Profile Pictures

[Lilith Sablatnig]

Sorry if this subject is covered elsewhere. Profile pictures. My account is as old as the moon, I've never felt the urge to spend time froofing with my images in Photoshop, for various reasons. I've always just used pictures straight out of SL which appear to be 4:3 ratio. Currently using firestorm and use the window sized option for my shots. Yesterday, someone decided to take it upon themselves to start reading me for not using Photoshop to edit my images. They were wibbling about you must crop to square then save as 4:3 format, or something, I gave up listening due to their rudeness.

What is the deal here? Am I literally the only person who doesn't edit their pics? Is there a legitimate reason I should be doing this?

[Ethan Paslong]

1 hour ago, Lilith Sablatnig said:

Am I literally the only person who doesn't edit their pics? Is there a legitimate reason I should be doing this?

no you aren't and if you don't feel like it... simply don't. Nobody has to tell you what you do with your pics.
They can advice you about it if it comes up in a talk.. just out of the blue is pretty rude.

[LittleMe Jewell]

1 hour ago, Lilith Sablatnig said:

Sorry if this subject is covered elsewhere. Profile pictures. My account is as old as the moon, I've never felt the urge to spend time froofing with my images in Photoshop, for various reasons. I've always just used pictures straight out of SL which appear to be 4:3 ratio. Currently using firestorm and use the window sized option for my shots. Yesterday, someone decided to take it upon themselves to start reading me for not using Photoshop to edit my images. They were wibbling about you must crop to square then save as 4:3 format, or something, I gave up listening due to their rudeness.

What is the deal here? Am I literally the only person who doesn't edit their pics? Is there a legitimate reason I should be doing this?

The old legacy profile picture, which is what you see by default in Firestorm, is 4:3 ratio, but the new web profile picture is square, so whichever way you go, it will probably look a bit off to people viewing the other format.

However, the part they said about 'cropping to square and then saving to 4:3 format' is reversed for the legacy profile pics.  Since LL uploads using the closest to 256/512/1024, the way to get the image to look the best in Firestorm (i.e. the 4x3 format) is to first crop the image to a 4:3 format in any picture editing software. Then save it into a square format - 256x256 or 512x512 or 1024x1024 - though it will look squished.  Upload the square image and when you put it into the legacy profile picture spot, it will stretch back out and look proper.  However, it may still look squished in the web profile square version.  

If you actually cut it square and upload that, it will look fine via the web view but look stretched via the legacy profile view.  Even if you saved the square cut in a 4:3 format, it will still look stretched.

 

 

[Lilith Sablatnig]

Thank you so much for this clear and concise information!

I am not certain if I have what is known as a legacy profile. I do know I have had this account for a long time.

If I understand you correctly, what you're saying is my image will look off ratio to some people depending on their viewer or if they are using the web to look at your profile? If that is indeed the case, I might carry on using my unedited images.

[Chic Aeon]

1 hour ago, Lilith Sablatnig said:

If I understand you correctly, what you're saying is my image will look off ratio to some people depending on their viewer or if they are using the web to look at your profile? If that is indeed the case, I might carry on using my unedited images.

Yes, that is correct. I make mine 800 x 600 and then resize to 512 x 512.   Here is the difference visually (I am REALLY a VISUAL gal :D)  The advantage of making your shots bigger is that folks can then click on your profile photo in the profile and see the original which is BIGGER.   More than 512 though is a bad idea because of loading times.

Just do what YOU want to do. Really!

Edited March 9, 2019 by Chic Aeon
adding info

[Lilith Sablatnig]

Ah, perhaps I could look at the settings for ratio in FS and reduce the pixels when I intend to shoot a profile pic. This is very helpful information. Thank you so much for clarification on this matter

[Chic Aeon]

1 minute ago, Lilith Sablatnig said:

Ah, perhaps I could look at the settings for ratio in FS and reduce the pixels when I intend to shoot a profile pic. This is very helpful information. Thank you so much for clarification on this matter

Even if you don't resize, the viewer will do that FOR you :D.  It USED to be that resizing and sharpening was the "best" way to make a profile picture, but lately it has been found (not by me) that the uploader does a better job than many graphic's programs. So doing a test both ways would likely be a good plan. 

[Lilith Sablatnig]

I'm currently uploading and have always via the web browser. I have the images saved on local and maybe I am doing something wrong, but I can't seem to do this any other way. My connection is adsl and slow as heck. When online, my profile pic seems to load just fine. Bit fluffy at first then clears, but it seems to be the way when I look at most ppl's profiles.

