IMVULite [Updated 04-18-2024]

DataMine
by DataMine · 1520 posts
13 years ago in IMVU Lounge
Posted 1 week ago · Author
@Anemone


Anemone wrote:
1. Blanked out badges:

This seems to be an issue with IMVU itself, nothing specific to IMVULite. If I had to guess, the requests made to IMVU's server to get the images is failing for one reason or another. If it's an issue on their server, there's nothing I can do about it, but I'll look into it anyway to see if there's anything I can do.

Anemone wrote:
Oddly wide spaces between elements, making everything look stretched and zoomed out

Hmm, Everything looks normal to me, maybe I'm just used to how the client looks.

Anemone wrote:
3. the settings within the app itself only affect the client's popup menus

Yeah, I see what you mean. Honestly though, I'm not sure if that's normal or not. I've never used the scaling setting so I'm not sure what it's indented functionality is.

Anemone wrote:
What are your plans or backup plans if the client is no longer available on IMVU? Would Lite still function the same way?

When they discontinue the classic client, we'll start hacking the beta client. Due to the nature of the beta client, it probably won't have the same features as IMVULite, since it's basically just a wrapper around the Next webpage.
Posted 1 week ago
@DataMine


I've noticed badges pretty frequently have issues loading these days. Though I won't discount the possibility of it just being my internet disagreeing with their servers. I sincerely hope discontinuing the classic client is a "if" rather than a "when" though. Well, unless they get it together and release an entirely new client, perhaps 64bit. I don't know if they make enough money to do that though; AP+ almost feels like a last-ditch effort of scraping money together to me. I'd love to be wrong and see it be the turning point and a revival.
Posted 1 week ago · Author
@Auspicious K

Yeah, badges don't load for me either, it's a widespread issue. That and the fact that the badges are rendering their alt text leads me to believe it's an issue with their server.

Trust me, it's a matter of when they discontinue it, not if. As a program maintainer and someone who's spent a lot of time in the client's code, I can't blame them. Maintaining all that legacy code is a huge headache. As much as I dislike it, I completely understand why they chose to go the Electron route for their desktop versions. It's so much easier to build and maintain a webpage and then just wrap it in a window that works on all operating systems than it is to maintain a website, a mobile app and a desktop client for 3 operating systems. Especially when you're hemorrhaging money and need to keep the investors happy every quarter.

That is one reason why I've chosen to make our website responsive for mobile rather than building a dedicated app. The other reason being that it's just unnecessary.

AP+ is definitely an attempt as generating revenue, and I'm not surprised they've chosen the subscription route. What I'm wondering about is how this will affect their ability to accept payments with PayPal and sell their gift cards in big box retailers like Walmart. Since the main reason they've been against adult content is because PayPal doesn't allow adult sites to use it's service and big box stores won't stock adult content.
Posted 1 week ago
@DataMine


Nooo. I had a hunch it'd be the case though, if nothing else due to their wording and actions regarding the Beta Client and AP+. I only hope they significantly improve the client if the Beta is the only option. I only really have two issues with it: 1. It looks like shit. Graphically it is genuinely awful and I have no idea why they cannot make it a fully-fledged app to at least be on-par with the classic client. Antialiasing being the biggest shortfall, but one I don't think even Nvidia (or AMD) tweaks would fix. 2. The actual layout and UI is just terrible to me. It's a chore to navigate and an unorganized mess compared with the Classic client, from what I remember. It's been about 2 years since I touched it.

I'm also wondering how things will pan out with AP+ in regards to where they're allowed. It's a big risk for them and it's why I'm not entirely giving up hope they'll see an ounce of sense and not price it to oblivion. I just can't see them being that dumb that they'd shoot their own foot on a whim and not have some kind of security or plan B if it doesn't pan out. Or maybe it is a last ditch effort and if it doesn't work, they'll sell the property off to someone else - or dismantle it. I wouldn't mind if Linden took it over; can't be any worse.
Posted 1 week ago · Author
@Auspicious K


I haven't used the beta client in a long time either so I have no idea what it's like now, but if it's still an Electron app wrapping the Next website, then yeah, I can see why you aren't a fan of it. I like that you know about the GPU tweaks, I use them with the classic client to make everything smooth. It's so much better than vanilla settings. They should work with beta though, I don't see why they wouldn't.

I too would like to see them update the client, no only because the programmer in me likes seeing code get cleaned up and improved but also as a user, it would be nice to see some of the features from next like node previews and dynamic shadows.

