Strachan Ofarrel, known in the physical world as Dave Rowe, continues to enhance the alpha version of his CtrlAltStudio viewer for the Oculus Rift DK2 headset and windows.
Dave has been working steadily on adding DK2 capabilities to CtrlAltStudio for a while now, and this marks the third update to the DK2 Alpha version – officially called 1.2.2.41206 Alpha 3.
The Alpha 1 release, made on August 19th, added preliminary support for the DK2, then Alpha 2, released on August 25th, added positional head tracking. The Alpha 3 release adds initial viewer UI support, as Dave explains in his blog post announcing the release:
This alpha release of the CtrlAltStudio Viewer adds basic UI to the Rift DK2 display. This includes dialogs, avatar toasts, and floating text (i.e., the same UI as displayed with the DK1 in the 1.2.1 Release).
Other changes this release:
Added fade-to-black around the barrel distorted image edges.
Stopped showing the health & safety warning the second and subsequent times into Riftlook view.
Fixed barrel distorted images being displayed lower on the screen than they should be.
Fixed “landing” in the air when flying in Riftlook with an Xbox 360 Controller.
The blog post also contains a reminder that the Alpha version(s) is / are still preliminary, with Dave noting, “it does not work with direct mode and Advanced Lighting Model needs to be turned on. It is built using the 0.4.1 Rift SDK and should work OK with the 0.4.2 Rift SDK.”
Usage is the same as the previous alpha releases. With the DK2 configured in extended mode: use the Windows key + RIGHT CURSOR to move your viewer window onto the Rift’s display, then CTRL+ALT+3 to make the window full screen and switch into Rift view.
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).
Further information on the release can be found in the release notes.
September 3rd we turn four! Hard to believe but it has already been 4 years since we started developing viewers! First the popular Phoenix viewer and now of course the crazy popular Firestorm Viewer. Firestorm is by far the most popular viewer used in Second Life and we have you to thank for that! After all… we couldn’t have done it without your support and encouragement! So as a show of our appreciation and with what is becoming a bit of a tradition for us… we have partnered with a couple of content creators to bring you some really cool free gifts AND organized a Rockin anniversary party with Rockin entertainment!
Things will kick-off at 13:00 SLT on Wednesday September 3rd, at the Phoenix-Firestorm support Island, where Mankind Trace (aka Seth Regan in the physical world) will be starting things with a live performance, and he’ll be followed by Firestorm’s Ed Merryman, who will be spinning the discs until the last avatar drops (which in 2013 added up to a 18+ hour party!).
Do keep in mind that the region’s capacity is liable to be limited, but people will be coming and going – so if you don’t get in the first time – try later!
To further mark the event, two special gifts will be on offer. The first of this is another Firestorm cat from KittyKats. This one is called FireBall, and like the 2013 kitty, is fully interactive – it can wander, follow and even be held – and comes complete with a party hat, engraved collar and a cute matching bed!
The Firestorm 4th anniversary KittyKat and custom bike from Desert Morning Motors
Also on offer for a limited time is a Firestorm themed Cafe style easy rider bike, donated by Desert Morning Motors. Inspired by the Classic American Motorcycles of the late 1930′s to the late 1960′s, and capture the spirit of the American chopper bikes. So get ready to be a Firestorm Easy Rider!
Locations for obtaining both of these limited-time gifts will be announced through the Firestorm blog on Wednesday September 3rd, and will doubtless be available at the party!
Which just leaves me to pass on congratulations and best wishes to Jessica, Ed, and the team on reaching their 4th anniversary!
On August 25th, and continuing his work in providing preliminary support for the Oculus DK2 in his CrtlAltStudio viewer, Dave Rowe announced the release of version 1.2.2.41190 Alpha 2 for Windows.
This is essentially the same release as the 1.2.2.41183 release for the DK2 made on August 19th, but sees positional head tracking support added to the viewer.
Commenting on the release, Dave stated:
This alpha release of the CtrlAltStudio Viewer adds positional head tracking support to take advantage of the DK2’s camera. You can look around, over, and under objects by moving your head. This adds significantly to the sense of immersion.
Usage is the same as the previous alpha. With the DK2 configured in extended mode: use the Windows key + RIGHT CURSOR to move your viewer window onto the Rift’s display, then CTRL+ALT+3 makes the window full screen and switches into Rift view.
CtrlAltStudio 1.2.2.41190 supports Rift DK2 positional head tracking (image: Le Journal du Gamer, July 5th, 2014)
The release also sees two other additions to the viewer:
A CTRL+Spacebar command that zeroes Rift sensor orientation and tracking position.
A user warnings if Rift HMD or camera not found at start-up.
There is still no support for basic shaders or the UI in Riftlook in the viewer, nor is there any Rift direct mode support. However, these are on Dave’s “to do” list for the future.
As with the previously alpha release with DK2 support, this version will install into its own directory, allowing it to be used alongside the release version.
Updates for the week ending: Sunday August 31st, 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
Alchemy viewer released version 3.7.14.33534 Beta on August 27th – core updates: UI refresh; legacy profiles; region tracker; snapshot floater updates (release notes)
Kokua release version 3.7.8.35024 for OpenSim on August 27th – core updates: refocus on SL 3.7.7 and 3.7.8 code base for better OpenSim stability (3.7.12 still available for SL) (release notes)
V1-style
Cool VL viewer updated on August 31st – Stable release to version 1.26.12.15 and Legacy version 1.26.8.73 – core updates: please refer to the release notes
On Wednesday August 27th, the Alchemy team released further beta version of their v3-style viewer, which they refer to as a celebratory release, marking their inclusion in the Lab’s Third Party Viewer Directory.
