ibMapper/SecondLifeServers.com[]
ibMapper is a suite of data gathering and display tools started by Ice Brodie for the sake of tracking current status of the Second Life Agni servers and the environment inside SL (mainly heightmap/owner map and sim stats tracking). The project is still under early development.
In 2004, during version 1.3.8 (date needed from Chage -- Ice) a few events took place: Ice Brodie had begun playing with LSL for the sake of gathering basic sim position data. At the same time, SecondServer.net's mapping effort was underway. During this mapping effort, Chage McCoy gave Ice Brodie his version of the mapping script. Ice took the script and modified it heavily from it's original creation, working to optimize the script and improve efficiency.
After a month of discussion between Adam Zaius and Ice about the SecondServer.net's protocol, Ice began re-tooling her own equipment and working on a backend interface to supplement or replace SecondServer.net's mapping protocol.
Version 1: Known as SL Data, this version was a crude mapping system that just waited for the 255x255 coordinate to consider a sim 'done' and generate a PNG; also, Ice Brodie's first forray into PHP programming for the backend. In-world scripts for this system where multi- or single-threaded--the latter taking 8 hours and staying mostly constant through later versions.
Version 2: A revamp of the system whose evolution was short lived as it was thrown out for newer functions in 1.4 and beyond. This version also started use of the 'Thermal Heightmap' which remained through subsequent versions until the mapping tool that fed that was retired in May of 2006
Version 3: One of the first versions to contain viable code, this system included an increase in front and backend tools, had included an IRC bot which was written entirely in PHP by Ice Brodie and a friend who was not in SL at the time. This version also is notable in that it was the first use of the system name of ibMapper or, literally, Ice Brodie's Mapper. There was an unfinished plan to begin deploying automated drones though it did not materialize in anything more than concepts in this or subsequent versions.
This version first saw external services, such as an IRC bot.
Version 4: Added LindeX and evolved some of the current storage concepts of height flatfiles (the prior databases were gigabytes too large)
The IRC bot was revamped slightly to handle more functions and dynamically edited functions.
The avatar based data tools switched from inworld to a HUD gradually from when HUDs where first introduced over June-August and the HUD first gathered it's data in early August.
Version 5: Current development version; this version will include some more standardized components and a system that will make upgrades to components component-specific. This version will also make extensive use of llHTTPRequest for data transmission.
August 2006: Mapping displays are implimented once again. here
This resultant protocol had evolved quickly but still has a problem staying usable. Ice Brodie... in a touch of irony, brought Chage McCoy on as a coder for her system as she began planning version 5 on June 5th, 2006.