Mesh vs non Mesh viewers

[sleezyscoundrel]

On a third grade level (or a level easily understood by this writer), what is the difference between mesh and non mesh viewers?

What might the advantages be and not be?

I've had opportunities to d/l mesh versions of SL viewers but backed off, not knowing if my visit to SL would be enhanced or maybe jeopardized (perhaps a too heavy word) by using a product version I currently don't understand, hence the question.

[Peggy Paperdoll]

Without a mesh capable viewer you won't be able to see any item that is created as a mesh properly.  It will look odd like some deformed oval or cube.  Everything else will be as you normally see them.  I don't use the mesh veiwer and I've only seen a couple things that were mesh that didn't look like anything useful.

 

At some point in the future, mesh items will be so numerous and prevailant that you are going to lose quit a bit of what SL has to offer.......it hasn't reached that point yet.  Due to the complexity of creating meshes I don't see a great need to be in a hurry to use a mesh viewer.  Give it 6 months and we'll see.

[Innula Zenovka]

The main avantage is that mesh viewers can render mesh objects and clothing properly, so you see a mesh object as it should be rather than as some odd-looking shapes.   That's maybe not such a big issue now, because there's not a great deal of mesh to see on the grid, but I think that now even Phoenix has a mesh-capable version, we'll see a lot more mesh about before too long.   Or, rather, we'll see it if  we use viewers that can render it; if we don't, we'll find an increasingly number of places and avatars look very odd indeed.

A side-benefit is that they have greatly enhanced graphics capabilities if you run your viewer with the graphics settings on ultra, assuming your system is capable of doing that.   Doesn't matter if you can't run your viewer on Ultra -- just that, if you can, SL on Ultra looks pretty amazing.

I can't really think of any disadvantages of using a mesh-capable viewer. 

[Ariel Vuissent]

As others have said, the main advantage to a mesh viewer is just being able to actually see mesh, instead of big ovals and squares - often over otherwise naked bodies. There are some very nice mesh things out there, and without a mesh viewer you can't see any of them.

My other favorite thing about mesh viewers (I believe that it's actually a V2 thing, but as far as I'm aware, MOST V2 based viewers, if not all, have mesh capability at this point) is that you can wear more than one of each system layer. Very handy for wearing more than one mesh item, but also for tattoo layers and clothing. Keep in mind, though, that there are also V1 based viewers that can now handle mesh, though they carry their own bugs.

The downside to mesh viewers - and there is at least one - is that they do have a tendency to lag more. This isn't true for everyone, but certainly if you don't have the world's best graphics capabilities already, mesh viewers tend to slow down your experience of SL. It's worth it for me, but it may not be for you. Another downside of mesh viewers is that they are still fairly new, so they do have a lot of bugs that still need to be worked out - although they're already much better than they were when mesh was first released. (Of course, the non-mesh viewers still have lag as well, and their own bugs, so...it could be a case of just trading one set of issues for another.)

The biggest decision is this: Do you like mesh enough to (potentially) deal with more lag and a few news bugs (but the elimination/alleviation of a few, as well)? Note that if you decide to try a mesh viewer, it's not as though you can't go back if you decide you don't like it.

[Peggy Paperdoll]

Ariel Vuissea said:

As others have said, the main advantage to a mesh viewer is just being able to actually see mesh, instead of big ovals and squares - often over otherwise naked bodies. There are some very nice mesh things out there, and without a mesh viewer you can't see any of them.

My other favorite thing about mesh viewers (I believe that it's actually a V2 thing, but as far as I'm aware, MOST V2 based viewers, if not all, have mesh capability at this point) is that you can wear more than one of each system layer. Very handy for wearing more than one mesh item, but also for tattoo layers and clothing. Keep in mind, though, that there are also V1 based viewers that can now handle mesh, though they carry their own bugs.

The downside to mesh viewers - and there is at least one - is that they do have a tendency to lag more. This isn't true for everyone, but certainly if you don't have the world's best graphics capabilities already, mesh viewers tend to slow down your experience of SL. It's worth it for me, but it may not be for you. Another downside of mesh viewers is that they are still fairly new, so they do have a lot of bugs that still need to be worked out - although they're already much better than they were when mesh was first released. (Of course, the non-mesh viewers still have lag as well, and their own bugs, so...it could be a case of just trading one set of issues for another.)

The biggest decision is this: Do you like mesh enough to (potentially) deal with more lag and a few news bugs (but the elimination/alleviation of a few, as well)? Note that if you decide to try a mesh viewer, it's not as though you can't go back if you decide you don't like it.

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Everything Ariel said is true.  I highlighted what I want to comment on.  You don't need the best graphics in the world.  A mid range or above card is enough for quite good graphics in SL (other factors are involved but the card, itself, are generally quite capable of good graphics).  If, however, your card is right at the minimum or hanging close to that minimum as far as capabilities are concerned using a viewer that enables mesh is going to put more load on the graphics card.  And, even if you have decent graphics on a non-mesh capable card, you could find significant problems with the mesh capable viewer.  That's what I see a lot of people experiencing with the new viewers..........they were okay without mesh, now they are not.

 

As long as you are aware of the potential problems and you know how to revert to an older viewer I say go for it.  If it works then that's great......if not then keep the viewer you are using now until a viewer comes along that lessens some the load or you get a better, more capable card.  There will be some who just cannot use any mesh capable viewer.........and they will be missing a lot of SL is all about.  That's unfortunate but SL can't go back.....the technology of what LL started just won't allow it to do that.