Second Life in a Browser

Second Life Browser Based
Second Life Browser Based Viewer

The beta test of browser based Second Life is here. Also known as Project Skylight. New World Notes has an article; Second Life Launches Beta Web Browser Access Test Using Gaikai Cloud-Based Streaming. NWN points to a more complete write up here: Ch’know’s In Your Browser! The Linden Lab page promoting it is here: Browser Based Second Life.

Sign Up

If you hit the right link window you should NOT see a sign up request. You have no control over which window you get. If you sign up for an account you WILL be asked to pick a user name, password, and provide an email address. If you are asked, you have missed the Browser Based Path. You can stop and retry. Reload the page. Read through the rest of this article for the details and the process.

Update: A WORK-AROUND to reloading the page a billion times has been found. Once on the page paste in this URL:

javascript:window.popup_shown=false;$(‘#guide .failure’).hide();showSuccessPopup();

It does not look like URL, but it works. The brain to figure this out was Marv Martin.

If you sign up, your login information is emailed, but it is for sign up to the regular SL. This is a typical email confirmation type email with a link to click on and confirm you got their email. I used my Gmail account, which I thought may have been a mistake but wasn’t. You’ll see what I mean as you read on.

You should only be asked for an email address then immediately be dropped into SL. You should see something like the above image. The email you get will be a welcome and please join the ‘real’ SL promo. So, you can get by with a through-away email address and never need read the email.

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Imprudence Experimental Viewer 2010-11-13

Imprudence Viewer
Imprudence Viewer

The Imprudence team has a new Experimental Viewer version out, 11/13. They have announced this version has many significant changes. I’ll touch on those I think significant. You can get all the details here: Imprudence Experimental Release: 2010.11.13

Installing

I suggest you manually clear the cache after installing and before you attempt to run the viewer. Failing to manually clear the cache can drive the viewer to 100% CPU and Not Responding.

On Windows you MUST have QuickTime installed. 

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Second Life Scripting Update

LSLEditor
LSLEditor Scripting

Kelly Linden recently discussed the LSL and C# languages in SL scripting. The interesting parts I’ll cover. The transcript is here: Kelly Linden 2010-11-8

To understand what the issues are in regard to scripting, one needs to consider the larger software development world. LSL (Linden Scripting Language) was developed to meet a need the Lab had; to give novice programmers playing in SL a tool they could use. Many RL programmers have wanted a language other than LSL (Linden Scripting Language). The use of a more advanced language that is more common would allow more advanced scripting in SL. Professionals could program for SL without learning a new language.

The Lab has been considering and planning to add additional languages for some time. 

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Mesh Clothes

There is a good example of what can be done with mesh clothes in a thread on the SL Forum. Several pics of the AV in different poses. The Sitting poses show some of the challenges with short skirts. They are still much better than what we have now. See: http://blogs.secondlife.com/thread/46782 – Dead link 11/2012 – Sorry.

Snowstorm's Second Life Viewer Progress

Snowstorm
Snowstorm Project

If you don’t already know, the Snowstorm Project is the SL Viewer (SLV) development project. There are several things currently going on that will affect new releases of the viewer. These are the ones I found interesting.

Prim Alignment Tool

Many of you have seen the Qarl Fizz Prim Alignment Tool that is now starting to appear in TPV’s. It is in the Imprudence Experimental viewer. It is great. See: Qarl Fizz Prim Alignment Tool

Because of some technicalities about signing agreements and code licensing it appears Linden Lab cannot just ‘use’ the code. So, whether they are going to talk to Qarl and come to some agreement or write their own version of alignment has not been decided. Whatever, the feature is in the backlog. You can vote for the feature here: STORM-468 Add Qarl Fizz Prim Alignment Code to SLV2

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