Tag: Simulator User Group 2018

2018 SL UG updates #27 Simulator User Group

Posted on by Inara Pey
The Vault – dare you enter? – blog post

Sever Deployments

Due to this week being July 4th week in the United States, there are no planned server deployments.

SL Viewer

At the time of writing, there had been no SL viewer updates to mark the start of the week, leaving things as follows:

  • Current Release version 5.1.6.516459 and dated June 15, promoted June 21 – formerly the Pálinka Maintenance Release Candidate – No Change
  • Release channel cohort:
    • Quinquina Maintenance RC viewer, version 5.1.7.516813, released on June 22.
  • Project viewers:
  • Linux Spur viewer, version 5.0.9.329906, dated November 17, 2017 and promoted to release status 29 November – offered pending a Linux version of the Alex Ivy viewer code.
  • Obsolete platform viewer, version 3.7.28.300847, May 8, 2015 – provided for users on Windows XP and OS X versions below 10.7.

Retrieving Grid Statistics Page via llHTTPRequest

There is a known LSL bug when trying to retrieve grid statistics via a script, which results in a 499 error – see BUG-216320. However, queries via web browsers will still succeed.

This Week

Project news will be in short supply, again due to it being 4th of July week.

 

2018 SL UG updates #26/1: Simulator User Group meeting

Posted on by Inara Pey

Oboeru; Inara Pey, June 2018, on FlickrOboeru – blog post

The majority of the following notes come from the Simulator User Group meeting of Tuesday, June 19th, 2018.

Sever Deployments

As always, please refer to the server deployment thread for the latest information.

  • On Tuesday, June 26th, the Main (SLS) channel was updated with server maintenance package 18#18.06.14.516450, previously deployed to the LeTigre and Magnum RC channels, comprising internal fixes and logging improvements.
  • On Wednesday, June 27th, the release candidate channels should be updated with server maintenance package 18#18.06.22.516968, which includes Animesh on a first-time deployment for LeTigre and Magnum (having been deployed to BlueSteel in week #25), and “new Main Channel code”.

Some SLS channel regions reported double restarts on Tuesday, June 26th, and these are being investigated by the Lab.

Animesh Deployment

Follow the Wednesday, June 27th, Animesh will be live on all the major RC channels – however, as previously noted in this updates, it is still in development, and not product-ready.

The Animesh project viewer, necessary for working with Animesh and rendering it correctly, can be obtained from the Alternate Viewers wiki page.

Animesh Resources

You can find further information on Animesh via the following resources.

SL Viewer

Recent updates:

  • The release viewer updated to version 5.1.6.516459 (dated June 15th) on June 21st, formerly the Pálinka Maintenance Release Candidate.
  • A new Maintenance RC viewer, version 5.1.7.516813 and code-named Quinquina, was released on June 22nd.
  • The Animesh project viewer updated to version 5.1.6.516525 on June 22nd, and again on June 25th to version 6.0.0.516979.

The other SL viewers in the current pipelines remain as:

  • Project viewers:
  • Linux Spur viewer, version 5.0.9.329906, dated November 17, 2017 and promoted to release status 29 November – offered pending a Linux version of the Alex Ivy viewer code.
  • Obsolete platform viewer, version 3.7.28.300847, May 8, 2015 – provided for users on Windows XP and OS X versions below 10.7.

Environment Enhancement Project (EEP)

The is still some confusion as to how EEP will work with different region / parcel windlight settings at altitude when compared to Firestorm’s parcel windlight capability. In short:

  • Firestorm allows the windlight within a parcel to be changed at any altitude using a command line construct in the About Land description floater.
    • However, this is purely a viewer-side change.
    • Anyone entering a region using a viewer that does not have the same windlight support will not automatically have the setting defined in About Land applied to their viewer.
  • EEP should ensure that windlight settings set by altitude will apply to everyone in a parcel, regardless of the viewer they are using.
    • However, windlight changes by altitude are limited to four heights: from ground level up wards; 1,000m and above; 2,000m and above; 3,000 and above.

Top Scripts and Region / Parcel Management

Some people are experiencing region performance issues  – notably around scripts, etc. It’s been suggested that making Top Scripts and Colliders visible to parcel holders within a region so they can see what in their parcel might be impacting performance has been suggested.

  • This isn’t a fresh request (see JIRA SVC-835), but it is one that hasn’t been discussed recently.
  • The concern was raised that allowing Top Scripts to be more widely visible could lead to harassment between parcel holders in a region.
  • There is also some concern that over-use of the capability could itself impact region performance, because Top Scripts is an intensive query to run.
  • Even so, it is something being take back to the Lab for further discussion, and is seen as “reasonable”, providing the ability to start / stop scripts isn’t included (griefing vector).

