On Monday November 18th, Firestorm will commence blocking older versions of the viewer from accessing Second Life.
This is a move that has been coming for some time, and has been announced on a number of occasions through the Firestorm blog, through Firestorm user meetings and Q&A sessions, and which has been repeated through various blogs, including mine.
As it is, there are a good number of users still running versions of Firestorm that pre-date the introduction of Server-side Appearance (“avatar baking”) and some which even pre-date mesh rendering. Not only does running such versions lessen the user experience and increase the workload Firestorm support volunteers have in trying to assist people on older versions of the viewer.
Nor are the Firestorm team doing this entirely off their own backs. For obvious reasons, the Lab would like to see more users benefiting from the broad range of improvements which have already been rolled-out to SL (and those still being deployed in terms of further viewer-side updates), including SSA, interest list updates, improvements to the rendering pipe, improvements to viewer / server communications, and so on, all of which should improve the user experience, even for those on older hardware.
Given that Firestorm does have the lion’s user of active users, just under 65,000 of whom are still logging-in to Second Life on versions of the viewer pre-dating the more recent SL updates such as SSA, the easiest way to encourage them to update is to block older versions of the viewer.
Many Firestorm users are still on versions pre-dating SSB and mesh rendering
This being the case, once the block comes into force, it means only users on Firestorm 4.4.0 through to the current version(s) will be able to access Second Life. As such, from November 18th, the following versions of Firestorm will be blocked from Second Life (numbers of people still using each version given in brackets):
4.3.1.31155 (40,451)
4.2.2.29837 (14,120)
4.2.1.29803 (60)
4.1.1.28744 (3334)
4.0.1.27000 Beta (4585)
3.3.0.24882 maintenance release (606)
3.3.0.24880 hotfix release (571)
3.2.2.24336 (881)
3.2.1.24179 (166)
For those who feel they may be unable to run later versions of Firestorm, the recommendation is to give a later version a go and to contact Firestorm support teams for assistance or try the Firestorm troubleshooting wiki pages, as issues encountered may be fixable. For those who have genuine issues in trying to run later versions of Firestorm, Linden Lab’s Third-party Viewer Directory offers a list of self-certified alternative viewers you might want to try.
For further information, please refer to the Firestorm blog announcement.
Please note: I cannot address technical questions relating to Firestorm through this blog. Please contact the Firestorm support groups if you have specific technical questions.
Update: Singularity 1.8.4 was updated with release 1.8.4.5434 on November 16th, after an issue with the coamera controls was discovered in the 1.8.4.5433 build. Not other changes were made, and the functions / updates described in this overview remain current for the the 1.8.4 release.
Thursday November 14th saw the release of Singularity 1.8.4.5433, which brought to the v1-style viewer a 64-bit Windows version to sit with the existing 32-bit Windows version, and alongside the 64-bit Linux offering.
The new release adds a good number of Lab-driven updates to the viewer, including materials processing support (which has been available in various pre-release / alpha versions of Singularity for a while), inclusion of Google Breakpad for better crash reporting, support for the GetMesh2 capability for improved mesh object downloading and inclusion of support for the new LSL particle options. The release also brings with it a host of TPV updates and improvements, either from the Singularity team or which have come by way of other viewers.
The following is a rapid-fire overview for the release, rather than an in-depth review. As always, for a complete list of updates and changes together with all attributions for originators / contributors, please refer the official release notes.
Materials, Particles, Breakpad
Materials arrives in the Singularity release viewer
Materials processing support has been available for a while with pre-release and alpha versions of Singularity, and with 1.8.4.5433, they arrive in the release version. For those familiar with using materials (diffuse, normal and specular maps), the Texture tab on the Build floater presents the expected options in a familiar layout.
A couple of nice additions with materials are the Synchronize Materials check box in the main build floater, and the carry-through of the UUID field from the texture picker to the normal / specular map pickers. The former makes it a simple one-step process to keep parameter changes between the different maps on the face of an object in synch, while the latter makes it easy to apply maps using their UUID if known.
