Better Landscapes in SL

A compound modifier takes a hyphen. (It's not a personal game, it's a game for a personal computer.) And even though I'm slavishly devoted to my Mac, I'd allow personal computer (lowercase) as a generic for non-Windows machines, too.

SpeedTree trees CAN be quite pretty. We use them at work too:

Obivion Trees

<Runs away crying>

Um, I'm probably REALLY wrong here, don't know ANYTHING about speedtree outside of this thread, but I really think it would be nice if we could define our own textures. Give us a "tree template" just like the body templates. I mean, when I look at the tree textures right now they appear to have the "up close trunk" on the right, the "distant view" of the entire tree at the top left, and the "close up branch" under on the left. I could edit that. Have tried editing that using the new 1.6 ability to "replace" any texture with a streaming video, and COULD do it right now... just let me specify a texture in the edit menu for the tree!

This _alone_ would allow everything from "Christmas trees" to any sort of origanic or mechanical things that would "move" like the trees do. I want chinese lanterns hanging in my trees. I really want residents to have foilage creation tools. I just don't see it happening any time soon. In the meanwhile, I think a "quick fix" would be to let us apply our own textures.

wow!! cant wait to see this.

Dammit Tiger, stop lording your job over me!

PS: Post more screenshots of TES:IV, I have all of them off the site, but I know you can hook me up with the good shit.

Besides the trees, does SpeedTreeRT also does the grasses? I would LOVE to see real grass in SL! (Calm down Darko, I mean grass like you find on a lawn)

hell if they're going to make the landscape look so much better they need to improve avatars too or we'll look like homeless folks invading a country club.

I'm confused. I assumed "personal computer game" referred to a non-online game. *scratches head*

Improvements in graphic quality would of course be wonderful ... unless they're at the expense of rendering speed.

SL still doesn't use the vertex and pixel shader hardware on our GPUs, except for a few minor things like rendering water. We keep hearing hints that it's being looked at ... What's the latest on this?

..add my support to this question.

any updates?

Adding my support as well... updates?

I'd love to see things like a grand canyon in SL, but that'd take a few sims I imagine. SL needs more landscape landmarks.

I would like to see a 'Lost World" or Jurassic Park type sim, using this rendering, with roaming, deadly Velociraptors! KEEP YOUR ARMS IN THE PEOPLE MOVER!!!

That'd be cool, but I just can't help pointing out the one part of Jurassic Park that really urked me. Velociraptor was only 1/4 the size portrayed in the movie. It was only about the size of a large dog. There were certainly other raptors they could have chosen that were much bigger. I guess they just liked the name. The only part they got right was that it was probably the most intelligent dinosaur that ever lived, although all raptors were likely very intelligent, so again, there are many species that could have fit the bill. Still a good movie though.

Anyway, back on topic, SpeedTree looks really cool. I'm excited.

They made the Dilophosaurs about a quarter of the size of actual adult fossils, too. I guess when taking liberties like making them frilled and spitting poison, that's probably not the biggest problem, but still...

Hey all,

The ST integration is going very well. We have successfully converted all our currently variates and are beginning work on some others. ST has an amazing library of trees and grasses that we could use as well. They even have underwater species like corals!

The ST client allows us to tweak the wind parameters of each individual plant or tree type. We are playing with this now. If all goes well, each tree in SL we sway at a different speed!

All the new tree and grass work will appear when the new rendering engine makes it's debut. So, we are a ways off yet. I will keep you all posted as new developments arise.

Any word on how hard this will be on the SL client CPU footprint? The trees are gorgeous, true, though some of us run with minimal tree detail to minimize clientside lag.

good to hear updated news that it's still moving along, and quite well at that.

but still, you guys at LL certainly know how to make us drool for extended periods of time. then again.. it's always worth it!

Please make sure Palm Trees do not sway and look like they're about to be ripped out of the ground by a monsoon as the current ones do.

And I agree with Juro, a way to turn off wind effect would be good if possible.

this looks like it will give a more deeper colors and realism to the landscape, cant wait
but i also agree with Kage, is there a way to have SL where dont have to have the 3d details so low so wont lag?
reason im asking is..my son plays world of warcraft or whatever game he is into, i have notice that it runs smoother and the graphics are vibrant and all.....would love SL to be this way, the landscape,objects and avatars; whole thing lol

The thing to keep in mind here is that in something like WoW, or any out-of-the-box game, the entire 3-D world, all the character models, all the building and landscape and textures - ALL of it's on your harddrive, in your computer.

With SecondLife, your avatar, the skin and clothes and attachments you're wearing, each and every prim and texture, has to be sent over your internet connection. As a result, some designers use smaller, less detailed textures that load quicker. People use less prims/polygons to make things because vehicles can only have a certain # or prims and land supports only a # of prims.

Not saying I don't agree with you, it would be great to be able to have more detailed avatars, landscapes, and building options...

Lindens, and word on when we'll see our shiny new trees? Along with Havok, whenever it gets done?

sweet, I'm looking forward to this. Will that work for avatars too, or just landscapes? Realism ROCKS!!!