<![CDATA[SPOT ON CHOREOGRAPHY TOOLS - BLOG]]>Sat, 29 Nov 2025 14:21:57 -0500Weebly<![CDATA[UPDATE - Stage Manager 1.4]]>Sat, 29 Nov 2025 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.spotonsl.com/blog/update-stage-manager-14This update is packed with new features, enhancements and bugfixes.  See the notecard included with the package for the full details but here's the highlights:

NOTE:  IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED YOU UPGRADE THE OBJECT SCRIPTS IN ANY SETS TO VERSION 1.4 TO USE WITH THIS VERSION OF THE STAGE MANAGER!

While older sets packed with previous versions of the object script will continue to work, there are numerous bug fixes in the new version of the object script, and it's recommended you update for the best possible Stage Manager Experience.

FEATURES:
  • Stage Manager can now process longer notecards.
  • Uses fast notecard loading to decrease load times.
  • Warns when objects are more than 64 meters away from the stage location.  This is useful to detect issues when the stage position is marked incorrectly, and when it can still be easily fixed on the build pad.
  • "Save Back" on the Advanced Menu will save all rezzed objects back to contents. This is useful when you need to edit objects in ways other than position or rotation.  If you change position, you will need to get another notecard.
                    For this to work objects must:
                        * Be using the version 1.4 or higher Object Script
                        * Must be rezzed by the stage manager
                        * Must exist in the inventory of the stage manager
  • Changes the way menus work.  This can help prevent duplication issues when multiple stage managers are rezzed. This should address the root cause of many "Object Duplication" issues users have seen in the field.  
  • VersionCheck.   Click "VersionCheck" in the Advanced Menu, and all objects will report their object script version in chat.  This is useful when updating object scripts.  This only functions when the Object Script version is 1.4 or higher.

ENHANCEMENTS:
  • Several protocol changes were made to address minor issues experienced by end users. The system is far more tolerant of invalid configurations and user errors. In many cases the system can now function properly in these situations where previous versions could not.
  • Updates to skin textures 
  • The Stage Manager "ring" now turns red when the Stage Manager is turned off.
  • Stage manager checks rez locations for ability to run scripts, and will not go off sim. This should prevent some rare cases where a stage manager could be lost. 

BUG FIXES:
  • Will not allow the adjustment tool to be rezzed when set or movers were rezzed via the advanced menu.  This prevents error conditions with the position tool from occurring, mostly with multiple sets in the same rezzer.
  • "Get Notecard" now functions correctly when there is an offset configured via the adjustment tool.
]]><![CDATA[UPDATE:  Choreography Design System 3.1]]>Sat, 12 Apr 2025 20:14:03 GMThttps://www.spotonsl.com/blog/update-choreography-design-system-31Version 3.1 includes general quality of life fixes and non-critical bugfixes.    

3.1 - FEATURE - MIrrorWP.  
Allow Mirror of individual waypoints from the Waypoint menu.

3.1 -  FEATURE - AddWPAfter
You can now rez a new waypoint both before and after an existing waypoint

3.1 - ENHANCEMENT - Fixed pos and rot offsets for new WPs
New waypoints now rez at the same rotation and proper offset as the previous waypoint.

3.1 -  ENHANCEMENT - Before and After WPs rez at proper location 
Waypoints added before (or after) no longer rez in the middle of the design ring, but just in front of or behind the waypoint you clicked on.

3.1 - BUGFIX - PgUp/PgDn on Launchpad
Page up/Page down now works when movers are on the launchpad.

​
]]><![CDATA[*SO* Glimmer Set @ The Dubai Event]]>Thu, 19 Sep 2024 17:32:56 GMThttps://www.spotonsl.com/blog/so-glimmer-set-the-dubai-eventThe Dubai Event runs Sept 20 through Oct 15.   http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Horizon%20Beach/124/120/23
This set is PBR materials only!  

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]]><![CDATA[*SO* Shimmer Dress - PBR Materials only!]]>Thu, 12 Sep 2024 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.spotonsl.com/blog/so-shimmer-dress-pbr-materials-onlyThis PBR materials only dress can be found at the Belleza Event until Oct 10, 2024.
​http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Belleza/164/128/21

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]]><![CDATA[UPDATE:  Performance Director 3.1]]>Sun, 01 Sep 2024 19:46:31 GMThttps://www.spotonsl.com/blog/update-performance-director-31Today we're sending out an update to the Performance Director with a bug fix when detecting number of dancers and *GASP* a typo on the skins.  The updates will be sent out by Caspervend.  How many of you noticed the typo???

Here's the updates:
​* Fixed error when detecting number of dancer scripts in the HUD. 
   This can cause the number of dancer script warnings to fire erroneously, or not at all.  This has been fixed.
   
* Updated Skin Graphics to fix typo.


