I’m always curious about what new toys and fixes we are getting that makes a difference in how we use Second Life or at least the viewer. I don’t really care that a button is in the wrong place or some text is not highlighting correctly. But, I love learning about features that make something easier or solve a problem. So, what is in the tube?

Some of the following are being worked on, others are in the ‘Backlog’ of things to do. If you see something here that you would like to hurry up, visit the JIRA and add yourself to the watch list. Voting is pretty much depreciated.

Continue reading →

Snowstorm Logo

There are a few interesting things happening in the Snowstorm Project. It has been awhile since I looked at where they are and what they are working on. For a time they have been focused on getting the code to compile with MS VS2010, which while important is  boring to read about. But there are a few things going on I find interesting.

VS2010: They are still working on the VS2010 compile. I suspect some part of this work includes the effort to merge in the mesh code and mesh upload features. From the server development group we know the mesh code is being merged into the main grid’s software.

Continue reading →

I messed up the publish dates on the post and the one below it… So, this is older information on the SLV2.6 viewer than in the article below it.

Changes to the Second Life Viewer are always interesting to me. Today I just downloaded a new copy of the SLV Development version 2.6.0-224080. Some of the changes and coming changes follow.

Viewer Performance

This 2.6.0-224080 is getting 40 to 60 FPS in my little cottage. In Celtic Myst, a complex region I like to test viewers in – plus I like the magic jewelry, I get 28 to 35 FPS. I think the viewer had memory leaks and other problems. Closing the viewer appears to fail to clear all memory used. I have to restart my computer to get something like 20% of my machines memory cleared. Also, once memory in use gets to about 85% I risk a computer lock up. I’ve been getting computer locks with the Development Viewer since 2.5.1.

Viewer Evolution Group

This is new user group. You’ll find it in the SL Wiki under Viewer Evolution Group. It is for those that want to work with Linden Lab to improve the SLV2.

The viewer still does not allow removal of the SPEAK button. The chat field can be resized. Search is still slow and sucks.

Continue reading →

Within the Snowstorm project many things come up. Some make it into the viewer and some don’t. Discussion in the group is along the lines of what should change and why, what features should be added and how will they work, what isn’t working for people and why. This article is about some of the things under consideration, being fixed, fixed, and/or added. You’ll learn all sorts of little bits about the viewers.

Login Locations

The feature request Storm-34 was recently implemented. You will find it in KirstenLee’s S21 and the Lab’s 2.5 Beta. This is the feature that adds your favorites to the list of places you can log into. So, it is no longer just ‘Last Location’ and ‘Home’.

But, how many times have you seen an interesting place on the login screen and wanted to know where it is? Kirsten’s viewer places the region name on the image. One can use it to log into the region. The same feature is being suggested for SL viewers.

Continue reading →

A new Beta viewer came out 1/19. There are some things to consider about SLV2.5 Beta and coming changes. If you run a business or are in other ways dependent on your Profile, you need to read on.

Web Profiles

This Beta uses the new Profiles. I suggest you get 2.5 Beta and check out your Profile. Or you can visit the web site and see your Profile, actually you should probably do both. To visit the web site and see your Profile you need to build a URL.

http://My.SecondLife.com/[first.last]

Replace [first.last] with your avatar name.The dot is important. This will bring up your Profile. If you login, you can edit the Profile. There is a Facebook setting, so you can link Facebook and SL. There are links to LinkedIn and Twitter too.

Continue reading →