Annoying photo problem - help please?

[jennilini]

Okay, so I have never posted on these forums before, because I've always been able to find the answers to most of my problems with a google search. But now I'm stuck. I have no idea if I'm posting in the right category, but feel free to move my post if you want. Anyway, here's the problem: I just downloaded the newest firestorm viewer, and I am finally able to enable shadows in my viewer. I always thought my graphics card was too crappy to run shadows - but that could not have been the problem, because now I can suddenly use all the things I could never use in the old viewer: depth of field, shadows, you name it. And it has worked out fine for days now, UNTIL.... This:

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8255/8681962180_6a4db83e45_z.jpg

 

.... ?! I'm just one big question mark right now, I have never experienced anything like this. It happens in every snapshot I take, even when I turn down the resolution and everything. I have no idea why it's suddenly happening, it didn't happen yesterday. I've been getting really into photography in SL lately, but my viewer sure likes to make things difficult for me. :( In addition to everything going super slow on ultra settings (which I can handle), now I have to put up with this too. Is there anyone with more knowledge about this that might be able to tell me what is going on here? 

[Jackson Redstar]

i havent yet tried the new FS for photos, however, you can try this viewer see how it is 

http://niranv-sl.blogspot.com/

[Coby Foden]

---

jennilini wrote:

Anyway, here's the problem: I just downloaded the newest firestorm viewer, and I am finally able to enable shadows in my viewer. I always thought my graphics card was too crappy to run shadows - but that could not have been the problem, because now I can suddenly use all the things I could never use in the old viewer: depth of field, shadows, you name it. And it has worked out fine for days now, UNTIL.... This:

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8255/8681962180_6a4db83e45_z.jpg

 

---

I've been taking snapshots with the latest Firestorm viewer [Firestorm 4.4.0 (33720)] and for me everything seem to work all right.

Did you do clean Clean re-install?  It always helps in resolving mysterious viewer behaviour.

 

 

If even after clean re-install the problem still exists then it's good to try other viewers like Jackson suggested.  Make sure that you try those viewers which already have the new server side appearance (aka server side baking) code in them (like the latest Firestorm already has).

 

[Rolig Loon]

That is weird, to say the least.  Other than the really good possibility that you didn't do a clean installation of the new FS viewer, I wonder if it could be your bridge?  Sometimes people see the bridge as a rock that's attached to the stomach.  Perhaps with SSB it's appearing on your forehead instead. OK ..... It sounds hokey, but try clicking Avatar >>> Avatar Health >>> Recreate LSL Bridge and see if it does anything.

[jennilini]

Thanks for trying to help, guys, I really appreciate it. I managed to get a few shots without the problem occuring, but it seems pretty random - sometimes it works, most times it doesn't. Now I'm getting this new, funky problem:

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8124/8682342826_d57291889d_z.jpg

 

It looks pretty cool, right? Maybe I can use it as a concept for my new blog? But no, seriously: I tried the bridge thing, that didn't work. I'll try the cleaning thing now, I just hope I don't need to change my viewer. I'm generally very happy with firestorm, until now.

 

- Oh, by the way. I don't know if this is relevant, but this happens AFTER I have saved the picture to my computer. There is no way to actually see whether the problem occurs in the viewer itself, I need to save it first to know. Which makes it even more frustrating.

[Rolig Loon]

When was the last time you updated your graphics card drivers?

On Windows:

• ATI/AMD drivers
• NVIDIA drivers
• Intel drivers

Apple integrates hardware and software more closely than Windows. Problems are less likely, but there are fewer revisions and workarounds (provided through Software Update).

The following procedure, called a clean install, will often fix problems related to graphics cards and drivers:

1. Download the latest graphics driver from the chipset manufacturer (ATI, Nvidia, or Intel), not the maker of your graphics card or computer. Save the file where you can easily find it, but do not install it yet.
2. Run Windows Update and make sure your system is fully patched.
3. Reboot your computer and enter Safe Mode by pressing F8 at the Windows logo screen.
4. Uninstall your old video driver. On Windows XP use Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager (steps will be different on other operating systems). Then open Display Adapters, right-click and choose Uninstall.
5. Reboot your computer.
6. If Windows displays a message that it found new hardware, do not let it automatically install drivers. Instead, run the installation program that you downloaded in step 1.
7. Reboot your computer

See more at http://community.secondlife.com/t5/English-Knowledge-Base/Graphics-cards/ta-p/700073

[jennilini]

Oh, I should probably have included that info. I'm on a macbook pro, with a built-in Intel graphics 4000 card. I'm really not a computer whiz at all, and since my first language isn't English I find it very exhausting to read long and complicated articles on the matter. I did, however, manage to find out that my graphics card needed to support something called OpenGL 3.0 (whatever that is), and my conclusion was that my card didn't support this, because I wasn't able to check the lighting&shadows box under preferences. But then, after updating firestorm to the newest version, I was suddenly able to do this, and a whole new world opened up to me! But now this happens, so I guess my graphics card cannot perform these kind of tasks afterall? I'm confused, because the tutorial you linked me to mentions mac, but goes on to explain about windows.

 

--Edit: If you guys think it's likely that the problem lies in my graphic card, then atleast I know where to go from now. I'll try to read up on this on apple's web pages, and see what I can find out. Again, thanks for the help! 

[moniq Salamander]

I don't know about your first photo issue (I can't see the snapshot), but for the second one... I have experienced it myself a while ago. Unfortunately, it's very likely that your graphics card can't handle ultra graphics and shadows, although the viewer allows you to enable it.

I managed to fix it by updating the drivers and changing the graphics card settings in the PC (I had a high-end, but old Nvidia). It worked for a while, then it started restarting my PC out of the blue and, on the first day of 2013, it died completely.

So my suggestion is to be up to date with the drivers all the time and don't force your card with ultra and shadows unless you really must.  Intel 4000 is a decent graphics card for nornal use, but SL has a bad habit of being more demanding, graphics wise, than most games.

 

[jennilini]

Thanks for your reply, moniq. I've done some research and discovered that there is no way to change/improve your graphic card when using a mac, so I'll just have to live with the fact that I can't take great photos anymore. It makes me sad because I was really enjoying it. I photograph a lot IRL and would love to do the same in SL. But oh well... it was fun as long as it lasted

[Urzul]

I don't rely understand but mabie if the snapshot is .tga Flick wont read it mabie