Monday 27 August 2012

Firestorm Update 4.2.2.29837


It's release time again!...Again! 
Part II. 

For those interested in the back story behind why we had to pull the 4.2.1 release, have a read on Tonya's latest blog post.  If you installed the 4.2.1 release we recommend you update to this one and we apologize for the inconvenience!

__________________________________________
With this release we bring you Pathfinding documentation, tools and scripting functions in Firestorm, as well as an RLVa 1.4.7 update, more crash fixes, stability and performance improvements and a bunch of new features too!

New in 4.2.2.29837
- Skin improvements to Starlight, Vintage, Metaharper, FS High Contrast and Ansastorm.
- New windlight sky settings, including Ambient Dark, Grey and White and a new Tron Legacy series.
- Added pathfinding LSL functions from Linden Lab.
- Ability to disable group chat on a per-group basis!
- Snapshot uploads to Flickr (thanks to Katharine Berry and Exodus Viewer for that work).
- Temp uploads from snapshot floater.
- Cool new SLurl command line feature!
- New toolbar buttons for ground sit, sound explorer, asset blacklist.
- Our own less intrusive "Rebake terrain" button next to no build/no script/no push icons in menu/nav bar.
- Improved AO handling with other animating inworld objects.
- Ability to join our support group from Help menu.
lots more!

OpenSim specific
- LSL Bridge disabled on OpenSim.
- Grid manager help link and docu on login page.
- Group creation cost corrected.
- Mapto command now working in OSgrid.
- Upload cost amounts corrected.

For complete release notes, including new features, fixes, improvements, changes and known issues please see our change log here:
http://wiki.phoenixviewer.com/firestorm_release_4.2.2.29837_change_log

Please note: As usual we highly recommend performing a clean install.


We may be a little while before our next release since it's going to require considerable work, like merging to LL's latest code, Havok, setting up our separate builds for SL/OpenSim, and most importantly... stabilizing all that new stuff.

Enjoy the update!

The Phoenix Firestorm Project, Inc.

51 comments:

  1. Thanks for another great release. Just one question prior to installing: which part of a clean install is essential? the clearing of ~/.firestorm or the clearing of an external cache? People with slow internet connection might prefer to keep their textures if possible. ;)

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  2. Do those of us who installed 4.2.1 need to do (yet another) clean install, or are the two sufficiently similar in their configs to make that not needed?

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  3. well i was hoping this would be fast for once cos it said update- oh...wait... i dl it - BAAAM clean install AGAIN>.< seriously? -.-

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  4. If you did a clean install for 4.2.1, you do not need to do another one for 4.2.2.

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  5. Feels snappier. Also, I've gotten used to achieving things in 2 or three clicks rather than in 1 in Phoenix (the mesh version of which crases for me all the time).

    AND (also not related to the newest version), I learnt how to get rid of those useless toasts and chicklets.

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  6. As I said on previous issue that it would not Download this is same keeps giving Try Again message.
    Using Windows 7, friend on XL as got the download ok.
    Is there another download site that works or just the one on Blog page?

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    Replies
    1. Must be your connection maybe? Try using a different browser or a download manager.

      Delete
  7. Thank you Kisune.
    Not know about Download Manager but Googled and got one.
    Now the Firestorm release works.
    :-)

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  8. YOU ALL KEEP UPDATING FIRESTORM WITH NEW STUFF WHY NOT FIX THE OLD STUFF FIRST...LIKE THE MESSED UP RENDERING...I HAVE A BRAND NEW ALIENWARE COMPUTER AND I HAVE TO LOWER MY GRAPHICS AND TAKE OFF SHADING BECAUSE I SEE BLACK SPOTS EVERYWHERE AND THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE FIRST FIRESTORM...FIX THAT STUFF THEN BE HAPPY WITH UPDATES LIKE YOU'RE ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING...YEA U MIGHT SAY I'M PISSED AND TIRED OF FIRESTORM!

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    Replies
    1. Second life has always liked nvidea graphics cards the best.. Perhaps you should have done some research before buying into an alien gimmick? Instead of being mad at firestorm.. Who is just working with the tools they were given? Yeah.

