New Building Shapes? Self User Backup Files?

I dunno if these are good ideas or not, but I was thinking about new building shapes such as a star or rounded off cubes and triangles. Also I was thinking about user backup files that be stored on the users computer if they want just in case. You never know. If that was I good Idea I was suggesting that they also be encrypted to prevent the user from tinkering with files offline. I realize that would use alot of space, but I just think it would be safer. Unless SL already double saves all the files in order to protect them then there wouldn't be need for that, which I think is also a good idea if SL hasn't already been doing that and has enough memory to. I like to be safe, but if you feel this was all just a bunch of useless babble, feel free to tell me. ;p

New building shapes probably won't happen in the near future given the way the prim system works. That said, there's a pretty good chance we'll get a "sprite" prim eventually, but that's not really a primitive shape.


As for local backups, last I heard, the Lindens were working on the ability to store inventory in an encrypted file. When that'll actually happen is anyone's guess, though.

I can't express how much I want this. Is it being worked on or is there a prop I can vote on?

(That is sprite as in billboard isn't it?)

a sprite is a flat texture that is always facing you.

I have a prop for user backup. Could you vote on that?


https://secondlife.com/vote/index.php?get_id=698

Yeah, why not. Although I severly doubt LL would impliment it with XML and standard data like you suggest.

Now for some random musings:

I wonder if we could get sprite type prims that we can set to face the camera only on a certain axis? That'd rock.

I'd prefer rounded cubes and stuff done with a setting (like hollow) rather than new prim types.

And rather than a star, how about changing the prism prim so it can be any regular polygon and give a setting for puckering (or whatever it'd be right to call it)?

Ok, thanks for the feedback on this. Whatever the case maybe, I'm absolutely sure it's not gonna be a quick thing whether my idea is taken or not. It's just something I'd think would be good in the future. Thanks for your comment everybody!

Actually, there have been no proposals that I've seen for a Sprite prim, though I expect there are a few in the voting system somewhere.

I define a "sprite" as a two-dimensional primitive that need not face the user at all times (but certainly could). Instead, I would see it more as a general replacement for the constant cube billboarding effects seen all over the grid.

Simply, it's the most feasible because it's just one or two flat faces.


A rounded cube would also be feasible if they opened up more stuff seen in CAD programs. But I don't have high hopes for that in the near future. Maybe with a capital "M" for SL 2.0, way I see it.


A "Sprite" effect that faces a user at all angles is also already possible with particles, but particle size is limited to around two or three meters on each side, and are generally uncollidable.

Either way, this is all just idle speculation from research I've done into the system itself.

I'll have a search later (well, some time in the next couple of days anyhoo) and if I can't find one I'll propose it. I really think the camera facing is important (and optional axies would be so damned useful), especially since it'll only be saving 10 polys per instance.