The particles support sees Singularity able to support the latest particle parameters, including ribbon particles and particle glow. However, while testing the viewer, I found that it does not appear to support the particle muting capability LL also introduced, whereby right-clicking on a particle stream will mute the corresponding emitter.
The Google Breakpad crash reporting system is enabled by default on first installing release 1.8.4. Providing such reports allows a TPV team to better understand and deal with potential crash modes within a viewer and identify and eliminate potential errors which can result in crashes, and users are therefore encouraged to keep the option enabled. However, if you don’t wish to send any reports, or don’t wish to be asked prior to a report being sent should you crash, you can change the crash reporting setting through a drop-down menu in Preferences > General (shown below).
Google Breakpad enables crash reporting to the Singularity team, and can be configured through the Preferences > General tab
Menu Updates
Singularity adds some nice little touches to the use of the pie menu, and adds the option to switch between using the pie menu and context menus.
Shift-clicking on the central “hole” in the pie menu will either step you back through levels (if you have been using the More > option), or close the pie menu
The pie menu can be displayed when in Mouselook by holding the ALT key and right-clicking. It can be cleared by holding the ALT key and left-clicking
For those who, like me, prefer context menus, they can be enabled in place of the pie menu via Preferences > System > Use Context Menus instead of Pie Menus.
Other Updates of Note
This release of Singularity also includes the following updates:
Inclusion of the latest fixes for the latest ATi/AMD Catalyst drivers
Addition of the default camera presets to the Quick Preferences panel
Several improvements to the instant message panels
Improved reliability of the texture cache
The mini-map gets updated with additional options on the right-click menu
Mini-map updates:
right-click option to hide or show objects
Ability to show Whisper, Chat and Shout range rings (hat rings aware of OpenSim chat range settings)
MiniMapPrimMaxAltitudeDelta and MiniMapPrimMaxAltitudeDeltaOwn debug settings added to allow customisation of objects displayed on the mini-map based on proximity
Linden tree animations re-enabled (Advanced > Rendering > Animate Trees)
Clicking on clock toggles display of local time
Grid URLs can be entered directly into the login panel’s grid field, bypassing the need to open the Grid Manager
OpenSim / Aurora sim updates, including:
Support for variable-sized regions
More OpenSim conformity
Issue with teleport failures and saving scripts taking a very long time on OpenSim regions run in the same simulator instance fixed
And more, again, please refer to the release notes for details and for the code attributions of all updates.
Windows 64-Bit
The 1.8.4 release of Singularity sees the arrival of a Windows 64-bit version. There is a known issue with this version of the viewer, which lacks support for the Quicktime plugin, so certain types of parcel media will not play. However, this does not affect streaming music and media on a prim (MoaP).
While my tests are far from conclusive, I have spent time running the 64-bit version on the SL Aditi (beta) grid and have encountered no problems or crashes.
The long-awaiting “Project Interesting” viewer has finally made it to release candidate status with the arrival of version 3.6.11.283895 of the viewer on Thursday November 14th.
This viewer represents the last stage in the current work on improving interest list functionality, the code which controls how the data relating to your in-world view is handled by both the server and the viewer. This includes what is sent to the viewer, what is retained by the viewer for reuse and things like the order in which objects are rendered when you log-in to SL or teleport (so that the “interesting” objects which are closer to you or which are particularly large should render first, for example).
The vast majority of the interest list work has already been delivered, and everyone should already be enjoying the broader benefits. However, the final phase of the current batch of work has been focused on both server and viewer changes, and the latter have been somewhat delayed due to a number of bugs, some of which were the result of the need to further tweak things server-side which in turn adversely affected the viewer’s behaviour, while others were bugs which appeared to have been dealt with, only to return in a later build.
The “project interesting” viewer updates should further improve scene loading for users through improved caching of region and object data, better use of memory, etc.
