We have been running our own OpenSim-based grids now for more than a year. I thought it would be a good thing to share some latest comments on how it is going and what some of the issues are. You can visit either the Rezzable Grid or Heritage Key and see King Tut Virtual right now.
Go Check it out, OpenSim works.
OpenSim works, is getting better and will be the future of the 3D Web.
First thing to point out is that we are using OpenSim in combination with Drupal as the core user and even grid admin system. So your own usage may not be the same if you are just working with OpenSim all by itself. We also have about 10 servers cranked-up to support all of this on a cluster sharing 50mb bandwidth. Info on the tech layout here.
In general OpenSim has come quite a long way in the last year. There is still quite some road in front to get it to be a sort of 3D Web Server like Apache. It is very complex–maybe too much so, but nonetheless it works. And it works a lot better than it did a year ago.
The greatest strength of OpenSim is that it is opensource and has a smart enough set of committed developers beating on it. We have been luck enough to work with a few of them and meet even a few more. Because it is opensource we have been able to create our own integrations and services around the core.
The core dvelopers have cleared-up a lot of real problematic stuff like cross-region boarders, assets vanishing, general caching/grey-goo. You can give folders now! The regions are snappy. The build issues are still there on some level, but the workarounds are also better understood. The most painful build issues lately have been with scripting (and not overloading scripting).
The use cases that Rezzable is focused on, try to aim for the what OpenSim does right now and not steer directly into known gaps. So, again you own use cases might trigger different issues.
Below is my list of Top 10 Issues we see with OpenSim —
OpenSim Issue 1: Physics is still weak
Physics engine options are not that good right now. This causes a lot of problems and work-arounds. Shooting, dropping, collisions and driving are basically to be avoided. The physics engine also seems to create a lot of issues with the bounding boxes and sometimes you can’t walk through doors easily or phantom prims get solid-ish.
The obvious solution here is to find a way to plug-in better physics engines. It would seem that OpenSim will support this, but so far I have not heard of anything implemented in the last year that changes the performance.
OpenSim Issue 2: SL Hangovers
OpenSim seems (and we really try to avoid most of this stuff) to have a lot of SL-oriented functions especially around land, parcels that are more interesting to SL-copycat virtual worlds than our interest in 3D online experiences. Net Net is the core code isn’t as performance-oriented as we would like to see it.
The biggest gap vs SL is that OpenSim does not have a commerce feature and of course no $L which is still a trusted micro-currency.
OpenSim Issue 3: Perms are Not There
We did quite a bit of work to implement a fairly basic permissions concept, mainly using Drupal roles. This works fine for Heritage Key, and we also have a separate “sub-grid” for build work. On the Rezzable grid it will require a lot more manual switch-flipping to have quasi-group/collaborative control on access and prim-perms. We have not implemented any commerce concepts (and may not either). I think the whole issue of perms/DRM needs a more complete architecture to avoid the issues beleaguering/demoralizing SL content creators.
OpenSim Issue 4: Lack of Docs
I suppose if you like to read code, you should have all you want with opensource OpenSim–but for those of you, like me, that like something with pictures and some summary, we are out of luck. It is more of a Ouija-board process with the developers to understand what it is, does, might be. And of course things are also changing as new releases flow through–but getting a roadmap certainly would require a crystal ball and some incense.
OpenSim Issue 5: Admin Tools
We have made quite a few tools to track users, manage resources. I think we should even be able to share these (once we write-up what they do somehow). I have seen that there are some basic tools also floating around to make some reports/alerts, but these are quite simple. I would hope to see more user info and logging–especially relating to inventory and server memory.
OpenSim Issue 6: Voice
Vivox apparently has a OpenSim implementation. I have not seen it, but the gang at IBM seems to be messing with it. It would seem to make sense that it works. It is not free, so there is more of a cost consideration than a functional one. We have been more focused on lectures and talk-show use cases and are using skype-to-stream solutions which works fine and also has the advantage of being broadcast to the web.
