Following-on from his work to add the ability to let users wearing the Oculus Rift headset to turn their avatar with a turn of their head when seated (see my update here), Dave Rowe (Strachan Ofarrell in SL) has added some more tweaks to the Alpha version of his viewer with the release of version 1.1.8.34412.
One of these updates is directly related to the Oculus Rift and another is for using stereoscopic glasses with the viewer. Both of these can be found under Preferences > Graphics > Display Output.
The two new additions to Preferences > Graphics > Display Output
The first option, Set Output to 120Hz is the stereoscopic update. As the name implies, it sets the display output to 120Hz, which is useful if you have shutter glasses and want to only display at 120Hz when you use the viewer.
The second option, Turn Speed, is a slider to control speed at which turning your head in Riftlook turns your avatar. Note that it will only work if Head Turns Avatar After is checked.
In addition to these updates, version 1.1.8.34412 addsvariable avatar walk / fly speed for SpaceNavigator proportional to pressure applied to knob (i.e., similar to SpaceNavigator flycam control), up to maximum of configured walk speed. Adjusted SpaceNavigator default values to suit. There’s also an update to the GPU table as well.
Sunday February 9th saw the Black Dragon viewer updated to version 2.3.9.3. Dramatically referred to as an “emergency” update, the new version is another interim release, with major changes on the horizon as the viewer moves ever closer to the 2.4 version number.
To be honest, I’m not entirely sure quite what warrants this being called an “emergency” release. The quoted reasons for the update (HTTP and Fitted Mesh) haven’t exactly been hidden away by the Lab, but have been talked about openly for a while – and the code (while still being tweaked and banged on in the case of Fitted Mesh, admittedly), has been available for poking-at. But anyaway, suffice it to say the new version is here, comprising a lot of nips and tucks, as listed in the change log with the release notes.
This isn’t intended as a full review, but more an overview of key changes.
The first of these is that the viewer is up-to-date with the Lab’s 3.7.0 code base, and so includes Fitted Mesh, which the Lab announced as officially released on February 10th.
Niran is a keen gamer, and as such put considerable work into his first viewer in adding options and controls other gamers would find familiar, such as offering more shooter game style camera placement, etc.
With this release of black Dragon, he’s put effort into enhancing the ability to map the viewer’s options and functions into game controllers – most notably the Xbox 360 controller. In carrying out this work, he notes:
Works with up to 16 buttons (for other controllers or joysticks)
Adds the ability to map zoom in/out/default, roll left/right, jump, crouch, toggle flycam, toggle run, toggle fly and Mouselook to available buttons
Certain mappings only work in either Avatar / Flycam or Build mode.
A video has been produced showing avatar movement using a game controller.
In another move to provide a game-like feel, Niran has duplicated the click-and-hold left mouse button and then use the mouse to rotate the camera / move your avatar to the right mouse button, as demonstrated in another video, which demonstrates the capability in conjunction with using the movement keys.
As noted, this is a duplication of the original left mouse button click / hold functionality, which can still be used by those who are already used to it.
Alongside of both of these, although not directly related to it, he has also added the option to disallow using Mouse-wheel to change values in spinners. Prevents some nasty problems with hover tips accidentally getting set to infinite.
In lin with recent LL RC and release viewers, this Release of Black Dragon includes a good number of MAINT, STORM and OPEN fixes and contributions including STORM-1980, the updated region restart message and STORM-1981, the updates to avatar tracking beacons. All of these updates, together with Niran’s own fixes, additions, changes and tweaks can be found in the release change log noted above.
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 Viewer Round-up 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
By its nature, this summary will always be in arrears
The Viewer Round-up Page is updated as soon as I’m aware of any releases / changes to viewers & clients, and should be referred to for more up-to-date information
The Viewer Round-up Page also 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.
Official LL Viewers
Current Release version: no change (version 3.6.13.284995, formerly the PackageFix RC)
Fitted Mesh RC updated on February 5th to version 3.7.0.286015 – core updates: latest updates to the Fitted Mesh project (download and release notes)
Google Breakpad RC version 3.6.14.285686 released on February 4th – core updates: update to Google Breakpad and restructures the crash reporting mechanism to support out of process crash reporting (download and release notes)
HTTP RC updated on February 3rd to version 3.6.14.286010 – core updates: DNS look ups changed; improvements to mesh uploads / downloads (download and release notes)
Project viewers:
Sunshine / AIS v3 project viewer version 3.6.14.285190 released on February 4th – core updates: removal of old viewer-side baking code, stability and performance improvements (download and release notes)
Black Dragon updated to version 2.3.9.3 on February 9th – core updates: merge with recent LL code release, including Fitted Mesh; merge with latest RLVa, improved game controller button mapping, right-click rotate cam/turn avatar (release notes)
V1-style
Cool VL:
Available for: Windows, Linux
Stable version: 1.26.10.10 – February 8th
Experimental version: 1.26.11.10 – February 8th
Legacy version: 1.26.8.47 – February 8th
Release notes (all) – core updates: sim map texture tiles and 3D (relief) sculpt maps saving; improved watchdog timeout code; improved algorithm for the login screen login credentials; backport of crash bug fixes from LL’s viewer-interesting branch; code cleanup and unused code removal
The Firestorm have been working hard on readying a new release of the viewer. Beta version of Firestorm 4.5.2 have been under beta evaluation for the last week or so, (and is looking good – the most recent version appears to have cured an issue I’ve had with Firestorm and my GTX 660 GPU, so right now I’m a very happy bunny).
There are still some decisions to be made, as a result, the next Firestorm Q&A session will be on Saturday February 15th. As per usual, the venue for the meeting will be the Phoenix Firestorm Support Island theatre, commencing at 16:00 SLT.
