how do I upload a picture to my inventory

[Griffin Ceawlin]

Images

You can upload TGA, PNG, BMP, or JPG files with at least 24-bit color, for quality and compatibility.  Files at lower bit depths may fail to upload.  PNG (24-bit) and TGA (32-bit) files allow the use of transparent effects (for example, in a stained glass window) via an alpha channel. Most modern image editors can convert between formats.

To upload an image:

1. Choose Build > Upload > Image (L$10).
2. Choose an image file.
3. Optionally choose a preview format.
4. Optionally enter a text description.
5. Click Upload (L$10).

Tip: When uploading, textures are scaled to the nearest "powers of 2" aspect ratio due to how the system handles textures. If you find this results in unwanted stretching/squishing, you may prefer to use your image editor's built-in resampling to optimize proportions prior to upload.

Supported image formats

Second Life supports TGA (32-bit supports alpha channel), PNG (24-bit supports alpha channel), and BMP. When you upload an image, the Viewer internally converts it to JPG2000 for optimized future transmission. For best quality, try to avoid uploading JPGs; their already-compressed quality degrades further because of the double conversion.

Texture sizes

Textures should be as small as possible — texture size is highly context-sensitive so it takes experienced artistic judgment. For example, if you're texture-mapping a tiny pebble, its detail can be negligible compared to a giant tree in the same scene. For general use, 512x512 is a fair balance.

The maximum resolution for an uploaded texture is 1024x1024 pixels; if you upload a bigger image, it is scaled down to 1024x1024 pixels. Even if you have a fast Internet connection and a top-end graphics card, your computer can only display a finite amount of texture data.

http://community.secondlife.com/t5/English-Knowledge-Base/Uploading-assets/ta-p/700165#Section_.2.2

[Griffin Ceawlin]

Images

You can upload TGA, PNG, BMP, or JPG files with at least 24-bit color, for quality and compatibility.  Files at lower bit depths may fail to upload.  PNG (24-bit) and TGA (32-bit) files allow the use of transparent effects (for example, in a stained glass window) via an alpha channel. Most modern image editors can convert between formats.

To upload an image:

1. Choose Build > Upload > Image (L$10).
2. Choose an image file.
3. Optionally choose a preview format.
4. Optionally enter a text description.
5. Click Upload (L$10).

Tip: When uploading, textures are scaled to the nearest "powers of 2" aspect ratio due to how the system handles textures. If you find this results in unwanted stretching/squishing, you may prefer to use your image editor's built-in resampling to optimize proportions prior to upload.

Supported image formats

Second Life supports TGA (32-bit supports alpha channel), PNG (24-bit supports alpha channel), and BMP. When you upload an image, the Viewer internally converts it to JPG2000 for optimized future transmission. For best quality, try to avoid uploading JPGs; their already-compressed quality degrades further because of the double conversion.

Texture sizes

Textures should be as small as possible — texture size is highly context-sensitive so it takes experienced artistic judgment. For example, if you're texture-mapping a tiny pebble, its detail can be negligible compared to a giant tree in the same scene. For general use, 512x512 is a fair balance.

The maximum resolution for an uploaded texture is 1024x1024 pixels; if you upload a bigger image, it is scaled down to 1024x1024 pixels. Even if you have a fast Internet connection and a top-end graphics card, your computer can only display a finite amount of texture data.

http://community.secondlife.com/t5/English-Knowledge-Base/Uploading-assets/ta-p/700165#Section_.2.2