Client Preferences

• Graphics, text chat & communication settings:

  • Custom graphics resolutions and quality settings are found under: Edit-->Preferences-->Graphics.
  • Custom Text Chat settings enable settings such as timestamps, movement while chatting, etc. See: Edit-->Preferences-->Text Chat
  • Custom communication settings allow for setting IM (instant messaging) choices & logging IM conversations. An avatar's "Online Status" is also set here. See: Edit-->Preferences-->Communication

• Manage Bandwidth

  • Second Life requires a moderate amount of bandwidth to work smoothly. By default, the SL client is set to allow a maximum of 500 kbps bandwidth to be used by the client.
  • This setting can be adjusted if networking bandwidth is limited.

• Clear & manage disk cache:

  • Inventory performance and searching may be improved by clearing the client cache. This option is found under Edit-->Preferences--> Network.

• A/V settings: media streaming, detailed sound volume adjustment:

  • Attention to A/V settings (found under Edit-->Preferences-->Audio & Video) is essential to correctly viewing streaming audio or video.
  • Volume settings for audio can be set granularly to raise or lower ambient background audio vs. voice chat, etc.

Dealing with Performance Lag

• Ctrl-Alt-D for Advanced Menu: Consoles, alternate SL views, debugging, session logging:

  • The Advanced Menu in SL offers several admin-oriented options such as debugging consoles & message logging.
  • One of the most useful features is the ability to enable "debug permissions". Debug permissions are essential to understanding how objects are assigned permissions.

• Speeding up Second Life graphics:

  • If SL performance begins to degrade, the SL graphics can be streamlined to use fewer resources. 

• Help: Lag meter: Network lag & performance:

  • Contrary to the "Statistics" view, this Lag meter is optimized to show a simple "dashboard" view of network & graphics performance.
  • It is highly recommended that users turn on this view under Help--> Lag Meter if they begin to experience sluggish behavior.

Advanced Views in the View Menu

• Networking & Performance Statistics

  • Speed and responsiveness in Second Life is determined by a number of factors ranging from client machine issues to network connectivity to region performance.

  • Detailed information about connection speed & local resources can be found in the statistics bar by selecting “View” then “Statistics Bar” from the SL client menu.

• Property lines:

  • Enabling property lines (red for main property boundaries, teal for sub-parcels) makes it easier to manage parcel encroachment--both for non-SEU residents as well as SEU group members
  • Rezzing or building objects on someone else's land should only happen with their permission, as doing so will reduce their available prims.

• Land ownership:

  • Viewing land ownership will highlight SEU land areas in teal and highlight other land areas as red.

• Working with HUDs:

  • HUDs is short for Heads-Up-Display. HUD's can be used to help manage presentations, customized avatar gestures, or animations. Turning on HUD attachments will enable use of these tools. HUDs can take up memory space and require processing resources, and should be used judiciously.

• Camera techniques: zoom, mouselook, resetting view:

  • On-screen movement and camera controls are available from the view menu.
  • The link provided contains a video that describes several useful camera controls in a video on "Navigating small spaces" in SL.