Exciting news on AOs and Particles

[Innula Zenovka]

Nalates Urriah reports on some news from Maestro and Kelly Linden on scripting developments announced at yesterdays Beta Server Office Hours (15:38 and following).

We're apparently sooner or later going to get glow for particles (I have mixed feelings about this!) and a new particle type, RIBBON.

We're also, and this will be sooner rather than later, it seems, because it's all server side and being tested on Aditi at the moment, going to get llSetAnimationOverride (string anim_state, string anim), llResetAnimationOverride(string anim_state) and llGetAnimationOverride(string anim_state).

This isn't going to make AOs obsolete, of course, but is going to make them far more efficient and easier to write.

[Celestiall Nightfire]

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Innula Zenovka wrote:

Nalates Urriah reports

on some news from Maestro and Kelly Linden on scripting developments announced at yesterdays

Beta Server Office Hours

 (15:38 and following).

We're apparently sooner or later going to get glow for particles (I have mixed feelings about this!) and a new particle type, RIBBON.

We're also, and this will be sooner rather than later, it seems, because it's all server side and being tested on Aditi at the moment, going to get 

llSetAnimationOverride

 (string anim_state, string anim), 

llResetAnimationOverride

(string anim_state) and 

llGetAnimationOverride

(string anim_state).

This isn't going to make AOs obsolete, of course, but is going to make them far more efficient and easier to write.

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Ooh...sounds good.  I may pop over to Aditi in the next day or so, and try these.  Thanks for the info sharing Innula! 

[Dora Gustafson]

Thank you for dropping this information here for all to see
It is good to be well informed and prepared for the impact

Glow on particles? We already have full bright, isn't that bad enough?

:smileysurprised::smileyvery-happy:

[Dz Delicioso]

I'm much less excited about the new AO functions,  and have to disagree with the assertions she makes in the blog post.  While I agree that it is critical to remove AO polling for animation state changes, I think the lindens have gone down the wrong path to implement a solution. 

The new functions may allow me to set my default stand animation and then let my AO script go idle, but no one seriously uses an AO like that.   In order to properly implement a cycle of stand poses, the AO script will still require a timer and that will force it to remain active.   In order to prevent the "false starting" of the wrong animation, the new design will force the AO scripter to call the llSetAnimationOverride function to preset the default to the "next stand" animation before changing it, effectivly doubling the number of function calls using during the "normal" operating state of an AO.  It also fails to support the use of "combo animations", a feature which has been available since the second geneneration of Zhao AO's.

It would have been simpler all around to just expand the list of changed triggers available to include an animation changed event.  Combine this with a single new function to allow scripters to force load animation files to cache ( good ones are pretty small compare to all the other stuff sent back and forth ) and you have solved the "false start" problem for everyone working for smooth animation transitions.   Even without the "force to cache" function, the worst case impact of just implementing the event flag would be "possible" stutters the first time through your AO animation cycles.

So  we added 3 new functions to LSL, and all the code that required, instead of adding a flag to an already exiting bit of tested code AND we haven't really addressed the false start problem for anyone other than folks happy to use a single default stand.    Im sorry, but that doesnt sound like the best plan.    

[ydoo Magic]

Where can I find ducumentation for the new AO scripting functions?

[Rolig Loon]

When the functions are released, you will be able to see documentation at

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/LlSetAnimationOverride

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/LlGetAnimationOverride

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/LlResetAnimationOverride

Until then, read Natales's blog.  All documentation is written by LSL scripters, as we figure out how new features work.