As a beta, version 3.7.14.33534, the release obviously isn’t a full feature release; as Cinder notes in the blog post, it is still a work-in-progress, and the Alchemy team are still working on things. As such, this article is a rapid-fire overview of points-of-note, rather than an in-depth article.
The new release is available for Windows (32-bit and 64-bit) and Mac (64-bit), with Linux referred to as “coming soon”. I installed the Windows 64-bit version, which not only suited my system, it allowed me to run the new beta alongside the 32-bit version of the previous beta release, which I looked at back in April. Installation was smooth and direct, with the viewer firing-up automatically once installation had finished. No anti-virus flags triggered, just my usual firewall warning about the SLplugin for voice,
Starting the viewer revealed the most notable change to it – the UI font presentation. To quote Cinder’s blog post:
We’ve decided that Adobe® Source Sans Pro is a little nicer on the eyes, and Sovereign went to great lengths to push around the pixels and make everything fit just right.
The viewer certainly reflects this effort; font presentation is crisp and sharp (doubly so, perhaps on my new shiny monitor! 🙂 ), and everything fits the floaters, button, icons, toasts, etc., perfectly when using a default UI size, and it scales nicely with the UI size slider. Alongside of this, the UI itself has been generally refreshed, although some of the updates may not appear obvious to the eye.
Preferences
The additional Move & View options in Preferences
Preferences get the same UI refresh as the rest of the viewer, and a couple of changes in the Move & View tab, which see the addition of two camera constraints check boxes (Disable Minimum Zoom and Disable Object Push), and a check box for Realistic Mouselook (which comes to Alchemy via NiranV Dean).
Toolbar Buttons
Alchemy 3.7.14 sees changes to the toolbar buttons available to users.
Alchemy Toolbar Buttons floater
Of particular note with this release is the addition of the buttons for sharing to Twitter and Flickr, the Region Tracker and Quick Settings buttons (both of which are examined later in this article), and the removal of the Windlight button.
Legacy Profiles
Alchemy’s new legacy profile display – integrated into the People floater
Legacy profiles come to Alchemy with a completely fresh implementation of the profile floater, which has been neatly integrated into the People floater. Accessing your own profile can be done from the Me menu or the Profile button, as per usual, while accessing other people’s profiles can be done through the right-click avatar context menu, also as per usual.
All of these options open the new profile panel within the People floater, and the arrow at the top left of the floater will switch you back to the People panel display itself, allowing you to page back and forth between, say, Nearby People and individual profiles quickly and easily, and without opening additional floaters. Note that in this regard, your own avatar is listed in Nearby People, allowing you a further means of accessing your own profile information.
This entire approach is smooth and sweet, and followed through with all other means of accessing a profile (e.g. through the mini-map, and so on). Nor does it end there. The updated Profile display neatly organises the various tabs – Second Life, Groups, Interests, etc, vertically, with what might be the mostly common-used option buttons (Chat, Add Friend, Block) ranged at the bottom of the display, with a gear icon providing access to additional options – share, offer teleport, request teleport, Pay, etc.
Snapshot Floater Update
As I’ve recently reported, the official viewer is gaining a more unified snapshot floater (at the time of writing, available via the Snowstorm RC viewer version 3.7.15.293295). Given that this beta release of Alchemy is based on the Lab’s 3.7.14 release code, it doesn’t include the newer snapshot floater; instead it provides its own means switching to the Facebook, Flickr and Twitter floaters.
This has been achieved via the addition of three links (rather than buttons) at the foot of the snapshot floater itself. Clicking on any one of these will close the snapshot floater and open the required upload floater.
The Alchemy snapshot floater with the links to switch to the Flickr, Facebook or Twitter upload floaters (l); and the additional image size options
Following the recent release of Firestorm 4.6.7 (see my overview for details), the Firestorm team has announced that Firestorm 4.5.1 will be blocked as from Friday September 12th, 2014.
The blocking of version 4.5.1 – which does not affect any of the more recent releases of Firestorm, is in keeping with the Firestorm team’s agreement with Linden Lab to only allow – as far as possible – only the most recent three releases of Firestorm to connect to Second Life.
Also unaffected by the block, and for the benefit of Mac users, is version 4.4.2 – in keeping with their promise to Mac users, Firestorm will not be blocking version 4.4.2 until such time as more of the Mac-specific bugs which have occurred in more recent SL viewer releases (and inherited by Firestorm and other TPVs) have been dealt with.
However, although the blocking is related to Second Life, please note that this announcement does mean that as from September 12th, Firestorm version 4.5.1 will no longer be able to connect to OpenSim grids as well.
If you want to know why Firestorm block versions, you can find an explanation on their blog. Similarly, if you wish yo know how Firestorm implement a block, you can do so via the Firestorm wiki.
In terms of the upcoming block, those users who are still running 4.5.1 are asked to update to a more recent very of Firestorm sooner rather than later. As the official blog post from the team notes:
If you wait until the last minute to update you will have a harder time reaching support since most people seem to wait until the last minute and then contact support for help.
Strachan Ofarrel, known in the physical world as Dave Rowe, continues to enhance the alpha version of his CtrlAltStudio viewer for the Oculus Rift DK2 headset and windows.
