Empower Deluxe Update v4.1 rev 2011042101 Instructions
Welcome to v4.1 of the Empower Magick Spellcasting System! Now with more lightning and three times as many bats. No dragons were harmed (much) during the testing of this HUD and those who were are recovering nicely.
This is a version increase from v4.0 to v4.1, due to the significant number of changes, in particular inclusion of display name support and enhanced effects, which required all components of the HUD and all spells to be reworked.
NOTE:
This update will display progress on the HUD rather than in local chat. Do not be alarmed – just watch your HUD for update progress.
If you wish to see more information on what the update is doing, type “/5 var debug on” before applying the update
Major changes in this version are:
– Display Names support (select your targets by display name and use their display names in casting messages)
– Custom CastingFX on a spell by spell basis (some spells look better when you cast them and you can choose how you look when casting them)
– Particle colour customisation for CastingFX and certain spell particles
– Shield colour customisation (also applies to Protect and Ward spells)
– Improved interface for selecting sounds, animations and now colours
– Programmable favourites buttons on the top panel (use this notecard >> << to configure them similarly to v4.0)
– Ability to store items in the HUD and rez them out via the HUD
– Particle relay detection (The HUD will offer you a particle relay if you are not already wearing a compatible one)
– All spells reworked to use new API with anti-return features
– New and improved spells
– Ability to reduce HUD messages in local chat
– Further reduced memory and script time utilisation
Full details follow after the Update instructions. As this update performs a version update, I would recommend you rename your HUD from “v4.0″ to “v4.1″ in inventory during the detach/attach steps below, as the updater cannot perform that step. If your HUD shows up as no-modify in inventory and will not let you rename it, please contact me for a new base version before applying. This can happen if at any point you have rezzed your HUD in-world and taken it back into inventory.
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UPDATE INSTRUCTIONS:
I suggest making a copy of your existing HUD before updating. Locate your HUD in inventory, right click and detach, then right click and Copy, right click and Paste. Rename one of the copies to “Empower HUD v4.0 Backup” and wear the other copy.
The updater will appear in your Objects folder. Please locate it, rez it on the ground or wear it, make sure you are wearing your Empower HUD and then left click the Updater to activate it.
If you are applying multiple updaters to bring your HUD up to a current version, please wait for each update to fully complete before commencing the next update.
Your HUD will become transparent during the update. It is important that you do not detach it until you receive the message:
“Empowerment complete. Empower v4.1 HUD is now active.”
If you have multiple copies of your HUD, you will need to apply the update to each. I recommend keeping only one copy of your HUD (and a backup) to simplify updates
Once the update is complete, please wait 10 seconds (long enough for all the messages produced during the update to disappear from your screen), detach your HUD, wait 30 seconds more, rename it in inventory from “…v4.0″ to “…v4.1″, then reattach it. The waits are to ensure SL “saves” the changes.
During the update, DO NOT walk away from the updater, DO NOT teleport, DO NOT log off and DO NOT cross sim boundaries until the update is complete or YOU MAY DESTROY YOUR HUD.
Ensure you are on land where your objects will not get returned to you. If the updater returns during the update YOU MAY DESTROY YOUR HUD
Ensure you are on land where you can run scripts. If on group land, activate the correct group BEFORE wearing the HUD and rezzing the updater, or the updater won’t run
Should your update fail for any reason, including the above, simply detach and reattach your HUD. The HUD will recover from the failed update, but you should, as quickly as possible, remedy the problem which caused the update to fail, then re-apply the update, as the HUD may do strange things with half an update applied.
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What’s in this update?
