Empower Update v5 Deluxe rev 2012052501 Release Notes
Welcome to v5 of the Empower Magick Spellcasting HUD!
This is a version increase from v4.1 to v5, due to the significant number of changes, in particular a new look to the HUD, changes to the way Mana works, a new scanning function and use of llSetRegionPos() to replace posJump in all spells, which required all components of the HUD and all spells to be reworked.
Due to the size of this update, you will receive both an updater which you can apply to your existing HUD to preserve your settings, along with a full pack, in case you prefer to simply unpack a new copy of your HUD and avoid the lengthy update process.
With this release of v5 I have also implemented an online bug tracking/support/feature request system – Mantis.
This will not only allow me to respond faster to support requests, but also allows you to vote on the features you would like to see added to the HUD. I will incorporate feedback via the Mantis voting mechanism in my prioritisation of future changes to the HUD.
Access it at http://support.empowermagick.com or just click the new “?” button above the HUD and follow the links. You will need to register an account there. Please make it the same as your SL name, as I will delete accounts which I cannot verify as belonging to Empower HUD owners.
Please feel free to add feature requests or vote on the feature requests you find on there. I have migrated some of my development queue over to Mantis, but there is more to go across yet. If you have asked for something to be added to the Empower HUD and it is not in v5 and you can’t see it on Mantis, please raise it there. I will eventually migrate my entire (very large) development queue, incorporating all existing requests, but it will go faster if you raise requests for the things you care about.
Major changes in this version are:
– A new look to the HUD and updater modelled around a spell book
– Full sim scanning without need for client radar or scanner prims (works in no-rez zones)
– Changes to skins to accommodate the new book style HUD
If you have a favourite skin which you think could translate to the new v5 look, please raise it on Mantis and if at all possible, I will bring it across in the next release.
– New spells and improvements to old favourites along with some bug fixes
– New Ammo types, functionality and presets
– New MoCap animations, sounds, CastingFX and presets
– Vehicle/Portal interaction (Empower vehicles can now travel through Empower portals)
Full details follow after the Update instructions. Please read the Update Instructions below before applying the update, then take a look through what has changed whilst the update is applying. It is a large update and will take 10-20 minutes to apply, depending on lag in your sim, so you should have plenty of time to read the details of the changes.
If you want a low lag place to apply your update, you are welcome to pop over to my sim – Smallhaven (find it on your map) to apply your update.
Now, read on, follow the UPDATE INSTRUCTIONS below and enjoy. 
Regards,
Blackdog
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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 v4.1 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 if you are in “no build” land, 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.
You may need to reposition your HUD after update, due to the change in its shape. You can do this by right clicking the HUD, selecting “Edit” then using the red and green movement arrows to reposition it on your screen. The HUD will remember where you position it, unless you attach it to a different attachment point, in which case it will reset itself to a default location at the top right of your screen.
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 “…v4.1″ to “…v5″, 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. Changes to the HUD
As you will see, the HUD has been updated to use a “Spellbook” theme. This includes a range of changes:
– The big red STOP button and the Tools icon have been replaced with stylised “Dispell” and “Settings” buttons on the left page
– The old skins have been replaced by a smaller number of “book” skins – “BloodRed”, “Clean”, “Dragonhide” and “Default”
If you have an old favourite which you think can be applied to the book form, let me know and I will port it over
– Changed default HUD size to accommodate newer viewers and new format. HUD Size will reset to “Normal” (100%) on update
– Added a help button “?” at the top of the HUD which takes you to a page where you can raise a support/feature request or browse the Empower documentation
– Two extra Favourites buttons on the left page (formally the top panel of the old HUD) marked as “HoldToSet”. Hold them until a message appears at the bottom of the HUD, then click the spell you would like to program in as a new favourite
– Changed HideModes available under Options->HUDConfig or Settings->HideMode:
– CloseSm (closes the book to a small size to reduce screen usage. Click top open or click the red symbol to dispell)
– CloseLg (same as CloseSm but full sized)
– FoldL (Fold the right half of the book back, leaving just the left page with favourites and controls – for use when HUD is positioned on the left of your screen)
– FoldR (Fold the right half of the book back, leaving just the left page with favourites and controls – for use when HUD is positioned on the right of your screen)
– New Ravage tab to hold spells with a large area of effect
– Carnage, Hellfire and Megiddo moved here, along with new Judgment and Detonate spells (see below)
– New ParticleRelays using more efficient llRegionSayTo()
– Detach your old ParticleRelay/Wand and the HUD will offer you new ones if you have Options->ChkRelay ticked
– v4 particle relays will continue to work, however I recommend you switch to the newer more efficient ones
2. Changes to scanners, radar and AVTracker
– New full sim scanner functionality without requiring client radar or prim based scanners/probes – works in no-rez zones
– Scanners submenu removed, along with checkbox for 1000,2000,3000,4000
– AV/Obj scanner mode selection moved to left page
– Radar and AVTracker settings have been simplified to “Left/Right/Off” and “Top/Bottom/Off” respectively
– Available from Options->HUDConfig or Settings->Displays
– Note that due to this change, your radar and AVTracker will reset to “Left” and “Bottom” respectively on update
– Fixed bug with AVTracker display being truncated due to multi byte display names
– Fixed issue with unavailable display names showing as ??? in AVTracker in DispNames mode
3. Changes to spellcasting
– New camera based casting options on target menu:
<CamPos> Creates a temporary object at your camera’s position and casts the spell on it
<CamCast> Spells are cast on the object/avatar that your camera is looking at (beware transparent prims getting in the way)
Note that with <CamCast>, the spell will be cast on the child prim you are looking at in a multi-prim object
Every prim in every object around you is now a potential spell target
– For command line casting, you can specify “camcast” and “campos” as targets to get the same result as above. e.g. “/5 glow campos”
– If you want CamCast to be your default mode, tick the CamCast checkbox on the left page.