The core changes within this viewer relate to what can be cached locally. This should allow the viewer to store more information on objects and regions than is currently the case, enabling it to re-use object / region data without having to rely on the server to re-send the information, improving rendering times when you are exploring a region / teleporting back to a region previously visited.
One of the bugs which delayed the arrival of the “project interesting” viewermeant that some objects would not render (as is the case with the house in this image). Unlike the recent “missing prims” issue, no bounding box, etc., was loaded by the viewer, so right-clicking where the house should be would not resolve the issue – a relog was required (image courtesy of Whirly Fizzle)
There are other improvements to further assist with scene loading as well. For example, when teleporting into a region never before visited, the viewer can now tell the simulator that it has no data for the region cached, and the simulator can in turn simply get on with prioritising the data and downloading to the viewer, rather than it having to repeatedly ask the viewer if it needs the data, as is currently the case. The result of this is that “several seconds” can be shaved from scene loading times for uncached regions. Also, the viewer will no longer load objects from cache into memory if they are completely by scene geometry, thus reducing unnecessary memory use.
The viewer is currently a release candidate, which means it will be downloaded and installed for some users who have indicated a willingness to participate in the release candidate programme through their viewer Preferences (Set-up > Willing to update to release candidates). Those who wish to manually install the viewer can read the release notes and download it from the link below.
The Lab issued a blog post to accompany the viewer release (which I initially missed), which includes a video demonstrating the changes, narrated by Torley Linden.
UKanDo, the v3-based viewer from Connor Monaron updated to a new release on Wednesday November 13th. Version 3.6.10.27888 sees the viewer return to parity with the Lab’s release code base and gain the most recent improvements from the Lab including the Facebook SLShare capability.
This is more of a progressive update on capabilities already in the viewer rather than a major update with lots of new features and shinies, which is entirely in keeping with Connor’s stated intent to produce a viewer which is reasonably close to LL’s own, but which incorporates some of the more popular TPV functions and abilities.
In my last look at UKanDo, I reported on the arrival of the QuickTools floater, a variation of the popular Quick Preferences options found in a number of TPVs, which offers rapid access to a number of the viewer’s capabilities. At the time, I pointed out that the icon for the toolbar button for the panel could perhaps do with a re-think, given it was the same as the icon for the viewer Preferences panel, so there was a risk of the two buttons being confused when set to Icon Only display mode. With this release, the QuickTools button icon has been revised so that it is now a film reel / pie menu, making the button quite distinct from the Preferences button when both are used in a toolbar.
As well as the QuickTools button, the Area Search button and the Build button also get new icons.
Area Search Udpate
Area Search also sees the addition of further search criteria in the form of check boxes which allow the user to define the kind of objects which are to be located: physical, temporary, attachments, or others. These can be checked individually or in combination, and provide an additional level of granularity to object searches.
Area Search: updates with new checkboxes for more granular searches and a new option button (bottom left)
A new gear button has also been added to the floater, which can be used to access additional configuration options. Currently this only comprises Auto-Track Selections (displays beacon for an item selected from the list) and Stop Tracking (removes beacon). However, as this is reported as “part 1” of an overhaul of Area Search, more options may be forthcoming in the future.
Advanced Build Options
Version 3.6.10.27888 of UKanDo see the introduction of an Advanced Build Options floater, which contains some of the options also found in Preferences > UKanDo > Building, as well as some options not present in that tab.
The Advanced Build Options floater, offering additional default / options for builders, some of which can also be found in Preferences > UKanDo > Build
The new floater is accessed by editing / creating an object and selecting Build > Options > Advanced Build Options from the menu bar or pressing CTRL-ALT-B.
Geometry Overload Protection
A new addition to the Graphics tab of Preferences with release 3.6.10.27888 is the Geometry Overload Protection. Enabled by default, this is designed to stop the viewer crashing due to someone using objects with excessive geometry (a common form of viewer attack in some regions). This addition brings a slight change in layout to the default display of the Graphics tab, which includes the option to enable the Advanced Lighting Model without having to access the Advanced options.
