1.21 RC2 is available

I ran across an annoying behaviour for those of us who like to keep the "Local Chat" window torn off the communicate window.

Basically, if you cliick the lower "chat bar" on the bottom of the client window, the local chat window loses focus, and becomes transparent.

Here's the jira on it. Could use some votes/tests/feedback by people more technically inclined than me.
https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/VWR-9319

/me finds that really, REALLY annoying and adds a vote.

It'd be ok if the chat window became a little less transparent. The way it is now, the lack of contrast makes it difficult to read what's there.

I don't see why in the world should you click on the lower "chat bar" as long as the local chat window is open. There is a line on that local chat window where you can type your public chat entries, like you do in any IM window. So when this is open, there is no reason to use or even open the lower chat bar. In fact, I keep it closed when I use the local chat window, in order to guide my avatar with mouse grab and the "A, W, S, D" commands.

As for transparency, I'm just happy with it as it is. Just to let you know I disagree. I'm considering whether I should add a negative vote on the Jira, just in case Lindens thought this is a very important issue like chat color, names in chat, line-to-line distance and other recent unwanted "upgrades".

So far i find the RC 1.21 trouble free,i tried numerous times to use the 1.20 but it always caused my nvida 8600 to stop responding,so i went back to the 1.19.
Since using the 1.21 i have has 0 freezes,so far i am very satisfies with the viewer

Actually, there is: some chat-line driven attachments will only work when the command is given in the lower chat line (I've had this problem with some objects too).

Plus it might be a matter of preference. I for one prefer to have the upper chat window with it's duplicitous chat line open only if I need to catch up on local chat and otherwise keep that part of the screen uncluttered. After all, having lots of windows float over what is supposed to be an immersive environment is a bit counter-productive, at least for me.

That's okay, I didn't know about that. So I guess a Jira issue should be opened, if it isn't already, about that problem as a bug, not about the window's transparency and its interaction with the lower chat line.

When the lower chatbar is hidden, if you hit enter, it opens up, and steals focus.

Many of us have become used to (over YEARS OF USE) utilizing the lower chatbar. Henri Beauchamp's Cool Viewer doesn't even HAVE a text entry field on the bottom of the chat history window.

As has been explained, the actual problem is with the sudden change in the AMOUNT of transparency. You're welcome to like it. I'm sure there are people in England who like boiled meat. Doesn't make it good to force on everyone.

A lot of really bizzare things changed with the introduction of voice and windlight, that we're STILL trying to get changed back to "normal", or at least "liveable". A lot of people are forced to use 3rd party clients (Nicholaz, Cool SL, etc), JUST to be able to function in the chat system! (that's the only reason I do).. the changes to the IM window and Local Chat window are VERY important to people.. especially to people who don't think SL is improved by voice.

I just want LL to stop making awkward changes to the way the user interface works.. and then ignoring the massive majority of users when we complain that we want it changed back.

Are you sure about this? I find it a bit hard to believe.

It seems unlikely that the sim (which is what passes chat to scripts) would even know (let alone care) which chat line the text came from..

It may be that Gestures do not respect certain things typed into the chat history window, when they do respect them on the main chatline. I know a few scripted devices that operate by installing gestures to make things more easily accessable to the customer.

Important to note that the Gestures menu disappreas when the chatbar dissappears. So the localchat minichatbar is NOT a fully functional replacement for the chatbar.

That said, this issue really is about the amount of transparency in the new RC.

Ahah no Winter, it's just that I negligently signed up with a Alt's name for these entries, and I'm being loyal to that necessarily now. I'm not going to tell my main avatar's name, however it's enough to say i'm less than 2 month younger than you are. So I ain't biased by my newbie state, just different thinking I'm sorry. I guess you can call it liking boiled meat, as I actually do.

Difference is determined by different behaviour, I don't build unless in very special cases, you certainly don't walk around with your avie in mousegrab. And I'm worried too about Lindens innovations, in order not to loose the only way I've got to walk and chat, avoiding the hassle of minding about opening the lower chat bar, which of course in my viewer automatically closes as soon as I hit "Enter", allowing me to walk again.

No reason to talk longer about that, we'll see how the Jira entry will work.

But gestures are still done sim-side, aren't they? If they work from one chat bar but not the other, that sounds like a bug.. (/me pokes Ramzi to see if that sounds familiar)


But the thread is about RC2 in general..

edit: Hey, aren't we overdue for RC3? Somebody start dumping more coffee into Ramzi!

What's with the 20 sec delays between keystokes and what appears on the screen
when trying to edit a script.

Some days are worse that others, and today is particulary BAD!

and yes, even on the new RC3 as well.

I found it hard to believe too, for the same reason, but it is. The problem occurred with the first client-version that had the new IM/chat design, and AFAIK hasn't been resolved yet. Someone else I know pointed it out to me though (in her case it affected a freebie hug-attachment). Then I noticed it myself with an attachment I use only occasionally (an object-finder), and other reported similar problems. The only thing they all have in common that I remember off the top of my head is these utilities all used specific channels (like /10 saysomething).

RC3 is out, ramzi just needs to post that

I was just reading the grid status reports blog, where it detail that the RC3 is out, as well as an update to 1.20.

The blog entry says that the update is not mandatory. However, the RC2 refuses to let me log-in, saying that I must use the RC3. In my book, that is "mandatory." And yes, I know that it is typical, when using the RC viewers, that when a new RC comes out, that the old RC no longer works. But the blog entry said the update was not mandatory.

hi Andromeda- my apologies for the ambiguity of that status blog report. You are correct, for the RC we required (per usual) the users of RC2 to a mandatory upgrade to RC3. But in reality it was not because of the Security Update, it is because we have a number of serious bugs now solved in RC3! With some exceptions, we have now tackled most of the Critical bugs in this 1.21 viewer... we want everyone who uses the Release Candidate to try them out.

https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Release_Notes/Second_Life_Release_Candidate/1.21

Oww! hot coffee!! Yes, RC3 was released on Friday morning. We took an extra week to solve a bigger plate of bugs than just 4 or 5 this time.
Due to its combination with the security update, we did not make a separate announcement on the status report page.

Also: If the Gestures are only working from Chat bar and not the other Local Chat window (or vice versa, then it is indeed a bug! If you can reliably reproduce this please DO report it in the Issue Tracker.

Hi Keera,
Th logic for removing the FLY button on the on Movement Controls was that there is always the original FLY button available at the bottom of the screen. One goal of the UI team is to eliminate unneccessary clutter/complication... it historically made Second Life very daunting and hard to use.

Yes, you're right that the Fly button would reset the camera when you are sitting (rather than, uh, actually Fly... . However, that was really a bug. Now I agree, there is a useful feature in there-- to be able to reset your camera when sitting. But it shouldn't be the Fly button! There is a feature request in the Issue tracker for a new mechanism for this: VWR-7340.

Hi Diver,
that feature is indeed coming. But you are right, it has taken a long time. it turned out to be a complicated problem to interact with the server to get your friend information dynamically on the map.... Remember we have to scale that to millions of Residents doing the same thing at the same time, and still run smoothly.

For this reason it took a lot of development time, and also needs a lot of internal testing.

Hi Crunch, Urantia- it turns out your opinion is widely held. The orange text was proposed to make things more legible and clear it was an object speaking. But based on feedback from the RC series, we are pulling the plug on this change. The default is back to its original green.... However, if you were already running in an orange, it will probably stay as orange because we try not to stomp previous settings.

But in the upgrade from 1.20 to 1.21 when its ready, you wont lose your green.