1. Display Names Support
– Using the HUD with Options->DispName ticked will result in the radar, AVTracker and spell target menus using display names
– When you cast spells with Options->CastingFX->Messages ticked (and Stealth unticked) your display name will be used
2. CastingFX Improvements
– Under Options->CastingFX, you can now set the StartColour and EndColour settings for your Casting and Targeted particles
– Particle selection is much simpler, using a selection list when you click the Casting or Targeted buttons
– Presets are now readily available under Options->CastingFX->Presets
– The Preview function will now rez a target so that you can preview your targeted particle effects
– Try the new interface for selecting sounds, animations, particles – no more “Prev/Next” buttons – just select from a list
3. TPFX Improvements
– Presets are now readily available under Options->TPFX->Presets
– Options->TPFX now provides a simpler way to customise the particles used when you teleport
– You can now customise the start and end colours of your particles
– Try the new interface for selecting sounds, animations, particles, PrimFX – no more “Prev/Next” buttons – just select from a list
4. Spell particle and colour customisations
Options->Colours provides a single place to customise colours for casting particles, TPFX and spells
– Try Options->Colours->Shields to customise colours for the Shield, Protect and Ward spells
– Try Options->Colours->Spells to customise the particle colours used by spells such as Glow, Flare, Orb, Warn, Levitate etc (details below)
5. New Utility tab
– Try using the Rez features to rez some of the existing objects
– Click the GetScripts button to receive scripts to add into your objects, along with instructions
– Click the AddObject button to rez a vortex with instructions on how to add your objects once they are scripted (hit STOP or click the vortex to remove it)
– Click the Rez/DeRez/DeRezAll buttons to rez/derez your objects
– Click the DelObject button to remove one of your objects from the HUD (be careful not to remove the objects that come with the HUD unless you REALLY want to). It will make you click twice on rezzable names you want to remove, to be sure
– Try the SLurl feature, which reports an SLurl in local chat
– Note that the following spells have been moved here from other tabs to free room on those tabs:
Track/UnTrack/CastOnly/Lumen/DisLumen
6. Top panel Favourites
– The 6 buttons on the top left of the HUD are now programmable favourites buttons.
– Programme the top panel favourites to settings of your choice by left clicking and holding until they flash, then select the spell you want to programme in
– If you want them back to something like they were in v4.0, drag this >> << notecard to your inventory, then drag it onto the HUD
7. New and changed spells
New spells
Attack->Smite – Raising your hands above your head, lightning flickering between your fingers, a large lightning bolt smites your target
Attack->Smother – Send a cloud of stifling smoke to smother your target (does damage if combat is enabled)
Attack->VampBat – Summon a colony of Vampire Bats to attack the specified target (does progressive damage if combat is enabled)
Attack->L’ningBall – Blast the specified avatar with ball lightning which will follow them, push them around (does damage if combat is enabled)
Push->Vine – With a puff of breath, a handful of seeds will grow vines around the target, holding them in place (Beautiful RP cage spell)
Travel->HeightTP – Teleport to a height specified on the command line (e.g. /5 HeightTP 2000) or 4000m by default
Travel->JumpDest – Push (dash) yourself to a destination stored in the HUD or specified on command line. Useful for no-rez land
e.g. /5 JumpDest 2000 Jump up to 2000m height
/5 JumpDest 128 128 20 Jump to coordinates
/5 JumpDest <128,128,20> Jump to coordinates
/5 JumpDest Home Jump to a destination stored in the HUD, named “Home”
Travel->RezMapTP – Rez a teleporter which will allow you and others to go to a destination outside the sim via a map based teleport when clicked
Changes to spells
Visual->Bless (Custom CastingFX)
Visual->Energise (Custom CastingFX and ability to change particles after casting)
Visual->Flare (Uses Options->Colours->Spells:StartColour/EndColour and has colour change menu)
Visual->Halo (Uses Options->Colours->Spells:StartColour/EndColour and has huge halo when in Dragon theme)
Visual->Glow (Custom CastingFX and ability to select default particle colours from Options->Colours)
Visual->Greet (Uses Options->Colours->Spells:StartColour/EndColour)
Visual->Farewell (Uses Options->Colours->Spells:StartColour/EndColour)
Visual->Fart (New particle effect)
Visual->Invisibility (Changed default casting animation)
Visual->Peace (Custom CastingFX)
Nature->Bat (Custom CastingFX and added bat sounds)
Nature->Bug (Custom CastingFX)
Nature->Butterfly (Custom CastingFX)
Nature->Dragon (Custom CastingFX)
Nature->Flame (Changed default casting animation)
Nature->Forest (Added multicoloured butterflies)
Nature->Volcano (Improved eruption particles, reduced scripts, added lava balls, changed default casting animation, added dispellFX (sink into earth when dispelled rather than just vanishing)
Attack->Cannonball (Improved auto-dispell)
Attack->Fury (Improved auto-dispell)
Attack->Zap (Fixed jagged end on lightning bolt, added anti-derender)
Attack->Fireball (Red/black flames in Dark theme)
Attack->Spider (Added blood spurts from spider bites)
Attack->Banish (Added anti-derender)
Attack->Shrink (Addressed script errors when cast on a target with “revoke permissions on sit”)
Attack->Tornado (Complete overhaul in size and effects)
Attack->Warn (Improved particle lightning size. Uses Options->Colours->Spells:StartColour/EndColour)
Push->Cage (Added anti-derender)
Push->Chain (Added anti-derender and huge dragon support when Options->Themes->Dragon is selected, for capturing Ancients)
Push->Electro (Added auto-dispell when target leaves sim. Added support for custom CastingFX)
Note that this required a change in name from “Electro-” to “Electro”. If it’s on your favourites, you’ll need to re-add it. Customised HUD messages will also need to reflect the name change.
