On Tuesday, August 9th, the Main (SLS) channel received the server maintenance package deployed to the three RC’s in week #31, and which was itself an update to the RC deployment of July 27th due to BUG-37573.
There were no RC deployment on Wednesday, August 10th.
SL Viewer
It had been anticipated that the Maintenance RC viewer might be promoted as the de facto release viewer this week. Instead, a new version of the RC arrived on Monday, August 8th – version 4.0.7.318301.
The rest of the available official viewers remain as:
Current Release version: 4.0.6.315555 (dated May 23rd), promoted July 5th – formerly the Inventory Message RC viewer
RC viewers:
VLC Media Plugin RC viewer, version 4.1.1.318152, dated July 28th – replaces the QuickTime media plugin for the Windows version of the viewer with one based on LibVLC
Visual Outfits Browser RC viewer, version 4.0.7.318263, dated August 1st – ability to preview images of outfits in the Appearance floater.
Project viewers:
Project Bento (avatar skeleton extensions), version 5.0.0.317597, dated July 14th – incorporation of final skeleton and slider updates from the test viewer
Obsolete platform viewer, version 3.7.28.300847 dated May 8th, 2015 – provided for users on Windows XP and OS X versions below 10.7.
The was no Main (SLS) channel deployment on Tuesday, August 2nd as had been anticipated. Instead a further update to the existing RC server maintenance package was made to all three RC channels on Wednesday August 3rd. This update included a fix for BUG-37573 “Rez silently fails on RC Magnum, RC LeTigre and RC BlueSteel regions”.
SL Viewer
The Visual Outfits Browser viewer was promoted to release candidate status on Monday, August 1st, with the release of version 4.0.7.318263. This update includes further fixes listed as:
MAINT-6476 VOB – User can add any size image to an Outfit Gallery outfit folders
MAINT-6583 [VOB] Snapshot floater is stuck in “Posting” state.
MAINT-6601 [VOB] Texture picker generates WARNING spam in SecondLife.log.
All other viewers remain unchanged since my last projects update:
Current Release version: 4.0.6.315555 (dated May 23rd), promoted July 5th – formerly the Inventory Message RC viewer
RC viewers:
VLC Media Plugin RC viewer, version 4.1.1.318152, dated July 28th – replaces the QuickTime media plugin for the Windows version of the viewer with one based on LibVLC
Maintenance RC viewer, version 4.0.7.318189, dated July 28th – fixes and updates
Project viewers:
Project Bento (avatar skeleton extensions), version 5.0.0.317597, dated July 14th – incorporation of final skeleton and slider updates from the test viewer
Obsolete platform viewer, version 3.7.28.300847 dated May 8th, 2015 – provided for users on Windows XP and OS X versions below 10.7.
Some of the notes in this update are taken from the TPV Developer meeting held on Friday, July 29th. The video of that meeting is embedded at the end of this update. My thanks as always to North for recording and providing it.
Server Deployments – Recap
There was no deployment to the Main (SLS) channel on Tuesday, July 26th.
A new server maintenance package was deployed to all three RC channels on Thursday, July 27th, which comprised “minor internal logging changes”
It’s liable that this update will be promoted to the Main (SLS) channel in week #31 (commencing Monday, August 1st). However, we’re liable to be in a quiescent period, sever-wise for a while, doubtless in part due to it being vacation season.
SL Viewer
The Maintenance RC viewer updated to version 4.0.7.318189 on Thursday July 28th. This release includes an update to prevent the viewer using the deleted LLEventPollImpl upon rapid teleports. This is now the most likely candidate for promotion to release status, assuming no significant issues are found with this latest RC.
