The S21(6a) release of Kirsten’s viewer came out recently. It is the version you should use UNLESS you want to be one of the testers. Today KirstenLee released an alpha version of the next viewer version. You are warned that the viewer is rough and has bugs. However, I’m plagued with a curiosity about what is new in viewers. So, if you’re curious too read on or if you just like breasts…

Breasts Physics Coming?

Download & Install

File size is 24mb. The install is the typical KLV (KirstenLee Viewer) install. But, I found I could not install it without removing S21(6a). In my initial install I tried to place the new install in its own folder. The install program insisted I remove my S21(61) before it would proceed. I gave up and installed it over the top of 6a.

Experience

I took a chance and started the viewer without clearing the cache and settings folders. That seemed to work up until logon. Then the viewer went into slow motion, 0.4FPS. Mouse clicks took 5 seconds to respond.

A cache clear and restart of the viewer did not help. Rebooting the computer and clearing the settings file got things going. Using the default settings, L&S + Ambient off, I get 25 to 45 FPS in my cottage. It bounces around a lot. In Celtic Myst I get 14 to 16 FPS after things have rezzed. The viewer seems very sensitive to downloads. It is quick and things rez nicely but the FPS drops.

I  used the viewer for 2 to 3 hours and it worked well. Frame rates change a lot when entering new areas and turning, the things that trigger new downloads of textures and objects.

Features

Kirsten did not give us a list of features in the viewer. Also, Snowstorm has lost staff and does not communicate as much as they once did. But, the image on Kirsten’s announcement page does show an item in inventory labeled ‘Test physics (worm)’. This has me considering whether the Lab is working to add boobei bouncing as part of the initial mesh release.

It has been some time since we have heard where Linden Lab is on some features they want to include in their viewer. One of those things is Physics… but physics for the avatar. The Emerald viewer got a load of attention because they added physics to breasts. It became highly popular because of that feature. May be not solely because of that single feature, but that single feature probably got more people looking at the viewer and realizing what a great series 1 viewer Emerald was.

Some time ago I wrote about the planned addition of breast physics by SL. The idea is that the new mesh will allow physics in avatar clothes. Consider. The Emerald style breast physics looks odd if one decided to wear a close fitting sculpty jacket that covers the breasts or sculpty nipples. The breasts bounce but not the clothes or nipples. (See: The Problem of Prim Chest Attachments for more about the problems.)

Since bouncing boobies seem to be a major attraction for male players and female players have not been thrilled by the guys controlling how much the girls jiggle, the Emerald solution is less than ideal. The planned solution by the Lab is to add physics to meshes so that mesh clothes will bounce with the breasts. Since mesh clothes will have attributes, we women can control the jiggle. A sports bra can have minimal bounce and a silky evening gown a much more voluptuous jiggle.

I suspect this new item shown in Kirsten’s image of inventory is the test of the Lab’s bouncing boobies, mesh physics in clothes.

Summary

This is an Alpha version program. But, in the Kirsten Viewer series that is not a significant distinction. Most of the code merged to the KLV’s from SL is not yet in Beta, so all the versions are somewhat Alpha level. So, don’t avoid the viewer just because it is announced as Alpha version software. I’m keeping this version as a replacement to my S21(6a).