Idk, IMVU has done some pretty stupid things over the years so I can totally see them shooting themselves in the foot. Idk if I'd like to see Linden take over though, I like the simplicity of IMVU, SL is too clunky and bloated in my opinion. I still have a hard time figuring out how to put on an outfit even with a friend who spends a lot of time on there walking me through it. The whole interface is awful (even with a custom client) and its a complete paint in the ass to find products that work together. In my opinion IMVU's shop and dressup system are miles ahead of SL.
Posted 1 week ago
@DataMine


1. Understandable


3. It does the same on classic client so that's my fault or in this case their fault, I had to download classic and check it out myself, the issues lay with imvu themselves, I got used to how it looked until I logged in just yesterday and felt like I needed to either get a monitor to hook to my laptop or use an actual magnifying glass. ( not exactly anyone's problem)

figured i'd try either way versus trying to do 100 things to fix something out of my capability
Posted 1 week ago · Author
@Walloped


Walloped wrote:
It does the same on classic client so that's my fault or in this case their fault, I had to download classic and check it out myself, the issues lay with imvu themselves, I got used to how it looked until I logged in just yesterday and felt like I needed to either get a monitor to hook to my laptop or use an actual magnifying glass.


Have you tried changing your Window's scaling setting? That should make all applications look bigger. Not exactly ideal if every other program is fine though. Btw, what resolution if your laptop using if you don't mind me asking?
Posted 1 week ago
@DataMine


Yeah, I get the impression not much has changed. It seems to backwards to me, to have dynamic lighting and other, nice graphical improvements for the Beta/Next ..but not make the steps for antialiasing and having it not look like ass. I mean besides the coding ease you mentioned. To me the writing is on the wall, develop a new client that uses the same framework as Next, but as a full, standalone executable and 64 bit. I know that's way easier said than done, but I figure if SL can have multiple viewers, there shouldn't be much reason a million dollar company cannot develop a newer client that isn't just a web or mobile port.

Of course though! I've always wondered if ReShade would also work with IMVU. I have seen users on Reddit using it, so it must in some capacity ..but frankly it looked terrible. I sense that's just user error and lack of taste, though. Maybe there's even a decent preset already out there. Personally? I'm not a massive fan of ReShade. I don't like the extra load it produces, or the level of tweaking it entails. But it is at least a one-and-done deal once you set things how you like. I've always thought the vanilla Classic client looks decent for what it is, but I'm even happier with the GPU tweaks and prefer things looking 'as-is'. Particularly when other people are going to be seeing the same things, I'd rather see everything through the same lens, not the "Michael Bay goes to Mexico" one. I forget my exact GPU settings, but it's such a nice quality of life change, especially when it comes to AA. I have recently noticed some seams and minor artifacting from certain angles, but I don't think that's as a result. I never noticed it before, so I assume it's product-related.

I completely agree with SL though, it's why I've never fully switched over and in general have neglected it. I use Firestorm and want to try Black Dragon at some point, but it's just a chore to navigate and equally as much of a chore to shop. Things would be so much easier if you could shop by mesh/derivable like you can with VU, but alas I don't think you can and searching/keywords are pretty unreliable. Results in an eternity of literal in-world shopping to hopefully find what you want and leaving landmarks respectively. It can be fun, but it's annoying if you just want to make x or y outfit. ...and a nightmare for me, considering I more or less want to replicate my IMVU avi's and the OC's that have spawned from them respectively. That said, I'd be happy to help with SL clothing and stuff if I can at any point, feel free to ask. Not a veteran or expert by any means, but I managed to get past that hurdle of nothing working together and things have been fine since. Though I forget stuff and end up feeling rusty with how long I spend away from SL lol. If I could give a single tip? Get into the habit of clicking "Add", not "Wear". The latter overwrites and leads to a bunch of issues with the modern mesh stuff.

I should clarify though, I'm not suggesting VU get a UI like SL, or freedom of movement. I purely mean Linden running the show from a company, business and ownership point of view. I haven't been around SL enough to really gauge how good or bad they are, but my general impression is they're pretty fair and amicable and a pretty decent company.
Posted 1 week ago
@DataMine


my computer's setting do not affect the app at all. it is what it is.
no matter what resolution i switch to. it simply does not affect imvulite or imvu at all.
Posted 1 week ago · Author
@HalfBaked


If you can provide me a little more detail on exactly what you'd like to see, I may be able to make changes to the client for you. Increasing the font size is fairly easy.

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