Thursday, July 28th also saw the VLC Media Plugin viewer achieve Release Candidate status with the release of version 4.1.1.318152. This viewer replaces the QuickTime media plugin for the Windows version of the viewer with one based on LibVLC. The RC release brings with it several additional fixes:
MAINT-6481 [Win LibVLC] MOAP mp4 mp3 playback missing video controls
MAINT-6502 [Win LibVLC] some .mov files play in LibVLC windows viewer
MAINT-6503 [Win LibVLC] some media file types prompt to download instead of play
MAINT-6527 [Win LibVLC] viewer plays MOAP video at maximum volume 50m away
MAINT-6577 [Win LibVLC] No sound in MOAP or browser video
MAINT-6578 [Win/Linux LibVLC] When media is enabled, many other textures in the scene get flipped upside down.
This viewer current has “very, very very” few users on it, thanks to the focus on the Maintenance viewer RC, although this should now start to change. It has apparently worked well as a project viewer, and would seem likely for promotion some time after the Maintenance RC and ahead of anything else which has yet to make it to RC status.
All other viewer remain unchanged thus far in the week:
Current Release version: 4.0.6.315555 (dated May 23rd), promoted July 5th – formerly the Inventory Message RC viewer
Project viewers:
Project Bento (avatar skeleton extensions), version 5.0.0.317597, dated July 14th – incorporation of final skeleton and slider updates from the test viewer
Visual Outfit Browser viewer, version 4.0.6.316422, dated July 1st – ability to preview images of outfits in the Appearance floater – a further update to this viewer (possibly an RC release) had been expected, but it is currently awaiting a further fix for a bug discovered by the Lab’s QA team
Obsolete platform viewer, version 3.7.28.300847 dated May 8th, 2015 – provided for users on Windows XP and OS X versions below 10.7.
Upcoming Viewers
There is no set time frame for this, but the following viewers should have project version appearing in the future:
The 64-bit Windows and Mac versions of the viewer. There is no working version of this viewer at present, and while the developers working on it are keen to see it running, it does not share the same priority as various other viewer-related activities at this point in time, delaying it from reaching project viewer status – something which will change once wthe viewer does get a project release
A further Maintenance viewer with updates and fixes
The new Voice viewer update, which is part of a series of changes being made the voice service by both the Lab and Vivox (see my last TPVD report). This viewer should be backward compatible on Mac and Windows, allowing TPVs to adopt it, and will include a new codec which should improve Voice quality for those using the update. This update may include some additional code for monitoring connections issues and failures, so the Lab can gather more informed statistics on these issues, although determining root causes for them is difficult, given the complexities of the connections between viewer, simulator and voice servers.
Project Bento
Vir is still on holiday, and will return on August 4th. Until then, the project is on a holding pattern, with time being taken to test the new skeleton updates and for AvaStar and MayaStar to complete their updates.
A further viewer update is expected, but not until after Vir has returned. A bug has been filed against jaw bone issues resulting from the most recent set of updates (see BUG-37546), and general feedback on the new skeleton continues to be made via the forum thread. Expect in-depth reports to resume from week #31.
Other Items
Presenting Inventory in the Viewer
During the July 29th TPV developer meeting, Oz indicated that if any developers who have ideas for presenting inventory in a more usable, user-friendly manner within the viewer, the Lab would be “more than happy to take a look at it”, acknowledging that the current method of presentation isn’t the most user-friendly.
On Tuesday, July 19th the server maintenance package previously deployed to all three RC was rolled-out to the Main (SLS) channel,described as “minor internal changes”. One of these sees worn scripts capped at a count of 2500. Attempts to add attachments which take an avatar over this limit should result in the attachments failing to wear.
Immediately following this deployment, there were some reports of local caps failures following region restarts. However, most of these now appear to have been corrected.
There no deployment and no scheduled restart for the RC channels planned for Wednesday, July 20th, so the entire grid should remain on the same simulator release through until Wednesday, July 27th, when a new RC deployment is due.
Viewer Updates
There have been no further viewer updates since my last SL project update, leaving the list as:
Current Release version: 4.0.6.315555 (dated May 23rd), promoted July 5th – formerly the Inventory Message RC viewer download page, release notes
RC viewer:
Maintenance RC viewer, version 4.0.7.317394, dated on July 8th – fixes and updates.
