Category: Simulator User Group

SL project updates 16 20/1: server, viewer, Aditi

Posted on by Inara Pey

Regency Buckingham; Inara Pey, May 2016, on FlickrRegency Buckingham – The King’s Gallery – blog post

Server Deployments Week #20

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

  • On Tuesday, May 17th, the Main (SLS) channel was updated with a server maintenance package previously deployed to the RC channel, containing minor internal improvements and a crash fix.
  • On Wednesday, May 18th, all three RC channels should be updated with a new server maintenance package, originally held over from week #19, described as also minor internal improvements with no visible functional changes to Second Life.

SL Viewer

A new RC viewer appeared in the release channel on Monday, May 16th. Version 4.0.5.315019 is the anticipated Inventory Message Viewer. This viewer comprises Aura Linden’s work removing from the viewer all of the old UDP inventory messaging paths which have already been replaced by more robust mechanisms (and in some cases already had the server-side support for them removed), but which have until now remained a part of the viewer’s code.

A full list of the messages which have been removed can be found in the release notes for the viewer, and it is noted that any messages in the list which still have back-end support will see that support removed in the near future.

This means the current SL viewers which are available comprise:

  • Current Release version: 4.0.4.314579 (dated April 28th, promoted May 5th) – formerly the Maintenance RC viewer
  • Release candidate viewers:
    • Quick Graphics RC viewer, version 4.0.5.315117, dated May 11th – comprises the graphics pre-sets capability and the new Avatar Complexity settings
    • Inventory Message RC viewer, version 4.0.5.315019, as noted above
  • Project viewers:
    • Project Bento viewer, version 5.0.0.314884 dated May 5th containing several updates related to joint offsets and meshes and slider changes
    • Oculus Rift project viewer, version 3.7.18.295296, dated October 13th, 2014 – Oculus Rift DK2 support
  • 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.

Project Bento

As a reminder, it is anticipated that server-side support for Project Bento will be enabled on the main (Agni) grid some time during week #21, to allow for more extensive testing of the new avatar skeleton capabilities. Those wishing to try the skeleton extensions and new sliders when rigging mess models will need to use the Bento project viewer or a third-party viewer with the Bento code.

Note that if you are running a non-Bento viewer and happen across someone testing the Bento capabilities, any mesh they are wearing rigged to the new Bento bones will appear distorted  / broken in your view.

Aditi Grid

Issues continue with Aditi (the beta grid), notably with apparent inventory content loses and even the potential for inventory corruptions (see BUG-16714 for details of some of the issues being encountered).

These problems take the form of assets appearing in inventory, but generating a “Missing from database” error when attempting to rez / wear / attach. Some reports suggest the issue is restricted to items added to Aditi inventories following the most recent syncing operations between Agni and Aditi.  Normal corrective actions, such as clearing cache, do not correct matters.

The Lab staff looking after the beta grid have been appraised of the situation, and summed-up their response in a single phrase (and I’m apparently quoting): “bleargh!” – an understandable reaction, given the upsets Aditi caused in week #19. They are however, digging into the problem.

SL project updates 16 19/2: server, viewer, Bento Agni deployment

Posted on by Inara Pey

Rosemoor; Inara Pey, May 2016, on FlickrRosemoor – blog post

Server Deployments Week #19 – Recap

The RC server maintenance package deployment planned for Wednesday, May 11th was postponed as a result of the 3-day Aditi outage delaying testing. The update, which comprises minor internal improvements which present no visible functional changes to Second Life, will now most likely go ahead until week #20 (week commencing Monday, May 16th.

Viewer Updates

The Quick Graphics RC viewer updated to version 4.0.5.315117 on Wednesday, May 11th, brining it to code parity with the current release viewer. Providing no major issues are uncovered, this might be the last RC update for this viewer prior to its promotion as the de facto release viewer.

Project Bento

As noted above, the Project Bento meeting was severely disrupted by continuing Aditi issues, which left people unable to reach the meeting either via direct log-in or via teleport.  As Vir Linden was also unavailable (due to an unrelated matter), Troy Linden steered the meeting, fighting against a slowly deteriorating region condition.

A pile-on test had been planned for immediately after the meeting with the intention of stress testing a region with a large number of animated Bento avatars all with active animations. The test was to have been an internal Lab test, but members of the Bento user group were invited to join-in as well if they wished. Unfortunately, the continuing poor Aditi performance force the test to be postponed.

Agni Test Release Deployment

Allowing for things like stress testing and unforeseen issues, the plan is for a test release of Bento on Agni (the Main grid) to be made during week #21 (week commencing Monday, May 23rd).

The release will be the current server-side support for Bento, plus the project viewer. It has not as yet been decided to make the deployment grid-wide, or restrict it to an RC channel  / dedicated channel.

The deployment is to gain a broader audience testing Bento assets and content and using the viewer. This does mean that if you wish to see or try Bento content, you will have to be using either the Bento project viewer, or a TPV which has the Bento updates.

Continuing voice issues rendered recording the meeting impractical, so hopefully normal reporting will resume  next week.

 

 

SL project updates 16 19/1: server, viewer

Posted on by Inara Pey

Playa Flamingo; Inara Pey, May 2016, on Flickr Playa Flamingo – blog post

Server Deployments Week #19

There was no deployment to the Main (SLS) channel on Tuesday, May 10th.