[Chic Aeon]

4 minutes ago, Lilith Sablatnig said:

I'm currently uploading and have always via the web browser. I have the images saved on local and maybe I am doing something wrong, but I can't seem to do this any other way. My connection is adsl and slow as heck. When online, my profile pic seems to load just fine. Bit fluffy at first then clears, but it seems to be the way when I look at most ppl's profiles.

"I" have always uploaded the texture inworld (costs 10 lindens) as I NEVER EVER visit my web profile (it may look like it as others post there but I am not a "Facebook" kinda gal).  THEN you drag it over to your open profile slot. 

You can ALSO  test the profile picture by using the "local" function (and make sure that you like it before paying). 

The blurry bit most likely comes from your Internet speed so not much you can do about that except maybe get a better connection if possible :D.

Here is what I see in Firestorm.  So in your case, the WEB photo will likely look as it should and the viewer profile is wider -- as mentioned no way to have both. You must choose :D.

 

[Lilith Sablatnig]

Think I'll save my linden for my many, many texture uploads that I seem to be doing of late and just stick with the web browser option of cheapness. At least now I know what that person was very clumsily trying to say. They didn't explain anything, you have very well. Many thanks again

[Fritigern Gothly]

Adding to the confusion, it's being said that LL will be overhauling the whole profile thing again, and (if I understood correctly) deprecate the web profiles.

Now, aside from that, and referring to your first post in this topic. just do you own flipping thing. Take your profile pics however you wish, use Photoshop/Gimp if you wish (or not), crop them if you wish, etc etc etc.
This is YOUR profile, YOUR account, YOUR Second life, and nobody has a right to tell you how you SHOULD take your pics unless you ask them for advice, but that's the only exception.

Edited March 9, 2019 by Fritigern Gothly

[LittleMe Jewell]

7 hours ago, Lilith Sablatnig said:

I am not certain if I have what is known as a legacy profile. I do know I have had this account for a long time

Everyone has a legacy profile and a web profile.  Firestorm, which you said you were using, defaults to the Legacy profile.  You would have to specifically click the option of "Use web profiles by default' on the "User Interface / Interface Windows" tab in order to see the web profiles for people - or go to "https://my.secondlife.com/avatar_name".

Edited March 10, 2019 by LittleMe Jewell

[Tiziana Corleone]

LL shrinks all profile pictures to 178x133 (4:3).  The easy way (using Gimp) is to scale any equilateral pic (512x512, etc) down to 133x133. Then, create a background layer 178x133 and color it to complement the pic.  Finally, paste the pic as a new layer, export as a .jpg, and upload to SL.  It takes just a couple of minutes with the free Gimp.  I've puzzled over this for years and read lengthy notes on how to do it and not sure why it took me this long to figure out an easy way.

Edited April 19, 2019 by Tiziana Corleone
added example image

[Ionlorder]

On 9/3/2019 at 11:28, Lilith Sablatnig said:

Lo siento si este tema está cubierto en otro lugar. Imágenes de perfil. Mi cuenta es tan antigua como la luna, nunca sentí la necesidad de perder tiempo con mis imágenes en Photoshop, por varias razones. Siempre he usado imágenes directamente de SL que parecen tener una relación de 4: 3. Actualmente estoy usando firestorm y usa la opción del tamaño de la ventana para mis disparos. Ayer, alguien decidió encargarse de leerme por no usar Photoshop para editar mis imágenes. Estaban temblando porque debes cortar para cuadrar y luego guardar en formato 4: 3, o algo así, dejé de escuchar debido a su rudeza.

¿Cuál es el trato aquí? ¿Soy literalmente la única persona que no edita sus fotos? ¿Hay una razón legítima por la que debería estar haciendo esto?

Hi.
I do not edit my photos either, however I'm starting to do it but ahh I'm too lazy jajaj.

I have a technician at Phootoshop and corel.

I like it when I can edit my photos without so much work (and in phootoshop it can be done quickly, but if you want to add effects or something innovative, the time is longer).

But I started uploading pictures of my avatar without any editing.

[Jackson Redstar]

I keep it simple. 4:3 cause i use FS and so do hoards of others. so what it's squish a bit in the 'official' aspect ratio!

Edited June 10, 2019 by Jackson Redstar

[Lilith Sablatnig]

Seems this post has been like catnip to in-world spammers. I do NOT want a photographer. Not even slightly, nope, thanks and nope again. Stop it!

[Dean Haystack]

On 3/9/2019 at 7:57 PM, Chic Aeon said:

More than 512 though is a bad idea because of loading times.

[Doris Johnsky]

Whoever was complaining about your profile pic was being FAR too picky.  A profile pic is a profile, not a work of art. I take profile pics for people and I retouch them, but just how I do it.