#SL Milkshake Viewer 3.2.6(6) Review

New Milkshake Logo

A new release of Milkshake came out January 5. This one has Qarl’s Mesh Deformer. I suspect this feature is based on Exodus’ work so I think it would have a enable/disable feature. I can’t find the control to enable or disable it.

Somewhere in the updates process the logo changed from a cupcake to a cow with I think daisies for a hat.

The viewer is now using newer code. This viewer is basing its update on the Catznip Viewer updates. There are imports of ‘graphics tools’ from Exodus.

The Snapshot and AO panels have been updated. However, the post to Feed feature is not yet working.

I think I’ve posted one image to my Feed. However the Post to Feed is a way around the L$10 upload fee. Need to share a quick snapshot of something with a friend? Save it to your Feed. This is a great work around for newbies that have no Lindens. Unfortunately they have no way to learn about it.

I’m not into what is or is not part of which upgrade or what came from where. But, the Preferences -> Miscellaneous panel has a setting to let you say where snapshots to your hard drive are stored. I like that.

The repository comments shows a 3.2.6(7) version, but the download page only shows 3.2.6(6). Word is that 3.2.6(7) will be a private release. Version 3.2.6(6) is the last public release.See Inarra’s article: Milkshake ends.

A feature request was posted in the Milkshake discussion asking for normal maps. These are the textures that are gray scale images used to add detail to mesh models. A two polygon wall can be made to look like a stone or brick wall with inset cracks or mortar.

The viewer can render normal maps. If one looks in the edit panel in textures, there is a control labeled: Bumpiness. Normal maps are often called bump maps. This is the control that allows us to use a limited set of maps that are built into the viewer.

While one could build more maps into the viewer, only people using that viewer would be able to see them. I have no idea how another person would see it or what it would do to their viewer. Or whether the SL servers would allow other maps to b e assigned to a prim. So, this is not something likely to be just a viewer side addition.

A real materials system would allow us to save a normal/bump map and apply it to a prim. The Lindens want to add some type of materials system to SL. But, I doubt we will see much in the way of new things during the first quarter of 2012. Things that have been in development will show up, like Direct Delivery. But, most Linden effort in the first quarter will be optimization and performance related… except for whatever secret projects they are working on and may spring on us.

Minor Issues

I noticed chat will not dock. Also the Area Search icon in the tool bar does not render. Neither really affects the use of the viewer.

Also, the minimize button on inventory does not work. Clicking the ‘?’ in the upper left next to minimize in inventory will crash the viewer. It just poofs. At least that is what I clicked and got an immediate poof.

There are no multi-animation drag and drops. It is one at a time only.

Animation Overrider

I wrote about the changes in AO’s in: Animation Overriders. The images in that article are from Milkshake. I have to say this is the nicest improvement I’ve seen in a long time.

Needed Feature

We have all sorts of things popping up on the screen. One of the gamer features is notification of new people coming into the region. In a busy mall that is just annoying. Being able to right-click or have a button in the pop ups that opens up Preferences and takes one to the correct panel would be nice.

Summary

Milkshake is clicking right along. With most render features on, other than shadows, on I get 16 FPS. Turning on shadows pulls me down to 12.

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