Difference between revisions of "Beacons"

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Beacons are colored locators which help you pinpoint special kinds of objects. For instance, if you lost a physical ball that rolled off somewhere, or if you want to know which prims in your build contain scripts. Beacons will also work for avatars when appropriate, such as when an avatar plays a gesture with a sound.
Beacons are colored locators that help you pinpoint special kinds of objects.  


Open the Beacons window by selecting '''View''' > '''Beacons''' from the menus at the top of the Second Life Viewer.
Open the Beacons window by selecting '''World''' > '''Show''' > '''Beacons''' from the menus at the top of the Second Life Viewer.
 
This tutorial shows you much of what's described above. Since beacons are very visual, this'll help you make sense of how they work in action:
 
{{KBvideo|3578377}}


== What the options do ==
== What the options do ==


* '''Scripted Objects with Touch Only''' - When checked, shows scripted objects you can click to interact with. For example, you visit a museum with a box you click, which gives you a notecard with historical info.
* '''Beacons''' - Makes objects and avatars that match the enabled beacon types have 3D crosshairs through them: a long vertical line (Z axis) accompanied by shorter X and Y axis lines. Each beacon type has a different color to differentiate them on a crowded screen:
* '''Scripted Objects''' - Shows all scripted objects when checked. It's quicker than the manual way: right-click an object, click '''Edit''', then click the '''Contents''' tab and look for scripts inside.
** Scripted objects - Red
* '''Physical Objects''' - Shows all physical objects when checked. Physical objects are subject to Second Life's gravity, and can fall when dropped from above the ground. To make an object physical:
** Physical objects - Green
** Particle beacons - Blue
** Sound beacons - Yellow
* '''Width''' - You can adjust beacon thickness with this slider, making them more visible. Units are measured in pixels.
* '''Highlights''' - Makes objects that match the enabled beacon types glow in red. If an object already has a strong glow effect (you can access this by right-clicking an object, selecting '''Edit''', and clicking the '''Texture''' tab), its highlight will be hard to see, but beacons will show.
* '''Physical''' - Shows all physical objects when checked. Physical objects are subject to Second Life's gravity and can fall when dropped from above the ground. To make an object physical:
*# Right-click the object.
*# Right-click the object.
*# Click '''Edit'''.
*# Click '''Edit'''.
*# Click the '''Object''' tab.  
*# Click the '''Object''' tab.  
*# Check '''Physical'''.
*# Check '''Physical'''.
* '''Sound Sources''' - Shows all objects and avatars playing sounds. You can use this to narrow down the source of disruptive noises in an abuse situation so you can report it by selecting '''Help''' &gt; '''Report Abuse''' from the Viewer menus.
* '''Scripted''' - Shows all scripted objects when checked. (The slower, manual way to see scripts is to right-click an object, click '''Edit''', then click the '''Content''' tab to view the scripts inside.
* '''Particle Sources''' - Shows all objects creating particles, including avatars with particle emitter attachments. You can hide particles by selecting '''View''' &gt; '''Hide Particles''' from the Viewer menus.
* '''Touch Only''' - When checked, shows only scripted objects you can click to interact with.
* '''Render Highlights''' - Makes objects which match the enabled beacon types glow in red. If an object already has a strong glow effect (you can access this by right-clicking an object, selecting '''Edit''', and clicking the '''Texture''' tab), its highlight will be hard to see, but beacons will show.
* '''Sound sources''' - Shows all objects and avatars playing sounds. You can use this to narrow down the source of disruptive noises in an abuse situation so you can report it (by selecting '''Help''' &gt; '''Report Abuse''' from the Viewer menus).
* '''Render Beacons''' - Makes objects and avatars that match the enabled beacon types have 3D crosshairs through them: a long vertical line (Z axis) accompanied by shorter X and Y axis lines. Each beacon type has a different color to differentiate them on a crowded screen:
* '''Particle sources''' - Shows all objects creating particles, including avatars with particle emitter attachments. You can hide particles by selecting '''Advanced''' > '''Rendering Types''' > '''Particles''' from the Viewer menu.
** Scripted objects - Red
* '''Media sources''' - Shows all objects and avatars playing media. You can turn off media by selecting '''Me''' > '''Preferences''' > '''Sound & Media ''' and unchecking the boxes next to '''Allow Media to auto-play''' and '''Play media attached to other avatars'''.
** Physical objects - Green
 
** Particle beacons - Blue
** Sound beacons - Yellow
* '''Beacon Width''' - You can adjust beacon thickness with this slider, making them more visible. Units are measured in pixels.


