[opensource-dev] Unity 3D as possible base for future (maybe even official) SL Viewers (was: CAN WE PLEASE STOP VIEWER DEVELOPMENT FOR 5 MINUTES)

[Boroondas Gupte]

 On 10/03/2010 08:57 PM, Daniel Smith wrote:
> Consider what it would take to have a Unity foundation, layered with
> the SL-specific experience on top.
What it would take? At least Linux support for Unity.

While the percentage of Linux users among SL users might still be small
enough to be regarded negligible by some people, the percentage of Linux
users amongst the open source developer community around Linden Lab's
current official viewer is certainly significant.

Of course, one might assume a Unity based Viewer project would attract
enough new developers that one wouldn't have to rely on as many from the
current developer community as possible, but somehow I don't think
that'd be the case.

Then, I'd image Linden Lab would probably want to use Unity Pro for
development while most community developers would stick to the free (as
in beer) Unity license. Can developers with the free license even
collaborate in projects otherwise developed with the Pro one? Or would
this turn this new viewer into a pure in-house project, even if the new
viewer was open source, too? (Well, as open source as it can be with the
engine being proprietary.)

Boroondas