Check out the machinima from Microsoft about their Generation 4 data centers. It seems to have been made on the ESP platform (http:// www.microsoft.com/esp). Does anyone know if the Caligari tools were used in this video (http:// www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2008/12/02/video-microsofts-generation-4-data-centers/)? -- Peter
On Dec 13, 11:40 pm, Mark Malewski <[email protected]> wrote: > I completely agree with Antti. > > We may need different tailored clients (browsers/viewers). For the > extremely high end gaming, and then a basic standard browser for > normal everyday interactions (social network). Also collaboration > with existing technologies (VoIP/Skype, e-mail, SMS, whiteboard, Video > playback and Video streaming, etc.) will increase the value of 3D > Internet technologies. > > Just as Dan Miller stated: > > "Just like the web, it is imperative not to assume that one set of > client capabilities fits all use cases. While a big honking PC > running the latest NVidia drivers and the latest Windows may work > nicely, you should also be able to log on and interact over an iPhone, > or even a less capable device. Meaning, a stock Ubuntu install on an > old machine should work as well, with visualization somewhere between > the honking gamer's box and the mobile phone with the 3" screen." > > I completely agree. Keep the system open and cross-platform. It > should run on Unix/Linux, Windows, OS X, 3G iPhone, G-1 (Android) and > possibly even the Blackberry Storm. > > We don't want to "cripple" ourselves by migrating towards any one > platform (such as a Microsoft based system). Try to keep it as "cross > platform" as possible. > > TrueSpace has been around since the beginning of time (I remember > using TrueSpace back in 1994). I'd been using various Caligari > software since 1986, and it's hard to believe that Microsoft gobbled > them up. > > I guess that's good for Microsoft, but bad for the rest of us. ;-) > > Just as Microsoft killed off Netscape, I'm sure they'll just use this > technology as a way to push their Virtual Earth service, and begin > shoving their standards down other people's throats. > > I personally wouldn't take the bait, and I believe in staying the > course. Continue developing open source standards, and just stay away > from any proprietary technologies that Microsoft will attempt to shove > down our throats. > > I don't think one browser will be a "fit for all" solution. We will > have to develop open-source browsers for a wide variety of hardware > platforms and various operating systems (to include Linux, and OS X) > as well as mobile phone devices (like iPhone, Android/G-1, and > possibly even Blackberry Storm). > > I'm not sure that Microsoft made an "excellent acquisition" by > purchasing Caligari, but it's something that Microsoft needed to try > and "keep up" with Google. I still think Microsoft is way behind in > the game, and I seriously doubt even the purchase of Caligari will > help them keep up. > > I really think true open source development and open source software > will continue to kick the pants off of Microsoft. They are an "aging > dinosaur" and it's only a matter of time before the Open Source > community does them in. Look at how "rock solid" many open source > platforms have become (think LAMP). You look at Linux/Apache/MySQL/ > PhP/Python systems, and these are developer workhorses. Very thin, > light machines, that don't hog up all your resources like the > Microsoft machines. > > Keep the code thin, light, and clean. It's sad to see Caligari get > swallowed up by Microsoft, but it just shows how desparate Microsoft > is getting. They know they're falling behind in the game. I still > seriously doubt even with the Caligari acquisition that it will help > Microsoft catch up to Google Earth/Google Maps. The one thing that > Google is very good at is working with the Open Source community. I > can't say the same for Microsoft (and their crazy SDK's & licensing > agreements). Case in point, has anyone tried developing for the XBOX > 360 without paying CRAZY licensing fees, and getting kicked in the > pants by Microsoft? > > "This weekend there were two pieces of news which may have a profound > impact on virtual worlds and which may force designers to choose > between Windows and non-Windows platforms." > > Nope, nothing "profound" by the acquisition. Sure, it's good for > Microsoft, and bad for the rest of the world, but it really won't have > that much affect on the open source community. Microsoft will attempt > to shove some standards down people's throats (just like their > "Silverlight" technology). But until it's a "cross platform" and open > source technology (that isn't controlled by Microsoft) then