On October 24th, Oculus VR released the latest software version for their SDK. Among the many updates came support for Unity Free developers (Unity versions 4.5.5 and up), and experimental support for Linux.
As a result of the release, Strachan Ofarrel (aka Dave Rowe in the physical world), has updated the Windows Alpha version of his CtrlAltStudio. The new release, version 1.2.2.41214 Alpha 4, issued on november 2nd, 2014, provides SDK 0.4.3, a number of additional Rift display options and some more general updates:
Rift display options:
Dynamic prediction: adjust prediction based on latency feedback
Timewarp: re-project scene during distortion rendering
Timewarp waits: wait until the last moment to do timewarp
V Sync: wait for and swap buffers at monitor vertical sync
Low persistence: display low persistence images
Pixel overdrive: over-drive brightness transitions to reduce artefacts
Updated GPU table now includes NIVIDIA GTX 970 and 980 GPUs
A fix for Riftlook mouse hover target and context menu locations for in-world objects
A fix for Rift positioning in third person orbit camera view.
The new Rift display options can be found in Preferences > Graphics, and are enabled by default. No restart is required on disabling / enabling any of them
All of the Rift display options are enabled by default in the viewer, and no restart is required when disabling / enabling them, allowing for rapid-fire experimentation. In addition, and in relation to them, Strachan provides the following advice in the release notes and blog post accompanying the release:
The “Timewarp waits” option shouldn’t really be made visible to the user, but in my testing I found that it seemed to help to be able to turn it off if rendering at significantly less than the frame rate the DK2 is set at. The variability of the frame-to-frame timing in Second Life may well be why.
The optimum settings depend on what frame rate you’re achieving and your personal preferences and sensitivities to different display behaviour: if you’re achieving the ideal of 75Hz including while turning your head then the default of all options enabled is best; otherwise you will probably want to try disabling one or more, consider configuring your Rift display to 60Hz, and possibly try enabling triple buffering in your display driver.
As with the previous ALpha releases with DK2 support, this version will install into its own directory, allowing it to be used alongside the release version (although it will obviously over-write Alpha 1 or ALpha 2, if installed). Also note that with this release:
There is still no support for the Rift’s with direct mode
The Advanced Lighting Model option in Preferences > Graphics needs to be enabled
Updates for the week ending: Sunday November 2nd, 2014
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: 3.7.19.295700, released on October 29th – formerly the HTTP pipelining viewer (release notes)
Benchmark viewer RC updated to version 3.7.20.296094 on October 30th – removes reliance on the GPU table for determining the viewer’s initial graphics settings (download and release notes)
Project viewers:
Snowstorm project viewer version 3.7.20.296071 released on October 31st – Japanese input; improved rendering of projectors; fixes for object editing bug when rotating and crash on exit on OSX Yosemite in full screen mode, etc (download and release notes)
Alchemy updated to version 3.7.19.34077 Beta on October 27th – core: updates: LL HTTP pipelining code; legacy search implementation; world map updates; camera floater improvements, projector improvements, etc. (release notes) – my overview
Black Dragon updated to version 2.4.0.3 on October 29th and then to version 2.4.0.4 on October 31st – core updates (both): LL HTTP pipelining code; Godrays updates; new shadow softening kernel; projector improvements, etc. (release notes)
CtrlAltStudio updated to version 1.2.2.41214 on November 2nd – core updates: updated to support Oculus SDK 0.4.3, addition of several Oculus display options (release notes)
Restrained Love Viewer updated to version 2.9.3 on October 30th – core updates: numerous RLV updates; inclusion of SLS Share 2 features and updated snapshot floater; LL SSA updates (download site)
Things are liable to be getting busy in terms of TPV viewer updates over the next month or two. As noted in this blog, the Lab has now released their HTTP pipelining code for the viewer, which TPVs are being encouraged to adopt as soon as they can, and there have been a spate of other updates and fixes for the viewer that already are, and will be finding their way into TPVs.
Two of the most recent v3-style viewer to update have been Black Dragon and the Restrained Love Viewer, and the following is a quick overview of the most recent releases for both of these viewers.
Black Dragon 2.4.0.3 and 2.4.0.4
Black Dragon received two release updates in the space of around 24 hours. The first came when NiranV Dean released version 2.4.0.3 on October 29th, and the second saw the release of version 2.4.0.4 on October 31st.
