uploads (left), and the new Upload panel in Preferences, which lists the locations (right) – via Kokua, click for full size, if required

Block List Tally and Grid Status Button

Kokua 5.0.6.41208 and Restrained Love 2.9.21.3 now have display a tally of those blocked in the viewer (People Floater > Blocked), and include the Grid Status button which can be added to any toolbar position in the viewer window, providing direct access to Second Life grid status updates, which are displayed in the viewer’s built-in browser.

Avatar Complexity Rendering Updates

These releases of Kokua and Restrained Love include a number of improvements to avatar complexity rendering. Full details of these changes can be found in Second Life Maintenance RC: Avatar Rendering updates and more, and are summarised here.

  • The Options for how another avatar is rendered are now Default (i.e. in accordance with your avatar complexity threshold setting); Always (i.e. always render the selected avatar) or Never (i.e. permanently render them as a grey imposter). These options have also been moved to a sub-menu on the right-click Avatar context menu.
  • Following Firestorm’s lead, adjusted settings for avatar rendering will now persist across log-ins for the viewer, until either reset or your settings are cleared by a clean install or similar.
  • There are two new options for Avatar Complexity, located on the Preferences > Graphics tab.
    • The first is a check box, Always Render Friends, which is pretty much self-explanatory: when checked, friends will always fully render, regardless of the viewer’s Avatar Complexity threshold.
    • The second is an Exceptions button, which adds a further level of control for how other avatars – including friends – are rendered by the viewer.
Left: the new render options sub-menu in the Avatar context menu (seen when right-clicking on another avatar). Right: the new Preferences > Graphics tab options for avatar rendering (see below for the exceptions button). Images via Kokua – click for full size, if required

Note that Kokua’s pie menu does not display the “Default” option correctly when used on other avatars. Instead, the option is labelled as “>”. As per Nicky’s comment below, this is now fixed.

Rendering Exceptions

The Exceptions button described above enables named avatars to be either fully or never rendered by the viewer, regardless of any other avatar rendering settings. It comprises two new floaters: the exceptions list (Avatar Render Settings, below left) and the search floater (Choose Resident, below right), accessed by clicking the “+” button on the exceptions list and then selecting whether you want to always or never render the avatar you’re about to choose.

Rendering Exceptions allows you to select individual avatars (e.g. from those close to you or your friends list or via search) you always / never want to render, regardless of your other avatar complexity settings. Via Restrained Love Viewer.

It is possible to update how an avatar in the exceptions list is displayed by right-clicking on the avatar’s name and selecting the required option (Default, Always, Never) from the displayed drop-down list.  Note that “Default” will remove the avatar’s name for your exceptions list and display them in-world in accordance with your overall Avatar Rendering Complexity setting.

Changing how an avatar in the exceptions list is rendered. Via Restrained Love Viewer

Continue reading “Viewer updates: Kokua 5.0.6 for Second Life and RLV 2.9.21.3” →