Monday, March 31, 2014

Toy Script PRO for Developers

A set of scripts for developing toys for Tatu babies.
Find them on the marketplace.

Becoming a Toy Developers

Thanks for becoming a Toy creator for Tatu babies. Please have in mind that the idea of Tatu babies is to create the best virtual baby experience, so take this into mind when creating toys for them.
It’s not  about creating the best over powered toy around the grid, but toys that are somehow consistent to their real life counterparts and that results on a cohesive experience. Overpowered toys could seem good for parents, but because how babies work, it can result on a back shot on their personalities as the fun level reaches 100%.
A guideline with the suggested fun levels for different kind of toys its available on this document.
The new Toy Scripts Pro for developers is available at the marketplace. The Pro version works on a similar way as the Transferbox Pro, enabling you to create copy/transfer toys to resell after paying a fee.
Because the script itself can be used to create as much toys as you wish for yourself, is that it’s not given free on the marketplace.

Toy Script Updater

A prim that it’s included in this pack, rez this box to check if there has been a change on the scripts and receive the latest version if available.

Fun Level Guideline

Power level goes from 1 (the lowest) to 10 (the highest). The power of how much the toy affects the baby isn´t controlled by this script but by the personality of the baby. This option controls how often the stimulus of the toy is sent to the babies around.
Save high power levels (8-10) to user controlled toys as ON TOUCH squeaky toys, etc. Or use them on conjunction with GET BORED to lower the impact it can have on babies if left alone with such a toy.


The following list are toys already present on the Tatu universe, see if your toys can fill one of those categories or use it as guidelines of the power level needed on yours.

Squeak toy, or user activated one touch and then stops. etc. Keep it high if it doesn´t affect the baby on any other way or make the baby to get bored.
Level 10

Music box, or TV.
Possibly baby should get bored over time by the high level of attention needed.
level 8-9

Rubber balls, etc.
Level 9 when touched by parent

Rattle toy as any toy that needs to be dresses and shaken by the parent.
level 8

Moving toy, baby train, teddy bear
level 6 with bored

Level 5 or lower can be safely be used without GET BORED and should be used for more passive toys like decorations around the baby. Family photos, pictures, coloring books, etc. 

The Menu

On Rez

For toys that you want the effect to start working immediately after it’s rez.  Doesn’t need to be activated by the parent.
Useful for toys that doesn’t need to be turned on for the baby to notice them. A good example of these kinds of toys it’s a teddy bear or something attached to the parents that they need to wear.

Get Bored

After activated, the toy gradually looses the effect over time as the baby gets used to the same stimulus. The effect is reseted every time its turn off.
Recommended use for high level toys, as it will mitigate the negative effects these toys can have.
Example of toys that can lose their strength over time are music boxes, a toy train, etc.

Touch

On/Off  behavior

Makes it possible for the parent to turn on and off the toy by touching it.
Example of such toys can be a music box, a Tv, a moving toy train, etc.

On Touch Behaviour

The toy reacts when touched and can be used in conjunction with other features.  For example the toy can have an effect when rezed and a second effect when touched.
This effect is also affected by the “get bored” function.
An example of this is a Teddy bear, that not only works when rezed but when touched reacts with a squeak.

Sound

Plays a sound when touched, activated or deactivated.
Can detect sound files on the same prim of the object or the name or UUID can be filled in.
Currently it just supports one same sound for these 3 actions. Other sounds should be scripted on separate scripts.

Broadcast

Broadcast a message on a desired channel or as a link message. Both the ON and OFF message can be edited.
Link messages can be used to tell other scripts on the same build when the toy is turned ON or OFF.
If channel 0 is chosen as the broadcast chat  channel, the message can be read by all avatars. This can be used to tell the user the toy’s state, or a simple way to make the toy “speak” a message.
Channels other than 0 can be only listened by other scripts. Use this to communicate the script with other objects. If both scripts are inside the same object, a link message is recommended, link messages travel inside the objects to all prims, produce less lag, and result in a more faster and reliable communication between scripts.

Listen

Listen makes it possible to control the script from other scripts or from user chat messages.
For chat messages, it’s not recommended to use channel 0 as the script will have to process all messages said by avatars. It’s a good scripting recommendation to limit such listening to hidden channels.
If you wish you script to just listen to other scripts, it’s also recommended to use negative channels as such messages can’t be made by avatars.
Link messages can be used from other scripts to activate or deactivate the script when needed from inside the script. Its highly recommended to use Link Messages when both scripts reside inside the same object.

Test Mode

Stores all changes and goes to a test toy mode with all functions of the final version of the script. It will work as a toy for test purposes only but can´t be transferred to other avatars on this state.
Use this state to test the script power, user and script interactions, etc.
Write  on the chat "/50 end test" to return to the previous edit menu and make any changes.

Publish

Ends the edition of the script and packs everything for finishing the toy. Pay the object the asked amount to finish the process to turn the object in a copy / transferable version of the toy for you to sell.
Once this is done no edition on the script is possible.
Please remember to change the permissions on the object and the scripts so you don´t distribute it as copy / transfer.

Known Limitations

Toys only affect babies around a 10m radius of the toy. This shouldn't be an issue on most cases.
Toys just use one sound for touch, activation or deactivation. If you wish to use more or make it random you need to script this separately.
Touch activation works for the whole object if the script its placed on the root prim, or for just that prim if placed somewhere else.

Toyscript will delete itself if the owner and the creator of the object doesn´t match. You won´t be able to use this script on a full perm object that isn´t your creation but you can work around this limitation if you add a new root prim to such a build.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Upgrade from Lite to 3.0

I made a small update to the recovery stations. Now you can upgrade at any point from the Lite version to the 2.x or 3.x version of the baby by paying the necessary amount.

This upgrade option is affected by promotions, etc.


Thursday, March 6, 2014

3.02 Update - sorting issue

This Update hopefully fixes the sorting problem on the mesh baby that caused the eyes to be seen over the eyelids.

IMPORTANT


If you need to update more than one baby, you need 1 disc per baby and do it one at a time. Don´t try to update more than one at the same time. This time anyone can make the update and the family list won´t be lost.

After making the update, rez your baby again for him to load the personality.

Don´t try to update unborn babies or they will be lost or update from other version other than a 3.x baby.

If you feel uncomfortable with this update progress you will be able to get the latest patched version from any recovery station.