2018 SL UG updates #25/1: Simulator User Group meeting – Animesh

Posted on by Inara Pey

Cape Florida Lighthouse and Park; Inara Pey, June 2018, on FlickrCape Florida Lighthouse and Park – blog post

The majority of the following notes come from the Simulator User Group meeting of Tuesday, June 19th, 2018.

Sever Deployments

As always, please refer to the server deployment thread for the latest information.

  • On Tuesday, June 19th, the Main (SLS) channel was updated with server maintenance package 18#18.06.06.516064, previously deployed to the RC channels. This release comprises:
    • Additional work to support localised Abuse Report categories.
    • Improvements to object updates as part of ongoing performance improvements.
    • Removal of the logging of a trivial message.
    • Internal fixes.
  • On Wednesday, June 20th, the release candidate channels should be updated as follows:
    • LeTigre and Magnum should receive server maintenance package 18#18.06.14.516450, comprising internal fixes and logging improvements.
    • BlueSteel should received server release 18#18.06.14.516474, containing server-side support for Animesh.

Animesh Deployment

The deployment of Animesh support to the BlueSteel release candidate channel marks the first phase in testing Animesh on the Main grid. For those not up-to-speed with Animesh, the goal of this project is to provide a means of animating rigged mesh objects using the avatar skeleton, in whole or in part, to provide things like independently moveable pets / creatures, and animated scenery features via scripted animation. It involves both viewer and server-side changes.

The viewer updates required to see / use Animesh are currently only available in a project viewer, and are still undergoing update and improvement. As such, this initial deployment of Animesh should be regarded as experimental, and may see further viewer / server-side changes. TPVs are – as usual with project viewers – encouraged not to adopt the viewer code for Animesh until it reaches release candidate status.

So Animesh will be enabled on BlueSteel. You have to be running the Animesh project viewer and be in one of those regions. Server support for animesh involves adding a new message and some new LSL functions. [The] viewer will go through the usual cycle of RC viewer and then release, [and I] don’t know exact timing yet. We have a content creators meeting on Thursdays. Talking about it today because it’s about to go to part of Agni.

Since it will now be possible to have Animesh content on Agni, that also means you can try to rez it in non-Animesh regions. If you do that, (a) content won’t look right because the server won’t be sending you the appropriate messages, and (b) you’ll get script errors because the region doesn’t like the new LSL calls.

Vir Linden discussing Animesh at the Simulator UG meeting, Tuesday, June 19th.

At the time of writing the Animesh project viewer was at version 5.1.6.516525, dated June 18th, 2018.

As well as TPVs being asked not to adopt the current Animesh viewer code, content creators are being encouraged not to start marketing / selling Animesh items at this point in time.

For the sake of customers, it’s probably NOT a good idea to start offering any products that are no-mod or such on the marketplace. I know there will be really cool things available soon, but with the limited servers and viewers and confusion that will cause, please wait a bit.

Simon Linden on selling Animesh content

Animesh Resources

You can find further information on Animesh via the following resources.

Furthermore, I provide regular updates on the Animesh project via my Content Creation User Group updates, so you can keep up with Animesh development through these.

SL Viewer

The Animesh viewer updates to version 5.1.6.516525, on June 18th. Otherwise the remaining viewers in the current SL pipelines were, at the time of writing, as follows:

  • Current Release version 5.1.5.515811, dated May 31, promoted June 1 – formerly the Love Me Render Release Candidate – No Change.
  • Release channel cohorts (please see my notes on manually installing RC viewer versions if you wish to install any release candidate(s) yourself):
    • Pálinka Maintenance RC viewer, 5.1.6.516459, dated June 15.
    • 32-bit Windows Unloop RC viewer, version 5.1.6.515965, dated June 5 – specifically for 32-bit Windows users caught in the 64-bit install loop (see here for more). Otherwise, the viewer is functionally identical to release version 5.1.5.515811.
  • Project viewers:
  • Linux Spur viewer, version 5.0.9.329906, dated November 17, 2017 and promoted to release status 29 November – offered pending a Linux version of the Alex Ivy viewer code.
  • Obsolete platform viewer, version 3.7.28.300847, May 8, 2015 – provided for users on Windows XP and OS X versions below 10.7. This viewer will remain available for as long as reasonable, but will not be updated with new features or bug fixes.

Environment Enhancement Project

This is a set of environmental enhancements, including:

  • The ability to define the environment (sky, sun, moon, clouds, water settings) at the parcel level.
  • New environment asset types (Sky, Water, Days – the latter comprising multiple Sky and Water) that can be stored in inventory and traded through the Marketplace / exchanged with others.
  • Experience-based environment functions
  • An extended day cycle (e.g a 24/7 cycle) and extended environmental parameters.
  • There are no EEP parameters for manipulating the SL wind.

