#SL Linden Realm Tools

This morning Tiggs Linden visited Kelly Linden’s Scripting User Group to talk about Linden Realm Tools and made some announcements. Charlar Linden pointed out that none of the information is cast in stone, so things may change.

Tiggs Linden and a smokey pipe

Tiggs made it clear we are only getting part of the story for now by saying there are two things Tiggs would be discussing, a third Tiggs would be hinted at, and a fourth component of which no mention would be made.

Two Tools

The first two things are new scripting functions; llTeleportAgent() and llAttachToAvatarTemp().

Tiggs is opening up llTeleportAgent() to allow the same access as llTeleportAgentHome(). This means the object running a script with this command must be owned by the parcel/land owner.

If you look up llTeleportAgent() on the LSL Wiki you find a feature request for the function. If I understood Tiggs correctly, that page is mostly correct. One difference is the first argument in the call will be a land mark.

Also, being considered is the ability to use the script in an attachment you own to teleport yourself. That is still undecided. I suppose there are some dependencies on the permissions stuff written about below. But, at least it is being thought about.

One of things that scripters want to do when they teleport people is to have them face a chosen direction when they rez. That feature in existing functions is broken when teleporting to different regions. It only works when teleporting within a region. I’m unclear if this ‘break’ is a programming or permissions thing. Tiggs says they are considering disconnecting some permissions so it will be possible to select the direction a teleported avatar will face.

As it is now once an object is given permissions by an avatar it keeps them. (VWR-13228) In the SLViewer there is no way to revoke them. So, that question has come up in regard to this new function.  Tiggs pointed out that permissions are getting revoked in Linden Realms when one teleports out of the realms region. This may be more complicated than one may think as I see the permissions lasting across region crossings. Whatever the case, Tiggs has no plans add permission revocation in this creation pass.

The other new tool, llAttachToAvatarTemp(), works very much like llAttachToAvatar(). There are 2 significant differences.

  1. It doesn’t add anything to inventory.
  2. When using the Experience Permissions (see below), it transfers ownership.

In the first release of the function Tiggs will have item 1 working. Item 2 will have to wait on Experience Permissions to be put in place.

Paraphrasing, Tiggs also said:

If you have transfer perms on the object, using the 3rd system, the ownership gets transferred when using the function. If the item is not transferable the action (transfer?) fails. Also no-trans objects in the Contents of the object will fail to transfer.

Ownership of the object seems a bit confusing to me. No copy objects cannot be attached, so ownership is temporarily given… I think. But, detaching the object deletes it… then there are the question of how to detach it, via script? Appearance edit? But, if its not showing in inventory how to find it in WORN? If it is invisible how do you select it to detach? – Ok, all the details have not been worked out.

In any event these types of attachments will automatically detach when you log out. Detaching can also be triggered by the script.

Consider making a hair demo that could be worn until the user logs off. One could show off the hair and ask friends if it really them. I could encourage viral marketing.

Charlar says one consideration in the Experience Permissions is to have a ‘detach when leaving area’ permission. If they do implement that, I could wear a demo in the store without all the gaudy demo signs hanging on me. When I left the shop the demo would detach and delete.

The Third Item

The third item discussed is Experience Permissions. The idea of Experience Permissions is described by Charlar as:

The short story is: Experience permissions allow creators to override normal dialogs and auto-accept actions that would otherwise require user interaction. The primary purposes are to maintain immersion and simplify processes. Once we have our scope nailed down, we will discuss it in more depth.

That statement is about all the Lindens are prepared to give us at this time. They are still planning the Experience Permissions system and working things out. Read that to mean that anything more they might say could completely change or twist 180.

Above I wrote about how this might affect demos. The Lindens think this new Experience Permissions system has huge possibilities. I suspect scripters’ minds will start to turn.

The Fourth Item

This one we will have to speculate on. But, that can be fun.

Beta Testing

It seems this project is close to being ready for beta testing. Charlar is looking for beta testers. I asked what the requirements for testers would be. All he has put out so far is one needs to be able to contribute some time over the next couple of months. How much time you need to donate, whether it will be an open or closed beta, and more, have yet to be decided. Since they are out talking about it, I suspect it will be an open beta. Charlar will get back to us as they know more.

An interesting tidbit is Tiggs saying a Project Viewer will NOT be needed.

Summary

We still do not know lots about Linden Realms Tools. But, they are on the way and the first beta of a couple of them are on the way. Exciting!

4 thoughts on “#SL Linden Realm Tools

  1. this good news actual (:

    i like that insta-teleport will be owner object. all the portals will work, and monstas and stuff. cool. can see why linden reluctant to allow self-teleport. is some quite hard afterthefact issues to solve with that. autobouncing and crashing newbies tricked by social means. the undefeatable sideways man which would make most combat games unplayable. stuff like that

    tempattach be ok if is vendor triggered. like click the box and u get the hair on ur head, or the shoes on ur feet automagically. way beats having to get a box or folder then find inventory and wear. autoattach demoes like u say be perfect for this. not sure tho that owner should be able to that without a click on the box. will be lots of upset ppl otherwise. worst example probly be a lady in a adult shop looking at furniture for her home and she get a demo penis attached to her avatar. she is going to pretty upset about that. altho is plenty more ppl will get upset more times if the shopkeeper is sticking hair on their head every 5 minutes automagically. can hear the phones at linden AR station ringing already about that. so vendor click i think is preferable

    but anyways is quite encouraging so far (:

  2. Thanks, Nalates.

    I’m really rather concerned about transferring ownership of something that automatically attaches, unless we have some way to opt out of it. One of my main concerns is that both RLV and the Phoenix/Firestorm bridge API involve the viewer accepting commands in the form llOwnerSay() without reference to the user.

    I really don’t want to be at the mercy of someone who thinks it would be funny to attach something to me that that then called @remoutfit=force followed by @tpto somewhere before I had the chance to log out, and, while I’m not sufficiently familiar with the Phoenix/Firestorm bridge to know what pranks could be played people who use those viewers, I’m sure that we’ll find out soon enough unless people have the option to refuse to accept ownership of things that want to attach to them.

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