Viewers – Page 158 – Nalates’ Things & Stuff

Dolphin Viewer 3.2.2 (22185) Released

2012/01/01 by Nalates Urriah

This release has a couple of notable changes. The ability to set a default material for prims you rez has been added. The feature is from the Firestorm Viewer code. And the new V3 avatar button now works in Dolphin.

The Dolphin Viewer Forum is here.

The release announcement page and link to the download is in the Dolphin Viewer Blog.

Download and Install

The download is typical. The stalled copy panels still appear. But, they now close when you start the viewer. Their failure to close was a problem in my Vista 32. So, the install is nicer.

Experience

The viewer performs in the 10 to 15 FPS range, for me. If you have not seen the thread in the SL forum about viewer performance check out: How Fast is Your Viewer? – Second Life. If you haven’t already, add your information.

As best I can tell there are not earthshaking changes or additions to this version. The viewer is advancing at a steady pace.

Milkshake Viewer 3.2.6 (2) Review

2011/12/31 by Nalates Urriah

I found a notice today that Svensk has linked a new article to my Milkshake Viewer review. It was his new article on the Milkshake Viewer. It is in Swedish but Google does a pretty good translation of this one. Whatever, it seems there is a new release of Milkshake out. I don’t see that much new in this release. So, this review is about a controversy that started up around the Milkshake Viewer.

The last review of Sven’s and possibly mine stirred up some drama, mostly about Milkshake’s author not properly attributing where parts of the viewer originated. That has been corrected in this version and Cinder has spoken up.

People that create things often graciously share those things. In the viewer development world related to Second Life and in other open source game worlds, creators expect some recognition for their work. Considering that this is often the only payment they will ever receive it is understandable they get annoyed when it is denied. But, such upset usually signals the donation was not as freely given as it might have been.

The failure to provide the expected acknowledgement is not surprising in Milkshake. It appeared, at least to me, the viewer was made mostly for the developer and her friends. Unfortunately, it seemed so obvious to me I failed to mention it in my previous article, Milkshake: a New #SL Viewer. Cinder’s recent comments verify that.

Niran’s Viewer Finalized Review

2011/12/272011/12/26 by Nalates Urriah

Niran has released the ‘Final’ version of Niran’s Viewer. That is final as in finally complete, not the last. Niran’s blog has an article that is worth the read. I’ll mention the main points, but I won’t cover all the details.

Niran’s Niche

Some viewer developers want their viewer to be the best viewer. Kirsten’s was bleeding edge technology for the best rendered image. Henri’s Cool Viewer seems to be about stretching the life of V1 viewers, which in Henri’s case is probably more about the user interface than the code. Linden Lab’s viewer is about being easy to learn. Firestorm is a power user’s viewer, imo.

Niran wants to create a viewer with the best render image. For Second Life I think that is an awesome goal. I may be a bit more visually oriented than most. So, I like high quality graphics. I loved exploring Blue Mars. But, I need more computer to run at the quality I want. My duel core just isn’t cutting it with my new graphics card.

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Moving #SL Magic Boxes

2011/12/23 by Nalates Urriah

Hopefully in the first quarter of 2012 the need for Magic Boxes will go away. Until then, we occasionally have to move them. That often creates problems with the items we have in the Market Place. But, it is possible to move them and avoid the problems.

To avoid problems you need to understand that everything rezzed in-world gets a UUID, a Universal Unique Identifier. I get confused trying to remember how an object’s UUID changes or does not change when we take it back into inventory and later rez it again. In general each time something is rezzed it seems to get a new UUID. Also, it gets confusing figuring out which things in the box have which UUID’s and how those match up with the items in the Market Place. Thinking that through is too much brain damage.

So, this is actually a tutorial on how to move objects and RETAIN their existing UUID. This process is not limited to just Magic Boxes.

My Take on the Firestorm-Phoenix Q&A Video

2011/12/22 by Nalates Urriah

If you read the announcement of the Firestorm-Phoenix (FS-PH) Q & A, you know there was a reason for having the secession. Jessica Lyon, the voice for the FS-PH Team, said the reason was anger and frustration in the community. So, what is the anger and frustration about and where is it coming from?

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You probably know Third Party Viewers (TPV) developers are leaving, KirstenLee and Kirstens Viewer, and new ones are appearing, Cinder and Milkshake Viewer. We also know Linden Lab is advancing their viewer at a blistering pace. In general we see things moving forward and new technology is adopted. A Neilson report shows that Second Life has almost doubled market share (New World Notes) in the last few months.

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Milkshake: a New #SL Viewer

2011/12/312011/12/21 by Nalates Urriah

When I find a new viewer I’m always nervous about using it. Since I approve all comments posted here I saw Sven idyll’s comment in the Exodus Viewer review. Feeling sad that we have lost Kirsten’s viewer, I’m curious. I have an Alt just for testing such viewers. Time to get him out… my guy is brave.

TPV Directory

The viewer is not listed in the Third Party Viewer (TPV) Directory. That doesn’t mean a lot for security. Viewers registered there are self certified. The Lab only removes them or refuses a listing for a known or obvious cause. So, there is little difference between a listed viewer and those not listed in regard to security.

One has to make a judgment call in regard to the safety of a viewer. There is no way to know, short of reading the code and compiling it yourself. So, one takes their chances, which is why I used an alternate.

Facebook

The viewer has a Facebook page. For whatever that means. Cinder Roxley created the Facebook page for the Milkshake Viewer.

Web Site

It is sort of mandatory for a viewer developer to have a web site and blog about their viewer. If there is a web site for the viewer, I did not find it. However, Sven idyll did blog about the viewer. Sven is Swedish, so I have to use Google to translate the blog. Such translations are not perfect, so I sort of get the idea. See: Milkshake?