AvaStar Feedback Request 2015 Week 09

Gaia is asking for feedback regarding what changes to make in AvatStar during 2015. See: Avastar 2015 where to go? You can pick 3 items:

  • Implement: “The Mesh machine” (for easier fitting mesh attachments)
  • Make basic video(s): “Blender for SL Noobies”
  • Make Video: Fitted Mesh (basics)
  • Add Sample Models
  • Make basic video: “Create Attachment”
  • Update existing Reference Videos
  • Help Blender to improve the http://blender.org/manual
  • Implement function: “Import SL animation to Avastar”
  • Implement: Avastar Update check in Blender’s splash screen

Click over to Machinimatrix and put in your two-cents.

As of 12 noon 2/26 the Mesh Machine was winning.

Second Life Fitted Mesh Doesn’t Fit

Yeah, we know… ‘Fitted’ does not necessarily mean it fits. But, Astrid Kaufmat has an interesting post in the forum about the problem. She is on about figuring out how to work with the SL avatar in 3DMax/Blender/Maya modeling programs without having to have a plugin. Well… good luck with that. I finally gave up, bought AvaStar, and started having fun.

She goes into great detail about the problem. But I’m pretty sure she hasn’t figured it out. She certainly seems to have missed the problem some of us have recognized. Explained here: Second Life Shape Export.

Astrid has been around since 2011. But, she seems to have missed the discussions on the ‘deformer’ and the problems with changing the system avatar. She goes on to recommend a new avatar for SL. I believe that is a losing battle.

Second Life Bits 2015 Week 09

Freeze Frame Bug

It seems there is a bug in the SL Viewer. Yeah, I say that like there is only one… Well, you’ll see this one if you take a snapshot using Freeze-Frame and then close the camera panel before your release Freeze-Frame mode. The only fix at that point is to relog.

Slow Render @ Server-Scripting UG 2015-09
Slow Render @ Server-Scripting UG 2015-09

Once you relog, open the camera panel (Ctrl-Shift-S) and turn off Freeze-Frame. You don’t have to, but I would probably forget it is enabled and take another picture, close the panel, and have to relog again.

Read more

OSGrid Up 2015-09

Over on Hypergrid Business Maria Korolov is reporting: OSgrid is back.

New Firestorm Region in OSGrid
New Firestorm Region in OSGrid

February 24, 2015 @ 6:45 PM the OSGrid folks tweeted the re-opening of the grid. Plus the blog has an announcement: OSGrid Online.

Yay! While this doesn’t mean OSGrid is completely up or stable, it is open to logins. They warn that there may be outages as servers are tweaked. But, they feel the grid should mostly be up and open and no more major problems.

For those that run their own regions, new server software is available for download. Also, there are some instructions in the OSGrid blog for getting existing regions back up. See the announcement link above.

As you might imagine, there is likely to be a rush of people logging in. This may place heavy load on the system and slow things down.