This work involves simulator and viewer changes, and includes some infrastructure updates.  The latter include a new build of the inventory service in order to handle the new windlight assets. At the SUG meeting, Oz indicated this build in now with the Lab’s QA team.

Also, as well as supporting the new EEP, the simulator will provide the old style settings values in the same way it does now for any viewer that lacks support for the new windlight settings objects.

Cloud Move

Not a lot to report, other than Oz indicated there have been some early experiments with placing some some inventory databases  – those supporting Lab staff avatars – into the cloud, and things seem to be working. No end users have heir inventory in the cloud as yet, but when – in time – things do start to expand to include user-related data, it should be completely transparent, with users unable to tell if their inventory is being managed on the back-end by hadrware at the Lab’s data centre or via cloud-based infrastructure.

2018 SL UG updates #24/1: Simulator User Group meeting

Posted on by Inara Pey

Italian Village of Ciampi, Italy; Inara Pey, May 2018, on FlickrItalian Village of Ciampi, Italy – blog post

Server Deployments

As always, please refer to the server deployment thread for the latest information.

  • There was no deployment to the Main (SLS) channel on Tuesday, June 12th 2018, leaving the channel running server maintenance package 18#18.05.25.515749, containing internal fixes and server-side support for the upcoming new Estate Management ban list management changes.
  • On Wednesday, June 13th, the three main RC channels – LeTigre, BlueSteel and Magnum – should be updated with a new server maintenance package, 18#18.05.30.516064, comprising:
    • Additional work to support localised Abuse Report categories.
    • Improvements to object updates as part of ongoing performance improvements.
    • Removal of the logging of a trivial message.
    • Internal fixes.
    • Note that the majority of this updated is the same as 18#18.05.30.515812, initially deployed on Wednesday, June 6th, and subsequently rolled-back.

The reason for the RC channel roll-backs was described by Simon Linden at the Simulator User Group meeting on Tuesday, June 12th:

We had some excitement last week as we rolled a new version out to the RC channels, discovered a crasher bug we didn’t catch in testing, and had to revert back to the main version. That was fixed real quick and we’ll get the updated server again tomorrow … It was basically “go to a region with a crowd”; I’m not sure of the exact frequency, but the new code was in sending attachment updates … it probably happened one in a million times. Put that on a few thousand regions and it becomes noticeable.

SL Viewer

The Pálinka Maintenance RC updated to version 5.1.6.516121 on Tuesday, June 12th, 2018.

At the time of writing, the remainder of the SL viewer pipelines are as follows:

  • Current Release version 5.1.5.515811, dated May 31, promoted June 1 – formerly the Love Me Render Release Candidate.
  • Release channel cohorts:
    • 2-bit Windows Unloop RC viewer, version 5.1.6.515965, dated June 5 – specifically for 32-bit Windows users caught in the 64-bit install loop (see here for more). Otherwise, the viewer is functionally identical to release version 5.1.5.515811.
  • Project viewers:
  • Linux Spur viewer, version 5.0.9.329906, dated November 17, 2017 and promoted to release status 29 November – offered pending a Linux version of the Alex Ivy viewer code.
  • Obsolete platform viewer, version 3.7.28.300847, May 8, 2015 – provided for users on Windows XP and OS X versions below 10.7.

Other Items

Client-Side Scripting Discussion

During the Simulator User Group meeting, the discussion turned towards client-side scripting support. This is something the Lab looked at several years ago, with Babbage Linden working on a possible C# implementation. Tis could enable things like scriptable UI elements, eliminating the need for HUDs, etc.

There are practical benefit to such an approach – be it with C# or something like Python; but there are also risk with the potential for exploiting the capability, as Simon Linden pointed out:

There’s also a really ugly trust issue with viewer-side code … do you trust someone so you’ll install their code, with the potential they might look into your inventory and such … we could probably sandbox an interpreter, but yes that kind of thing would have to be locked down, or it is definitely scary if it can read/write files … also preventing a viewer interpreter from loading outside modules … which of course are very useful, but can do scary things.

Also during the meeting, Oz Linden didn’t rule out the possibility of looking at the project again at some point in the future. However, it is important to note that currently, there is nothing on the SL roadmap with regards to this kind of work – or anything like it – at this point in time.

 

2018 SL UG updates #23/2: server and viewer mini-update

Posted on by Inara Pey

Butterfly Beach; Inara Pey, May 2018, on FlickrButterfly Beach – blog post

Server Deployments

the RC deployment made on Wednesday, June 6th (version 18#18.05.30.515812) was rolled by on Thursday, June 7th, leave the main grid running server release 18#18.05.25.515749.

As I was unavailable for the Server Beta meeting, I am unaware of whether or not an explanation for the roll-back was given.