Preferences > Graphics gets revised to include the Geometry Overload Protection option and an option to enable / disable ALM without having to access the Advanced options
Other Updates
This release also includes:
Further adjustments to the viewer UI, with the buttons looking even more V1-style
Favourites Bar Landmark text now white for easier reading
Select only copyable objects Added to the Build -> Options menu
Show each avatar’s age in their name tag unless they are older than the number of days specified in Preferences > UKanDo > Avatar
Show LookAt / PointAt- includes names on crosshairs option Preferences > Privacy
Status Bar Hide/Show options for the:
Marketplace button
Buy Currency button
NetStats Bar Graph
Option to displayed log-in names as well as Display Names in the People floater tabs (click the options button and check View Login Name)
Feedback
A small, tidy update to the viewer which again draws upon some popular TPV features without risking the viewer becoming top-heavy.
Still no media filter at this point in time, which I’d personally like to see (and would like to see in the official viewer for that matter). Having it available discourages a complete disabling of media and allows one to more easily enjoy music when travelling around without necessarily being over-exposed to more nefarious goings-on. Another thing I’d like to see is the proper release note attributions for those elements incorporated from other TPVs.
That the Advanced Build Options floater and the options in Preferences > UKanDo > Building have an odd level of functional cross-over which might cause some confusion at times. Given both the degree of overlap between them and the degree of individual options found in one but not the other, it might be an idea to make them consistent in terms of the options offered by both, but this is a minor quibble.
Performance-wise, the viewer operates pretty much as anticipated, and I didn’t notice any particular drop-off in frame rates when using CHUI in expanded mode, so I assume this issue has been fixed in the last rebuild of the 3.6.10 viewer, and that UKanDo has the fix. However, this is only my experience, so don’t quote me on that if you find you are still having that particular problem either with the latest release of UKanDo or the official viewer!
In the meantime, I’ll keep following UKanDo as it develops.
Dave Rowe (Strachan Ofarrel in SL) is responsible for developing the CtrlAltStudio viewer. Based on Firestorm, the viewer comes in two flavours, one encompassing a Stereoscopic 3D world view, and the other pioneering Oculus Rift support for both Second Life and OpenSim.
The Oculus Rift configuration utility (image: Dave Rowe)
I’ve been reporting on both viewers as they’ve been updated, and noticed that Dave recently posted some useful information for those with a pre-release Oculus Rift SDK version and who might be using his viewer.
In it, he provides an overview of the headset’s configuration utility which allows users to:
Measure your eye separation (inter pupillary distance or IPD, also referred to simply as pupillary distance)
Correctly calibrate the headset
Update the headset’s firmware.
If you have a headset, and have not used the configuration utility, Dave’s article makes worthwhile reading, covering as it does all three of the operations bulleted above.
In addition to covering these options, Dave points out that the latest version of the firmware (0.18) includes improvements to reduce orientation drift. So, if you have been using the utility to calibrate the headset, but are finding your orientation is drifting a lot, you may want to try updating your headset’s firmware.
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.
Maintenance RC updated on November 7th to 3.6.10.283403 (download and release notes) – finer access control for estate/parcel owners; CHUI: toggle expanding Conversations by clicking on icon (may impact frame rates); GPU table update + more
Black Dragon updated on November 5th to version 2.3.7 Alpha (Maintenance) – core updates: preference panel largely completed with new layout and presentation through the existing floater; improvement to presentation of toast pop-ups (release notes)
Release notes (both) core updates: FMOD Ex updated to v4.44.25; deformer enabled in both versions on OpenSim and SL Aditi grid, disabled on Agni; installer improvements for Windows; crash and bug fixes; Virtual Highway and DreamNation grids added to OpenSim grid list and login URI for Virtyou updated; materials export / import added to object backup on the Stable branch
Text Clients
Group Tool updated on November 7th to version 2.2.23.0.
On Monday November 18th, Firestorm will commence blocking older versions of the viewer from accessing Second Life.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 