All valid points, however I don't think any major changes are going to come on the SL viewer.
If you want these things, keep your eyes on Naali, Looking-Glass & Idealist, which are all ground-up rewrites. Adam > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:opensim-users- > [email protected]] On Behalf Of Paul Fishwick > Sent: Thursday, 17 September 2009 8:35 AM > To: OpenSim Users Mailing List > Subject: [Opensim-users] summary/thoughts on Blue Mars > > I tried out Blue Mars last night: > > http://www.bluemarsonline.com/ > > and have some initial thoughts. I'll try to organize these thoughts > from the > perspective of someone using OpenSim. Blue Mars is a massively > multiplayer > virtual world that was recently released. > > Overall Impression > ------------------- > > Very rough around the edges since it is still in development (what > isn't?). Avatar > motion seems awkward and very few interaction options compared with SL. > Graphics are stunning (more later) but high end graphics cards > required. > As one > blogger has noted, the apparent target market seems to be a consistent > and > shared presence for game-worlds: i..e, build your avatar, and work with > others > entering different spaces created by independent game developers. > > Interaction > ----------- > > The range of interaction seems quite limited in Blue Mars--I didn't > notice an inventory > or the sort of array of options one is used to in the LL viewer. The > ease with which one > can move the camera and avatar in LL seems absent, or made unusually > complex without > hot key options. > > Viewer > ------- > > The best part of the experience. Whereas visual effects have > languished at Linden Labs (with regard to their client viewer) over the > years, at the > expense of an admittedly vastly improved stable set of back-end > services, the > Blue Mars viewer presents a few stunning spaces such as New Venice and > the Waterfall World. Blue Mars touts the point that their content is > created > through the use of professional tools. This is a two-sided issue. More > professional > tools do offer greater choice in rendered geometry; however, those same > tools > do have significant learning curves. LL has done a brilliant job at > making it simple > and easy for anyone to create content in situ. > > Viewer and server based on the Crytek game engine. Assets are > environment, > terrain, foliage, geometry imported through the usual packages (Maya, > 3DSMAX, Blender...). > Very nice water and particle system effects. > > > Implications for OpenSim Users and Development > --------------------------------------------------- > > 1. Improved Visual Effects > > There is nothing really stopping the community at large from improving > not only the > viewers, but also the supported geometry to be more in line with the > type of experience > Blue Mars offers. If visual fidelity is important, and the game > industry > has shown that > at least for entertainment purposes users want improved realism, then > this can be > a new direction. Two notes along these lines: > > A. Improving the view without augmenting the underlying assets: > > Cinquetti's viewers are about the best thing going. The shadow > capabilities of the > open source LL client (including SnowGlobe) do not even come > close. Time for > them to vastly ramp up their rendering. Go to: > > http://kirstenleecinquetti.blogspot.com/ > > these viewers can be used with OpenSim as well. > > B. Improving the view by augmenting the underlying assets: > > The RealXtend crew seem to be on the cutting edge here - with > support of the > OGRE engine+mesh and the use of associated shaders. Mesh support > is > sorely needed > in OpenSim if it is to be compatible with the rest of the CAD and > game world, > not to mention other virtual worlds. > > 2. Pre-Loaded Assets > > With enhanced geometry for improved fidelity, there may need to be > an option for > pre-loaded assets (worlds that users downloaded prior to entering > so that they > do not require dynamic asset downloading when one first enters > them). It isn't > clear whether this can be handled through a kind of 'extended > cache' ? When we > clear the cache, it would need to be cleared by choosing which > maps > or levels > to remove. > > -p > > > > -- > Paul Fishwick, PhD > Professor and Director, Digital Arts and Sciences Programs > University of Florida > Computer & Information Science and Eng. Dept. > Bldg. CSE, Room 301 > P.O. Box 116120 > Gainesville, FL 32611 > Email: [email protected] > Phone: (352) 392-1414 > Fax: (352) 392-1220 > Web: http://www.cise.ufl.edu/~fishwick > > _______________________________________________ > Opensim-users mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.berlios.de/mailman/listinfo/opensim-users _______________________________________________ Opensim-users mailing list [email protected] https://lists.berlios.de/mailman/listinfo/opensim-users