Push->Squash (Improved power and speed)
Push->Launch (Improved power and added custom CastingFX with buildup)
Push->Lift (Improved power and speed and changed default casting animation)
Push->Summon (Improved power and speed)
Push->Pulse (Changed casting animation)
Push->Levitate (Uses Options->Colours->Spells:StartColour/EndColour for spell particles)
Push->Tree (Increased size, added anti-derender and theme support – dead tree with bats for Dark theme, dead burning tree for Dragon theme. Added response to impacts from objects named water/ice/fire/flame – i.e. Firing fire/flame objects, such as the Empower Fireball ammo or Seawolf Dragon breath at the tree will set it alight. Firing ice/water objects, such as the Empower Waterball ammo or Seawolf Dragon ice breath at the tree will quench the flames, then restore the tree to its living state
Shield->Shield (Uses Options->Colours->Shield colours, changed shield default animation when cast on other avatars from “Off” to “Walk”, prevent shield from repelling distant avatars during casting, now sizes appropriately when cast on objects)
Assist->Listen (Now gives correct message when avatars move out of range)
Assist->Platform (Added theme support, new default Sigil Circle textures, improved catching speed and dispell when target leaves sim)
Assist->Scry (Reports on display name and added ability to search by key, but not yet to search by display name due to duplicates)
Travel->AstralTrav (Changed astral body to a glowing orb using colours specified in Options->Colours->Spells. Added colour change menu. Announce who is within listening range. Adjusted camera position relative to body to avoid body obscuring view)
Travel->Carpet (Auto-dispell when target or spell caster leaves the sim)
Travel->Cloud (Auto-dispell when target or spell caster leaves the sim)
Travel->Cushion (Auto-dispell when target or spell caster leaves the sim)
Travel->Dolphin (Reduced scripts, added RezDist support and phantom on touch/dispell confirmation to match Cloud spell, Auto-dispell when target or spell caster leaves the sim)
Travel->AstralTrav (Theme and display name enabled)
Changes to teleporters
– Try the new TP spells listed in “New Spells” above
– Try customising them using the TPConfig tab, which replaces the old TPTypes button. You can select a base TPType and customise its particles and colours, or select from a range of Presets
– Try the new TPTypes – Sigil and DarkSigil and their corresponding Presets/entries under Settings->Teleporters (two ways of getting to the same thing)
– Teleporters will now de-rez (auto-dispell) if you move 20m away
– Try out the PermTP checkbox which will make either a “Teleport” portal or a “RezMapTP” portal permanent. Close the portal with the ClosePortal spell
– Try the old Teleport spell – it now only lists destinations which you can reach without resorting to the Map, making it much easier to find where you want to go
8. New options
– Options->ChatWarn
Click this checkbox if you wish to be warned of other avatars entering/leaving chat/listening distance
– Options->ChkRelay
If you wear your HUD without a compatible Empower particle relay, the HUD will now give you one to wear.