A blog post on Niran’s website outlines the principle changes which appeared in the 2.4.0.3 version of his viewer, summarising them as:
A fix for the viewer failing to correctly apply maturity settings
An experimental update to the Godrays feature by Tofu Buzzard so that they now cast a faked volumetric sunlight everywhere where light can fall
Godray default lowered to 32
A new option in Preferences > Display to switch between a new shadow softening kernel by Tofu Buzzard and the LL default
Keyboard shortcut for Depth of Field locking changed to CTRL-X in the hopes of correcting a clash with another (unknown) shortcut
Addition of Geenz Spad’s spotlight reflection changes.
The latest release(s) of Black Dragon see an experimental volumetic lighting capability added to the Godrays feature (images via the Black Dragon website)
The 2.4.0.4 release is, in terms of user functions, the same as the 2.4.0.3 release; the major difference is that he has the Lab’s HTTP Pipelining updates included (which Niran has, for some reason referred to as the “CDN code”).
Geenz Spad’s work on glossy projectors can be found in JIRA STORM-2067. This corrects the tendency where, depending on a surface’s environment intensity, projected reflections they become more blurred as their intensity increases, they should become sharper for higher gloss values and more blurred for lower values.
Geenz’s work on projectors: as projected in the current viewer code (top) and in a viewer using Geenz Spad’s enhancements
As always, full details of all changes can be found in the change logs for the viewer.
This is another progressive step forward with Black Dragon, with Niran working to address issues as well as integrate updates from both LL and other developers which help further enhance the viewer and take it in a direction which matches the Lab’s important HTTP updates as well as enhancing the features Niran uses to help differentiate his viewer from other TPV offerings. Black Dragon users should be pleased.
On Monday October 27th, the Alchemy team released version 3.7.19.34077 Beta of their viewer. This latest release brings with it a series of updates, nips, ticks and tweaks which collectively move the viewer further towards a full release status.
As with the last release (for which I also provided an overview), the latest version is available for Windows on both 32-bit and 64-bit flavours, and a “universal” Mac offering suitable for both 32-bit and 64-bit (Linux is still “coming soon”). As is common for my reviews of viewer updates, this is not a detailed examination of every change made in the release, but rather an overview of those items which are liable to be of significant interest to users. Details of all updates can be found both on the Alchemy release notice for the viewer, and the change log.
Lab Updates
As this release of Alchemy is based on the Lab’s 3.7.19 code base, it has almost all of the most recent updates from LL, with the notable exception of the revised log-in splash screen – so the log-in area remains in its familiar place at the foot of the screen. And I say “notable” here only because I’ve become familiar with using the Lab’s log-in screen while playing with various versions of the official viewer, not as any indication of anything else.
The viewer does, however, get the latest bug fixes, etc., from the Lab to make it to release status and incorporates things like the updated snapshot floater and AIS v3. More particularly given the deployment of CDN support across the grid, it includes Monty Linden’s latest viewer-side HTTP updates, which should see the viewer handle scene loading a lot faster, as well as generate significant improvements in inventory fetching.
Search
Search has been given an impressive overhaul with this release, allow the use of both the v3-style web search option and also legacy search. Considerable effort has gone into how results in the legacy search options are displayed, so that all the information relating to a specific search item can be shown in the right side of the search panel without the need to open additional floaters (see below).
Alchemy now has full legacy search support, which includes the ability to display all the information on a selected item (such as my profile, as seen above) on the right side of the search floater panel
Another nice refine is that when searching for groups, if you select a group you have not joined, only the essential information is displayed – group description and purpose, the JOIN button, creator, who can join, etc. However, should you join the group, simply click on the reload button, and the displayed group will update to show all options and information.
When using the Search option to locate a group you have not joined, the results pane will only display the essential information on the group (l). However, should you then join the group, clicking on the reload button (highlighted on the left image) and the group information will update to a full display
World Map
The World Map gets an update with this release, with some trimming and realigning, together with a noticeable move of the legend and search options to the left of the map tile area. If I’m honest, I’m really not sure of how much of a difference this makes. There doesn’t seem to be that much space reclaimed, and the move of the legend, etc., to the left of the map seems as much as change for the sake of change rather than presenting a specific benefit. But then, that is the subjective nature of using viewers – we all see things differently.
