Category: Viewers

Kokua 3.7.24: from RLVa to RLV

Posted on by Inara Pey

kokua-logoNicky Perian and the Kokua team announced the release of version 3.7.24.35047 on Tuesday, January 20th.

This updates primarily focuses on code merges with the more recent Linden Lab code base updates, and changes to the viewer’s RLV support.

The Linden code base updates mean that Kokua is up-to-date with the the following updates from the Lab:

  • Release 3.7.21 – Snowstorm Fall Contributions – Japanese input; improved rendering of projectors; fixes for object editing bug when rotating and for crash on exit on OS X Yosemite in full screen mode, etc.
  • Release 3.7.22 – GPU Benchmark start-up crash fix release
  • Release 3.7.23 –  Maintenance release – bugfixes and improvements to many areas of SL and fixes to previously released changes in the way we handle joint offsets in rigged meshes
  • Release 3.7.24 –  HTTP Pipelining enhancements – reduced pipelined texture and mesh fetching timeout so that stalled connections fail quickly allowing earlier retry. Timeout value changed from 150 seconds to 60 seconds

RLVa to RLV Update

This release sees Kokua pivot away from the use of RLVa viewer code for RLV support and to using Marine Kelley’s own RLV support, as presented through her Restrained Love Viewer. Due to unavoidable events, RLV/a has fallen somewhat behind support for the more recent RLV features, and as Marine tracks the Lab’s releases through her own viewer, this switch should make RLV-related maintenance easier for the Kokua team.

As a result of this change, a clean install of Kokua is recommended, the blog post accompanying the release noting:

[The] Recommendation for a clean install is because of the different settings presented by having RLV versus RLVa in the last Kokua release … If you do not clean install you may experience a notification at viewer start about restarting to change RLV mode because the default is set to RLV off and settings in your local setting file is RLV on. You will need select off/on once more in order to sync the on/off selection. This can be avoided with a clean install.  

The default behaviour for RLV is that it will not be present (i.e. it must be enabled via the Advanced menu).

Additional Bug Fixes

In addition, the Kokua team have included the fixes for the following issues:

  • Opensim variable size region mini-map shows the base 256×256 region only Ticket #276
  • Move view floater does not persist at relog Ticket #286, resolved at Ticket #318
  • [RLVa] Names are not all gone Ticket #314
  • Touch restriction works not very well in RLV or RLVa Ticket #324
  • Right click an attached object brings up pie and context menu Ticket #325 Added
  • Typing module in the tag Ticket #313

Related Links

2015 viewer release summaries: week 3

Posted on by Inara Pey

Updates for the week ending: Sunday January 18th, 2015

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

  • Current Release version: 3.7.24.297623 updated on January 11 – (formerly the HTTP pipelining RC viewer) download page, release notes
  • Release channel cohorts (See my notes on manually installing RC viewer versions if you wish to install any release candidate(s) yourself):
    • Experience Keys RC viewer updated to version 3.8.0.298001 on January 15 – provides support for viewing and managing Experiences and for contributing content for Experiences (download and release notes)
  • Project viewers:
    • No updates.

LL Viewer Resources

Third-party Viewers

V3-style

  • No updates.

V1-style

  • Cool VL Viewer updated on January 17th, the Sable branch to version 1.26.12.27 and the legacy branch to 1.26.8.85 (release notes for both)

Mobile / Other Clients

  • No Updates.

Additional TPV Resources

Related Links

OnLive launch in-world support group for SL Go

Posted on by Inara Pey

SL go logoImportant note: The SL Go service is to be shut down on April 30th, 2015. For more information, please read this report.

OnLive, the providers of the Second Life streaming service, SL Go, which allows users to run Second Life from a low-end PC or Mac or and Android tablet or iPad (using a TPV based on the official SL viewer) or on a low-end PC or Mac using a version of the Firestorm Viewer, have launched an in-world support group for their users.

The idea for such a group was first discussed at the special Firestorm Q&A meeting held in December 2014 following the release of  Firestorm on SL Go (see my review of Firestorm on SL Go here). At the time, Dennis Harper, OnLive’s Product Manager for SL Go. indicated the idea was a good one, which he would follow-up back at the office.

On Friday, January 16th, Dennis contacted me in-world during the Third-Party Developer Meeting to let me know the group is now up and running, and open to anyone to join.

The SL Go Support Group is intended to provide in-world support for users of the service
The SL Go Support Group is intended to provide in-world support for users of the service

If you are an SL Go user, and which to join the group, you will find it listed as SL Go by OnLive using the viewer’s search, or you can view the web profile for the group. A number of Firestorm support staff are helping with providing cover within the group, so enquiries on either the SL Go SL Viewer (SLV) and Firestorm for SL Go viewers can be asked through it.

In passing the details to me, Dennis said, “It’s been quite a ride for us since the Firestorm release, and we’re very pleased to be able to offer in-world support to our users as a part of our growing commitment to Second Life.”