== More usage tips ==
== More usage tips ==


* '''Scripted Objects''' overrides '''Scripted Objects with Touch Only''' because it includes ''all'' scripted objects. You can only have one checked at a time.
* '''Scripted''' overrides '''Touch Only''' because it includes ''all'' scripted objects. You can only have one checked at a time.
* Either '''Render Highlights''' or '''Render Beacons''' (or both) ''must'' be checked. To hide all beacons and highlights, rather than uncheck them individually, simply close the window. The next time you open it, your previous settings will persist.
* Either '''Highlights''' or '''Beacons''' (or both) ''must'' be checked. To hide all beacons and highlights, rather than uncheck them individually, simply close the window. The next time you open it, your previous settings will persist.
* To show beacons and save screen space, click the Beacons window's '''Minimize''' button to collapse it into the lower-left corner of the screen. You can drag it around by the title bar if you want to reposition it.
* To show beacons and save screen space, click the Beacons window's '''Minimize''' button to collapse it into the lower-left corner of the screen. You can drag it around by the title bar if you want to reposition it.
* The following Viewer menu options related to beacons are:
* The following Viewer menu options related to beacons are:
** '''View''' &gt; '''Highlight Transparent''' - Shows invisible objects and any others with a degree of transparency, such as tree textures.
** '''Advanced''' > '''Highlighting and Visibility''' > '''Highlight Transparent''' - Shows invisible objects and any other objects with a degree of transparency, such as tree textures.
** '''View''' &gt; '''Hide Particles''' - Hides the particles that beacons locate. This is useful for boosting performance in extreme situations, or simply reducing annoyances. Alternatively, while not usually needed, you can control how many particles appear by doing the following:
** '''Advanced''' > '''Rendering Types''' > '''Particles''' - Hides the particles that beacons locate. This is useful for boosting performance in extreme situations, or simply reducing annoyances.  
**# Open the '''Preferences''' window.
**# Click the '''Graphics''' tab.
**# Check '''Custom'''.
**# Lower the '''Max. Particle Count'''.


== See also ==
== See also ==

Revision as of 14:26, 10 November 2011

add versioning

Beacons are colored locators that help you pinpoint special kinds of objects.

Open the Beacons window by selecting World > Show > Beacons from the menus at the top of the Second Life Viewer.

What the options do

  • Beacons - Makes objects and avatars that match the enabled beacon types have 3D crosshairs through them: a long vertical line (Z axis) accompanied by shorter X and Y axis lines. Each beacon type has a different color to differentiate them on a crowded screen:
    • Scripted objects - Red
    • Physical objects - Green
    • Particle beacons - Blue
    • Sound beacons - Yellow
  • Width - You can adjust beacon thickness with this slider, making them more visible. Units are measured in pixels.
  • Highlights - Makes objects that match the enabled beacon types glow in red. If an object already has a strong glow effect (you can access this by right-clicking an object, selecting Edit, and clicking the Texture tab), its highlight will be hard to see, but beacons will show.
  • Physical - Shows all physical objects when checked. Physical objects are subject to Second Life's gravity and can fall when dropped from above the ground. To make an object physical:
    1. Right-click the object.
    2. Click Edit.
    3. Click the Object tab.
    4. Check Physical.
  • Scripted - Shows all scripted objects when checked. (The slower, manual way to see scripts is to right-click an object, click Edit, then click the Content tab to view the scripts inside.
  • Touch Only - When checked, shows only scripted objects you can click to interact with.
  • Sound sources - Shows all objects and avatars playing sounds. You can use this to narrow down the source of disruptive noises in an abuse situation so you can report it (by selecting Help > Report Abuse from the Viewer menus).
  • Particle sources - Shows all objects creating particles, including avatars with particle emitter attachments. You can hide particles by selecting Advanced > Rendering Types > Particles from the Viewer menu.
  • Media sources - Shows all objects and avatars playing media. You can turn off media by selecting Me > Preferences > Sound & Media and unchecking the boxes next to Allow Media to auto-play and Play media attached to other avatars.


More usage tips

  • Scripted overrides Touch Only because it includes all scripted objects. You can only have one checked at a time.
  • Either Highlights or Beacons (or both) must be checked. To hide all beacons and highlights, rather than uncheck them individually, simply close the window. The next time you open it, your previous settings will persist.
  • To show beacons and save screen space, click the Beacons window's Minimize button to collapse it into the lower-left corner of the screen. You can drag it around by the title bar if you want to reposition it.
  • The following Viewer menu options related to beacons are:
    • Advanced > Highlighting and Visibility > Highlight Transparent - Shows invisible objects and any other objects with a degree of transparency, such as tree textures.
    • Advanced > Rendering Types > Particles - Hides the particles that beacons locate. This is useful for boosting performance in extreme situations, or simply reducing annoyances.

See also

These articles show you how to use beacons for specific purposes:

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