[Opensim-dev] The Future of Open Simulator(?) (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Cinder Roxley]

On August 13, 2015 at 8:14:30 AM, Maxwell, Douglas CIV USARMY ARL (US) (douglas.maxwell3.civ at mail.mil) wrote:
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED 
Caveats: NONE 

Can someone explain to me why the core developers insist on control of the 
code, but refuse to manage the project? I ask again: what are your plans for 
the future of Open Simulator? It's ok to say you don't have any, let's make 
some! 

I'll throw out some ideas based on the MOSES goals and objectives: 

1) Scale limitations lifted. We need a system that is governed by its 
available hardware and network resources, not bound by software limits. 

2) Let's create clear definitions of "stability". 

3) Clear and up-to-date API documentation. 

4) Clear and up-to-date OS deployment guidance under numerous typical network 
topologies. 

5) Bug identification & reduction. 

6) Efficient ray tracing. Useful for simulation of sensors as well as 
naturalized bot interactions. 

7) N-body physics. Would be nice to have vehicles that can follow terrain 
and not look like Star Wars land speeders. Would also be nice to have more 
natural avatar movement rather than the rigid animations we use now. 

What are yours? Anyone? 

v/r -doug
This can be considered my “wish list” as I don’t really have a say in what happens, but I’m willing to put in a fair share of work in seeing that it can be done if others agree these are desirable targets:

1) Restating what Doug has mentioned, Clear and up-to-date API documentation. This hinders contributors, myself included, from working on things and leads to a lot of frustration and disappointed from well-intentioned folks.

2) A coding standard that defines and formalizes the style of code used throughout the codebase and is adhered to and enforced and should be pointed to often and regularly for contributions. Good code is easy to read and manageable. A formal coding standard is a good step in that direction.

3) OpenSim is a thread monster. There doesn’t seem to be any sort of approach to how threading is handled. This I think would fall under Doug’s criteria for #1.

4) I think it’s time to hop off the fence and decide whether to maintain the Second Life protocol compatibility, (Which, let’s be honest, is pretty lacking. There’s a lot missing post-2010.) or to break new ground. Linden Lab has apparently made their decision regarding that. There are viewer developers out there willing to work with OpenSimulator is doing this. I am one of them. I just can’t be in IRC all the time, but I want to do this with you guys and I know there are others out there willing to put in the work to build clients to connect to new and better worlds with sensible protocols.

Please don’t take any of this as criticism as it is not meant as such. I appreciate all the work that everyone on this project and who is affiliated with it does.

-- 
Cinder Roxley
Sent with Airmail
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