The newest iteration of the official SL viewer has an alpha sorting bug which is causing HUDs to lose their buttons, among other things, like so:

If this looks awfully familiar, here's how to fix it.

Addendum: As LL faithfully reproduced this bug in Viewer 2, and even managed to break the fix given below, we are reissuing HUDs without the background transparency, which solves the alpha sorting issue.

I know this tends to confuse people who may not be used to updates, so I wanted to write this to clarify how this process works.

Products contain a script that checks in with the update server and gives its product ID and version number. The server looks up the product ID and checks the version given by the in-world product with the current version number.  If the current version is higher, it tells the update gateway to deliver a boxed current version of that product and optionally, a note card as well.

Most products check in either when attached or when rezzed.  Continuing to use an out of date product will keep triggering delivery from the update gateway.

Omicron 1.4 users:  If your update has not been triggered by attachment, using the Update command (i.e. /8 update) will trigger it.

You must unpack and use the new, current product for this not to occur.  Yes, it may seem awfully authoritarian of me to do it that way, but when I've made updates need to be initiated manually, I get a whole lot of "How do I update?" and/or "I didn't get my update!" messages. This way I only get "I keep getting updates!" messages, which is why I wrote this so I can simply wave a URL at those messages, thus saving myself and everyone much time and grief.

Happy updates!

It's our OCS virtual warfare economic stimulus package.  You asked for a way to play with OCS (because it kicks ass) without having to resort to virtual prostitution, and we heard you.  So, for a limited time, L$50 (or about what you can get camping for an hour) will get you a 416 D10RS rifle (OCS ammo only), a double pack of M67 grenades and an OCS HUD.

Available at TOC's main store in... The Omega Concern.  (Where else?)

The HUD has had its script and prim count reduced by about a third, which will help with asset server lag causing it to detach on login or during TPs.  It has also been compiled under mono with seemingly no ill-effects.  Things that no longer work under Havok 4 have been removed, but similar functions solutions such as Driver are in place.  Teleporting and all things that move around (including sim scan probes) go to 4096 meters.

Notable command changes:

• Driver/DriveO - Driver or DriveO attacks affect either avatars or physical objects, respectively. They will 'drive' the target away, pursuing the target across sim lines and persisting in its attack for 60 seconds. It can be aborted with the 'end' command.
• Kill - Kill is not the same kill that you knew and loved before Havok 4. This goes back to the original kill, which works in damage-enabled areas to deliver a clean, quick shield-bypassing kill.
• Apocalypse - Apoc is following the same direction kill went in, delivering shield-bypassing kills sim-wide for three minutes, with the exception of those on your configured friend list.
• SWC - Superwoodchuck has been reconfigured to again function as it did before Havok 4.
• DeCloud - Sometimes, avies just won't load. Hopping onto this, or having someone else hop onto it, will force the viewer to refresh and reload clouded avatars.
• Launch - Launch will throw any physical object from inside of the Omicron's inventory in the direction that you're facing, or for more accuracy, in the direction you are aiming in mouselook.  The command syntax is simply 'launch [velocity] [object name]' - and it will wildcard match the object name.  Try it out - 'launch 10 sink'

• Eject - On your own land, or with land you have command over the Omicron Security Relay, the Eject command from the simscan menu (by clicking on an avatar's name) is hands down, total power to send people packing.  Nothing stops it, and it's all over in about two seconds.

This summary is pretty brief, but with the exception of where this supersedes the full Omicron manual, I trust that it will suffice for new and old users alike.  Most of the changes were 'under the hood' and made to be as transparent to the user as possible.

1.5 -> 1.5.1 (2009 June 10)

• Rez positioning and rez proxy corrected for 4096m ceiling
• Kill actually calls zKill now, as it should
• Simscan dropdown options updated

 I would like to say thank you to everyone for their patience and encouragement over the last year. :)

And to all of The Omega Concern's customers...  You all gave me a better job than I'd ever hoped of having, and I love you all for it.  Thank you.

AH