Current Best AO devices and/or Couple Animation devices?

The Rendevous one is interesting - If you are walking holding hands, how do you stay together and who controls the movement? Is there a way to attach the avatars so one person is controlling both or do you just need to have the skill level to fly in formation like the Blue Angels?

I think Rendezvous is a vehicle, you both sit on it, then one of you 'drives' it. The anims and sit positions are set up so you look like you're walking holding hands (or whatever).

Deira - what Mereille said. It's doable, and not too hard. But you'll probably have some instances where the script might make the wrong choice. It should also be possible to have the device ask the wearer if he/she is tall/medium/short. Then for each kiss, ask the same question about the recipient, and pick the appropriate animation. And maybe remember the height of the last X recipients. Though that would break if someone grew taller or shorter

Like I said, I haven't used it. But my understanding is that it works like a two person vehicle. (and therefore can only work where you can rez it) Both people sit, then one 'drives', the other is along for the ride. But it also plays couples animations while you move. It apparently also is 'tap to move' so you can start walking, and then have your hands free to chat.

It isn't cheap though... $L3000

3000L. Ouch.

I was at a shop - I honestly can't remember the name or why I was there looking. It wasn't a sexually oriented place, but they had a bracelet that was designed for subs that would chain them to the dom. When the dom walked around, it would basically drag the sub around behind on the end of a chain. I didn't see it work, but I assume it would animate the sub and force her to get up and walk, as opposed to dragging her around like an anchor (although that would be funny).

I don't think it was a vehicle, but I wonder if something like that would work for a couples animation where instead of a chain connecting the two, they were joined at the hands with one person in control and the other walking beside him/her.

Of course, as an aside, I immediately thought about getting a 45 foot chain and dragging someone behind the biplane like a banner. But that's just me.

Rendezvous is a vehicle alright. It's expensive and I bought it. It is very well made technically and indeed one of a kind in it's quality. But to be honest, in use I find it a bit dull. Yes, you can walk hand in hand and other things, but the 'driving' feels sort of unnatural and forced for me. But... when you really want to endlessly walk hand in hand with your partner, Rendezvous is a very good choice. I don't think I'm romantic enough for this gadget lol.

I saw one of those in use the other day. I think it works like a basic follow script. The item scans the area periodically for the 'master' and then moves the 'sub' to be within the distance. It probably is dragging the 'sub', maybe while playing an animation to make it look like walking/crawling/whatever-they-do

The problem with the bracelet idea for general couples use is one of lag, position and syncronization. You could program an item to always try to reach a certain position. But there will always be a delay between when the lead avatar moves, and the follower moves, making walking closely together not quite work. (both items would need to talk to each other constantly while moving to stay in position too...laggy) Just like couples dances work best in poseballs where the animator can control positioning better.

A vehicle can tie the position and sync much more closely together. Think of it like dance poseballs on a steerable platform.

Of course, this is all based on my current understanding of scripting, so take it with a huge mountain of salt.

I liked the Rendevous idea, but I can't rationalize paying $L3000 for it. So...I'm working on my own version (actually I started it before I heard about the Rendevous, but now I'm focused on finishing it).

I think you understand the issues very well.

Got it - that makes sense, Mereille.

Let me know when you finish your version. I'd like to check it out.

Someone mentioned a Pandora thing along with the Rendezvous... how do they compare? How are they different?

Pandora HUD is a standard couples/group HUD. The main feature that Pandora markets for her HUD is that it retains permissions once granted. So your frequent targets don't have to grant permission every time you want to hug them.

It can also animate everyone on it's list (up to 12 or 22 I think depending on version) so you can have 3-way or multi-way animations. I think it also includes a standard AO (maybe ZHAO?) built in as well so you don't need a separate one.

I mentioned it because it caught my attention, and seemed to have some nice features. I haven't tried it though.

Yes, recent versions of Pandora include a modified ZHAO-II. ZHAO-II is controlled through link-messages, so it's fairly easy to include it in other gadgets and drive it with other scripts. If that didn't make any sense to you, ignore it

Huney Jewell also wrote a ZHAO-II mod that (I think) includes hug and kiss functionality. You can find her version in my store (LM in my profile picks), and there's a post on these forums somewhere where she talks about it. It's called HJAO.

My partner and i cherish our rendesvous because it allows us to stay close while shopping and touring, which we do a lot of together. We fly hand in hand, walk hand in hand, he carries me, etc etc. The device rezzes a seat for the driver, after they've sat it rezzes the passengers. The driver can then turn over control to the passenger through a command or use the dialog menu to switch poses. It has 'cruise control' so you can move forward slowly but steadily and be typing at the same time. Being a vehicle it's not as easy as walking or flying solo, but we've come to accept that with any vehicle script.
The animations for it are top notch, go try the free demo off slexchange. Heck, if you aren't embarrased by a sign on it that says demo, just use the demo for a whole day until you've decided. Keep in mind that it also has slow dances, star gazing, hugs and kisses, and numerous other poses besides the ones for 'driving'.

Pandora is cool because you can control someone for apparently ever! I've never had to reask for permission to animate him. However...he's tall, i'm short..we aren't being posed on balls...i end up eating chest fuzz ninety percent of the time. I don't suggest this for poses that require the two of you lining up. It has other great poses, expressions though.