      Delete
  9. YOU ALL KEEP UPDATING FIRESTORM WITH NEW STUFF WHY NOT FIX THE OLD STUFF FIRST...LIKE THE MESSED UP RENDERING...I HAVE A BRAND NEW ALIENWARE COMPUTER AND I HAVE TO LOWER MY GRAPHICS AND TAKE OFF SHADING BECAUSE I SEE BLACK SPOTS EVERYWHERE AND THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE FIRST FIRESTORM...FIX THAT STUFF THEN BE HAPPY WITH UPDATES LIKE YOU'RE ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING...YEA U MIGHT SAY I'M PISSED AND TIRED OF FIRESTORM!

    ReplyDelete
  10. YOU ALL KEEP UPDATING FIRESTORM WITH NEW STUFF WHY NOT FIX THE OLD STUFF FIRST...LIKE THE MESSED UP RENDERING...I HAVE A BRAND NEW ALIENWARE COMPUTER AND I HAVE TO LOWER MY GRAPHICS AND TAKE OFF SHADING BECAUSE I SEE BLACK SPOTS EVERYWHERE AND THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE FIRST FIRESTORM...FIX THAT STUFF THEN BE HAPPY WITH UPDATES LIKE YOU'RE ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING...YEA U MIGHT SAY I'M PISSED AND TIRED OF FIRESTORM!

    ReplyDelete
  11. YOU ALL KEEP UPDATING FIRESTORM WITH NEW STUFF WHY NOT FIX THE OLD STUFF FIRST...LIKE THE MESSED UP RENDERING...I HAVE A BRAND NEW ALIENWARE COMPUTER AND I HAVE TO LOWER MY GRAPHICS AND TAKE OFF SHADING BECAUSE I SEE BLACK SPOTS EVERYWHERE AND THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE FIRST FIRESTORM...FIX THAT STUFF THEN BE HAPPY WITH UPDATES LIKE YOU'RE ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING...YEA U MIGHT SAY I'M PISSED AND TIRED OF FIRESTORM!

    ReplyDelete
  12. YOU ALL KEEP UPDATING FIRESTORM WITH NEW STUFF WHY NOT FIX THE OLD STUFF FIRST...LIKE THE MESSED UP RENDERING...I HAVE A BRAND NEW ALIENWARE COMPUTER AND I HAVE TO LOWER MY GRAPHICS AND TAKE OFF SHADING BECAUSE I SEE BLACK SPOTS EVERYWHERE AND THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE FIRST FIRESTORM...FIX THAT STUFF THEN BE HAPPY WITH UPDATES LIKE YOU'RE ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING...YEA U MIGHT SAY I'M PISSED AND TIRED OF FIRESTORM!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Because spamming will immediately make the problems go away.

      Delete
    2. Have you filed a JIRA for help?
      Guidance is available here: http://wiki.phoenixviewer.com/file_a_jira
      Sounds like a Graphics driver issue, but file and ask for help and the best will be done for you!
      Every release has been full of bug fixes and generally trying to make the release as stable and reliable as possible!

      Delete
  13. I'll file a Jira, but I can't upload images with this release. It keeps crashing me every single time, I've tried clean install and everything I can think of.

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  14. I knew Alienware used to be good before Dell bought them out but with the graphics card issues, multiple posts in allcaps and so forth, I'm thinking I'd be better off tricking up a Commodore 64 *snicker*

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  15. "- Ability to disable group chat on a per-group basis!"

    Thank you, thank you, thank you for this!!

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  16. why after a clean install [several] am l getting .dll files at the end of the install being corrupted. l have tried the install several times and its the same dozen files which are corrupt???

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  17. @Danny Jacobson: If you can't upload images, then do a screengrab instead (hit PrtScn, paste from clipboard into an image editor program (say, Paint.net, which is free) to crop things down to just the FS window), and then upload that via your browser.

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  18. Can we get rid of the annoying blinking "pathfinding changes pending" icon at the top of the screen? There appears to be no way to turn it off unless you have perms to rebake the sim.

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    Replies
    1. Would be awesome if this was able to be toggled on and off. Very annoying to have that blinking all the time.. Not sure it's worth going back a ver, but maybe.

      Hope they address this annoyance.

