Lines on face

[Midnightisgone]

So I'm aware this is a common issue most people have, but no matter what I do, no matter what shape I buy I have these lines going down my cheeks under my nose and they make me look ugly a. Now, I read people having this issue since 2011, but its 2014 now and I was wondering if there is any fix to it.

 

This is getting to annoying and I want a good looking face. 

[Syo Emerald]

Uhm...can you post a picture of what it looks like?

Because all I can suggest right now would be to get familiar with windlight settings instead of using the standart lighting most sims are set too. This will at least for you eleminate any short-commings of the standartavatar shape.

And then, there is in addition the option to make a very smooth tiny facelight that prevents shadows (don't forget, a facelight should never light up any area or person around you). Lindal Kidd made a good blog post about that: http://acrossthegridwithlindal.blogspot.de/2011/06/facelights-arrgh-or-ahhh.html

[ObviousAltIsObvious]

if your system can handle it, switch on ambient occlusion (SSAO) in your viewer's graphics settings. the default SL body has some sharp angles in a few areas, and in some lighting it can be really hard to ignore. SSAO won't make it perfect, but it softens the edges dramatically.

some people like to use custom environment (aka WindLight) settings to hide the lines, but most of the settings that can do this have the side effect of washing out everything else.

beyond those, you would have to look into a replacement head.

 

[Ohjiro Watanabe]

Yes, a picture would be good, and also

What are your graphics set to in preferences? Low Med High etc

What is your graphics card.

Are you using a default skin or did you buy one?

Makeup can also help; try Glamorize lots of options at good prices.

[Chic Aeon]

Also WINDLIGHT settings make a HUGE difference. If you are using a third party viewer you have a huge range of settings (some very arty but others suitable for daily use).

If your system can't handle the higher graphics settings and if you are using the Linden viewer (you CAN adjust the Windlight settings in that viewer but the premade ones are very limited) you will probably just need to live with it.

 

Know that OTHERS may be seeing you in a much nicer light.

[Midnightisgone]

I tried the face light and it looks so much better the lines are gone!

[Midnightisgone]

By the way if anyone is reading and has the same issue this is what the face light does : 

 

Before  

[Syo Emerald]

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Midnightisgone wrote:

By the way if anyone is reading and has the same issue this is what the face light does : 

 

Before  

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But please, do not make it too bright and use it together with adapting the windlight setting. Nobody likes a walking flashlight.

[Coby Foden]

Be aware also that many people have attached lights disabled in their viewer. So they will not see the effect of your facelight at all. Personally I feel that there is no need for facelights. They look ridiculous at night, they look ridiculous during day time when one has shadows enabled.

There are lots Windlight settings which render avatar's face nicely. Use those instead of facelight if you want to see your avatar's face looking nice to you. Then your non-existent facelight will not annoy anybody. Which is great.

Look, no facelight here:

Advanced Lighting Model: on; Ambient occlusion: on; Shadows: on.
(I forgot what Windlight setting that place used.)

[Syo Emerald]

I found it to be difficult to find a windlight setting that simulates evening or night without a return of strange shadows on my face. Thats why I made myself a very soft, tiny facelight to enjoy night settings.

[Theda Wytchwood]

Windlight is mostly definatly the way to go here. when you dont use it you will notice all sorts of things that are not flattering at all. Never use face lamps  ( or facelights whatever you prefer to call them). They havent been used sense before windlight became the normal thing in SL. For everyday regular lighting i recomend downloading the lighting from JuicyBomb, and from strawberrysingh ( this one will explain where to put them).

[BijouxLux]

It's not an issue that's been going on since 2011; it's an issue that's been going on forever. The SL avatar has issues, and they are exacerbated by the SL default lighting, which is terrible. 

You don't need a facelight, you need better environment settings: World > Environment Editor > Fixed Sky and choose one from the drop-down. There's a ton of dramatic stuff in there but you want one that doesn't have harsh directional light, because that's what causes the creases to be so heavily shadowed. Nam's Optimal Skin and Prim is a good default to begin with. 

[Midnightisgone]

So I decided to stop being lazy and looked up Windlight, I found a perfect one that doesn't make my face look like a flash light.  

[VioletCities]

It appears that in that picture you're facing away from the direction sunlight is coming from. I mean, it looks like your face is shrouded in shadow because you see a bit of sunlight on your shoulder. If that light that's on your shoulder was on your face we might see something differently than that smooth skin.

 

Sometimes I use the regional light settings and turn my avatar facing the opposite direction of the sun so that the light doesn't highlight the cheek lines on my face. It's a shame to have to do that to avoid harsh light revealing the messed up nature of the default avatar model's face, but it is what it is. And windlights work great for yourself, but it doesn't change a ugly face for everybody else to see. And it doesn't matter how a person makes their face with the sliders or the skin they choose, if those lines are revealed, it becomes ugly. Until SL revamps the default model's face we're stuck with trying to spread the word about windlights that cover up this disgusting flaw.

[Coby Foden]

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VioletCities wrote:

It appears that in that picture you're facing away from the direction sunlight is coming from. I mean, it looks like your face is shrouded in shadow because you see a bit of sunlight on your shoulder. If that light that's on your shoulder was on your face we might see something differently than that smooth skin.

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Yes, your observation is correct. The face is in shadow; I had shadows on. It's true also that sunlight hitting the face makes the lines on the sides of the nose very apparent. Turning the face away from the sun makes the face better looking almost in any Windlight setting.

Anyway, even in real life the light is not always the most flattering to the human face. Lighting varies in RL and so it does also in SL. I like the varying lighting conditions more than something frozen "perfect" lighting. Varying conditions add liveliness and variation to the environment. Therefore I really don't mind if the avatar faces do not look the best at all times.

Taking snapshots is a different thing, then I often choose some nice lighting suitable for the purpose.

[VioletCities]

What about indoors? It makes no sense for the sun to be shining upon you in a certain direction while indoors. That's not very realistic.

[Coby Foden]

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VioletCities wrote:

What about indoors? It makes no sense for the sun to be shining upon you in a certain direction while indoors. That's not very realistic.

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Keeping shadows on solves this.

When the shadows are on then naturally the sunlight does not shine through any objects.