SL Viewer

The following viewers have been updated in week #23:

  • The Pálinka Maintenance RC viewer – to version 5.1.6.515927 on Thursday, June 7th.
  • The 360-degree snapshot project viewer – to version 5.1.6.515934 on Wednesday, June 6th.

Both of these updates are to maintain parity with the de facto release viewer (at the time of writing version 5.1.5.515811, formerly the love Me Render RC viewer, promoted on June 1st, 2018).

As noted in my report here, the Unloop RC viewer, version 5.1.6.515965 was released for 32-bit Windows users only, and to specifically help those caught by the “64-bit Windows install loop” created during the initial promotion of the Love Me Render viewer to release status, which left both 64-bit and 32-bit Windows users only able to download the 64-bit version – see here for more.

The remaining viewers in the current LL pipeline remain as:

  • Current Release version 5.1.5.515811, dated May 31, promoted June 1 – formerly the Love Me Render Release Candidate – NEW
  • Project viewers:
  • Linux Spur viewer, version 5.0.9.329906, dated November 17, 2017 and promoted to release status 29 November – offered pending a Linux version of the Alex Ivy viewer code.
  • Obsolete platform viewer, version 3.7.28.300847, May 8, 2015 – provided for users on Windows XP and OS X versions below 10.7.

 

2018 SL UG updates #23/1: Simulator User Group meeting

Posted on by Inara Pey

ONI Zen; Inara Pey, May 2018, on FlickrONI Zen – blog post

Server Deployments

As always, please refer to the server deployment thread for the latest information.

  • On Tuesday, June 5th 2018, the Main (SLS) channel was updated with server maintenance package 18#18.05.25.515749, containing internal fixes and server-side support for the upcoming new Estate Management ban list management changes.
  • On Wednesday, June 6th, the three main RC channels – LeTigre, BlueSteel and Magnum – should be updated with a new server maintenance package, 18#18.05.30.515812, comprising:
    • Additional work to support localised Abuse Report categories.
    • Improvements to object updates as part of ongoing performance improvements.
    • Removal of the logging of a trivial message.
    • Internal fixes.

Week #23 should see the decommissioning of the RC Cruller channel, established to help those experiencing issues with the use of media URLs for data storage (see BUG-216032). Those affected by the update who are unable to complete their unpacking of data stored in media URLs by the end of the week, should use the deployment thread to indicate how much longer they need.

SL Viewer

There have been no updates to the current group of viewers in the pipeline at the start of the week, although merges and updates following the recent promotion of the Love Me Render viewer are expected. At the time of writing, the list reads as:

  • Current Release version 5.1.5.515811, dated May 31, promoted June 1 – formerly the Love Me Render Release Candidate – NEW
  • Release channel cohorts:
    • Pálinka Maintenance RC viewer, 5.1.5.515527, dated May 21.
  • Project viewers:
  • Linux Spur viewer, version 5.0.9.329906, dated November 17, 2017 and promoted to release status 29 November – offered pending a Linux version of the Alex Ivy viewer code.
  • Obsolete platform viewer, version 3.7.28.300847, May 8, 2015 – provided for users on Windows XP and OS X versions below 10.7.

Environment Enhancement Project (EEP)

EEP is coming along. There is a possible fix for the back-end issue we were seeing. I’m wiring up some of the UI so that people can start to use it… Just pulled in a couple of the shader updates that one of the other Lindens has been working on.

– Rider Linden, discussing EEP progress, Simulator User Group, June 5th, 2018

Other Items

Region Crossings

I am making small steps … for example, tomorrow’s update has better logging where the target region you cross into is tracking everything and logs when it has re-seated an AV on a vehicle, and sent updates for all attachments … I’m not aiming for a big system monitoring region crossings in real-time, but I’d like to know better stats on how long they take and the failure rate … I know it would look ugly but it really would make sense technically if crossings forced you to stop, get across, then keep going and not estimate movement and all that.

– Simon Linden, discussing region crossings at the Simulator User Group, June 5th, 2018

The last of Simon’s points is something Joe Magarac (animats) has been working with through the use of scripts, as previously discussed in these pages.

llName2Key

llName2Key is one of two new LSL deployed in connection with the upcoming return of Last Names (see this blog post and this blog post for more). It’s been noted that the wiki page (linked to above) lacks proper information (its companion, llRequestUserKey as a wiki page which is also a little brief).

The function should return the Agent ID for the named avatar (based on it seeking the first name or the first name and last name), if the avatar is in the region where the function is run. If the last name is omitted, “Resident” is assumed. However, there appears to be a bug some search criteria work when they should fail (e.g. “Firstname R” (or “@R”) seems to work when “Resident” avatars on a region, when it should fail. A bug report is to be raised.