[Opensim-dev] OnLook viewer and opensim support modules

[Tom Willans]

It also sounds like the basis for a separation of viewer and interface via a modular mechanism which would be great. One area opensim could work upon is having objects in world communicating the client interface and vice versa.  Would firstly a customisable communication protocol and module enabling two way communication between the virtual server, it's objects scripts and avatars themselves? This could be done whilst doing the work for this viewer whilst laying down an API and architecture usable in other modules.

This would enable not only for the server and environment developers to modify the UI.but for objects, as defined by the inworld virtual world designers to become part of the interface. This would be a body into which all sorts of Haptics and sensory devices could be connected. There are concepts of Enactive interfaces that break away from the human -> interface -> server to that of being action focused. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enactive_interfaces

 For instance if you are using a mobile phone, tablet, HMD or conventional laptop. It would also enable the client to let the server know what it's capabilities are? 

Would it be possible to override the server decisions? There is something about a familiar interface that makes it "transparent" to the user?   In this case the server environment and Haptics/sensory conduits eg viewer need to be harmonised. Accessibility with web browsers allow for user to override CSS defined colours with their own.

A question I was intending to ask the developers is whether it is possible for objects to be marked as only visible to a specific user or group of users? or even only show this object. This would enable in-world interface objects to be created that are of no interest to those in world (similar to current 2D HUD objects) and would get in the way of the inworld experience or objects such as a house to be displayed but the surrounding blue screen onto which not virtual images could be projected ie augmented reality.

Just some thoughts but sounds good.
Tom

Tom Willans  BSc(Hons)  MBCS  CITP
PhD Student
Serious Games Institute, Coventry University
United Kingdom

Managing Director Bessacarr Publications Ltd
+44 (0)121 288 0281
email: tom.willans at bessacarr.com
skype: tom.willans
Second Life and OSGrid: Tom Tiros



Sent from my iPad

> On 7 Nov 2014, at 00:52, Melanie <melanie at t-data.com> wrote:
> 
> I'm in favor of this becoming core modules and the viewer mods
> becoming a standard over time. It looks like what is needed to get
> opensim beyond the social virtual world provision.
> 
> Melanie
> 
>> On 07/11/2014 01:49, Diva Canto wrote:
>> Dear devs,
>> 
>> I've been working with a Singularity developer in order to develop a 
>> Singularity-based viewer for OpenSim that can show different UI and user 
>> controls depending on data sent from the server side. It's a little bit 
>> like a Web browser: the browser is to be as generic as possible, the 
>> server sends the application, which changes from server to server. These 
>> viewers obviously aren't Web browsers, so there's only so much that we 
>> can do under this idea. But to the extent that it can be pushed to 
>> behave like a web browser, we're pushing it. This allows for opensim 
>> providers to offer different/simpler interfaces to their users without 
>> requiring a whole new viewer installation.
>> 
>> The viewer is called OnLook, and the few changes we already made prove 
>> the concept. The code is here:
>> https://github.com/diva/OnLook
>> 
>> There are currently two independent options: (1) a special UI, where the 
>> server can send what buttons to show in the toolbar; and (2) a 
>> camera-only mode that tells the viewer not to render the person's avatar 
>> and to provide a camera control model that is more inline with what you 
>> have in 3d editors like Sketchup (warning: this second mode is going to 
>> make many of you barf! :) This is just the beginning, and much more can 
>> be done.
>> 
>> In order for this viewer to behave any different than regular 
>> Singularity, the sim needs to be extended with modules for supporting 
>> these behaviors. In talking to Justin and others on the IRC, there 
>> seemed to be support for adding these modules to core opensim, under 
>> OpenSim.Region.OptionalModules -- there's already one there made by 
>> Melanie that also subscribes to this design philosophy.
>> 
>> But before I push it, I wanted to let you know about it, and to make 
>> sure there are no issues in having this in core. I need a viewer whose 
>> UI and user controls can be programmed server side, that's why I made 
>> OnLook. Nothing in it is proprietary, but I also don't want to impose it 
>> in core.
>> 
>> Cheers
>> Diva
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Opensim-dev mailing list
>> Opensim-dev at opensimulator.org
>> http://opensimulator.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/opensim-dev
> _______________________________________________
> Opensim-dev mailing list
> Opensim-dev at opensimulator.org
> http://opensimulator.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/opensim-dev