OpenSim Issue 7: Mesh Support / SL Viewer
Being able to deploy mesh assets is also a gap on the SL grid (although not on Blue Mars). Main points about this are 1) more cost-effective production for sculptural content 2) more realism for objects. I think Mesh will also need careful design and usage so as not to kill performance, not of asset serving, but of the user experience with viewing/streaming. Blue Mars looks great, but has apparently great than 1 gig client with all the meshes inside it. The Mesh topic also hits on the Issue of OpenSim not having a native viewer. All the viewers are basically SL viewers in the first instance. So there is a lot of overhead, random issues and workarounds to get the SL viewer to work — but our guys at Imprudence have done it for us! They rock! And even the new Imprudence code we are using on HK/Rezzable viewers works much better in the last 3-4 months.
OpenSim Issue 8: Concurrency
Concurrency on light interaction areas we think will scale out at 20-25 concurrent on a region. Now, this is a lot different than on SL for a couple of key reasons. First if you are running your own server, a region is less of a cost issue than it is on SL. So you can have more regions each with less content. I think the main focus is on server-loading then. We are running as much RAM as we can get on a machine and hope to see server concurrency at 400-500. The best news about OpenSim vs SL here is that you can have cross-region tps scripted. If you visit our King Tut Virtual you will basically visit 6 different regions on OpenSim that was just 1 in SL. So on a cost-basis OpenSim has better cost per concurrent user than SL by far (SL $300/month for 50 concurrent and OpenSim $350/month for 400+ concurrent).
OpenSim Issue 9: Scripting
We just had to unravel some scripting to get a new project to run with even a target of 10 concurrent. The good news is that the OpenSim modules allow for server-side coding instead of scripting. The bad news is that coding is more complex and of course see Issue 4 about about lack of docs. Scripting will still be very important, but I am hoping we can get a lot done in the code and create modules/integrations that way. We are making more Bots now that so far seem to work nicely. These Bots will access our CMS and have AI features for NPC interaction (= they will do smart stuff with our existing .com content). Again, benefit here is that Bots will be also accessible from the web pages, iPhone etc.
OpenSim Issue 10: Cross-Grid Movements
Maintaining identity, roles and assets is still the biggest isssue holding back larger adoption of the OpenSim platform. We are aware of other work and have our own initiatives in the area. I would think that within 6 months it will be a few clicks to move an avatar with inventor between grids effectively. I can see where a facebook connect will work well and I also am hopeful that DRM issues can be addressed as well. Right now we are testing mechanisms to move avatar between our own grids (ok, that isn’t too sexy, but it proves a point).
So there it is. Stay tuned we are working on these issues as are many other OpenSim project, developers and enthusiasts. I think a year from now it will be even a bigger step forward than over the last 12 months.
Tags: 3D Web, opensim, opensource, simulator, technology, virtual experience, virtual world, vx
What a great recap. I haven’t spent much time at all on any opensims this past year but this was encouraging. I wonder if we need really care about voice being implemented in world. Skype is so much more reliable and I like the privacy of it. In fact, whenever possible, I prefer to use Skype over inworld voice in SL.
Thanks for a good summary. Regarding voice I agree fully with Bettina Skype works just fine, we have been using it for years both in SL and in opensim, voice is not high on my wish list for opensim. Overall the difference in opensim today compared to one year ago is big.
I wonder if perhaps you could recap some of the things Rezzables has done to improve opensimulator, perhaps you could recap the last 10 patches you guys have provided to make things better?? What is rezzables doing to make opensimulator better for the community? And perhaps you could explain to us how you intend to rectify some of the things you highlighted above?
Good idea for next post. I would say though we have been a little more focused on getting what is in OpenSim to work in best way, rather than addressing code-level work.
I can agree with much of what you write, but as I’ve worked with opensimulator for two years or better, it’s my opinion that the overall achievement has been astounding. Not sure if you tried some of the very first code that was presented, but one thing is for certain, we are no longer there.
I think much of the issue itself is we all come into this with numerous years within SL. And to put it as it was told me, Opensimulator was never meant to be an SL clone. While I myself just always desired a stable and less buggy SL, many believe that Opensimulator is supposed to duplicate in it’s entirety the functionality of SL.
I’m not sure the stance still holds true of what I was told a couple years ago when discussing opensimulator and SL with developers. But at that time, it was “explicitly” stated that Opensimulator was not to become an SL clone software.