      Delete
    2. Whoa.. Simple.. Right click menu, turn off Show Location in Top Menu, it's gone. Turns off Location but if you can live without that, you get rid of the stupid blinking icon.

      Delete
  19. I have to say that I really do not want any of that nasty Linden Lab Pathfinding code anywhere near my PC. That the Firestorm Team have done a mgnificent job in vile circumstances and have remained polite in the face of massive provocation, speaks volumes for the people involved.

    Thankyou all.

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  20. Crashes and extremely frusterating!! Whenever i try to download a texture from firestorm in PNG format to my laptop it crashes firestorm. It is extremely important that i be able to do that pretty pretty please fix it quick. thanks i love firestorm i dont wanna have to use another viewer

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  21. I tried this newest Firestorm release and I admit it was much better and faster than previous versions that were so slow FPS for me that it was unusable. This version made it possible to use however I am getting 12 to 14 fps and on the Official Viewer 3 I am getting 70 or more fps.
    I wish I could figure out why but I think it is just too much un-needed bloated code on Firestorm. I wish we had an option to only use or un-use the features we needed to maybe lesson the bloating. I do love the radar on Firestorm but not worth the slow muddy performance.

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  22. Think it slower now ZIGGY and it takes ages at arrival for people not to be grey.

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  23. Now getting messages that I need to re-bake the region I entered, is it Navmesh it mentions, I'm lost on this what is it about?

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  24. You guys need to pay a lot more attention to documenting how the Pathfinding stuff works.

    Everyone was telling me that there was a snake-like icon, and most of the time it's not visible. You can get that damn warning message about navmesh, but the icon isn't ever visible if you don't have land-editing permission.

    I'd re-write the warning message. I don't expect the Lindens to do anything. What will you do?


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  25. Geez, I can not imagine that you fucking noobs have not yet fixed that inventory scrolling bug. This bug started appearing in 4.1 release. I downgraded back to 4.0 because of this fucking bug and now I installed 4.2.2 and the FUCKING BUG IS STILL THERE.

    Which idiot is responsible for your quality assurance??!?

    When i navigate through my inventory and keep opening folders with the keyboard, the whole list starts to scroll in a weird way even though the cursor is in the middle of the inventory and NOT ON THE UPPER OR LOWER BORDER

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  26. @Odessa Wow, rude and entitled much? If you don't like the way it works, go to another viewer or, since you are implying you aren't a noob, write your own.

    Of course the other viewers don't have blog sites that are overly active so you wouldn't have an audience to whine and complain. That would likely be a feature you couldn't live without.

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  27. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  28. Karl, I have gone back to Phoenix.
    This latest Firestorm is about 25% slower fps than Phoenix for me.
    Do we normal users of SL, just the "game" players need all these strange named features that are being put in. Pathfinder, what ever that is etc.?
    If not needed what about a Viewer version without unnessessary things in it?

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  29. Odessa, wash your mouth out!

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  30. Report on OSG version.
    Installed and grid selection not visible at 1st but easy to find and set to OSG!
    Logged and was able to fetch the inventory fast and see my avatar full rezzed!
    V3 interface skin works perfect, with the minimal intrusive buttons, so no screen filled with useless tabs.
    Wish there was a option like on Niran's to even make the top bar fade away and to even make the icons smaller!
    Ao works as it should, same with flirk ulpoad, search engine and maps!
    Graphics look as goods as imprudence without dr and shadows, gain in performance with them enabled on max settings is less obvious compared with singularity, no tone mapping means this version can't give the graphics quality and speed of exodus and Niran, really hope to see if on the V5!
    No crashes, some lag while crossing sims, but nothing hard to deal with!
    Obvious choice for Open sims now!
    Congrats!

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  31. Haa, forget to say, RLV is still disabled and to tuen it on, still one needs to log out and log in, cant figure is its only due to OSG (yes and yes and more yes, rlv works flawless and there are much more toys for its use there any can imagine!)

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  32. it works pretty well but I like the old best.

