Limited Avatar Puppeteering Idea

As everyone knows, it would be way cool if it were easier to control the way our avatar behaves in SL. Along that line of thought, I have a feature request idea that might be pretty easy.

Whenever an avatar sits on an object, the object creator has pre-determined the sit animation, the position, and the rotation.

1. There should be some easy control to adjust the position and the rotation.

Sort of like camera controls. A little HUD that allows one to adjust the position and rotation at least some small amount. Small and large avatars could sit better. Couples could adjust the cuddle factor to match their avatars, etc.

This should be built into SL, so that not every psoeball in the universe needs a new script.

2. Animation priority should be easily overidable or adjustable.

Again, a little HUD that shows what animations are currently controlling the avatar. If the typing during dancing is making you crazy, then you can click-click reduce typing priority.

now, of course, there are probably etchnical reasons why it cannot work exactly like this, but *something* more or less like this would be nice, eh?

We kinda already have #1. After some fussing, LL restored the ability of llSetLinkPrimitiveParams() to operate on avatars, so a script can push them around at will. I use this all the time. Now, granted, it's not built-in to SL, but it's a pretty easy addition to any standard poseball to take controls and give the seated avatar the ability to slide and/or spin around, and to remember the settings of some recently seated avatars. One could make such a script available to add to existing sit-scripted objects but the hard part (which would still be hard, even if built-in) is to figure out a reasonably friendly keybinding for the controls, given that there are lots of sit scripts that already use all available control keys for switching animations, overriding the cam, telling your fortune, etc., etc.

[Edit: Oh, you wanted to use a HUD for this. Hmmm. I always have more scripted HUDs on my screen than I want, but I suppose a built-in feature could pop open a window that wasn't actually attached as a HUD. That could be a win. Now, when to pop it open, though?]

During the changed event when they sit? Also the dialog could tell which key would bring the menu up again then?

We already have that, simply preface your chat with /0 initially, then // subsequently whenever you don't want to see/hear the typing?

(Many simply use / at live music events, which shows the / preceding your chat line that way...)

But yes on the idea, why note vote for it? http://jira.secondlife.com/browse/SVC-268

Cool idea, Lee. I'm guessing that when and if LL ever gets around to releasing the puppeteering project they've had on the drawing board since forever now, that this sort of functionality would be a no-brainer. If you can make your avatar do whatever you want whenever you want anyway, then adjusting a sit position would be a logical application.

Have you seen their plans? http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Puppeteering

...of course...

I just came across a new web page from Ventrella Linden with details and example videos... http://avatarpuppeteering.com/

Too cool!

I noticed some avatar shadows in a few of those screenshots too. The plot thickens..

and I've been wondering what Qarl has been up to in between fixing WWR-2404. haha

I saw some of this demoed at SIGGRAPH back in 2006. It's been in the works for quite a while, but it doesn't appear to be a high-priority project. It will be fun to see it see the light of day, but I'm not holding my breath.

Wouldn't it be possible to script #1 with existing function in LSL? Basically a HUD that lets you adjust your own sit target on the fly. Or maybe you cannot change the Sit Target while sitting? Dunno, just an idea.

Nah, Vlad. That wouldn't give you a ragdoll type motion where you could move all limbs independently.

I think as JJ pointed out in the article, this puppeteering thing is really suited to motion capture devices, so I reckon LL knows this and isn't so eager to shout about it just yet.

As of now it'll just be a goofy novelty. But when people can actually dance in their homes and have their avatars mirror their exact movements then SL's popularity and the especially the popularity of clubs in Second Life will soar!.

I don't like SL clubs, but I think I would actually visit them if I could see some real dance moves.

Not that I'd attempt to dance myself!. My avatar would be stood in the corner mirroring my movements as I scratched my ass and picked my nose in RL.