Gaia has an article out explaining the basic differences between AvaStar 1.0 and the coming 1.1 version. We can get test and RC versions of AvaStar from our personal download pages at Machinimatrix. So, knowing the differences is helpful. See: Which Avastar to use ?
The article tells us there is a bug in the shape sliders in the test versions. But, all the other stuff needed to build Fitted Mesh is in the test versions. The ETA on having a fix out is 2 weeks. So, we should see it in week 12 or 3/17-12.
The current test version as of today is: avastar-1-1-998_blender-2-65.
The Blender 2.70 test build is still a 2/20/14 version: blender-2.70-testbuild1-win64. I have links in the left column too.
The avatar models provided via the SL Wiki are broken. The current best model for non-AvaStar users is the free file from Machinimatrix: The Avatar Workbench.
We don’t often get any insight into what Lindens are thinking about going on’s in the Lab. Today one gave us a glimpse.
I’ll wrap up and say that there’s a lot of good talking [in the Lab] going on about what works in SL, what doesn’t, what we’ve tried before and all that … as you know some changes take a lot of time and work, others can be done quickly. But overall I’m more optimistic than I was 6 months ago, and I like that.
There was interesting discussion about how existing JIRA items will be handled. They may not be part of the new open JIRA. The open setting may only affect newly filed JIRA items.
I am pretty sure no one but the guys setting up the new permissions know. But, there are some possible privacy issues being considered.
What if, as Simon pointed out, somebody thinking they are private filed a my embarrassing part doesn’t work right type bug report? Now we open all those JIRA’s up? Oops!
Have you ever wondered if your viewer and computer were rendering Second Life™ correctly? Do you see what other users see? And if you compiled a viewer, is it rendering things correctly? The answers to those questions can be found at Bug Island.
Of course showing up there and looking to see what you viewer shows you is only half the answer. You also need to know what things are supposedto look like. The SL Wiki shows you the pictures and behaviors, in movies, of what you should see. SL Wiki page: Bug Island Test.
It is the first of the month so FaMESHed is having their monthly event. Teleport to FaMESHed.
View Candidates
The Google Breakpad RC Viewer is back. The Lab has found that most of the problems they had with Breakpad were caused by Windows XP. The Lab will take a new tactic with XP. But Breakpad is going to be in use for Win7, 8, and Mac… I think Linux too, but I am not clear on that.