Servers
There are no updates to the main or RC channels this week. No restarts are planned either.
The updates are still in testing over in ADITI. Mazidox Linden expects to have more information by Thursday’s Server Beta UG meeting.
Viewers
A new main viewer came out late last week. The Maintenance version 5.1.4.515016 is now the default viewer.
Looking back, I didn’t write up much about this version. There are a load of changes and improvements in this version. Check the release notes for ALL the details.
The interesting changes are…
In the Appearance editor we are supposed to have a Wear Only This Outfit. I can’t find any such choice.
Temporary attachments can now be removed. I think the change is these temps now show in the WEARING tab so they can be selected and detached.
Some login problems have been fixed and error messages improved.
The User Interface got several items cleaned up. One nice thing is Profiles now have a back button. It is a little arrow thing in the upper upper left of the viewer’s internal browser. I think the arrows have been there awhile. It is just they work correctly now.
A new offline message collector should now deliver all messages sent to you while you were offline. They say that like it is a good thing…
There have been improvements and fixes to the media browser in the viewer…
A flock of things that crashed the viewer have been fixed.
So, how does this viewer perform?
- Porch 80± FPS
- Green 127 FPS
- Hub w/9 avatar 68 FPS
The previous version 5.1.3.513644…
- Porch 105 FPS
- Green 121± FPS
- Hub w/31 I get 51± FPS
I did notice my avatar having ‘gaps’ when I used a teleporter. Some times a second TP would fix it. I’ve seen this in Firestorm when I use teleporters. I don’t recall seeing it in the Linden viewers. As this was an in-region teleport it can’t be a server thing, IMO.
I have used the viewer for 4 hours without crashing or other problems.
Another factor on the grid is the region crossing improvements. These should make the viewer seem like it does better crossing regions. However, we should see that with all viewers.
Second Life Love Me Render Viewer version 5.1.4.514788 – Released week #16.
Second Life Maintenance Viewer version 5.1.5.515527 – This has updated since last week’s version 5.1.4.515016.
Second Life Project 360 Snapshot Viewer version 5.1.3.513006 – This version is on the back burner. Last updated in week #10. I doubt this version will advance until after the SL 15 Birthday releases.
Second Life Project Animesh Viewer version 5.1.4.515420 – Released week #16.
Second Life Project Bakes On Mesh Viewer version 5.1.3.513936 – Last updated in week #14.
Development seems like it is slowing. We are seeing things Second Life Residents have wanted for a long time being released. As the Lab’s policy has been generally do the easy stuff first, I suspect they are working on the more difficult features now. Wile they make take longer, I suspect the development machine is working as fast as ever.
Other Viewers
Black Dragon 64x – Update 3.1.2 “Rolling Dragon” May 19, NiranV released a ‘small’ update. Said to be mostly bug fixes and Linden fixes. Apparently, there is a lot that changes in the viewer in how the offline-messages are loaded at login, a Linden change.
Firestorm Viewer – More and more changes are popping in the FS Wiki. This usually happens when the team is close to a release. It is due.
RLV 2.9.23.1 – A new release of RLV is out as of 5/20. For those playing with RLV for BDSM the fixes will improve control. (Notes)
Other News
I have a RL project that is consuming my free time as I rush to meet a time line. So, the blog is being ignored.
Second Life has an Instagram account. My Feedly can’t follow just the SL channel. :/ I’m not an Instagram fan…
Slink has updated their Dev Kit models. Female: v9 & Male: v3. (5/20) If you have an older version, use the redelivery terminals at the Slink shop to get the update. Or if you have a previous email with the download link, just redownload. The main file does not change name just the contents within it change. The no name change thing was done so you don’t have to go down to the shop to update every update.
Smooching Serpents has a new capture system that does not use RLV. It relies on the SL Experiences system. You can see it in-world here. There is a web page here (NSFW). The control is for those making furniture, if I understand correctly.
Of course, if the furniture is made with the system and you buy the furniture you need to be able to create the experience on your land or talk the land owner into setting up the experience for you.
Sounds a little complicated. But, this would avoid the need for RLV compatible viewers and users having to wear an RLV enabled relay.
I’ve forgotten the status of deploying grid wide experiences. That was talked about not too long ago. The feature is still somewhere in the Linden process. But, the local only experiences are limiting the use of the Advanced Experience Tools.
Also, the number of experiences will increase dramatically with this type of furniture. All the experiences will be the same with a different owner. Seems like unnecessary duplication. But, there is the issue of personal responsibility for misuse of the tools. So, it gets complicated.
Shapes – Better Export – BUG-216131 – Improved Shape Export. I put a feature request in to get a better way of exporting shapes. I want to export just my body without the head or just my head without the body.
We can edit the current XML shape files the viewers export now. I have edited one to be just my body, no head. I can wear the shape included with a mesh head. Then I can wear my body only shape. The body changes and the head is no affected. I can save the resulting shape and have a combined body and head.
I want to be able to export a body or head shape and not have to edit the XML files. Being able to do so would let body and head designers easily make shape for just a body or just a head and stop messing me up.
So, please stop by the JIRA and click ‘WATCH’.