Local building client

Implement a local modeling client

I propose that SL has a local modeling client where users can edit and upload their creations directly to their SL inventory. Since all things in SL are created on the server that creates a lot of bandwidth and restricts creation to time logged on. Building on the server is a hog of bandwidth in both directions since the world is still moving around you.

This would also give users the ability to work on their projects locally while playing SL without the need of a sandbox or expanse of owned land that allows building and they could still interact with the community while doing it, all the while separating their unfinished projects from the environment while they’re still working on them.

This feature could be used parallel to SL’s modeling engine and not just independent of it. Since all texture files and animations must be uploaded there will always be communication between the server and the local client however it would give people the ability to test out complex textures and layouts before they paid to upload the result.

In essence this proposal will be making it more effective for the consumer and more efficient for the server while still maintaining services that are in effect.

Although I'd love to have that ability. I see some problem that may arised. If local buiding is allowed. Every developer and modeler of SL will goes offline. They will be come on only for upload and test and talking with their customer. It is a chance that they will drop some land they bought also. Since they do not need a permanent land for their in-progress work anymore. Also, customers and normal SL-ers won't be able to see any developer at work, which I feel fun sometimes. Chance that they will never see the real developer at all. Because they all working offline.

Just some thought.

I would love the idea for an offline building program, as sometimes my internet goes down; and it aggravates me that I can't do anything as it is. I sort of agree with Nargus though, as many people use their land as just a sandbox. But... most people will probably end up using the online builder rather then the offline one, since many people would need to use their character to model and build on, or size their house they may be making would be essential to the detail and perfection fitting the land that they were building the house for. Also, the offline builder, if ever made, would almost definitely not have as many functions as the in-game builder would; as it probably wouldn't develop into anything very helpful anytime soon. Also, many people use pose stands or scripts to help themselves build, and I don't suppose that it would support scripts; if it could, it would also end up being an offline LSL writer too and that would be a revolution to offline creations.

- Exile

EDIT - I would also have to add in the fact that textures would be hard to get on this, and it could be a very cheap way for people to get many textures onto something without having to pay the 10 L for uploading on the online server. If it was connected to the main server, I would lose all faith in having an offline building program in which you could upload objects that would stay intact with the same or similar look to them as they were seen in the offline builder or builder that was connected to the game.

I think what might work out better is a way to upload some simple file format which represents a set of prims and their properties to the server, which the server then uses to construct an object in the inventory as you describe. This would not only allow third parties to write their own offline editors but would also allow for people to write tools to convert from other data so that structures that involve repetitive patterns, such as roads and large buildings could be generated programmatically rather than laboriously copying and lining up manually in-world.

For example, imagine a specialised editor which is purely for laying roads; you just draw out the lines where you want the roads to run and it figures out how to construct the junctions, corners, sidewalks and so forth. Once it's imported, you can of course adjust it to add any "odd" bits.

Of course, in order to be really useful it would have to be possible to export objects too, which raises some questions since you'd presuably need to also export the textures and some of them might not be copyable despite the fact that the object itself is. You'd probably also want the ability to export a heightmap for your parcel so that you can see what land you're working with and so, for example, my hypothetical road editor could automatically handle slopes, embankments and bridges.

I realise that you can already do the import to a certain extent with some clever scripting, but that still places limits on what you can do and is a bit of a pain. It'd be much nicer if this were just another option on the menu along with uploading textures, sounds and animations.

It could even be charged for somehow; I wouldn't mind paying to save myself the effort of doing something that my computer can do much faster. Combined with the export thing -- which would also have the benefit of allowing builders to "back up" their objects on their own computers, and transfer objects between grids -- this would be, I think, a big boon for builders and lead to much more adventurous builds by removing some of the more mundane aspects of building.