DC Designs Product Plans

Posted on January 11, 2012 by corvan

With the successful launch of Lori Language, and my own renewed interest and excitement around scripting, I wanted to let people have a brief peek inside my head at what is coming down the pipe.

First, there’s been a persistent bug in Lori Language around Unicode and High-Bit characters (accented characters, Asian language characters and the like). The good news is that we think we have it fixed at last. The bad news is that we’ve thought that before. Rest assured that as we see log entries, we jump on them soonest.

So… what are our fevered brains coming up with? I have to say that the lessons we’ve learned, and the techniques we’ve developed implementing Lori Language have opened up a whole host of possibilities we’d never imagined before. Product ideas that seemed painfully difficult to implement now seem, well, not easy, but easier.

Right now we are looking at five products. Chat Enhancer will get a complete makeover to the new framework marking the first time it’s been updated in over a year. Depending on customer requests and our own feature ideas, we’ll keep Chat Enhancer active and relevant from now on. Display Names has certainly taken a big bite out of the need for a product like Chat Enhancer though there are still uses for it and as my very first product, I have no intention to abandon it.

The next product we’re working on is actually a pair of related products. First is an online status/message board, not unlike so many that are out there, but with additional capabilities, like being able to retrieve messages via a web interface. Along with this we are releasing an Ownership Papers/Message Courier product. Very much like the many fine Slave Paper Carrier products available on the grid, but with extra security and features to integrate with the Message Board system.

Our next product is a complete Banishment-Program-in-a-Box. I’ve been fascinated with banishment and the Eudaemon story for quite some time. There are Banishment programs around the grid, some have been in existence for quite some time and are run quite well. I’ve always had some concern where it comes to participating in these programs where one has an owner already. Plus the existing Bane helmets, frankly, leave quite a bit to be desired. Between bugs, missing capabilities, lack of flexibility, etc. there seems to be an opportunity for a high quality system that can be taken and deployed either one-off for a Domme and her sub(s) to enjoy, or for a wider networked program.

Finally, I’ve been desperate for a good inventory management system, and my collaborator is equally desperate for an outfit management system, and for a photo studio that can handle hundreds of background images and hundreds of poses in the pose stands. I’ve tried numerous systems including one that provides a web interface, and all have pros and cons, I want to take what I’ve learned about Django webapp development and interfacing with SL scripting, and turn that into a rock solid, feature rich, inventory management system which also acts as a texture/pose/what have you … organizer.

Obviously these aren’t all going to be completed tomorrow, but we’ve already started sketching out feature requirements, etc. for some of these. The upshot is that DC Designs is active again, moving to new products and product capabilities, and there’s exciting things coming!

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Lori Language 2.00 is coming soon!

Posted on January 5, 2012 by corvan

We’re in the final soak testing of a major update to Lori Language. This does involve a HUD update, but we’re hoping you’ll agree that in the end, it’s worth it.

So, what’s in 2.00? A lot of changes under the hood as well as a handful of new features.

New Script Framework

The most significant change is that we’ve completely overhauled the scripting framework in-world. This has come at some slight cost: We’ve added two scripts to the product bringing the total up to four. Previously we had just two scripts, one for update checking via HippoUpdate, one for making Lori Language, well, be Lori Language. Now we have split Lori Language’s main script in two: One for managing communications with the web back end, the other for doing the actual work of being Lori Language. We’ve also added a coordinator script for in place updating.

You heard that right, in place updating. In other words, if we ever have to update the HUD again (and we really do hope not to), there will be no need to remove Lori Language or unlock it or do anything other than rez the updater, sit back and wait a few moments. With this capability, pets who use Lori Language need never worry about having to find someone to release them from it in order to update. Soon after we put Lori Language in the vendors, there will be an update server placed at the main DC Designs shop so that even pets who are locked out of inventory can gain the benefit of new releases of the HUD.

Having this update mechanism live will give us the flexibility to add new capabilities to the HUD when needed without worrying as much about the inconvenience of requiring everyone to switch to the new HUD. We hope you’ll all agree that this is will make life easier for everyone.

New Features and changes to existing features

On to the new! With 2.00 we have several new capabilities. First, in response to several customer requests, we are reporting the version of Lori Language during startup. When Lori Language is ready for business you will see a message like:

Welcome to Lori Language 2.00.8(2.00.2)

What this is telling you is that the HUD version is 2.00.8, and that the web backend version is 2.00.2. As we add new backend features, the backend version will go up, and every HUD update will change the HUD version. The ‘help’ command will always give the manual corresponding to the latest backend version, so if you see one day that the backend version has changed, a quick ‘help’ command will give you all the news. We’re also planning a major revamp to the help command so you can request the manual, get quick help on commands, etc. etc. etc.