]]><![CDATA[PBR Materials & the Spot On Glow Fader Script]]>Fri, 21 Jun 2024 15:57:20 GMThttps://www.spotonsl.com/blog/pbr-materials-the-spot-on-glow-fader-scriptPBR Materials & the Spot On Glow Fader
  1. The glow fader still works in PBR Viewers, just like it always did.
  2. ​The glow fader is NOT compatible with PBR Materials at this time.  This means, if you try to use it on an object with PBR Materials, it will not hide or fade with the glow fader.  (This is likely to fail with most show/hide scripts in SL, as they all work in pretty much the same way).
  3. ​New solutions for PBR Materials will likely come in the future, and will be integrated into future versions of the product.

What are PBR Materials?
“Physically Based Rendering” is a new type of texture added to Second Life.   It allows for advanced reflections and rendering effects.  Linden Lab can explain it far better than I can:  https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/PBR_Materials

OK, So What if I Just Don't Use PBR Materials?
If you stick to legacy (Blinn-Phong) materials, the glow fader will work exactly as it always has.  But, now that the PBR Genie has been let out of the bottle, more and more creators will be using PBR materials in their creations.   I think it will become difficult to avoid PBR in the future.  I fully expect Creators to embrace PBR, as it allows them to create richer and more detailed content.

How do I Know if an Object has a PBR Material Applied to It?
Edit the object and look at the "PBR" tab under the Texture Tab in Firestorm.  If it's Grey X's, you probably don't have PBR Materials on this object.

Then How Do I Fade/Show/Hide Objects with PBR Materials?
Due to some complicated (and somewhat shortsighted) design choices made by Linden Lab, this is going to be difficult for a while.  Existing show/hide/fade scripts are highly unlikely to work with PBR materials.  You don’t want to hear this, but there’s not a good “generic” solution right now.  

So What Happens Now?
I’m confident this issue will be addressed by Linden Lab at some point, as this is a real pain for content creators.  As new solutions emerge, I’ll be updating the Glow Fader to handle these things using best practices and new technology as it becomes available.

Martin Yeats
Spot On

]]><![CDATA[MAJOR UPDATE:  CHOREOGRAPHY DESIGN SYSTEM]]>Sun, 14 Apr 2024 18:55:32 GMThttps://www.spotonsl.com/blog/major-update-choreography-design-system3.0 - FEATURE - Fast Notecard Loading
Notecard loads can be 5-10x faster!

3.0 - FEATURE - Linkset Data
Waypoint data is now stored in Linkset Data, rather than script memory.  This allows for substantially longer sequences with less chance of a stack/heap error.  It is estimated routines can be 4 to 8 times longer than previous versions.

3.0 - FEATURE - Launchpad:  Max Movers
The launchpad can now be configured for a Maximum of 4, 8, 16 or 32 movers.  The movers will be more widely spaced when a smaller maximum is selected.  Only movers with a dancer number less than or equal to the maximum will be able to go to the launchpad.

WARNING: You must use the 3.0 Launchpad and 3.0 movers to use this feature.  Previous versions of mover and launchpad will not work correctly with this feature!

3.0 - FEATURE - Additional Colors
Added 3 new Waypoint Colors in the advanced menu.  (Teal, Black and LtBlue).

​Plus a couple of bug fixes.  2.x notecards will work in version 3.0]]><![CDATA[MAJOR UPDATE:  Performance Director 3]]>Sat, 30 Mar 2024 13:16:10 GMThttps://www.spotonsl.com/blog/major-update-performance-director-3We're pleased to bring you a major update of the Performance Director!  
  • Fast Notecard Loading - 10x to 20x faster!
  • Longer Routines / Notecards - 3 to 6 times longer
  • Integrated Launchpad Controls - no need to wear the Launchpad HUD (requires Choreography Movers 2.4 or higher)
  • Newly Redesigned User Interface:
    • Five new ​configurable skins
    • Resize / Scale (via skins)
    • Text directly on prim replacing the hover text
    • Improved minimize / maximize functionality with smoother transitions
  • Full backward compatibility with notecards from Performance Director 1.x and 2.x.  All existing Performance Director notecards from previous versions should work seamlessly in the new version with no need to modify.
IMPORTANT!!
Since this is a major update, you cannot upgrade a PD 2.x or lower to 3.x with the updater.  However, you can manually move your notecard and animations from the 2.x PD into the 3.x PD and they should work with no changes required.
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]]><![CDATA[NEW!  Spot On Animesh Dancer]]>Sat, 25 Nov 2023 22:32:45 GMThttps://www.spotonsl.com/blog/new-spot-on-animesh-dancer
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]]><![CDATA[Choreography Designer Update - Version 2.4]]>Fri, 17 Nov 2023 20:05:20 GMThttps://www.spotonsl.com/blog/choreography-designer-update-version-24Launchpad is a new feature in version 2.4 to replace the Backstage Mover feature.  No more fussing with setting up backstage movers!  Version 2.4 will find your Launchpad automatically back stage.

​More info:  Launchpad
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