Servers

There is a roll out to the main channel today, Tuesday. This is the package described as: Added a new internal logging output and changes to increase stability and security.

Gräfin von Chenonceaux

At last week’s Beta Server group meeting they were discussing the next coming package. It will have the change to CDN (Content Delivery Network) of more assets. Something is causing it to fail to grant capabilities to users. I could cam into a failed region but, not enter the region. 

You can test the package on Morris, I think it has the latest in that series. Fire Ants are also regions involved in testing. I can’t follow Mazidox Linden’s thinking, too many missing bits apparently assumed to be in evidence already. So, I’m a bit lost.

Caleb the Cable Guy (caleb.linden) announced: “Oh, we’re in the early testing phase of a new feature that aims to improve landowner experience and help premium members. We’ll let you know when we have more to say about it.”

Whirly Fizzle: OMG tease

If you want to test the CDN, you need a viewer that knows how to ask for CDN delivery. You can find that viewer’s download link on the Beta Server UG page. The link is in the Agenda. I doubt it will remain there. So, if you want to test, get on it. There are Windows and Mac versions. No Linux.

I didn’t test the links provided in the agenda. Another set of links is in the meeting transcript 3/16 @ 15:28. Those are probably permanent, at least they will remain in the transcript. Their target may disappear at some point.

I recommend this viewer ONLY for testing CDN on ADITI. Shut down other viewers before attempting to install this one. Those trying to install it ran into problems. Also, remember the new CDN code and service is not on the main grid yet. So, expect problems, if you attempt to run the CDN viewer on AGNI.

The test is, per Mazidox Linden: “Can you log in? Do items appear?”

Caleb the Cable Guy (caleb.linden): “I recommend playing around with uploading and playing back your animation: “add sound, animation, gesture, landmark, clothing, and body part assets to the CDN” was the objective.”

So, there are shiny new things in progress.

Viewers

Second Life Maintenance Viewer version 5.0.4.324646 – This is a newly released first appearance version.

Features:

• Avatar Rendering & Complexity:
  • We will now remember your choices of whether to render or not render certain avatars. You can set this by right-clicking on someone in-world and choosing Render avatar -> Default / Always / Never. – Firestorm users have had this feature since the last release.
  • Your selections can be seen (and changed) in Preferences -> Graphics -> “Exceptions…” (under) Maximum Complexity.
  • We’ve also added a setting to always render your friends, regardless of complexity. – I think this is a new feature not seen in other viewers.
• Grid Status: you can now add a Grid Status button to your screen from the Toolbox (Me -> Toolbar)
• Inventory Offers: we added the name of the object offered to Inventory Offer messages. Because why didn’t we have them in the first place?
• Library items can now be worn via a right-click context menu, and not just drag & drop.
• LLTextBox message lines will extend along with the length of the message now.
• Snapshot window will now remember what you did last and open with that mode next time.
• Block list: You can now see and change the type of block (Voice / Text / Particles) from within the block list in People floater.

These are nice new fun features. Yeah, Lindens.

The bug fixes are welcome ones:

• Some builds wouldn’t link to release notes. Now they do.
• Other minor UI tweaks and adjustments
• Removed several instances of legacy People API usage, thanks to Ansariel Hiller.
• Inventory floater was missing UI for spawning new Inventory floaters. So now you can do it even if you don’t know the Ctrl+*Shift*+*I* shortcut.
• Build floater used to hide behind other floaters due to wrong Z-priority. Not no more!
• Appearance editor didn’t “Save as” as well as it should have, but now does.
• Avatar animations wouldn’t play after several operations with editing and wearing objects, but do now.
• Closing inventory window used to leave an orphaned context menu. Go home, context menu! You’re done.
• Active listings folder stayed active after everything was cut from it. We don’t need that confusion.
• Teleport offers and Eject messages will show complete name when that’s what you’ve chose to see.
• You can now remove friends even when you’re in a Groups floater looking at Members list.

And there are about a dozen other resolved issues. See the Release Notes.

Second Life Voice Viewer version 5.0.4.324770 – This too is a newly released version. Oz Linden has been working on this version to correct some voice annoyances and improve stability and better reconnection on weaker network connections.

• Fixes the apparent position of voices in local voice
• Improves retry behavior when there are problems connecting or during temporary connection problems
• Logs more detailed information to the Lab for quantifying connection issues
• Improves security of the communication between the viewer and SLVoice

Second Life Project 360 Snapshot Viewer version 4.1.3.321712 – This is still on hold. No change.

Second Life Project Alex Ivy Viewer version 5.1.0.503537 – This version has updated! There is no change in the releases notes, there seldom is. I suspect this version is a bit behind the other versions as far as features go. Until it is ready to move to RC status they are unlikely to mix in new code. Once they are confident the new 64-bit stuff is all working they will start adding the new features and preparing to take the version to RC.

I’ve been using this version and Firestorm. I like it. But, FS has the handy Photo Tools, so I tend to use it more often. The Linden version has better volume control which is important for user group meetings using voice; Content Creators and TPVD.

Firestorm – We are getting close to a Firestorm release. I suspect we’ll hear more about that at the next Third-Party Developers’ meeting the end of this week.