About Aperture Viewer - ApertureViewer/Aperture-Viewer GitHub Wiki

Aperture Viewer is more than just software; it's a commitment to artistic possibility within virtual worlds. This page outlines the core principles, values, and strategic direction guiding the project's development.

Our Ethos

Nothing Is Not Possible. We believe in relentlessly pushing the boundaries of visual creation within virtual worlds. We empower artists by removing limitations, fostering innovation, and providing the tools to realize any creative vision, no matter how ambitious.

This ethos is the fundamental spirit driving Aperture Viewer. It reflects our dedication to overcoming technical hurdles and enabling creators to achieve visuals previously thought unattainable.

Our Mission

To empower virtual photographers and videomakers by providing the most advanced, intuitive, and powerful open-source viewer, focused on delivering unparalleled visual fidelity, artistic control, and a streamlined creative workflow for Second Life and OpenSim.

Our day-to-day purpose is to serve the creative community by building and refining the best possible toolset for visual artistry in these platforms.

Our Vision

To be the indispensable, benchmark viewer for visual creators in virtual worlds, continuously redefining the standards of graphical excellence, performance, and artistic capability, making Aperture Viewer the premier platform where "Nothing Is Not Possible."

We aspire for Aperture Viewer to become the definitive standard, the go-to platform recognized for its leadership in visual quality and creative empowerment.

Our Community Values & Guiding Spirit

Beyond the technical goals and strategic plans, Aperture Viewer is rooted in a deep belief in the power of community, kindness, and shared growth.

We believe in leading with an open ear and a genuine desire to be gentle and understanding. We recognize that for many, life's journey can be challenging, sometimes lonely, and even painful. This project finds its home in virtual worlds like Second Life – platforms that, at their best, offer a space for hope, warmth, connection, and positivity shared between us all.

Through Aperture Viewer, our interactions on GitHub, and within our Discord community, we strive to embody these values. We aim to be kind, to teach what we know, to learn from others, and to grow together.

So, whether you choose to use our work or simply observe from afar, please know that we are trying, in our own way, to contribute positively to this shared virtual experience. We invite you to join us in fostering this spirit.

Development Goals

Our development efforts are focused on achieving the following key goals:

  1. Pioneer Visual Fidelity: Continuously research, implement, and refine cutting-edge rendering techniques (lighting, shadows, shaders, post-processing) to achieve the highest possible visual quality.
  2. Advance the Phototools Suite: Expand and enhance the integrated Aperture Phototools Suite (APS) to be the most comprehensive and intuitive control center for environment, lighting, camera, and rendering adjustments.
  3. Optimize User Experience (UX): Refine the user interface for professionalism, intuitiveness, and efficiency, focusing on clean design, sensible defaults, customization (themes), and minimizing distractions for creative workflows.
  4. Maximize Performance: Improve viewer startup speed, rendering efficiency, and resource management to ensure a smooth experience even with advanced features enabled.
  5. Enhance User Control & Freedom: Identify and remove unnecessary limitations, providing users with maximum control over viewer settings and creative parameters.
  6. Ensure Stability & Quality: Maintain a robust and reliable viewer experience, rigorously testing new features and ensuring compatibility with Second Life and OpenSim standards.
  7. Foster Community & Documentation: Engage with the creator community, actively solicit feedback, and maintain clear, comprehensive, and up-to-date documentation via the Wiki.

Strategic Plan

We pursue our mission and goals through the following strategic approach:

  1. Iterative & Focused Development: Employ an agile approach, focusing development efforts on features that directly support the core Mission and Goals, delivering incremental improvements and features regularly.
  2. User-Centric Feedback Loop: Actively engage with the target audience (photographers, videomakers) through GitHub Issues, discussions, and direct feedback to guide priorities and refine features.
  3. Leverage & Extend Foundation: Build upon the stable Firestorm codebase foundation while strategically diverging to implement unique Aperture innovations and optimizations.
  4. Prioritize Visual Innovation: Dedicate significant resources to researching and implementing novel rendering features and controls that offer tangible benefits to visual creators.
  5. Commitment to Open Source: Maintain transparency through open-source code, encourage community contributions, and adhere to open-source best practices.
  6. Documentation Excellence: Continuously update and expand the Aperture Viewer Wiki to serve as a comprehensive resource for users and contributors.

Aperture Viewer is driven by these principles to provide the ultimate tool for visual creators in Second Life and OpenSim, always striving to embody a spirit of kindness and shared positive experience.