I’ll do the indexing to this podcast a bit differently, just because… I used the outline from MetaReality’s page and added to it. Hear the podcast here: The Status of Virtual Worlds.
Metareality Podcasts
Again I paraphrase things. What I write is my take away from what I heard. This is a good discussion and has some good information on the possible future directions of Second Life. It also is the first I’ve heard of someone criticizing the mobile Apps explosion and putting it in realistic terms. I’ve wondered how people were going to deal with data caps on their phones.
There was lots of debate on the Mesh Deformer and whether it should have a single default shape as the basis for deformation calculations or whether it should have multiple base shapes. That question is still undecided. Discussion has kinda died down, at least in my circles.
One of the prime questions I asked in the article is how it will be funded. That is not likely to be a problem.
Another problem is what it would cost to add the capability. Emma Gilmour asked Qarl what it would cost, not that much. We are certain we can raise the needed money in a very short time. We have almost half of it covered now.
So, a couple of questions are down and the possibility becomes much more likely.
And the Lab…
The next challenge is where are we with the Lab and Avatar 2.0?
For the last few days a debate has rolled along between the Sizers and the Deformers. It has carried on in the JIRA. So, it is essentially invisible except to those following it. I’ve been reading the arguments to see what people think and from those that don’t react but actually think: why.
Another gotcha at the max breast size setting
Single Base Deformer Side
Max Graf probably represents the Deformers best and does it rationally. You may remember he was instrumental in creating funding for the Deformer project. His vision for the Deformer was for it to allow designers to make one size of mesh clothes and have that size fit all sizes and shapes of avatar. While he understands there will be stretching, he believes it will be at an acceptable level. The effort to deal with numerous sizes for such a small benefit in texture quality seems disproportionate in Max’s thinking.
Max considers the standard sizing a promotional effort to sell mesh clothes that don’t fit. I suspect most of us know getting mesh clothes that fit right now is a PITA. Max’s belief is standard sizing should go away and the Deformer will make a one size fit all world, which would be ideal. He believes his experience shows the deformer works perfectly using the Default Shape base size.
Gianna Borgnine’s Metareality Podcast covers information on the Mesh Deformer. Since Karl Stiefvater (RL) or Qarl Fizz (SL) and formerly Qarl Linden is the maker of the Mesh Defomer, this is some of the best information we are going to get. The discussion on the Deformer is the first thing up.
As always I am paraphrasing my take on what was said. I try to get it right. But, listen if you are into the nuances. See… er… hear: Alternate Bases.
Metareality Podcasts
01:30 Mesh Deformer Discussion starts.
Basic discussion and thinking in the community is that mesh clothes will have to be built to the Default Avatar. Some people consider that the Ruth/Roth avatar. But, there are a number of shapes that people consider the Ruth/Roth shape. It gets confusing. See Deconfusing to sort it out.
02:48 Karl explains that the best shape is the Default Shape. The default shape is what one gets when they create a new shape in the Appearance Editor. Creating a new shape makes a shape that is the Default Shape. Provided you make no changes to any of the sliders, this is the shape the Deformer bases its calculations on.
Standard Viewers Today there is a new release if the Lab’s Development viewer: 3.3.3 (257716). This is a big jump from 3.3.3 (255954). The Beta viewer version is: 3.3.2 (2557442). The main viewer is: 3.3.1 (254524). Mesh Deformer Testing You can get the latest Mesh Deformer Project Viewer, version: 3.3.1 (255595). There are a number … Read more
RL work has kept me away from Second Life®. Lot’s is going on with SL Viewers and the Mesh Deformer. I’m having to catch up today, Sunday. Inara Pey got the basic information out Friday the 4th in Mesh Deformer update: release from Qarl, request from Oz.
Project Viewer
The Mesh Deformer has its own Linden Lab® project viewer. There have only been two releases of it, AFAIK. The previous one was in January as a version 3.2.6 (247240). The current one is 3.3.1 (255595). I’m not clear on the development trunk; I think it changed to Oz-Porject-2. Whatever, you can get a copy of the viewer here: Second Life Deformer Project Viewer Download. You’ll also find I have added the link to the blog roll on the left.
Mesh Deformer Control in LL Project Viewer
The current stable viewer for Second Life is version: 3.3.1 (254524). So, the versions are close cousins. The current SL Development Viewer is at version: 3.3.3 (255744). Without digging through the repository and figuring out which branches are merged in when, I can’t know which fixes and changes are in which viewer version. But, the 3.3.1’a I’ve been using tend to crash on exit.