Jessica and the firestorm team promise “exciting news” at the next Q&A session
References to some “great news” and “exciting times are coming” within the blog post announcing the meeting has led to speculation as to what might be announced.
As well as working directly on the viewer, members of the Firestorm team have, as reported in these pages, been working on integrating Leap Motion into the viewer on behalf of the Lab and Leap Motion – so rumours have been circulating that the next release will include Leap Motion support, and it would seem that initial support for the device may be available in one form or another.
Those who use Firestorm for their SL photography may well have a nice little surprise waiting for them as well 😉 , as might Linux users.
However, the best way to be sure of what is coming is to attend the meeting. As usual, and on behalf of the team, I’ll be providing a transcript after the fact.
As always, please refer to the server deployment thread in the forums for the latest updates / changes.
On Tuesday February 4th, the Main channel received the server maintenance package previously on the three RC channels, which includes a crash mode fix and a fix for llModifyLand() modifying the wrong location in region, when called in a child prim. See part 1 of this report for further details
On Wednesday February 5th, all three RCs received a new server maintenance package, which includes a crash fix.
It seems there may not be any RC deployment in week 7. A number of things are being worked on, but there’s nothing ready for release as yet, but that could change between now and Wednesday next.
SL Viewer Updates
Fitted Mesh
As expected, the Fitted Mesh RC received a further update on Wednesday February 5th, with the release of version 3.7.0.286015. This update was to incorporate a further fix for issues relating to FITMESH-6 and FITMESH-20, after Latif Khalifa of the Singularity team spotted a coding error in the original fix.
Other Items
SL log-in Servers Redeployment
Coyot Linden: SL log-in server updates
On Thursday February 6th, Linden Lab redeployed the log-in servers. The aim of this work was to bring them up to a current operating system version (the one they have been running on being some two years old). There was no change in functionality, and as the work was seamless from a user perspective, there was no blog post on the matter. Commenting on the work at the Server Beta meeting on Thursday February 6th, Coyot Linden said the work involved
Newer versions of standard apps like webserver, caching app, etc., and all of the better functionality and security fixes that go with that. But nothing has changed about the login code or process.
This work was actually the reason log-ins on Aditi were broken ahead of the Server Beta meeting on Thursday January 30th: Aditi only has the one log-in server (as opposed to the 15 available to Agni, the main grid), and that was being used to test the update. The plan is for a second log-in server to be added to Aditi in order to avoid situation where the loss of a server prevents anyone from access the beta grid.
Vivox Work
As many are aware, there have been a number of Vivox issues (as well as FmodEx issues) affecting voice in SL.
On Tuesday February 4th, maintenance was performed on the Vivox backend which were mostly for quality enhancements for people using a recent version of the voice SDK. The changes didn’t involve any changes to the simulators, but as the updates are for a “recent” version of the voice SDK, it is questionable whether the enhancements will affect those TPVs using “older” versions of the SDK (e.g. Firestorm 4.4.2 is using an older version of the SDK, although upcoming releases will be on a par with the LL viewer).
Simulator User Group meeting, Tuesday February 4th
Server Deployments: week 6
As always, please refer to the server deployment thread in the forums for the latest updates / changes.
Main (SLS) Channel
On Tuesday February 4th, the Main channel received the server maintenance package previously on the three RC channels, which includes a crash mode fix and a fix for llModifyLand() modifying the wrong location in region, when called in a child prim.
Speaking at the Server Beta meeting on Thursday January 23rd, Maestro Linden described this fix thus:
For example, if a child prim is offset by <8,4,0> from the root prim, then calling that function in the child prim will try to modify the terrain at <8,4,0> of the region, which may or may not work depending on who owns the parcel.
The fix is to make it modify the land underneath the child prim (which of course follows the same permissions rules – you can only modify land owned by the script owner.
Release Candidate Channels
On Wednesday February 5th, all three RCs should receive a new server maintenance package, which includes a crash fix.
SL Viewer Updates
Google Breakpad
Google Breakpad reappeared in the viewer release channel as an RC (version 3.6.14.285686, dated January 29th) on February 4th. As per usual, the RC does not contain any functional changes or updates, but contains a Google Breakpad updates and restructures the crash reporting mechanism to support out of process crash reporting. These changes will give the development team more call stacks from crashes more frequently, to improve the triaging and debugging of issues.
HTTP Viewer
The HTTP RC gained a further update on Monday, February 3rd, with the release of version 3.6.14.286010, although it had been anticipated this viewer might update to the de facto release viewer this week.
AIS v3
The Server-side Appearance “polish” and AIS v3 project viewer, version 3.6.14.285190 was released on Tuesday February 4th. In terms of SSA This includes:
Stability and performance improvements for SSA: retry logic, removing redundant requests, detecting various appearance stuck conditions.
Code cleanup with the removal of a lot of code related to the old client-side baking framework.
Bug fixes, mostly appearance-related
Support for AIS v3 (which requires server-side updates.
Baker Linden continues to work on Group Ban Lists, commenting at the Simulator User Group meeting on Tuesday February 4th that, “I’m finally finished with (what I think is) the major viewer side changes, so I’ll be getting everything ready this week for a deploy hopefully in the next upcoming weeks, so be ready to test the crap out of group bans on Aditi soon!”
Following-on from his work to add the ability to let users wearing the Oculus Rift headset to turn their avatar with a turn of their head when seated (see my update here), Dave Rowe (Strachan Ofarrell in SL) has added some more tweaks to the Alpha version of his viewer with the release of version 1.1.8.34412.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 