Server Side Avatar Baking

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In the Open Source User Group meeting Oz Linden provided an explanation of how the new avatar baking system will work and some of the ideas they have for implementing it. I’ve added in the description of how things work now to provide contrast. I’ve covered this topic before. But, there is new information here.

Baking… Image by: Edsel L @ Flickr

Oz Linden pointed out that a large part of the viewer side avatar baking process is done in the local computer’s video card. Since there are so many different cards, driver, and driver versions the result is inconsistent. By moving the process to the server side the results will be consistent.

As it is now, users with the exact same input (think clothes) can get difference results (look different in the same clothes). Once this moves to the server side, the same inputs will produce the same result.

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Another Deformer Update

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With the Mesh Deformer project near completion several people are much more into testing, using, and complaining about  the Mesh Deformer. Early adopters are definitely jumping in. That doesn’t mean there are enough test clothes submitted. We still need more. But, those of us trying out the Deformer are bringing up our special cases. Avoid being left out, make sure your stuff works, get involved.

The Design Model – Default Avatar

I am interested in using the latest Deformer Project viewer (see the left column for a link to the download) to make tight fitting skirts. I and others have run into problems. That has increased chatter in the JIRA STORM-1716, which I covered a couple of days ago in: #SL Mesh Deformer Discussion. Discussion is continuing.

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#SL News 2 Week 39

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Some topics that did not make the previous post follow.

Interest List and…

Andrew Linden is still working on the Interest List. This is the list of things you are looking at and the viewer needs to render. New Interest List code went up on the Ahern, Balkanski ,and Beirne regions in ADITI.

A girls gotta shop…

One of the changes coming from the Interest List work is the removal of the server side code that runs Particle Clouds. Those are the clouds that were used in SL before Windlight came into use. So, once the Interest List code rolls out the particle clouds will be gone for good.

Removing that old cloud code will free up a few server cycles and take a small bit of data out of the bandwidth pipeline.

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#SL News 1 Week 39

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Deformer Project Viewer

I got the Mesh Deformer project Viewer 3-4-1-264215 on 9/2. I’ve been playing with it on and off since then.

Today (9/25) I checked and I find that a new project viewer is on the download site: Second Life 3-4-1-265137 Project Viewer Deformer.

So, if you are playing with the Deformer, be sure you have the latest version.

Server Scripting 9/25

Kokua Viewer

There is a new release of Kokua out: Kokua:Release Notes/3.3.4 Grid Manager

As best I can tell, there is no Mac version. There are Linux and Windows versions.

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KirstenLee’s Viewer S22(1a)

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I thought I had seen the last of KirstenLee’s viewer. But, a couple of days ago a new post popped up on the blog and the code repository was updated 9/23/2012. Since then there have been over 14,000 downloads of the Kirsten Viewer. I was 14,695.

I am not sure how up to date the viewer is. My last download was 21(9) in July 2011, over a year ago. The current version is 22(1a). The install notes say there are only minor changes from 21(9).

I found the time to download and rez things to be long. Inventory took a couple of minutes to download. Of course my avatar would not rez until I had most of my inventory. I suspect the viewer is still using the UDP protocol for several services that have updated to HTTP.

Direct Delivery’s Received Box is there. Mesh is handled. The Interface is mostly Viewer 2, it has the sidebar. Menu buttons can be turned on and off but no button drag and drop.

It is amazing how little Viewer 3 has changed, interface-wise, from viewer 2 days.

The speed is good. I’m getting 25 to 40 FPS without Lighting & Shadows, Ambient Occlusion, and Sun & Moon.

I don’t know if this new release means Lee has time to work on the project or what the story is.

But, it is nice to see a new version of the viewer out.