Her/His Mistress/Master’s Voice has been completely redone. Now, instead of simply being able to understand what your owner/trainer is saying when they say something beginning with your name, there are options for always being able to understand them, only understand them when you’re alone with them, or only understand them until they leave chat range/someone else arrives. This added flexibility should, we think, allow trainer/owners the option to tune how they are understood by their pets to their satisfaction.

Instant Message blocking is now available in 2.00. Immersive pet play is predicated on the idea that the only way for pets and people to interact is as a pet. Lori Language’s whole reason for being is to create an environment for the pet where, like a real pet, the only things they can understand is things they have learned. IM is an end-run around this level of immersion so Lori Language provides tools to allow trainers/owners to control how their pets are able to use IM. There is the obvious “no IMs at all”, but there are also more subtle ways. Lori Langauge can block IM with anyone in chat range, or can block IM with anyone outside chat range. Notecard access can be configured to prevent the notecard cheat by blocking access to notecards whenever there is an active IM block in place.

All of these features are live for 2.00 HUDs right now. Future features that depend on a particular version of the HUD will respond with a notice that an update is required.

We hope you enjoy these new features and look forward to hearing from you to get your feedback/ideas/critique!!

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Another feature released for Lori Language!

Posted on December 18, 2011 by corvan

When you turn on “block_chat”, anything your pet says is turned into unintelligible barking, or whatever chat text you’ve chosen to use. Now, you can allow your pet to speak directly with other pets using the languages command!

/20 lclanguages puppy, pony, kitty

The languages command takes a list of language names that your pet should be able to understand. There are no predefined names, use whatever names make sense to you. When your pet speaks, any nearby pets who can understand any of the languages your pet does, will fully understand what your pet said. If they don’t speak a common language, then the won’t understand anything.

There is more detail in the manual, which will be updated soon, we’re working on one more feature that we want to get in before we publish the new manual.

Enjoy!

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See, I told you they’d be coming fast and furious

Posted on December 16, 2011 by corvan

So Lori and I have been scheming on new features for Lori Language. One that seemed quick and easy was what we’re calling “His/Her Master/Mistress’s Voice” or HMV.

HMV lets a trainer say things in local chat and ensure that the pet will understand fully. It’s not a full blown “hear everything said by a trainer”, because that seems excessive. Pets shouldn’t understand everything their trainer/owner says to just anyone, but it did seem reasonable to provide a way for a trainer/owner to direct a statement to their pet.

The way it works is, if the trainer starts what they say with the pet’s first name (and note here, it’s the Display Name that’s relevant), then the pet will understand everything said. Here’s an example:

Owner: Lori, you are a very good puppy

what Lori will hear without HMV enabled:

Owner: Lori, … … … … good puppy

what Lori will hear with HMV enabled:

Owner: Lori, you are a very good puppy

This only works for trainers, and only if the first word is the first name of the pet. Capitalization doesn’t matter.

By default, this feature is disabled, but it can be turned on and off with the hmv command:

/20 lchmv on

/20 lchmv off

Thanks to the design of Lori Language, this feature is fully active and working in-world, right now. There’s no need for pets to update their HUDs, trainers/owners simply need to enable the feature.

An updated manual will be available this afternoon via the help command, and the delivery boxes will be have updated manuals at that time as well… in fact, the manual in the box is going to be shortened dramatically in favor of delivering the most up to date manual always via the help command.

Enjoy!

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Announcing Lori Language

Posted on December 14, 2011 by corvan

I’m very excited to announce the latest release from DC Designs. Lori Language is a roleplay/restriction tool that will take immersive pet play to a whole new level.

Let’s face it, pets don’t understand human speech. How often do you hold an in-depth conversation with your cat? Shouldn’t pet play in SecondLife be similar? We can restrict the ability of pets to hear local chat, we can restrict their use of IM. Shouldn’t your faithful companion also have the ability to learn key words as well? What good does it do to say “Puppy, heel” if your puppy cannot hear local chat at all? Opposing that, why should your puppy be able to understand everything said around them? Puppies shouldn’t worry their pretty little heads about people things…

Enter Lori Language. Yes, there are other products out there that do similar things, but we believe that we have taken the idea and brought it to the next level.

