For viewers that are supposed to perform better… I am not seeing it. May be my computer is getting too old and just isn’t able to use the newer tech to render faster. Or… the newer viewers just require more computing power. Time for a new computer.
Whatever, outdoors the viewers all seem to offer about the same performance.
For rendering avatars, the SL Viewer seems to be better. But I found it odd that I got such low numbers in my Green Room. Its up at 2,200m. Very little to render up there.
Alchemy
I decided to include Alchemy in my measurements this time. Version 7.1.9.2501 is the one I am running.
| Location | FPS v.9 Desk | |
| Porch 512m | 34 | |
| Porch 128m | 43 | |
| Green Room @ 2200m DD=128m | 103 | |
| Nelsonia 10peps @ DD= 128m | 37 | |
| Arapaima 9peps @ 128m | 48 | |
| Exhale Club 68peps @ 128m | 38 |
SL Viewer
Of course, we need to see how the SL Viewer stacks up against these two on performance.
| Location | FPS v.9 Desk | |
| Porch 512m | 32 | |
| Porch 128m | 44 | |
| Green Room @ 2200m DD=128m | 60 | |
| Nelsonia 10peps @ DD= 128m | 58 | |
| Arapaima 11peps @ 128m | 60 | |
| Exhale Club 55peps @ 128m | 29 |
Heads Up
| New Beta (yes really) 7.1.11.76658 (poser) Sat, Oct 26 2024 9:19:03 AM SLT No this is NOT ExtraFPS – it is still not fit for consumption But we have an awesome new feature – the poser. https://www.firestormviewer.org/ (Censored) One of the most requested features. We had resisted importing the poser in other TPVs due to the clunky interface and the reported instability. This poser was completely rewritten, based on Niran’s original concept, by AngelDark Raymaker. There’s a tool icon for easy access (just drag it onto your toolbar), or find it in world->poser |
I am playing with the Poser version. I like it. They have improved on NiranV’s UI.
My disappointment with Firestorm 7.1.11 is with rezzing, or more accurately lack thereof. The latest LL viewers (7.1.10 and 7.1.11) and the new Kokua (7.1.10) are magic; everything rezzes right away and you don’t get fuzzy textures, especially on signs like DJ and contest boards. Firestorm 7.1.11 lacks that; those things stay fuzzy unless you cam in close, just as in earlier viewers.
Alchemy 7.1.9 is in-between. It’s better than any of the PBR Firestorm viewers, but not as good as the new Kokua or LL viewers. But it remains the best Linux viewer available so I use it on that platform. (I’m looking forward to a 7.1.10 or later version from them.) LL doesn’t release Linux viewers, and all 7.x Kokua builds are seriously messed up.
I know that the TPV developers don’t plan to do any more 6.x releases. But I’m hoping they’ll do one more to add WebRTC, for the benefit of owners of older computers who will likely never get acceptable performance from any PBR viewer. That should buy them another year to upgrade their computers, until there is enough PBR-only content in the world to seriously mess up the experience of using an old viewer.