Command line casting (e.g. /5 glow) will then not prompt for a target if one is not specified. If a target is specified, it will override Cam casting
– Changed “ByRange” option on target menu to “<ByRange>” to visually distinguish from avatars and conform to <CamPos> and <CamCast> options
4. New and changed spells
New spells
Nature->Light – Summon beams of light around the target, to banish the dark
Nature->WthrMist – Summon mist over a 30m area
Nature->WthrWind – Summon gusts of wind over a 30m area around the caster – pushes avatars in push enabled land
Assist->Meditate – Conjure a meditation circle, with optional particle effects
Travel->SendTP – Send a teleport spell to the target, allowing them to teleport to a desination you nominate
Push->Freeze – Cage the target in a block of ice
Ravage->Detonate – Summon the element of fire to explode around the target and all nearby (10m radius)
Ravage->Judgment – Open a rift through which demons will issue, attacking all nearby (good for target practise)
Utility->ChkScripts – Privately reports on target position, distance and script time
Utility->SpellBuoy – Drop a magickal marker at your camera’s location, which shows on your radar (only) as an avatar target
(Useful for spell testing and as a Join destination stored outside the HUD) Click for menu
Utility->DelBuoy – Delete a SpellBuoy without having to click it to get its menu
Utility->CtlBuoy – Obtain a menu from a SpellBuoy without having to click it
Changes to spells
Visual->Glow – Changed particle parameters to remove edge effect and provide a more gentle glow
Visual->Peace – Fixed issue with casting Peace ByRange
Visual->Sink – More effective AO stopping so you can move whilst invisible
Visual->Vanish – Disappearance and reapparance is now accompanied by a flash of light. Improved AO stopping
Nature->Wthr* – All Wthr* spells will now auto-dispell when the caster leaves the sim
Assist->Bespeak – Updated to new theme coloured “lifespark” look instead of a floating blue ball
Assist->GiveMana – New mana transfer sound and settings for new Mana system (see below). Two mages giving mana to a third should now be able to sustain a single spell indefinitely under the new system
Assist->Scry – Reports on target distance and script time when target is in the same sim
Has better error handling for malformed names and errors from Name2Key services
Will accept object keys and report on their script usage
Uses a different secondary lookup service which appears to be more reliable than the old secondary service
Attack->Smite – Fixed problem with dispelling Smite spell in high lag environments
Travel->AstralTravel – Fixed bug when Options->DispNames was ticked – caused all speakers to show using the caster’s name
Travel->Dash – Added additional dash trigger – tap back (down arrow) whilst moving forwar (holding up arrow)
Travel->Carpet – Doubled turning speed. Added support for travel through Empower portals
Travel->Cloud – Doubled turning speed. Added support for travel through Empower portals
Travel->Cushion – Doubled turning speed. Added support for travel through Empower portals
Travel->Dolphin – Added support for travel through Empower portals
Shield->Shield – Added Phantom checkbox to Shield tab
When ticked, shield will rez as a phantom object, providing no protection until you sit on it, but allowing you to walk freely
– Added support for travel through Empower portals
Click portal when seated on shield or cast a portal whilst seated and the shield will travel through it
– Dynamic speed and acceleration control via “Speed” option and “Accel” checkbox on Shield tab
– Shield now becomes invisible when avatar goes offworld when Show is enabled
(underground, offsim, bounced, phased, offset)
Land->AddBan/DelBan – Performs an Estate Ban when no ban time is specified, if the caster is an Estate Manager
OR is listed in the new Land Spell Relay as having Land permissions
AND a new Estate Ban Relay has been rezzed by an Estate Manager (see “Changes to Land Spell Relays”)
Attack->Warn – Uses SpellFX so you can customise spellcasting animations/sounds/particles and messages (advanced)
Note that this required a change in the name of the Warn spell
If you had it stored as a favourite, you will need to reprogram your favourites button
Utility->Rez – Includes a DeRezAll button to avoid having to return to the Utilities tab to DeRez all items you have rezzed
Attack->Shrink – Explicitly requests perms from the target as well as acting as a trap if perms are refused.