2015 Viewer release summaries: week 2

Posted on by Inara Pey

Updates for the week ending: Sunday January 11th, 2015

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

  • Current Release version: 3.7.23.297296 – no change –  download page, release notes
  • Release channel cohorts (See my notes on manually installing RC viewer versions if you wish to install any release candidate(s) yourself):
    • HTTP Pipelining RC viewer updated to version /3.7.24.297623 on January 5th, 2015 – reduced pipelined texture and mesh fetching timeout so that stalled connections fail quickly allowing earlier retry. Timeout value changed from 150 seconds to 60 seconds (download and release notes)
  • Project viewers:
    • No updates.

LL Viewer Resources

Third-party Viewers

V3-style

  • RLV updated to version 2.9.5 on January 9th and then to version 2.9.6.1 on January 11th (release notes)

V1-style

  • Cool VL Viewer updated on January 10th, the Sable branch to version 1.26.12.26 and the legacy branch to 1.26.8.84 (release notes for both)

Mobile / Other Clients

  • No Updates.

Additional TPV Resources

Related Links

2015 Viewer release summaries: week 1

Posted on by Inara Pey

Updates for the week ending: Sunday January 4th, 2015

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

V3-style

  • Black Dragon updated to version 2.4.1.6 on December 31st, 2014 and then to version 2.4.1.7 on January 2nd, 2015  (change log)

V1-style

  • No Updates.

Mobile / Other Clients

  • No Updates.

Additional TPV Resources

Related Links

Black Dragon: further nips and tucks

Posted on by Inara Pey

Blackdragon logoThe Christmas / New Year period saw three more rapid-fire releases of the Black Dragon viewer as NiranV Dean continues to refine and tweak it both in response to feedback and as a result of stepping on a few bugs.

The first update, version 2.4.1.5, was available for people to add to their Christmas stockings on December 24th. This saw a merge with the Lab’s released 3.7.23 code base, and so captures everything up to an include the last set of maintenance updates from the Lab, which includes the fixes for joint offsets in rigged meshes.

Chief among Niran’s own updates came the ability to hide the Favourites Bar (which in the most recent versions of the Black Dragon UI has been sitting above the menu / address bar). The toggle is in the right-click context menu displayed when clicking on the menu / address bar; unchecking it will cause the latter to slide up and hide the Favourites bar from view. Checking the option will cause the Favourite Bars to be revealed once more. You can also achieve the same results via Preferences > Interface > Show Favourites Panel, if you prefer.

From Black Dragon 2.4.1.5 onwards, you can opt to hide / show the Favourites Bar using either using a context menu option or a Preferences option
From Black Dragon 2.4.1.5 onwards, you can opt to hide / show the Favourites Bar using either using a context menu option or a Preferences option (click for full size, if required)

An “experimental connections issues” warning was also added to the viewer, which is designed to show when your ping time to the SL simhost exceeds 500ms. I’m not sure what form the warning takes, as I’ve not been able to fiddle with things sufficiently to push my ping rate that high.

The “New Years Update”, version 2.4.1.6, which appeared on December 31st, saw an overhaul of RLVa with the viewer, which Niran notes had become somewhat broken due to not having received TLC for several updates. There may still be further tweaks and fixes to come, but feedback would seem to be required for that to happen – so if you’re an RLV user and find problems still, please pass good feedback on the issues you’re encountering to Niran.

Also, version 2.4.1.6 added the ability to show / hide the Merchant Outbox and Received Items folders in Inventory, if preferred.  You’ll need to re-log after enabling / disabling the option to show / hide the folders.

When the folders are active in Inventory, remember you’ll still be able to open the Merchant Outbox panel from the Edit menu, and Received Items via the panel near the bottom of the Inventory floater. This release also added the ability to change keyboard layouts without the need for a re-log, and added some new parcel property icons.

Black Dragon 2.4.1.6 added the option to display the Merchant Outbox and Received Items folders in inventory. A re-log is required between toggling the option on / off, and note that if you don't have an active Merchant Outbox, the folder may not show in your Inventory.
Black Dragon 2.4.1.6 added the option to display the Merchant Outbox and Received Items folders in inventory. A re-log is required between toggling the option on / off. Note that if you don’t have an active Merchant Outbox, the folder may not show in your Inventory (click for full size, if required)

On January 2nd, 2015, Niran issued version 2.4.1.7, which is essentially a bug fix for an error introduced with the 2.4.1.6 release, although it includes a few additional tweaks.

All three releases came with various tweaks, fixes and assorted minor changes (code clean-ups, etc.), which are listed in the release notes for each updated, linked-to above. Please refer to them for further details on an individual release.

Once again, a series of small changes serving to further refine Black Dragon and meet the needs of users, which should help to keep people happy, and which ensure the viewer keeps pace with the Lab’s code releases.

Related Links