At the time of writing, the planned deployment of a new server maintenance package to the RC channels planned for Wednesday, May 11th, was under question as a result of an outage of Aditi, the Beta grid, throwing out the testing schedule for the updates. Should it go ahead, this deployment is described as “Minor internal improvements. No visible functional changes to Second Life.”

SL Viewer

The Quick Graphics viewer is still awaiting update, which should occur once it has been merged with the current release viewer (formerly the Maintenance RC viewer). This leaves the SL viewer list unchanged from the end of last week:

  • Current Release version: 4.0.4.314579 (dated April 28), promoted May 5th – formerly the Maintenance RC viewer
  • RC viewers:
    • Quick Graphics RC viewer, version 4.0.4.314426, dated April 26th
  • Project Veiwers:
    • Project Bento (avatar skeleton extensions) viewer, version 5.0.0.314884 dated May 5th – this build contains several updates related to joint offsets and meshes and slider changes
    • Oculus Rift project viewer, version 3.7.18.295296, dated October 13th, 2014 – Oculus Rift DK2 support (download and release notes)
  • 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.

 

SL project updates 16 18/1: server, viewer

Posted on by Inara Pey

Airship Pirates Town; Inara Pey, May 2016, on Flickr Airship Pirates Town – blog post

Server Deployments Week 18

On Tuesday, May 3rd, the Main (SLS) channel received the same server maintenance package originally deployed to the three RC channels in week #17, comprising a crash fix and minor internal improvements.

There will be no deployment to the RC channels on Wednesday, May 4th, and no scheduled restart of simulators on that channel.

SL Viewer Updates

The two release candidate viewers currently in the release channel were updated at the end of week #17:

  • The current Maintenance release candidate updated to version 4.0.4.314579, dated April 28th
  • The Quick Graphics release candidate updated to version 4.0.4.314426, dated April 26th.

This means there has been no promotion of an RC to de facto release status, while the project viewers have not been updated, leaving the complete list of remaining official viewers as follows:

  • Current Release version: 4.0.3.312816, dated March 23rd and promoted on April 1st,  formerly the HTTP / Vixox RC viewer
  • Project viewers:
    • Project Bento (avatar skeleton extensions), version 5.0.0.313876, dated April 15th
    • Oculus Rift project viewer, version 3.7.18.295296, dated October 13, 2014
  • Obsolete platform viewer version 3.7.28.300847 dated May 8, 2015 – provided for users on Windows XP and OS X versions below 10.7.

Avatar Complexity

There are still some issues yet to be resolved with Avatar Complexity which is why this viewer is currently not progressing towards a release status at present. One of these is avatars which should render as solid colours (or “Jelly Dolls” as the popular term for them is now) or imposters are invisible.

This has been a long-standing issue (see BUG-10330), which has proven hard to reliably reproduce, and has had a number of theories attached to it. Recent testing has suggested one of the causes is a possible conflict between the viewer trying to render avatars as Jelly Dolls whilst trying also to account for any alpha mask applied to the avatar with all the layer check boxes ticked.  This is possibly because ticking the alpha mask check boxes result in a “special” UUID being applied. Currently, the precise cause of the issue has yet to reach a consensus opinion, and investigations and tests continue.

 

SL project updates 16 17/1: server updates

Posted on by Inara Pey

Devil's Point; Inara Pey, April 2016, on Flickr Devil’s Point – blog post

Light news again for the start of the week.

SL Server Deployments

  • There was no Main (SLS) channel deployment on Tuesday, April 26th.
  • One Wednesday, April 27th, all three RC channels should receive the same server maintenance package, comprising a server crash fix and some minor internal improvements

For details of any updates / changes, please refer to the server deployment thread.

SL Viewer

No promotion or updates so far leaving the viewers as follows:

 

SL project updates 16 16/1: server, viewer

Posted on by Inara Pey

Netherwood; Inara Pey, April 2016, on Flickr Netherwood – blog post

Server Deployments

There are no scheduled deployments for week #16. The next deployment should be to the RC channels in week #17 (week commencing Monday, April 25th). This is liable to include at least one fix to help prevent simulator crashes.

SL Viewer Updates

Both of the current RC viewers were updated on Friday, April 15th.

The Maintenance RC, which includes fixes for crashes, memory leaks, input/cursor issues, graphics bugs. invisiprims, formatting, notifications and more, was updated to version 4.0.4.314012. See my notes on the invisiprim tweak here.

The Quick Graphics RC viewer, containing the new Avatar Complexity capabilities and the graphic presets support updated to version  4.0.4.313948.

Depending on the stats gathered on these versions, one of them might be updated to the de facto release viewer later in the week (although I’m guessing there may not be a promotion until week #17).

This leaves the complete list of official viewers as:

  • Current Release version: 4.0.3.312816 (dated March 23), April 1 – formerly the HTTP / Vixox RC viewer download page, release notes
  • TC viewers – as indicated above
  • Project viewers:
    • Project Bento (avatar skeleton extensions) updated to version 5.0.0.313876 on April 15 – an updated set of bones for the Bento skeleton.
    • Oculus Rift project viewer updated to version 3.7.18.295296 on October 13, 2015 – Oculus Rift DK2 support
  • 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.

News is once again light at the start of the week. Expect more from the Bento and TPVD meetings at the end of the week 🙂 .