[Opensim-dev] Thoughts on Scripting

[Mike Deem]

Thanks Crista.

I think there are two separate application models at work here.

What you describe is the API for extending the OpenSim itself. I'm sure I'll
have fun experimenting with it in the coming weeks.

However, what I'm trying to understand are the kinds of features that make
creating large and complex things in world easier. Usually you don't think
of building and scripting in world as creating an application, but isn't
that pretty much what it is? At least I find that thinking of it in those
terms helps me start think about how to make the task of building complex
things easier.

For example, it should be possible to link a set of prims, duplicate that
set many times, and then make a change to a prim in the set and have that
change replicated, automatically, to all the duplicates. Similarly, it
should be possible to create a library of script functions that can be
used by many scripts, without manually duplicating the script code over and
over. You can think of these things as part of an app model that supports
reusable components, something analogous to an assembly. Now you can start
thinking about how you would "reference" such a component for your build or
how you would distribute an updated version of the component.

I wanted to know how others thought about the current "in world" application
model and how it might be evolved. Is any work going on in that area?

  == Mike ==

On Sat, Sep 6, 2008 at 7:19 PM, Diva Canto <diva at metaverseink.com> wrote:

> Hi Mike,
>
> OpenSim has a rudimentary application model, or even two: the one I'm most
> familiar with are the region modules, and I think there's another module
> system. They allow you to develop applications for the OpenSim API.
> Developing for this API achieves everything you talk about -- or, ahem, it
> will, once a few rough edges are taken care of.
>
> There's practically no documentation about this API, and about application
> development with OpenSim, so at this point almost no one knows about it.
> This is because both the API and the module systems are still changing. You
> have to download the code and bravely browse through it. In any case, the
> module system(s) in OpenSim is still not as sophisticated as, say, a Tomcat
> webapp (there are no resources, for example), but it is the beginning of
> what you are looking for.
>
> Crista
>
>
> Mike Deem wrote:
>
>   I've got a few thoughts about scripting and I would like your feedback.
>
> But first, a bit of an introduction. I'm a professional software developer
> with years of experience working on all kinds of distributed applications. I
> became a SL resident, scripter, and builder in early 2006. I'm just
> beginning to get involved with OpenSim. This is a hobby for me, it is
> unrelated to my work.
>
> For a while I've been thinking about "application models" for virtual
> worlds. By "application model" I mean something that involves more than
> simply scripting.
>
> A traditional application is a package of application code, shared
> libraries, resources like images, etc. A platform's application model
> defines the structure of these packages as well as things like the security
> model, installation services, etc. To the user, an application represents a
> consistent self-contained "user experience," usually with a specific
> purpose.
>
> Of particular interest to me is the model for applications built *inside*a virtual world.
>
> A build of any level of complexity could be thought of as an application.
> For example: a building with door and window scripts, an attachment with
> configuration scripts, a vehicle, a stage with programed special effects for
> a product presentation, etc.
>
> SL offers a very rudimentary application model. You can put copies of
> scripts in prims and you can link a limited number of prims together. The
> platform also provides a security model and a number of other services.
>
> However, the SL application model is missing a bunch of things. For example
> we need a hierarchical prim model that supports any number of prims and at
> region scale, a way to share and reuse script libraries, a way to update
> things after they have been sold, given, or copied, etc.
>
> As the complexity of builds increase, the missing features become quite
> restrictive. This limits the ability of content creators to produce
> compelling user experiences. That limits the adoption of the platform for
> commercial purposes.
>
> In addition, the SL script execution model is complex to implement
> and requires a lot of computing resources. Specifically, treating global
> script execution state as a persistent data store is very problematic.
>
> I think we need something better. But I also think that making something
> that is really better could require moving away from the SL model in some
> fundamental ways.
>
> What do you think?
>
>   == Mike ==
>
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