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  33. "Ability to disable group chat on a per-group basis!" OMG I have been waiting for this for a long time. Many Thanks!! :)

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  34. For the past month, whenever I log in, I am an orange glowing ball. It is NOT my internet connection, and I have tested numerous other methods of making this go away to no avail. So basically I can't play SL for the past month. I just updated to the 4.2.2 release and same thing. I have a large piece of land and pay $50 tier every 2 weeks and I feel I'm wasting my money since I can't even enjoy it or the game. If anyone has any idea why this is going on I would REALLY APPRECIATE the help. I need to resolve this! I don't want to give up my land, and if I do... SL... it's my little sanctuary away from it all and I've spent countless hours perfecting every detail - but there is no point if I can't enjoy it.

    And actually I believe it's been going on for more than a month. I remember this first happening when I updated to the LAST version. Anyone else experiencing this or know how to fix it? Please don't tell me to look on the boards as I already have, exhaustively.

    Thank you!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I worked with a gentleman who had this problem. It turned out that he was wearing a skull cap that would cause this problem. To fix it He had to Ruth. Avatar--> Avatar Health-->Reset Default (male or female) . It seems that removing the skull cap helped him render. Then when done i had him delete skill caps and redress. Bingo ! he was fine. Don't use skull caps any more. Use tattoo base as you can wear up to 5 tattoos at the same time.

      Delete
  35. @June
    Pathfinding is mostly on the LL server side. Adding the ability to create amd manage pathfinding objects shouldn't affect FPS at all.

    The current version of Firestorm seems to be pretty stable. It's great for when I'm building or in areas where there aren't a ton of AVs. It seems to be the best at consistently loading and rendering textures. For slow casual use vehicles and places I'm at primarily to enjoy the scenery, I love FS. The frame rate is the worst of any viewer I've tried in every circumstance I've been able to test though.

    LL's viewer is noticeably better both in base frame rate and in maintaining it when new textures are loading in. It's pretty useable for technical sailing and races.

    I generally use Singularity when I'm flying aircraft. I get 2-3 times better frame rates. It crashes more often and gets corrupted textures on occasion. When I'm flying, I'm mostly concerned with having my aircraft respond to controls smoothly and show other planes in the air moving smoothly as well (try flying formations when your frame rate suddently drops to 4fps.)It has mesh rendering so that wouldn't seem to be what's slowing down v3 based viewers. Something sure is though.

    Firestorm is all about adding features. It would be interesting if somebody did a TPV with the goal of maximizing frame rates under varying circumstances. It would probably have to be somebody who could dig into the rendering engine itself and optimize parts of it.

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  36. Well I had downloaded this new version, and it worked for like 4hrs. I crashed and now I cant log back in! :( Login screen loads and it gets to the "Loading Clothing" and then crashes. This is sooo very frustrating!!

    and why oh why does blogspot make it soo friggen hard to just post here with all that special stuff at the end..geez!

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  37. Well with this new release I am no longer crashing, however, now my avatar rarely rezzes in, pretty much stays an orange cloud all the time. I've done a clean reinstall, tried rebaking, clearing cache,etc. Sometimes resetting to female default character works but most often I have to log out of firestorm into the SL viewer change there into one of the Sl default avi's let it change everything on me, log back out and back into firestorm and I am no longer a cloud but then I have to redo my avi to look like me again and when I log out later and come back to work, I am a cloud again and have to start all over. It's getting frustrating to say the least.

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  38. Oh and when I finally get myself rezzed I keep getting can't create inventory object when I try to wear things like eyes, hair, etc. This version of the viewer so far is leaving much to be desired. Guess I will go back to SL viewer until this all gets sorted out.

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  39. @Avril Thanks for the advice, unfortunately I haven't worn bald caps in forever, lol, so it is something else causing it. I logged in today though and so far I didn't have a rezzing issue but I am now missing a ton of items in my inventory, sculpts I had bought, hair, note cards, etc. I am so frustrated.

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  40. Why do I steady lose voice with the new viewer?

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  41. The update says that RLVa was updated to 1.4.7. I search and search and have yet to locate a complete specification for RLVa.

    Is there a document that says exactly what makes RLVa different from Kelley's meticulously documented Rlv 2.8.1? This would something as complete and detailed as

    http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/LSL_Protocol/RestrainedLoveAPI

    d/d/m

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  42. Love Thomas, what are you on about I not understand?

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