[sldev] Google Summer of Code 2008 update

[Lawson English]

Mike Monkowski wrote:
> Callum Lerwick wrote:
>> Ever seen the surface editors in something like Lightwave or Maya? Guess
>> what SL is missing... :) Not to mention they support shader plugins. I
>> still think the future lies in supporting user-supplied GLSL shaders...
>>
>> (This is the cue for the sldev peanut gallery to shout me down and
>> explain how I'm an idiot for even suggesting such a thing.)
>
> I don't understand why you would expect to be shouted down.  I don't 
> remember anyone objecting to plugins before.  I don't know if there's 
> been any discussion about shader plugins specifically, but shaders are 
> just code.  You have access to all of the GLSL code for the viewer.  
> The only argument you might get is that you say "the future" and I 
> would suggest it should be "the present."  Why wait?
>

The problem with any plugin architrecture for the SL viewer is that it 
requires a great deal of "buy-in" from Linden Lab to make it work. And 
my own view, speaking as a documentor of SL prototocols, is that plugins 
won't make much sense until the protocols are well-documented, and the 
transition to a new viewer structure (which will hopefully happen as the 
protocols change radically over the next 2 years) is far enough along 
for people to see what makes sense as far as plugin APIs go.

As we create new viewer test harnesses to test login, inventory, gorup 
IM, etc., it would make sense to create test modules for new graphics as 
well. The modular-viewer VAG proposal is still sitting there if anyone 
wants to forgo jumping on the libsl/openviewer/realXtend bandwagon and 
design the modular/pluggable viewer of the future....

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Multi-Process_Client_VAG_--_draft




Lawson