Collars that give out leash handles to the owner can spew particle chains and either drag, yank, or pull the sub wearing them. They are as jerky and spastic as you can imagine.

Another option are the Runecaster systems also called Pandora that give one the power to summon and 'attract' another avatar. I've been gracefully lifted in the air by a gentleman who did NOT ask permission, brought to his side and placed back down with a wave of his particle spewing hands and giggled for a good five minutes. He explained that was what he used and demonstrated it for me a few other times I haven't bought that yet but plan on it. Seems like it's more a "come here" once than a "follow me" constantly.

Lavanya was making a pull along follower back last year that you sat on and floated behind someone...and could supposedly be linked up to others in a 'chain' so you might check her place...Hartnell is her last name i *think*.

Yes, it plays out that way in practice with the "leash" types of attachment sets out there. If the leading avatar is inattentive and takes a turn at a doorway or stairs without waiting and making sure the positions are OK, the follower will end up pinned to a wall or hanging off the edge of a railing or something equally silly. Some people may even see that behavior as a feature

My partner and I have the Rendezvous and it really is great for exploring, as long as the area you're exploring (or someplace sufficiently nearby) allows building so you can rez the vehicle. It can get a little difficult to maneuver in tight places, but is otherwise a wonderful way to free up your hands for typing.

As for dealing with height differences, I know that M&P have a HUD that detects the difference in height between two avatars and plays an appropriate hug&kiss animation to match.

Finally, for just keeping close to someone else while exploring, I have a gadget called "Walk and Talk" that will allow you to keep close to someone else, as well as lead others wearing the same gadget while walking forward without having to hold down the movement keys. In tight places you may need to be careful to keep from getting held up on walls, but it's a pretty good way to tour somewhere as a group.

And just to be complete, Mystitool can rez a following chair that will follow someone around, since it can use nonphysical movement, it won't hang up on walls (but it does look like you're sitting in a chair, where the "walk and talk" looks like you're actually just walking behind someone)

Thanks for all the great responses. Especially Ziggy for sharing his/her knowledge on the subject as well.

From what I have read here and other places the two I was strongly considering have their up and down sides. AOs seem to interfere the Abrimations Couple Animator though it lines up perfectly most times apparently, and Pandora does not be good with lining up, but the Luxe version has the Zhao-II integrated so it does not interfere. In the end though I have decided that these may be a little advanced for my needs at the moment so maybe I will look at simpler devices until it's time for something like these.

Thank you both Ziggy and Mereille... and Ziggy my skating animations run beauuuuuutifully in the ZHAO-11 You've done a super job there.

Currently have a similar "vehicle" in test for couples skating together - it's been a lot of work with a 3 man team of scripter, builder and animator, but it's looking good and will, I hope, get on the market soon and cost less than $L3000. (You should have a choice of driver - but the default is that the man leads when ice dancing.)

Just thought I'd add a comment about granting permissions to animate your avatar...

as I understand it, once granted, permission cannot be rescinded and it IS persistent. I think there was a rather nasty case of griefing where someone was thrown into an embarrassing animation every time the griefer was around. This individual had at one time given the griefer permission to animate their avatar - as in the Hug attachment. So long as the griefer never detatched the Hug attachment and was in the same sim, the permission to animate was still active - and this can be abused.

Other thoughts about this? Comments?

In general, hug attachments ask for permission each time. But, like the Pandora, there are objects that don't relinquish permission, once given. (The Pandora is ethical; you can rescind permission. It just doesn't happen automatically, as with a standard hugger).

That is my understanding as well. At least, a single script can maintain a set of permissions on a single avatar until the next permission call, or the script is reset.

So the griefer would have to pick a single target, and not change it for that script. Off the top of my head, I don't know how to remove permission once granted.

Pandora's HUD does have a way for someone to remove herself from the permission list though.

The skating sounds very interesting. Where are you in testing? Close to release? I'd love to see it in action. (Of course just to ruthlessly reverse engineer and pirate your design! )

Permission to animate cannot be rescinded by the person who granted permission (at least I don't know of any way to; this seems like a security hole LL should patch up.) The permission goes away when the script resets however, and that's why most hug attachments ask for permission each time; the script resets after every use.

Also, permission to animate applies to a single script. It's not like you grant permission to a given person and then they can do other things to you. Not that this prevents griefing, since that one script could have nastier animations included in it. However, it is not the case that you grant permission when one device is used and then other devices can animate you as well.

By the way, this explains a common error I see with multi-pose furniture items; you grant animate permission when you use it, and then later when someone else is using it the animations affect you as well, even though you are far away.

As for Pandora there is a command that the target can use to remove themselves from the permissions list. Likewise the user can remove people from the permission list as well.

OK I looked at Pandora and it seems pretty cool. How does it affect my current personal AO? I've got your basic SEmotion AO with lots of custom-purchased animations for standing, sitting, etc, and I don't want to have to transfer ALL of that stuff into something like Pandora. How does this all work together?

I don't think it'll affect you to wear both under normal circumstances. But you should turn off the AO before offering to hug or kiss someone via Pandora. SEMotions animations, in particular, are all high priority, and will override the hug/kiss animation.

Thanks to all for their explanation and comments on giving permission to animate...




I'd say we about into "User Acceptance Testing". LOL - if you know the steps of the basic ice dances then you don't need to pirate anything - I have found it much more difficult to animate the dances for SL than it is to skate them in RL!