Category Archives: Second Life

Things about SL

Second Life News Bits and Bytes 2018 w52

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We are in the holiday season which is synonymous with ‘no-change-window’. There are no user group meetings this week. So, news is limited and mostly non-existent. No Deploys post. Last main channel restart appears to be 12/4. But, one was reported to have happened 12/11… my detector didn’t notice it. And none since.

Server and viewer versions are also unchanged this week.

Mesh Bodies – Kitsune Shan (URL FB) has a mesh body coming out that is designed to do a good job of portraying thin to chubby with good proportions.

Kitsune also makes tutorials. See Skinning Session (URL FB). While the clicks and keys in this video are not universal, the weighting process is. Kitsume also has 2 YouTube channels; Big Channel and Small Channel.

Scandalize – If you are into fashion you likely know the brand name. Seems they tried to do a gift card thing for Christmas. It went sideways and didn’t work as planned. They published an apology and a sort of workaround.

You can join the |Scandalize| (SLURL) group and get the details from their notices. And you have to be part of the group to get/use the gift cards so… Get it done. Limited time to use the fix.

Windows 7 Freezing – Seems Win7 systems with Malwarebytes are freezing up. Reportedly from Malwarebytes support 12/27±, “This is an issue we are aware of. For some reason, our latest update (Malwarebytes v2.6.1.2711) is causing Windows 7 64bit machines to freeze. Please toggle off the Real-Time Web Protection module for now.”

 

Firestorm 6 Slow Down

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Some see Firestorm 6 as slower then v5, others do not. But there is a design feature in FS that may bite you and have you thinking it is the viewer. It isn’t necessarily just your imagination. Seems if you alternate between 5.1.7 and 6.0.1 Beta and have them sharing cache, which seems like a smart idea, you may well see a slowdown.

Get your S__t Together… (2016)

The viewers apparently look for a cache they made and if they do not find it, they delete the contents of the cache folders and build a new cache. So, when you first run 6 and attempt to share 5’s cache it deletes the cache and begins reloading. If you switch back to 5 the process repeats and each time to switch between versions, at least according to one of the FS peeps I trust.

Looks like we need to use one or the other. I’ve been using 6 and I like it. I don’t see a reason to switch back and forth. But… if you feel the need to switch back and forth, I suggest you assign a separate cache to 6.

We also know the Lindens are looking at and possibly already working on revamping the viewer cache. I am expecting significant changes in 2019. I also suspect the FS Devs have their own ideas about improving the viewer cache. So hopefully, we will see a mix of cache improvements in this coming year. Continue reading →

Get The Freight Out – HUD Update

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GTFO – Get The Freight Out has a new list of supported vehicles here: https://sl-gtfo.com/vc.php.

GTFO is a freight hauling/shipping game popular in SL. They call it a logistics and exploration game for SL. I started playing because I wanted more challenges for flying my Sherwood helicopter that simulates an actual EC-135. Landing in all the strange places made for most SL helicopters is a challenge for anyone flying a Shergood machine.

Plus, I have found loads of interesting places. There is no way to see Second Life that is revealing or challenging as flying through SL.

GTFO Web Logo

The game’s server has been updated as in a new server… or at least a new database. My understanding is the list is updated and most of the new vehicles in SL. To add a vehicle that is not sold GTFO ready, you need the list to get the code you much add for the GTFO script to recognize the vehicles correctly. So, this is an important page to know about. It is sort of hidden… not deliberately hidden. Just the link is something you would come across when setting up GTFO. So, the link sort of only appears in context.

IMPORTANT: The GTFO HUDs must update to version 1.8.3 as of 12/27/2018. No earlier HUD works. The scripts in the vehicles are OK and need no change. Try redelivery at any in-world HUD distributor. If that fails, ask for help in the GTFO group. Continue reading →

Second Life News   #51

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Servers

The main grid was to get version #18.12.05.522294 on Tuesday 12/18. My region did not get a restart. The last restart was 12/4 and my home region is running this version. So… wasup?

The three RC channels updated to version #18.12.03.522210 Wednesday.

The RC Snack channel is said to be running an EEP version 18.12.14.522551.

At the Server-Scripting UG meeting, there was some discussion of how the coming ability to change avatar names might work. It quickly becomes obvious that third-party service providers need someway to ID avatars with changing names. Think ‘redelivery terminals’.

It was noted that the new LSL functions for Animesh are not included in the Wiki LSL documentation. Oops. The Lindens are looking to get that fixed.

One of the server updates seems to be causing people to disconnect. This is more of a problem in ADITI. If you are seeing the problem let the Lindens know which region and what date and time.

No UG meetings until January 8th… Continue reading →

Firestorm 6.0.1 Beta Released to Public

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Firestorm Beta 6.0.1 is out in public beta form. This version adds support for animesh. If you don’t keep up with ‘in development projects’ and are wondering what animesh is, the Firestorm 6.0.1 announcement explains. It provides links to sample animesh, sandboxes, and the documentation.

Firestorm Beta 6.0.1 Dec 2018

The 6.0.1 download is fast, the install easy and in a sperate folder. This allows you to have 5.0.7 or 5.1.7 and 6.0.1 Beta installed. You can then use either.

This version has lots of bugs fixes including Vivox voice and some improvements to some user-tools. Continue reading →

Content Creators’ UG Meeting 2018 w50

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Interesting news came out of the CCUG meeting today. There is word on Firestorm’s release.

Here is the video of the meeting. I missed the first couple of minutes.

Word on Firestorm is at the start of the video. Beq Janus gave us an update in chat on where Firestorm is. Their Beta testing has moved to the larger group of Firestorm testers named the Preview Group. Next, it will go to public Beta before Christmas and the final release is expected for early January 2019.

In another article I pointed you toward Beq’s article on the changes to the Mesh Uploader in this next release of Firestorm. Continue reading →

Second Life and Mesh Body Lag

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Revised 1/3/2019 – Hamlet has an interesting article Well-Optimized Alternatives To Resource-Heavy Mesh Bodies For SL touching on the contentious debate going in Second Life as to how much lag mesh bodies are causing. The high polygon count in mesh bodies is the suggested cause of the lag.

Tachinni - Bonnie Dress - @ACCESS Exclusive

Tachinni – Bonnie Dress – @ACCESS Exclusive

We don’t have an obvious resolution to the argument. Nothing the non-techies can grasp. The techies stay out of the argument having learned one cannot argue with the ignorant as it is all opinion for the uneducated.

Recent technology changes have complicated the information on polygon counts and how they may affect your viewer’s performance. One complication is the shift from video card manufacturers bragging about polygons-per-second rendered to frames-per-second and now giga-rays-per-second… Part of the reason for changing metrics is the marketing hype card makers introduce to sell more cards.

Continue reading →

Second Life News 2018 w50

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This week we have a deploys post. Not much information in them these days. But, we have one. There is no user group meeting this Tuesday. So, no news from there.

Winter storm

Winter Storm

Server

The main channel is to get an update to version #18.12.04.522206. This version has changes to improve region stability, sim-host deployment, and logging.

The RC channels are described as TBD… To Be Determined. As of Monday, something was holding up the decision. I suspect something in the QA review was pending resolution.

The Snack channel is getting an EEP update to 18.12.07.522390.

Flying and playing in Amazon River I’ve been having more trouble
crossing regions. Flying I bang into regions that are offline forcing me to
relog. I hit the boundary and then they turn red on the minimap and show as red after the relog. Annoying. Walking I walk through prim ground/hills and get trapped inside. It has been years since I had to rez a cube to sit on to get out of a prim. Continue reading →