Firestorm

Firestorm Viewer Update – Feb 2019 = 6.0.2.56680

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We have been waiting for this update. This is the one that adds Animesh. If you haven’t heard of Animesh… well, where have you been? This is the feature that allows us to animate mesh things. So, better horses and dogs…

Firestorm Viewer has had a beta version of their viewer out. It had the Animesh feature too. People often prefer not to update to a beta version. With ~75% of Second Life™ users running on Firestorm and a significant number not updating, Animesh has not been a thing in SL. Now we are likely to see it explode as new animated things begin to be released, animals, pets, babies, Non-Player characters (think Santa and store-bots), new machines…

The Firestorm Update 6.0.2

So… This is version 6.0.2.56680. It has some new features. Inara has a couple of writeups about the two Animesh versions of the viewer, FIRESTORM 6.0.2: ANIMESH RELEASE (this release) and Firestorm 6.0.1: Animesh Early Access (the previous release). Check those writeups if you want lots of details.

Otherwise… Besides Animesh, we get a few fixes, about a half dozen I have never run into (see release notes). The ‘splayed hands’ problem has a fix. Some install parts of the viewer updated; all the Linden 6.0.1 fixes and additions, changes to the code playing sound, the code handling the images – Kakadu – was updated, and the OGG library that has to do with… audio compression of files, you know the sound files we upload versus voice.

RLVa has about a half dozen fixes.

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Second Life News 2019 w07

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The planned roll out to the main channel (leaving us running #19.01.25.523656) was canceled due to a bug in the logging. So, no restart to the main channel. Main channel regions got a restart last week.

The Deploy notice was posted Monday and revised Tuesday. So, if you are confused, it is because of late breaking changes.

Blue Steel and Le Tigre will update to #19.02.08.524296. This includes the EEP feature, which is to being installed in more regions fo broader testing.

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Second Life News + 3rd Party 2019 w05 and 06

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The third-party Dev UG meeting was short and griefed. The video is here. Pantera Północy, the videographer, edited most of the griefing out. Annoying.

Servers

The main channel got an update, #19.01.25.523656. Has logging to gather baseline information on simulator performance in various areas of interest and additional internal logging. So, they are now getting data from the majority of the grid.

N383 What To Wear
What To Wear

If you drive, fly, or sail now would be a good week to be active. Of course, Tuesday afternoon is a good day to drive, fly, or sail as the most regions have just been restarted.

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Second Life News 2019 w05

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There is no Deploys thread this week. From the Server-Scripting UG we hear,

[12:05] Simon Linden: For server news, there wasn’t an update to the main channel today but tomorrow will see 3 different RCs
[12:06] Simon Linden: We’ll have a new maintenance update in one channel
[12:06] Simon Linden: Another that only has internal changes
[12:07] Simon Linden: and _maybe_ an update for the EEP servers, but Rider is going after a bug that’s blocking that from moving forward
[12:07] Joe Magarac (animats): The “time is stuck” bug?
[12:07] Simon Linden: exactly Joe
[12:07] Simon Linden: yeah that one is a show-stopper …. and he’s working on it right now

Server-Scripting Meeting

So, no roll to the main channels and 3 updates likely coming to the RC channels Wednesday.

*Ariel*
*Ariel*

Also, notice:

Scheduled – We will be conducting scheduled maintenance on our inventory system on Wednesday, January 30 from 6:00 AM until 7:00 AM PST. During this time, some residents may experience difficulty rezzing items.

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Second Life News w/3rd Party Dev Meeting 2019 w03 & 4

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There is news. Everyone has been back to work long enough post-holiday for things to be getting completed. So, changes are in progress. I am behind, again. So, I’m just getting this converted from my notes to something readable.

Servers

We did get a Deploy post, appearing Tuesday afternoon.

The Rainforest Photo Contest, Entry # 2
The Rainforest Photo Contest, Entry # 2

The main channel updates to version #19.01.09.523003. This version is listed as having logging collecting data to build a baseline performance measure. Also, more internal logging.

My empirical take is things have degraded. But, without some objective measure that is only an opinion. As I started flying a complex Shergood helicopter in July 2018 my perception of region reliability has likely changed. But, my observation of what happens when crossing region boundaries is more factual.

Using the Firestorm Viewer, I have the option to cross regions in two ways. The default is to cross using the basic viewer prediction of what should happen for a smoother appearing crossing. The other is sort of stop-action crossing. (Preferences->Move & View->Movement->Movement at region crossing: Predict or Stop)

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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.

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