Are you Dazzled?

http://blog.secondlife.com/2008/02/19/dazzle/

Looks like a new UI is coming. I downloaded the new First Look and am just starting it up. Anyone else going to try it out?

I prolly will load it up when Im bored but I doubt if I will use it for now, Im getting so sick of LL introducing this and that and making us be paying beta testers, or even alpha.

I'm not going to test it because I'm still switching back and forth between Windlight, but I'm happy about it. Already in the blog comments there are people ranting and raving about more stability, blah, blah. I'm all for that but I'm looking forward to this.

Like Toy said, I don't like testing. I'd rather let others be the guinea pigs and I'll enjoy SL the best that it is.

It seems to run a little smoother for me, but I'm not real keen on some of the UI.

Without reading the release notes, I am wondering if they've turned off visible ban-lines with this viewer...I'm bumping off of bans, but cannot find the ban lines whatsoever (and yes, I've bumped into many different properties with ban lines, but none have been visible)

am i dazzled?

no, i`m puking

that pos is off the drive asap

Nicholas Portoc*rr*ro sent me this one:

http://blog.secondlife.com/2008/02/19/embezzle/

I like it so far, except for some reason my balance now reads "$0". Probably just loading...

Also, check out this one authored by our very own Jumpy:

http://blog.secondlife.com/2008/02/19/fo'shizzle/

I tend to be a sadomaschist for the bleeding edge so I'll probably dl it tonight.

S

I'm trying it. I'll try anything software-wise. Almost anything.

Here goes; I wonder if I should find my sunglasses first.

I'm not impressed at the login screen. Pastel gradients trying to give the illusion that parts of the screen are made of a slightly curved plastic.

Text on a background that varies in color as you go up and down - a vertical gradient, I supposed you might call it - so that only one row of pixels can be at the optimum readability and every other row of pixels is at sub-optimal. What is the harm in having a text background that is uniform in color? What benefit do designers derive from trying to make the interface look like it is 3D? Are they hoping to trick people into trying to press the buttons so they can laugh when they contemplate the easily tricked users? Do they get bonus pay for making text harder to read than it could be?

The shadows the dialog boxes cast - what is it that these shadows are supposed to be cast on?

I hate pastel gradient interfaces with useless pseudo 3D effects and shadows that don't have a surface to be on.

The old interface is so dark and ugly and hard to read in places it will pretty difficult for there to be no improvements somewhere in this upcoming new version.

I am using it now. I'm mostly ambivalent, except that I do like the fact that they got rid of that crappy white-on-dark UI. I can't stand that kind of crap, gives me a headache (yes, seriously) and I only put up with it when there was no better option. I'm glad that LL is working toward making it easier to create custom UI skins, though, and even if they only make it less painful than it is now I'll be happy to make my own.

[EDIT] Oh, yeah... And the previous "latest" version of Windlight had the WORST font ever for chat and IM, I'm glad DAZZLE doesn't suffer from that. I'd have trashed it in seconds.

Certainly seems like it. They are invisible from *any* distance.

I didn't download it in the first place-I saw the screenshot and thought "eeek, candified buttons".

No thanks, not my cuppa tea.





Oooh thanks Ray, NOW I have to clean my keyboard.

In a word, no. And I didn't even download it.

Why the hell did they name it THAT?

I'm downloading it now to try it. So far, I'm underwhelmed by what I saw in the blog.

RE: Ban lines, that is a bug that cropped up recently, and they haven't fixed it yet.

Because "flair" was taken.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZpVPG8elv4

Is it a bug that cropped up in general? I am using the standard viewer and started bumping into invisible objects earlier today. Now I'm wondering if it was the same problem. I should have checked the land restrictions.

I tried it and then got caught up in a chat with a resident who use to know the land owner before me. After about 15 minutes, I could not handle the communication window's default colors (white text on microsoft-blue background) along with the other appearances and started to feel ill!

Some of the new icons are okay, but they really need to have options to change the skin colors and 'themes'.

I was thinking more like:

I agree that it would have been nice to release this with some color choices. My desktop is green and I try to match things to that.. this is supposed to be a 'dazzle' and it seems to fall flat to me.

Not gonna use it in a serious way until they merge it with the Windlight. I happen to like my pretty skies much more than the blue, blue, blue UI.

Seems ok to me. I like the lighter color, but I wish there was a Windlight version.

As usual LL have made a mess of something that was working 'reasonably' well. To me it looks like they hired the programmers who got the boot from Micro$oft after making the XP interface. Rumor has it that those same programmers originally learnt their craft while working for Fisher Price! Or perhaps Micro$oft Bob... anyone remember?
But seriously, black on white is a bad idea when you are not trying to detract from the graphics behind it. As has been pointed out, the UI is not supposed to detract from the visuals behind it. Making it 'dazzle' is just plain dumb. If you want the UI to be the focus of your attention then this is the way to do it. And if that's the object, then you can save a lot of money by booting all those people working on Windlight. We will not be able to see it past the interface so why bother?

Seems fine to me. I guess I'm not "dazzled" but it's fine. Not offensive, at any rate, but I just started checking it out.

i think i'll wait till everyone else tries it then wait 72 hours then if you all are still here then i'll try it

It wouldn't even start for me.

P2