Viewers

The main SL viewer updated a few days ago, Monday I think. It is now version: 3.7.6-289164. This is the combined Merchant Outbox, Vivox voice, and Breakpad viewer. Mac users should get some relief using this version.

RC Viewers

Interesting Viewer version 3.7.7.289461 – This viewer is currently the best performing of the RC viewers and looks like the next candidate to be promoted. But, the Lab is not planning to make another release for a couple of weeks, that likely means week 19 or May 5. So, things could change.

The Lab’s current preference is to not release a viewer more often than every other week. The exception will be for a case where a significant number of people that are experiencing a problem and will be helped by an early release. As none of the current RC Viewers have any major pain relief fixes, that exception to the rule won’t be kicking in.

Maintenance Viewer version 3.7.7.289405 – The Interesting and Maintenance RC Viewers have been out for a time. They have been updated to include the code in the current main release viewer.  In the Maintenance version are:

• lots of crash fixes
• performance improvements
• GPU table updates
• Multiple fixes to Mac viewer
• Help system update
• fixes in Recent tab, Chat, LSL editor, land management, etc.

SL Share Viewer version 3.7.7.289497 – This is the version with the new Flickr and Twitter sharing and a now working and compliant Facebook sharing. It has moved up from a Project Viewer to an RC Viewer.

Sunshine Viewer version 3.7.7.289441 – Friday a new Sunshine update was placed in the RC list. This is the viewer with the bake-fail-caused-by-inventory-problems fixes. The changes are only useful on the RC channel regions Blue Steal and Le Tigre. I am not clear if Magnum is still running with AISv3 enabled or not. I think it is.

AISv3 = Agent Inventory System version 3 – agent in Linden speak = avatar, sort of, in people speak

Project Viewers

Zipper Viewer version 3.7.5.288507 – This viewer is expected to soon move to RC. This is the fast install viewer.

Oculus Rift Viewer – this viewer is still in semi-closed beta. If you have an Oculus DK you can get a copy of the viewer. It is expected it will be some time before this viewer makes it to RC status. Probably not until the next Oculus developer kit release. I think Oz means the DK2 which has been held up by parts scarcity.

This viewer’s code is still restricted. The Lab’s developers do not want it out until after they can work with it on the Oculus DK2. So, while users have been impressed by the Rift in SL using the current Oculus beta version, there are still problems to solve.

Future Viewers

A Snowstorm RC Viewer that is a collection fixes, some contributed by Cinder, which  fixed the last major bugs they were working on for this release, could make it from QA to RC may be in week 18. This version will have the LSL syntax hints and any new LSL function added in the future loaded into the viewer from the region server the viewer is looking at. This means as soon as a new function is placed into server code, it will appear in the viewer. No code updates will be needed on the viewer side as they were previous to this release. The server side changes for LSL syntax updating have been in place for some time.

Group Ban

There were some recent tests (last week) over in the ADITI grid. There are fixes from ADITI testing being created for the viewer. The Lab has Baker working on another problem but, in week 18 he should go back on Group Ban. Oz is expecting to see a viewer make it out of QA and into RC real soon now.

Cocoa Status

For Mac users this is a pain. However, Cocoa fixes are coming out piecemeal in various RC viewers. One fix in the coming Snowstorm RC Viewer and another in the current Maintenance RC. There is no project for Mac fixes. But, the individual problems are getting fixed as the Lab can get to them and figure them out.

There is a problem called the Alt-cam problem where pressing ALT and left clicking to cam around causes the camera jump way back requiring you to do lots of zooming in, if I understand the problem. The Lab is looking for a fix, but has yet to find the cause. Oz is hoping third party developers find a solution as it is really annoying him.

Chat Lag

Oz suspects the chat lag problem is not a single problem, but lots of small ones. He expects the Lindens working on the problem will keep making lots of little fixes until things get better

Simon Linden has been testing and designing various fixes with tests in week 17 over on the ADITI grid. As testers we spam group chat and Simon collects test data.

WebKit

Within the Lab there is lots of activity, but nothing definitive that Oz knows about. This according to Monty Linden is your basic can of worm poop. I think at this point the Lab is in research and decide mode on how to go about fixing this problem. So, do not expect to see anything appearing in RC soon.

The Lab knows many Mac users are frustrated and having problems. A number of Lindens are Mac users. So, they truly understand the annoyances. It remains unclear whether the WebKit fixes alone are going to resolve those issues. Thus the apparent slow progress as they search for the best way forward.

TPV Dev’s are finding the latest WebKit builds have problems too. For instance; buttons in Flash do not work.

There is the possibility of changing from WebKit to CEF, aka Chrome Embedded. As QuickTime development for WebKit has stopped, that may be the smartest direction to go.

Vivox Linux

The lab is pestering Vivox for a 4.6 version of the library for Linux users. This means little to the rest of us, but it is something the Linux users of SL have been hoping for.

Firestorm

A new release is coming. It will have the Vivox updates and that will help Mac users. As of Friday there is no planned release date. I’ll guess we see the release in mid to late May.

Summary

There are other projects in the works. But, we are not hearing anything about them. For instance we know the Advanced Experience Tools are still in the works. But, no one I can talk to knows anything about them or they just aren’t saying. Other projects are not announced and thus are not talked about. So, we have no idea what’s up.