Next Gen

A wiki area to discuss possible features for a next generation OpenSimulator.

There are many people and groups who have forks and OpenSim side projects. MisterBlue on 14-Feb-2022 suggested puling these side projects together and make a new and improved future OpenSimulator.

MisterBlue is creating a new protocol and viewer that initially works with OpenSim. He feels that a new viewer is a first step toward breaking away from the chains of Second Life compatibility.

A list of requested OpenSimulator features was collected from attendees of OpenSimulator Community Conference 2021 (OSCC21):


 * OSCC21 Audience Feature Suggestions

MisterBlue Notes
Misterblue 2022-02-15: This effort is to invigorate and advance OpenSimulator for the most recent rediscovery of metaverses. The goal is not to re-engineer everything to create the ultimate metaverse. The goal is to address large features that are limiting OpenSimulator's deployment and use. In the end, there will be a divergence from complete mimicking of SL.

There will be incorporation of technologies like:


 * popular asset creation tools (mesh editors, UI designers, etc.),
 * standards (identity, avatar formats, asset formats, etc.),
 * modern infrastructures (containers, monitors, etc),
 * encryption (end-to-end encrypted chat, signed storage, etc), and
 * storage systems.

That's all grand vision, but on more practical grounds, the OSCC21 feature suggestions break into:


 * Use of popular asset formats for world and avatars (FBX, GLTF, VRM, etc)
 * Use of popular external asset creation tools (Blender, etc)
 * Updated user documentation
 * Improved in-world asset representations (trees, PBM materials, etc)
 * Incorporation of hyped metaverse tech (VR, text-to-speech, etc)

And add to these operational features:


 * Easy to install and operate (db management, etc)
 * Better access control (connection control, user management, etc)
 * Security (for inter-grid and inter-user communication)

Ai Austin Notes
AiAustin 2022-02-15
 * Next Generation Virtual Worlds – Social Web + Virtual Worlds + Content + People
 * To initially stay compatible with the current OpenSim platform, users and content would be helpful. Starting with an existing eco-system helps establish usage.
 * Suggest a strongly modular approach that allows for very different modules on different "regions" so that new forms of support can be provided on these, with fall backs when they are not available.
 * Low hanging fruit: Much better natural features like grass, plants, trees, rocks, water other than sea level, etc.. Possibly applied via over-layered textures over the terrain map, as in Unity3D.
 * Save and load "region" content (Next Gen OAR) direct conversion to and from modern content creation tools like Unity and Blender.
 * Establish a base for future metaverse interoperability by establishing and sharing initial experimentsl standards for avatar appearance and inventory content which can potentially be taken off the local platform via use of a Travel Outfit and Travel Pack (Next Gen Suitcase). See conceot of operations and ideas at OMI Open Metaverse Traversal Group – Austin Tate Presentation- 2022-01-13

Standards and Metaverse Standard Groups That Might Be Interesting

 * VRM Avatars, Github: humanoid avatar format popular with vtubers, VRChat, etc.
 * Graphics Language Transmission Format (glTF) : for avatars and 3D scenes.
 * Infinite Metaverse Alliance
 * Open Metaverse Interoperability Group (OMI)