What's The Next Big Thing?

I would love to see user created bump maps. I'm no 3D genius, so perhaps some of the clever sorts on the forum could weigh in on its practicality. But if it were possible, we could increase the apparent level of detail on SL objects without having to increase the number of vertices on sculpties (which already are a bit of a load on the system--a worthwhile load I feel, but still). And they could be used on regular prims as well, just as the current LL stock bumpmaps can be.

Perhaps not as earthshattering as Windlight or Mono, but I think it would do an awful lot for realism in builds.

My wishlist would be unlimited avatar layers, an updated avatar mesh and UV mapping, and shader and normal map support on both objects and avatars.

Oh, yes.. I'll add Tattoo layer to my wish list. I'll find a skin I love, or a tattoo I love, but never both!

I'm curious, Oh Master Of Texturing, are normal maps better than bump maps? My limited understanding is about the level of "Normals are bump maps that use RGB coding". I would have thought getting bumpmap support in SL is more likely because a) it already exists, albeit only the stock bumpmaps LL provides, and b) since it's greyscale, it ought to be somewhat possible to create simple ones "by hand", which I thought was blessed near impossible with normal maps.

(I hope that doesn't sound contradictory; I'm just trying to keep these various things straight in my head)

Scripts that can write to notecards!

Restricting sounds to a parcel should include object says and shouts.

Simple teleporting anywhere in a sim without a simple script instead of the current more convoluted solutions.

Ability to pick the format you want for downloading snapshots from SL to your PC. (i mean for the snapshots that were originally taken in SL, not the ones that were originally sent to the PC)

I have a massive wishlist but I will stick to building as thats my thang.

I would like to see an overhaul of the building tools, on a basic level I want to be able to align prims 100% of the time rather than tolerating minor unaligments, and also create prims larger and smaller than the current restricted sizes. I also want to be able to select a prim, then shift-select another prim/s and then tab through the fields on the texture alignment screen to apply the same parameters to the root prim and any other prims selected. You used to be able to do this but not any more. (at least not for me)

Beyond that I would like to see:

3D rendering built in
Image editing tools built in
Support for more image formats
Ability to upload bump maps
ability to create my own catagorised custom prims so for example I want to open the tool set and select a hexagon or any other shape I have pre-designed and saved, the same as I would a cube today.
larger selection of 'hollow' shapes
abilility to select an individual face of a holowed prim, i.e. at the moment a hollow cube has one surface, I want it to have 4
I want a fully working offline building function built into the viewer so I dont have to be online to build.

And finally, not building related, I want them to sort the bloody sun out. Aesthetically it looks like an asteriod is about to strike the earth. It's too big...too bright... I hate the way in windlight that any light texture is bleached white when the sun directly shines upon it. Just tone it down and make it normal.

I want in world spell check.
oh and the ability to copy & paste with a click of my mouse instead of Control C/V.

Please! They can't get things going with what they have now so anything new, forget it.

The next big thing for sl?

Hopefully, a new staff that gets things right the first time.

Normal maps are much superior to bump maps. Bump maps are only a 2d effect so as soon as you get close to seeing the bump mapped surface edge on the illusion breaks down because the bump effect is created only by altering the luminosity of pixels in the texture. A normal map works very much like a sculpt map but with much better resolution. It's a true 3d effect. SL already has some support for normal maps. The waves in the windlight water effect are created using a normal map and shaders in combination.

This one is sooo easy for me.

IN-WORLD SCULPTY BUILDING TOOLS!

Thank you! Now, I want them

Better avatar meshes and skinning would help a hell of a lot. I have a tattoo irl i wanted to put on my avatar but due to the mirroring of textures it appears on both of my arms.
The avatars are so so primative and have been a little left behind with this recent spate of improvements to the grid.

And also higher levels of details on sculptied please, and also as someone else mentioned custom bump maps. They would improve the look of builds no end.

Even if it meant all my current stock was worthless I'd be happy to start all over if we could have decent avatar meshes.
I want to make clothes on different layers that don't look like they are painted on to naked bodies.
I want to make skirts, sleeves and so on that keep legs and other body parts covered. I want reasonable texture maps that don't distort on the mesh.
I want normal maps for avatars and prims.
I'd like more precision in placing and sizing prims and avatar parts. e.g. it would be nice to type in a number of centimeters for the avi's waist, distance from bidge of nose to nostril etc.
And yes two separate texture maps for anrms and sleeves.

Replacing all that content may hurt a bit for creators but it would also give the economy back into spending mode too, and weed out those that aren't interested in the quality of their products. It gives us the tools to create better than the best we could previously do, learning from our previous experience.
Face it, no one guarantees everything made between 2003-2008 would be still usable and fashionable in 2010.

I agree.

Next big thing: An "Invite" function that read your Gmail contact list, Facebook friendlist, etc. and send invitations to the ones you select, like many social network applications can, plus two way communication with such applications directly from the viewer.

Next big thing: full featured blog editor in the viewer.

I forgot the next one, darn it. Oh well, I'll make up another one.

Next big thing: a forum editor in the viewer that works with the upcoming new forum system. With group forums available for a fee.

Next big thing: a Photoshop plug-in that lets you paint directly on prim surfaces using Photoshop.

Next big thing: An off-line orientation tutorial that new people can download and use to familiarise themselves with SL at their own pace.

Oh please no. The current SL client crashes enough. I use Firefox and it crashes about 10 times a day and gets the heebeegeebees when I view any sites with multimedia content. SL would make Firefox crash within seconds of loading up. No thanks.

look up ajaxlife, not sure if this is what you are thinking off but it lets you log into seconlife for text based functions like teleporting, chatting, iming, inventory actions etc.

Something I would Like to be considered as a next step

Some form of Licensed code package for 3rd-party access,
Kind of a pass-key for un-official viewrs type thing


If the package isn`t in the viewr NO-ACCESS

Would be useful when logins are being throttled or disabled due to cuncurrency issues,
Just block logins for and boot all but "Official" secondlife viewrs till whatever the problem is clears up
Would cut down alot of the bots and free up the space for real people.
Many people use the 3-party viewrs,because they prefer their performance, I do too sometimes.

BUT, if the "Official" Secondlife grid is havin trouble I have no problem blocking " UN-Official" means of access

They would have to improve the warning system though, wouldn`t be quite right to boot or block people without a message sayin "UN-Official viewr access has been temporarily restricted" or some such thing, so people know why and can switch to an official viewr.

Wish it would be SL compatible computer system that would be easy to own and get or give as gift that would be as easy to get into with like their tier/ membership subscription services but of course that would be included.
More options around avatars and creations that would be nice that user friendly to everyone.
But of course that problem isn't going to happen they do something over my head that I don't really understand the function or purpose of most likely.

I assume you are suggesting this too prevent botviewers from being used, but suspect a lot of users like me who do use alternative non-bot viewers or lower powered viewers at times because they like the interface, would be a bit upset if they couldn't login.

Didn`t explain myself to well, but yes primarily for the sake of blocking the "bot"type viewrs is pretty much what I meant.

Shadows that's the next BIG thing..huge dramatic shadows everywhere..it's already in development..and it's coming your way..

Perre..

If I could think of some way of making money out of it I would..but I cant..bugger!!

Shadows would be a single most improvement in the world environment, if they could work out the lag it would create.

Could U imagine the lag in crowded places like Sweethearts or Franks if it were also rendering shadows? One can barely move already half the time.

OMG ... But there must be a way.