Improved effectiveness of Shrink algorithm for slow loading animations on some clients
Improved catching efficiency of FallProtect
New Portal types:
– Rift – select from Options->Presets->DarkRift/FaeRift/LightRift or customise particle colours via Travel->TPConfig
– Warp – select from Options->Presets->DarkWarp/FaeWarp/MerWarp/Warp/WarpSpect or customise via Travel->TPConfig
Changes to Teleporters (Portals)
– Empower Vehicles can now pass through Empower portals
Scripts to add to your own (modifiable) vehicles/objects to support this will be sent to the EmpowerMagick group with this update
If you miss the scripts in the group, contact me and I’ll send them to you
Note that there is a 5 second delay after a vehicle travels through a portal before it will be able to travel again to avoid
bouncing between portals
– Portals will now rez a presence at the destination if Travel->EndPoint is ticked and land permissions allow
Portals generated with both PermTP and EndPoint ticked will be two way. Unless both options are ticked, the portal is one way
Avatars trying to sit/click on one way endpoints will be sent a message explaining that it belongs to a one way portal
Does not apply to “Group/Circle” teleporters
– Teleports occur at 4095m instead of 1000m
– Made TPConfig more readable, for customising your Teleporters (Portals)
Note: you should use Travel->Presets unless you wish to fine tune your Teleporters (Portals)
– Added Presets and casting messages for Sigil and DarkSigil teleporters (missing from previous update)
– Fixed issue on all Teleporters (Portals) when Join or Invite passenger is same as target (disabled “TP to self”)
– Fixed a message loop impacting the efficiency of Portal TPTypes
– Disable PermTP when casting Join/Invite/SendTP (portals which track an avatar at either end can’t be permanent as the avatar will eventually leave the sim)
– Updated GlowCircle particle effect used by Vortex teleporters to give a slightly more textured look to the Vortex particles
– The Preview function for configuring TPConfig or selecting Presets has changed to “TP Forward 5m” so that you can see endpoints
Changes to Land Spell Relays:
– Added as rezzable items under Utility->Rez
– Added new EstateRly which, if rezzed by an Estate Manager, will make the AddBan/DelBan spells operate as Estate bans as well as their default behaviour as parcel bans
– Added ability for LandRelay to enforce Mana mode whilst on your land. See details at http://www.empowermagick.com
– To use the new functionality, replace your existing LandSpellRelay/BanSpellRelay with the new relays.
This is optional, as the old Empower v4 relays will continue to work with v5, but will not provide the additional functionality
New and changed ammunition for use in Mouselook weaponry and new ammo type
– New ammo types – Boom, Airball, Aircloud – for the elementals amongst us
– New “Push” option under Options->Weaponry – adds push ability to any ammo type. Previously only available on Blast ammo
– New “Particles” option under Options->Weaponry – determine whether ammo generates particles on impact
– Can now set the EffectTime (particles, animations etc) for mouselook weaponry. Previously used the time for CastingFX
5. Changes to Mana mode
– When in Mana mode, spells will now consume Mana as long as they are running, for improved compatibility with RP sims
– Changed message generated on mana depletion
– Mana mode is no longer disabled every time you wear your HUD
– Sim owners can elect to enforce Mana mode for all Empower users whilst in their sim, via the new version of the LandRelay
– Added Mana checkbox to left page and to Options tab for improved visibility
6. New animations and sounds
– Added new animations and sounds for use in your CastingFX/TPFX/DispellFX:
New Animations: RiseUp (used by WthrWind) and WhirlUp (alternative for WthrWind if you choose to customise it), Voivode
New MoCap Animations: SummonLt, SummonDk (used by Judgment spell)
New Sounds: Eerie2 (used in Warn SpellFX), Wind (used in Freeze spell), WpAir, WpWind, WpFlame, PowerBurst
7. Bug Fixes and internals (for advanced users and those who customise their HUD)
– Improved error messages when attempting to set vars to out of range values
– Added future support for “fast updates” when only adding new spells and not changing core HUD scripts
– Spells updated to use llSetRegionPos() and llRegionSayTo()
– Fixed a crash mode in updater which could cause it to hang for users with out of date landmarks stored in the HUD
– HitDetect no longer reports collisions with objects you own – add 64 to your msglevel (/5 var msglevel xxx) to re-enable old functionality
– Fixed bug which caused the Greet/Farewell spells to continue to generate particles in Stealth mode
– Improved effectiveness of client radar interface – now requests keys more often
– Improved efficiency and stability of MsgClients – malformed custom spellcasting messages will no longer cause crashes
– Specifying ! as the target message in custom spellcasting messages will duplicate the casting message, to save memory
– Fixed bug which resulted in hex digits appearing in radar due to malformed keys being received from scanners/client radar when message corruption occurs
– Options->ConfigEnh button added for configuring optional casting enhancements (stay tuned for these in future)