Choose from a relay inside you with/without Mana, or an Empower Magick Wand which you can customise from the Wand tab.
Untick this checkbox to disable the feature
9. Spell specific customisable CastingFX
You can now customise the CastingFX for an individual spell:
– Left click and hold the spell until you receive a message at the bottom of the HUD saying “Release to set custom CastingFX” then release
– The message at the bottom of the HUD will change to “Loading…” and after a few seconds, the bottom panel will display the casting FX
– Modify them as you wish, then select the Save button
– Select the Defaults button to return to the default CastingFX specified for the HUD in Options->CastingFX
– Use the Preview button to see what your effects would look like if saved
– Use the Cancel button to discard any changes you have made and leave the spell’s settings as they were when you entered
– Note that the following spells come with customised CastingFX – be aware of their current settings before changing them and aware that future updates may override your changes on these spells:
Bat, Bless, Bug, Butterfly, Dragon, Electro, Energise, Flame, Glow, Greet, Farewell, Invisibility, Launch, Lift, Lumen, Peace, Pulse, Smite, Smother, Vine, Volcano
10. HUD Changes
– There are new animations and sounds for use in your CastingFX/TPFX/DispellFX:
New Animations: ArmsFwd1, ArmsFwd2, ArmsOhead, BHChop, BHRaise, HandPart, LHCircle, RHCircle, TPRise, TPRise2, Jeannie
New Sounds: Swallow1, Swallow2, Ominous, Eerie1, IMDeath
– Many of the options under the Settings menu (Tools icon next to the STOP button) have changed
– Try some of the new TPFX: DarkRunes, FireRunes, Runes and new Presets for these under Settings menu (Tools icon next to STOP button) and Options->TPFX->Presets
– Try casting spells with Options->CastingFX->SpellFX unticked if you don’t want flashy casting and just want spells to activate fast with a wave of your hand/wand
– Try some of the new particle effects and desaturated versions of old particle effects, to which you can apply your own colours
– Try the Cloud particle effect, if you used it previously. It now covers a 360 degree sphere instead of 180 degree hemisphere above you
11. Internals (for advanced users and those who customise their HUD)
– The names of particle notecards have changed from Particles-Target* to TargetP-* and Particles-Static* to StaticP-*. If you have created your own particle notecards, they will be deleted during update and you will need to add them back in to the HUD under the new naming scheme. They will then show up in the appropriate particle selection panels. *BE SURE TO KEEP A COPY OUTSIDE THE HUD BEFORE UPDATE*
– The old command line particle selection command “/5 particles save NAME” has been replaced with castp and targp variables. So instead of “/5 particles save sparkle” you would now use “/5 var castp #Sparkle1″
– The internal format for favourites storage has been updated to handle top buttons as favourites
– Command chaining via local chat has been re-enabled (“/5 glow me;aura me”)
– To support display names, all spells have been reworked to use a different method to announce casting/target messages. This will result in a space or a colon in front of the messages
– Try the new msglevel variable, set with “/5 var msglevel n” where n is a combination of the following, summed together (bitmasks):
1 – Enable normal operating messages
2 – Enable HUD startup messages (number of commands available, casting channel and casting methods)
4 – Enable additional messages (status of variable changes as per v4.0, warnings about no-rez locations when casting spells or rezzing scanners and display name retrieval in AVTracker)
8 – Enable verbose messages during update
The default value for msglevel is 3 – Normal operating messages plus HUD startup messages. To disable HUD startup messages, for example, but leave normal operating messages on, use “/5 var msglevel 1″
– Various internal script optimisations to reduce memory and script time consumption
– Fixed intermittent issue with updater hanging due to sim lag
– For those who customise spellcasting messages via setmsg or HUDConfig-20-Messages – you can now suppress dispell messages on a spell by specifying a dispell message (last parameter) of “none” (case sensitive). Search HUDConfig-20-Messages in the HUD for an example
– Note that whilst anti-derender support has been added to some spells, the latest Phoenix client (released during this update) includes better derender facilities which overcome this. Other clients do not at this point.