Personally, other than stability and being able to use all the LSL functionality, I wouldn’t be all that concerned with in-world currency systems etc… I think much of what we see would be better off done in modules and additions than to be part of core. I’m not a fan of voice either. I think the chat does well. The permissions system is a grey goo area in itself. Once the stance is taken that a permission system need be in place that is the equiv of what you have with SL, then the position that if it didn’t work perfectly would be of a security issue. My belief in the matter is it would be better off without any permissions system due to the technical issues involved with supplying one that “really works”.
Not even two years ago people were rezzing items into thin air, and losing whole builds under the sims in SL. 0.0.0 bug if you remember correctly. I’ve yet to have either one of these issues happen in Opensimulator.
Tracy
Thanks a lot for your post, I find it complete and accurate.
Just two short comments. We work on developing virtual worlds for businesses and institutions. Mostly education and training.
In our approach to OpenSim, the development of a currency like the Linden Dollar is not necessary. In fact the entire system of buying and selling that works in Second Life now creates more noise than benefits for our learning orientation.
Voice, on the other hand, is a priority for us. In fact it is one of the areas where we work harder. Having fought a long time against Asterix and FreeSwitch (open source), Teamspeak and Vivoice (proprietary), our job now is to integrate Mumble (open source), which provides high quality sound, positional audio features and could arguably hacked into activating Lip Sync.
Mumble ( http://mumble.sourceforge.net/ ) — hadn’t heard of that one. Will check it out. We agree on the money bit, but also think that “points” will be very useful in learning/questing environments. We have an interesting education project now that uses a HUD to collect points and load back to our Drupal user account. We will be able to share more about that soon.
We are just beginning with the mumble integration. Sensations till now very good. Sharing more info soon.
I enjoyed reading your interesting yet very informative insights. I am looking forward to reading more of your most recent articles and blogs.
-10top
We are exploring the use of OpenSim as a virtual environment for our students to do some project-based learning. An example might be to rebuild a Greek island with temples, an agora, etc. Visitors would come through and get information about the infrastructure and culture by clicking on predetermined objects to bring up multi-media presentations (that all could see at once, or….). Is this possible? Could we build a classroom/school for our distance students to attend virtually? Could a smartboard/whiteboard setup be integrated into the classroom. If anyone can give a expert response to these questions this could help save up a lot of time and money and would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
I’m in the process of building an online learning environment for my students. The plan is to take them through a rough Plato’s cave into an Intelligible Realm with info on Digital Identity, Study Skills, etc. You get the idea. Because I teach algebra and reading, there will also be areas for those specialties.
As mentioned above by Jon, I don’t want currency, but I do want reward points. I would love to have voice for inworld presentations as well as student-teacher meetings. I’ve recently experienced a couple of chaotic days when a rock slide separated me from my classroom. I met the math classes on Eluminate and had a disasterous time trying to get the reading classes into Teleplace. (No negatives on them. They were as helpful as they could be under the circumstances by setting up quick and dirty demo accounts.) The ability to meet inworld and do math exercises or discuss readings would have saved on asperin (and a couple of shots of Sambuca).
That said, the lack of a truly functioning whiteboard and consistent streaming media (if I could get it to work at all) make me want to cry. There are display tools in SL that I could afford–heck, some of them are free–but I can’t get them to ReactionGrid.
For many reasons, cost among them, I don’t want to build in SL. I do, however, miss some of the conveniences and the pool of resources from which to pull.
Lastly, I wonder about the Web Browser viewer. I walked through the Heritage display and was impressed with the graphics. There were some problems with movement, but then I realized it didn’t like being forced before full download. This took quite a few minutes on my old, abused computer.
Are there plans to let people make connections in these widgets to other opensim grids? Here is my fantasy: medium-sized parcels that display class notes, embedded MATH.TV videos, and a couple of functioning whiteboards–all of this sweetly embedded in my moodle class pages.
To Gord,
The only way I’ve found of having a whiteboard inworld is by using something like Scribblar or Dabbleboard (I think), opening a media window to display the website, making changes to the board, saving the image file, which is already linked as a texture on the prim. Whew. Check out Kindlelab. They explain it better than I. As for media presentations, I’m still struggling with that one myself and would welcome advice from others.
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A wise person can communicate in very few words–but not at 1:30 a.m. Sorry for the babble.