Lori Language has no limit on the number of words your pet can be taught. Your pet can be allowed to pick up words that are said around them often, but will forget what he’s picked up if he doesn’t keep hearing them. Lori Language is exceptionally low lag, consuming very little script resources to do a huge amount. Lori Language is also virtually update free. You can lock it on your pet and never worry about needing to unlock it in order to take advantage of the latest features. All the hard work is actually done off-world in the cloud which means that when new features become available, your pet will have them immediately!

We’re extremely proud of Lori Language, and what it represents for immersive pet play in SecondLife. We’re also madly scheming to come up with exciting new features to make Lori Language the essential tool for puppies, ponies, kitties, anyone who really wants to immerse themselves.

Now available on Market Place, at the DC Designs main store, or at any location where DC Designs products are sold (and yes, our shop at AliKats stables has re-opened)

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We’re back!

Posted on December 14, 2011 by corvan

Wow, has it really been a year since I last updated this blog? For that matter has it been that long since I actually released, well, anything?

Well that changes, right now. First of all, yes, DC Designs is back in action, with new product releases in the works, as well as an exciting new product we just released this week.

Chat Enhancer and Ultimate Titler are being updated very soon. We’ve come up with a whole new framework for products which we’re extremely excited about. Without diving too deeply under the covers, we’re moving as much of the logic as humanly possible off of SecondLife, out of the items, and into the cloud. This has a few huge advantages for everyone. First, it means that new features can be rolled out without the need to update anything in-world. As soon as the code goes live in the cloud, it’s available to everyone in-world without any action needed on their part. Second, it means that instead of constantly fighting with the limits and limitations of LSL scripting, we have access to the full power of Python backed by MySQL. This means that the realm of what’s possible has suddenly expanded enormously. Finally, it means that when problems develop, as they do, we can investigate, diagnose, fix, test and deploy the bug fixes without directly affecting anyone. Everything lives in the cloud so in most cases customers won’t even be aware there was a problem, or that it was fixed.

The possibilities that open up with this new framework are literally limitless. Reduced script count, reduced script lag, more power, more features, faster feature development and deployment. More products, with more capabilities, faster. I can’t wait!

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Transition to the new hosting provider is complete

Posted on December 15, 2010 by corvan

Sorry for the lack of warning and the brief outage today, folks, but I pulled the domain registration from my old provider to the new one, not expecting it to cause an outage. Everything is back online, and if your Chat Enhancer or Ultimate Titler is stuck, a simple reset will fix everything.

That’s the last move, I do not expect to have to do this again as the new provider has a stellar reputation.

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Changes are coming!

Posted on September 29, 2010 by corvan

I’m in the process of tearing down the entire build on my parcel, including the shop. In its place I’m putting up a space station. The station should help a bit with lag, since sight lines will be shorter, and it’s much more easily extended for when I get the Bane Maintenance Center up and running.

Please feel free to wander the corridors, there will be signs up eventually to help you find your way, but for now, exploring can be fun ;-)

The existing landmark works for the moment, but not for long. I’m planning to have all the vendors moved over this evening. The new landing point will be here.

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Another update, last for a little while

Posted on September 26, 2010 by corvan

Only a little while though.

This release (1.74) changes how automatic updates are delivered. I’ve been fretting about the problem with 1.72 since the problem came to light. The new system will allow me to find these problems and correct them at the update server rather than hoping no one with a bad product gets burnt.

Also, here’s the teaser, this new system paves the way for plugin delivery and updates. I can now update part of an item rather than reloading everything.

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Version 1.73 of Chat Enhancer and Ultimate Titler Released

Posted on September 25, 2010 by corvan

So I’m not going to be able to get 2.0 ready as fast as I’d hoped. There’s still a lot of work to do. Meanwhile, I have come up with both a fix for the observed problem and I believe a fix for the root cause. Version 1.73 is now available via the Hippo Updater as well as on the update servers at the shop.

One important note, during testing of 1.73 I discovered a nasty bug with the update orb in the items: If more than one person is updating at the same time, one or more of them are going to end up with wrecked items. Best recommendation is: If someone is already at the update station, then get more than 10m away from it until they are done and since the items are copy, always have a backup copy available. I will gladly send out updated packages (with my deepest apologies) to anyone who ends up with a wedged item.

I’m looking seriously at reworking how the orb is delivered and not having it as a permanent part of the item but rather delivered by the update server on when an update is needed. That’s likely to be a 2.0 thing though.

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