Any viewer graphics preference surveys?

[Imaze Rhiano]

Is there any viewer graphics preference surveys available?

I am wondering percentage of users that has enabled things like atmospheric shaders, advanced lighting model... etc.

[ChinRey]

No reliable data. I once heard that 40% of the users had ALM switched on but that turned out to be just an educated (presumably) guess.

I'm not sure if Linden Lab even had a way of knowing until recently. They do now but that doesn't mean they're going to check or publish the data.

However, ALM is active for people who have switched it on manually, for people using Firestorm or a Firestorm based viewer with graphics set to High+ or Ultra and for people on other viewers with graphics set to Mid+, High, High+ or Ultra. With that in mind, I suspect the actual number is quite a lot lower - maybe as low as 10-20%.

Then again, many users may well switch it on and off depending on the situation and that makes it even harder to come up with reliable stats of course.

[Amethyst Jetaime]

Chin is right.

I use ALM, and run my viewer on high to ultra high depending on how laggy a place is.  Still I realize there are a lot of people that don't or can't use it.  When I build if I use ALM techniques on the build, I also view it occasionally in a variety lower graphics settings to  make sure it looks as good as possible for everyone.

[ChinRey]

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Amethyst Jetaime wrote:

Still I realize there are a lot of people that don't or can't use it.

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I think most people can use it if they really, really want to. Question is if it's worth it. Personally I find that most of the time the frame rate I gain by switching ALM off adds far more to the realism and immersion in SL than normal and specular maps can ever do. Advanced shading is different, I'd love to have that switched on all the time. But the moment fps drops below about 40 things get noticeably laggy so something have to go and ALM is first in line.

[Pamela Galli]

I ran a survey once a while ago, not scientific or huge, but as I recall, a little more than half used it.

found the thread. https://community.secondlife.com/t5/General-Discussion-Forum/Do-you-use-Advanced-Lighting/td-p/2912687/highlight/true/page/6

[Imaze Rhiano]

Thanks for all answers!

I also made very tiny survey around grid - and so far result has been that about half of users are using ALM.

I guess I need to write somekind scripted survey booth and place it some busy location. Maybe even give small amount of lindes or some items for persons who are responding to questionary.

Here is another  related message thread: Second-Life-shaders-Sky-Settings-do-you-hate-it-as-well/td-p/3072488

Edit: and one more: Advanced-Lighting-Model-usage-statistics