Project viewers:
Project Bento (avatar skeleton extensions), version 5.0.0.317597, dated July 14th – incorporation of final skeleton and slider updates from the test viewer (download and release notes)
Visual Outfit Browser viewer, version 4.0.6.316422, dated July 1st – ability to preview images of outfits in the Appearance floater
Project VLC Media Plugin Viewer, version 4.0.6.316258, dated June 15th – replaces the QuickTime media plugin for the Windows viewer with one based on LibVLC
Obsolete platform viewer, version 3.7.28.300847 dated May 8th, 2015 – provided for users on Windows XP and OS X versions below 10.7.
There was no deployment to the Main (SLS) channel on Tuesday, July 12th.
Wednesday July 13th saw a new server maintenance package deployed to all three RC channels comprising “minor internal changes”. One of these sees worn scripts capped at a count of 2500. Attempts to add attachments which take an avatar over this limit should result in the attachments failing to wear.
SL Viewer
The Maintenance RC viewer updated to version 4.0.7.317394 on Friday July 8th, following a merge with the current release viewer code.
The Oculus Rift project viewer was withdrawn on July 6th, and development work with the headset has been suspended for Second Life – see my update from last week for more.
This leaves the rest of the current official viewer as follows:
Current Release version: 4.0.6.315555 (dated May 23), promoted July 5 – formerly the Inventory Message RC viewer download page, release notes
Project viewers:
Visual Outfit Browser viewer, version 4.0.6.316422, dated July 1st – ability to preview images of outfits in the Appearance floater
Project Bento (avatar skeleton extensions), version 5.0.0.317134, dated June 30th
Project VLC Media Plugin Viewer, version 4.0.6.316258, dated June 15th – replaces the QuickTime media plugin for the Windows viewer with one based on LibVLC
Obsolete platform viewer, version 3.7.28.300847 dated May 8th, 2015 – provided for users on Windows XP and OS X versions below 10.7.
Despite the holiday in the US for July 4th (which has previously pushed server deployments back 24 hours), the Main (SLS) deployment did in fact take place on Tuesday, July 5th. This was the server maintenance package previously deployed to the three RC channels in week #26, comprising the following fixes:
BUG-11836 Increase max animation size – animation files up to 250Kb can now be uploaded
BUG-6035 (non-public) LSL email registration (for receiving email from outside the region) can break without automatic recovery.
There was no planned RC deployment on Wednesday, July 6th.
SL Viewer
As expected, the Inventory Message viewer, version 4.0.6.315555 (dated May 23rd) was promoted to the de facto release viewer on Tuesday, July 5th. This viewer sees the removal of deprecated and unused UDP inventory messaging mechanisms from the viewer. Pending its adoption by third-party viewers, it will also eventually see the removal of server-side support for these messages, most likely towards the end of 2016.
Currently, this leaves the official viewer line-up, RC and project, as follows:
Maintenance RC viewer, version 4.0.6.316883, dated June 24th –bug fixes and updates
Project viewers:
Visual Outfit Browser project viewer, version 4.0.6.316422, dated July 1st – ability to preview images of outfits in the Appearance floater. Expected to be updated to release candidate status soon
Oculus Rift project viewer, version 4.1.0.317313, dated July 1st – Oculus Rift DK2 + CV-1 support. However, this update appears to have significant issues, see below for more
Project Bento (avatar skeleton extensions) viewer, version 5.0.0.317134, dated June 30th
Project VLC Media Plugin viewer, version 4.0.6.316258, dated June 15th – replaces the QuickTime media plugin for the Windows version of the viewer with one based on LibVLC
Obsolete platform viewer, version 3.7.28.300847 dated May 8th, 2015 – provided for users on Windows XP and OS X versions below 10.7.
Oculus Rift Project viewer 4.1.0.317313
There appear to be significant issues with this project viewer, which is intended to support both the DK-2 and CV-1 versions of the Oculus Rift headset. For further information, please refer to the following links:
The Rains of Castamere – blog post
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 