the > technology will just die. > > Look at what a terrible browser Internet Explorer is. It doesn't even > follow or abide by basic standards. You need to use something like > Mozilla, or Opera, just so you have a decent "cross platform" web > browser that works correctly (and works across multiple platforms and > displays pages correctly). Microsoft is non-compliant, and they "do > not play well" with others. > > I personally won't "drink the cool aid" and go chase any Microsoft > technologies when I see better techologies floating around in the Open > Source arena. I'm sure that many in the science/academic/research > community will agree. > > We do need to stay Open-sourced, cross-platform, and have custom > tailored browsers (for various platforms, devices, and also specific > applications such as high-end gaming, or social networking, or even > teaching). > > Kirstenlee did a great job with the R15, and hopefully she'll continue > to contribute and help the open-source community with her great work! > > > In any case, tailored viewers for different scenarios would be great. > > For example simple web-based viewers, mobile phones, lightweight 3d > > and why not console based as well, maybe simply a way to use the text > > chat through IRC or something, all these things would expand the > > functionality and usefulness of our application. > > I completely agree! > > Mark > > On Aug 1, 2:47 am, "Antti Ilomäki" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > You're absolutely correct. What we're going to need is different ways > > of interacting with the virtual worlds and managing the social > > contacts. Starting a full-blown whiz-bang 3D-viewer isn't the optimal > > solution in many cases. Having tailored clients for simpler > > interactions will increase the value of the "3D Internet" immensely. > > It's important to tie in existing communications forms such as email, > > but we're also going to need new tools for managing communications > > between realXtend users. This is actually something that's very > > interesting to us (and especially me) and we're hopefully going to > > start working on something in the near future. > > > In any case, tailored viewers for different scenarios would be great. > > For example simple web-based viewers, mobile phones, lightweight 3d > > and why not console based as well, maybe simply a way to use the text > > chat through IRC or something, all these things would expand the > > functionality and usefulness of our application. > > > 2008/7/28 dan miller <[email protected]>: > > > > I think it's critical to keep in mind the distinction between the > > > capabilities of the client/viewer software, and the meaning of the > > > protocol itself (ie, what information the client and server share). > > > > Just like the web, it is imperative not to assume that one set of client > > > capabilities fits all use cases. While a big honking PC running the > > > latest NVidia drivers and the latest Windows may work nicely, you should > > > also be able to log on and interact over an iPhone, or even a less > > > capable device. Meaning, a stock Ubuntu install on an old machine should > > > work as well, with visualization somewhere between the honking gamer's > > > box and the mobile phone with the 3" screen. > > > > So to bring up a concrete example: I have been running the SL viewer on > > > my Ubuntu machine. Of course I don't get silverlight; but frankly I > > > don't care. I'm logging on for social interaction reasons, and whether > > > or not the clouds are hyper-realistic just isn't that important to me. > > > The problem is, my Unix build is unstable; it crashes frequently. When I > > > complain about this on irc, I get the RIDICULOUS comment that it's > > > crashing because my machine is underpowered. To quote the Sex Pistols, > > > Bollocks. There is no conceivable reason that the viewer should be any > > > less stable because it has downgraded graphics capabilities. This is > > > simply a matter of sloppy programming and lack of testing, not some > > > intrinsic requirement that the client be uber-graphically aware. > > > > To sort of push this point to the max, I have been tempted to write a > > > console-based SL viewer, using full-screen text rendering to show a > > > top-down view of the space. Each avatar would be represented by a > > > different character, and an irc-style chat area would run on the lower > > > part of the screen. That might be all I need for about 90% of my > > > SL/opensim visits. YMMV > > > > -danx0r- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ this list: http://groups.google.com/group/realxtend realXtend home page: http://www.realxtend.org/ -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
