#SL Content/Mesh Creation Week 6

Mesh Physics – A question was asked about creating efficient physics for mesh houses. I’ve seen people having problems getting mesh objects they think are more efficient polygon-wise to actually produce less Land Impact (LI) cost. A few ideas came out in the discussion.

Runatai Linden Avatar - Way Cute

Nyx Linden says from Havok’s perspective, the physics engine, the simplest physics volume is a box. If you want to specify your own mesh, each triangle in the mesh is roughly as complex [physics-wise] to compute as a box. Ultimately using prims as physics shapes shouldn’t necessarily be problematic, though having a custom mesh can be better under certain circumstances.

Drongle McMahon says triangles are cheaper than decomposed meshes, if they are big enough.

Maeve Balfour has several posts with experiments and information about LoD and LI cost. See: Maeve Balfour.

There is no doubt creating low LI mesh objects is and art and requires some knowledge, which is best gained by experience.

Fashion & The Deformer

Someone added an agenda item that rambled. The gist is that fashion designers are still having to work around not having the deformer in the SL Viewer. I’m not sure how many SL Fashion Designers are aware that the Deformer is in most TPV’s and an SL Project Viewer. Whatever the case, there is a new round of what if speculation questions and demands for the Lindens to say what they are going to do.

When it comes to what the Lindens are going to do; they have explained why mesh clothes became a secondary priority and deformers were pushed to some future phase of mesh development. Nothing has changed. You can find that history in my mesh articles. It comes in bit and pieces here and there throughout the articles.

The questions seem to come from a few people never involved in mesh development that recently  woke up and are out ranting. If they had been involved when mesh was in the implementation phase, they might have avoided the current problems.

The Lindens are hoping Qarl provides something useable and saves them the time needed to develop a deformer. If Qarl’s Deformer should prove unusable or unacceptable, then everyone wants to know what the Lab will do. No matter how often they ask the answer will be the same. The Lab has no plans in regard to a deformer. Nor will they move to new position until after Qarl’s project is complete. Even then, it will be hard to change their development schedule.

The Deformer

It’s about three weeks since we have heard anything new on the Deformer. My last update on it was the middle of January: #SL Mesh Deformer Worries.

There is friction between Qarl and the Lab. See Qarl’s posts; god? and about that tailor. Because of comments in the JIRA now feedback on the Deformer is to appear on Qarl’s blog.

Davido Chrome has what I think is an odd take on the Deformer project. He asked, “Don’t you think you have a social responsibility to adopt it? That we are hammered by mainstream media that you should change your body to comply with a certain standard in real life is bad enough. Letting clothing designers dictate the size of prim boobs, well, just be better than the mainstream media?

The Lindens were too PC to just say no. The people that really want the Deformer, weren’t around and participating when they could have made a difference. Now, after the fact it’s a big deal.

So far I haven’t seen many people that have an issue with breast size that allow anyone to dictate their breast size. I certainly don’t.

All we can do is hope the Deformer comes to a successful conclusion and is added to the SL Viewer.

If you are wondering who decides whether the Deformer is acceptable, it is the Lab’s Product Team. I don’t know who makes up that team.

Mesh Physics

Some people have made mesh ramps. When making them they use a single side physics object. I take it to mean they used a single plane for the ramp surface. Some had a problem with people getting stuck in the ramp.

Their solution was to move to an enclosed volume for the physics shape to resolve the problem. Vincent Nacon says that Havok will push things out of a physics shape that has volume. If the shape does not enclose a volume, there is no push.

It is somewhat as if single planes allow collisions to leak through. Havok will catch the leaks, if it has an enclosed volume to work with.

Mesh Stats

Charlar gave us some mesh statistics. They are from a recent 24 hour period.

  • Daily sessions with a mesh viewer are at 64%.
  • Unique residents: 71% – that’s residents logging in with a mesh capable viewer.
  • Overall duration was 67%. I think that is percent of all logged in time with a mesh viewer.
  • Regions with at least 1 mesh object are now over 29% of the grid.

Mesh has been on the grid a little over 5 months now.

Summary

The Mesh Project is pretty much over. Stability and performance improvements are still coming. But, only the Mesh Deformer is on the horizon for a new mesh feature.

I am hearing rumors that a materials feature is working its way through. I’m putting that together from bit and pieces I hear here and there. Plus from Scripting’s UG we hear Linden Realm Tools are moving forward. So, may be this or next month we will hear some announcement about the plans for 2012. Or… it may be August at SLCC before hear anything.

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