2013 HELP: Lag, what you can do about it

 Lag, what you can do about it 
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Preferences-graphics 

for Viewer 3.x

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Anything familiar here?

• Grey people
• Moving is slow
• Crash on sim crossing
• Avatar is a cloud or strange-looking
• Crash on Teleport
• FPS low, too low for videos

That's lag

These solutions  apply to standard viewer 3.4 and following.  Details may differ for other viewers.
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Fixes
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Easy fixes 

• Preferences-Graphics window above 
• Me (top left)-Preferences-Graphics tab
• Lower your graphics settings (Quality -- Speed)
• OR
• Lower the draw distance
• Lower max # of non-imposter avatars
• Uncheck lighting and shadows
• Turn off anistropic and disable antialiasing 
• ( click Advanced and Hardware to set detailed controls)
• Preferences: Graphics Tab. Quality Versus Lag

Less easy fixes

• Use a basic avatar
• V3.2 Avatar button (M and F figures)--select
• Troubleshooting avatar appearance (Knowledge Base) 
• Avoid crowded sims
• The SL map:  more than 50 green dots = sim lag 
• V3.2 Map button (folded paper)
• On Windows, defrag your hard disk frequently
• Don't move to different sims more than you have to

Harder fixes

• Your viewer (client): be sure it is up-to-date
• Your graphics drivers: be sure they are up to date
• Close other programs you have running.

Specific problems

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Grey people: change your active group 
(you can change back if it works)

• I see grey people, walking. Texture lag 

Avatar is a cloud or strange-looking 

• Avatar Not Loading / An Easy Fix / Revisited 

Connection problems

• Login fails? Lots of logouts? Summary  

Crash on sim crossing,  slow rez after teleport  

• Reduce draw distance
• Minimize number of non-impostor avatars
• Reduce avatar draw weight (see section below)

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How to manage avatar draw weight
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Check draw weight

• Advanced menu 
• performance tools
• Show draw weight for avatars (click to change)

You may need these instructions to get the advanced menu

• Me
• Preferences
• Advanced Tab

Weight will show above the head.  Colors evaluate level.

• Green= good
• Yellow=caution
• Red= Potential trouble

How to reduce draw weight  

• Use a standard outfit.  V3.2 Avatar button (M and F figures)--select
• Avoid attachments.
• Avoid attachments that do something.
• Avoid huds 

Health check

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Check your bandwidth 

• Google on bandwidth, pick a site near you
• Make a few tests at times that matter to you
• Complain to your service provider if you are not getting what you pay for
• Check your bandwidth setting in Preferences 
• Don't use a setting over 1900 mbs.  It may trigger bugs
• Be sure you have at least twice this bandwidth from your IPS
• Don't trust claims by your ISP.  
• Google on Bandwidth and use a nearby site to check

Statistics panel

(ctrl-shift-1)

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Connection problems: Packet loss (above 0)
Wi-Fi, low bandwidth (don't trust your ISP claims)
Check your bandwidth, call your ISP
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Sim problems: Low sim FPS (below about 10)
Get sim restart, try another sim for the present
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How to improve viewer performance (Linden page)

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• What do we do in Virtual Worlds? 
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• Google search this blog, column on right
• or put site:virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com at the end of the search terms
• What is Second Life?
• Annotated screen shots made with Jing
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• Drop by my place in Second life
• Location Link. Click to go or drag to the viewer screen:
• http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cookie/136/100/22
• Feel free to send me an IM, notecard, or friend request.
• Thinkerer Melville/Selby Evans