Camera Floater
The old and new camera floater – note the button for minimising the controls on the latter
A potentially more appreciable change lies with the camera controls. Until now, Alchemy has defaulted to the v3-style camera floater which, as the website release notice states, takes a fair amount of screen space, a lot of which is made up of a blank panel.
The new Alchemy camera floater is a lot smaller and neater, making it a lot less real estate hungry without losing any of its useability.
For those who would like it almost completely out-of-the-way without having to close it entirely, the control buttons now include a button (highlighted in the lower image, right) which will hide / show the actual camera movement controls, sliding them neatly out of, and into view.
All told, a nice, tidy update.
Chat Updates
Alchemy 3.7.19.34077 includes a number of updates to chat, including:
When an avatar is typing in chat, “Typing” is displayed over their head (can be enabled / disabled via Preferences > Chat > Show Nearby Chat Indicators)
When someone engaged in an IM conversation with you is typing a message, a pen will appear alongside their name in the Conversations floater, indicating they are typing, and “XX is typing…” will appear in the header bar of the conversations floater, where XX is the other person’s name
You can prevent Alchemy from sending those people your own IM typing notifications via checking Preferences > Chat > Don’t Send Typing Notification in IM
You can change the nearby chat channel for use with translators and scripts:
/setchannel \ will set the desired channel (so /setchannel \1 will set it to channel 1)
/setchannel 0 will change it back
Alchemy will now allow up to 3096 characters in a single chat message.
Other Items of Note
Ability to display a pop-up when people enter / leave a region (People floater > Options > check Radar Alerts)
Option to select the display of user names, display names, both, etc., (Preferences > General > drop-down menu under Usernames (the Highlight Friends option the drop-down replaces can now be found under the Colors tab)
Preferences > Move & View includes three new check boxes:
Always enable flight ability
Moonwalk (aka don’t turn avatar around when walking backwards)
Nimble (aka don’t run certain animations, such as the landing “splat” when falling, to appear more nimble)
New movement options under Preferences > Move & View
Inventory auto-accept options moved from Preferences > Privacy to Preferences > Interface > Inventory
Preferences > Interface has two new sub-tabs, Mouselook and Security, and numerous new options throughout all the sub-tabs
Teleport progress bar now displays the region to which you are teleporting
A further nice update from the Alchemy team, which adds some neat additions to the viewer – the work on legacy search is particularly impressive. There has also been a lot of under the hood work as well, with memory leak fixes, fixes for bottlenecks, slowdowns, etc., which the Alchemy team say should lead to better performance in addition to the updates that have come from the Lab.
For those who tend to ask, there is still no support for the Restrained Love API as yet, but it the promise is there that it will be added in the future.
Updates for the week ending: Sunday October 26th, 2014
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 3.7.18.295539, released on October 20th (formerly the Browser Fix RC viewer – core updates: SSL 3.0 removal from internal browser due to the POODLE vulnerability (release notes)
HTTP Pipelining RC viewer updated to version 3.7.19.295700 on October 24th – core updates: Pipelined HTTP Operations for Mesh and Texture Fetches; Inventory fetch Improvements (download and release notes)
Benchmark viewer updated to RC with version 3.7.19.295759 on October 24th – removes reliance on the GPU table for determining the viewer’s initial graphics settings (download and release notes)
Cool Viewer Stable Branch updated to version 1.26.12.22 and Cool Viewer Legacy Branch updated to version 1.26.8.80, both on October 25th – core updates: please refer to the release notes.
Important note: The SL Go service is to be shut down on April 30th, 2015. For more information, please read this report.
As I (among others) reported on Tuesday, October 14th, OnLive released a version of their SL Go service for the iPad.
At the time of the release, there was an unexpected rotation issue which meant that the screen orientation was locked in one horizontal orientation – if you flipped the iPad around, the screen would appear upside down, although the input areas might actually flip with the screen but still be displayed as if they were upside down.
This was a particular nuisance for people using a bluetooth keyboard or docking station with their iPad, as it meant the viewer would be displayed upside down when docked with either.
On Friday, October 24th, Dennis Harper from OnLive dropped me a note to inform me that this rotation issue has now been corrected, The app should update for those who already have it, and the fix is now a part of all downloads obtained via the Apple iTunes store.
On October 24th, Oculus VR released the latest software version for their SDK. Among the many updates came support for Unity Free developers (Unity versions 4.5.5 and up), and experimental support for Linux.
Important note: The SL Go service is to be shut down on April 30th, 2015. For more information, please read 
