Mesh

Mesh is being finalized for the main grid. So, not much new information is available. Costs are being refined, bugs are being stomped, and mesh uploads studied to better figure out what is a just cost for mesh. I’m seeing more information about mesh appearing in the forum. People are experimenting with mesh and figuring out how it works. The following is what was going on in this week’s meeting.

Bones

There is a desire by many to have avatar skeletons with adjustable proportions. Being able to adjust the bones size and rotation is part of being able to make custom avatars. We have been told that bone adjustments will not be part of the first mesh release. However, some have noticed the mesh previewer is handling and revealing bone information. I’ll suggest that indicates that Linden Lab is headed in that direction. Nyx tells us that feature is definitely NOT in the plans for first release.

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Mesh cost continues to be a hot topic even though we do not yet have an actual cost. With the next simulator software update the cost numbers in the Mesh Project Viewer and the regions should sync up. Also, the viewer’s build dialog will see an update to give better information on costs. We may see that this week in a Project Viewer update.

Latest Cost Info

The latest information on cost has been posted in the SL Forum by Nyx Linden. See: Calculating “Prim Equivalency”. The post is less technical than most. But, it does very little to tell us what the actual L$ is going to be.

I think most know there is the cost of uploading mesh, just as there is for a texture or image. The cost for mesh will be based on several factors and will vary from mesh to mesh. Then there is the tier cost for having the mesh on your land. Nyx’s post rephrases what is in the wiki. See: Mesh/Costs and fees and take a look at: Mesh Cost Update II Week 24

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The explanation of mesh cost in the wiki has been updated. We still don’t have a real cost. But, how the cost will be determined is solidifying. See: Costs and Fees

Upload Cost

There will be an as yet undetermined upload cost. It will be based on model complexity. Complexity will likely be some combination of triangle count for each LoD and Physics shape triangle count.

Prim Equivalence – Resource Cost

This is the item that is going to affect your tier cost. Cost will be based on the greater of these three items.

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The mesh meetings are getting interest and the agenda is getting lots of items. Today’s meeting had 16 items on the agenda when I checked it.

Mesh Upload Enabling

I posted an article on this a few days ago. See: Second Life Mesh Enablement. I guess this was brought up in the Closed Beta for Mesh. At that time some thought the idea was shot down and dead. Obviously not, it’s back.

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In the SL Wiki we have been given the equation that represents how mesh complexity is converted to Prim Equivalency. The page has changed from time to time and the values used in constants have changed too. Often changing without the wiki page updating.  Frequently a release of a Mesh Project viewer changes all the equivalency values we have been seeing in the viewer. Changes to the simulator software have also changed the values shown in the viewer. Several have been guessing at what the Lindens are actually trying to achieve with these changes. Speculation on what the Lindens will do and why is ranging from hopeful to ridiculous. Now Runitai Linden has explained the Linden goals.

The Fallacy

When the Linden’s used the worlds ‘Prim Equivalency’ the stage was set for residents to start comparing prims and sculpties to mesh. The Lindens may have even been thinking of mesh as a prim type. We know that the first mesh we saw in open beta was very sculpty like. The Build Floater even had a mesh asset in the same place as a sculpty has a place for (sculpty map window) the sculpty map.

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