Servers

The main channel is now running version #18.01.17.511913. The version ran on all three RC channels last week. It is reported in the wiki as having Internal Changes. Mazidox Linden described it at the Server Beta UG as, “This week we promoted a couple of things to RC on Agni including DRTSIM-367 (internal fixes) and a version of the service that handles avatar bakes, built with the new version of our OS.”

The bake service is not actually a simulator change. It is a change in a backend service. The server and service have to work together. So, there is probably some simulator change. But, maybe just in which API it uses to bake the avatar.

The Linux Operating System (OS) the Lab uses in its server gets updated every so often. They have been (are?) in the process of another OS update.

There is also a new-OS version of our Email to Object service on Aditi, along with a build of DRTSIM-340. There was some discussion of the Aditi limits on sending email. Object to object should work. External email to a region object should work. But, Aditi internal objects cannot send to external addresses. That is an Agni only ability. (I think I have that right.)

I show the roll in my mainland home regions as having arrived about 8 AM.

The roll to Blue Steel is in a TBD state. We will have to see if or what they roll out. All that Simon Linden said at the Server-Scripting UG was that there would be a roll out.

Le Tigre & Magnum will not get a roll. They will continue to run #18.01.17.511913.

There is third-party work on region crossings. One part is animations are stopping on crossing. Another is camera position changing. The solutions are workarounds that can be built into vehicles.

There is considerable discussion of the crossing subject. I have a transcript if you are interested.

There is a plan is to put the old and new LI/ACI calculation processes in the simulator at the same time. They will use the old process for LI parcel limits and collect data from the new process. The point is to figure out how much impact the new process would have without imposing a change on users. Then figure out how to mitigate any pain before implementing it. Probably raising prim limits if necessary to prevent mass returns when the calculation is implemented.

Viewers

There are some changes coming that were talked about in last Friday’s Third-Party Developer UG.

You have already heard about Firestorm’s change in LoD setting RenderVolumeLODFactor (in Debug Settings). Now a value >4 will not persist. Meaning if you set it to 8 and then log off the viewer will save the value as 4. And 4 is what it will be when you next log in.

In the Linden Viewer, the max value you can set via Preferences is 4. But, via Debug Settings you can go higher. But, the Lindens are looking to change that. Soon the Linden viewer will probably have a clamped limit of 4. We aren’t sure how they will impose the limit. Firestorm’s change is permissive. We’ll have to see what the Lindens decide on.

Camera Defaults – The Linden Viewer is getting camera position presets. Some time ago Penny Patton was pointing out how a change in the default camera position would improve Second Life. In 2011 I decided it was a good thing and published, Second Life Camera Position Tips. Check it out, if you’re wondering what ‘camera position defaults’ are about. Ever since I have been changing my defaults to lower my default camera position.

Penny’s recommended settings will be one of the presets included in the coming feature. Awesome.

AIS – Advanced Inventory Services is back in the improvement cue. The Lindens are moving toward more elimination of UDP inventory services. Once the Lindens have their viewer working with the new HTTP replacements there will still be a long lead time for third-party viewers to adapt.

The current focus is to make inventory more robust. Once that work is complete they will consider changes to the User Interface for inventory.

Parcel Windlight – A special sim host is running on ADITI. It is testing having WL settings on individual parcels. Also, elevation ranges can have separate WL settings. There will be a set number of ranges.

Plus, some WL Experience settings will be programmable.

Much of the development time has been in building the infrastructure to handle WL assets.

Texture Caching – The Lindens have experimented with a new texture caching process. It is not as fast as Oz Linden hoped it would be. So, they are continuing to experiment.

Firestorm – The release is going well. Of course, the bold changes got some people screaming.

Oz has pointed out that the Lab will be looking at changing how LoD affects Land Impact and Avatar Complexity calculations. The idea is to make the calculation more accurately reflect the actual render load. He also plans to put something similar to FS’ LoD clamp in place on the Linden viewers. So, Lod, Li, and ACI will all be changing.

 

The main viewer is version 5.1.0.511732 promoted in week #2.

Second Life Maintenance Viewer version 5.1.1.511871 – Updated in week #4.

Second Life Voice Viewer version 5.1.1.512121 – This is a new version updating from version 5.1.1.511952 which updated in week #4.

Second Life Project 360 Snapshot Viewer version 5.1.0.506743 – No change since week #27…

Second Life Project Animesh Viewer version 5.1.1.511908 – Updated last in week #4.

Second Life Project Render Viewer version 5.1.1.511933 – Updated last in week #4.