Difference between revisions of "Invisible Avatar"

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<p>If you are unable to see your avatar, it could be due to several reasons,  
{{Help|BugFixes=*}}
including your graphics card, drivers or internet connection. Here's some handy
 
steps to help diagnose the problem:<br>
If you are unable to see your avatar, it could be due to any of several reasons,  
<br>
including your graphics card, drivers or internet connection.  
What graphics card am I using?<br>
 
---------------------------------<br>
===Are you using two monitors?===
 
At least on some computers(*), if you have two monitors and you rebake your av's texture
when your SL window is not sitting in the primary (i.e. first) monitor, you will
turn transparent. If this happens, just move the window back to your primary monitor
and rebake again.
 
(*) Empirically, this appears to be a monitor/graphics card port issue rather than computer. Thus swapping which monitor is primary and which secondary will also help in some cases.
 
===What graphics card are you using?===
 
Click on the Help menu at the top of your screen, and select 'About Second  
Click on the Help menu at the top of your screen, and select 'About Second  
Life'. In the window that opens, your graphics card type and manufacturer are  
Life'. In the window that opens, your graphics card type and manufacturer are  
listed about half way down. <br>
listed about half way down.  
<br>
 
Second Life supports medium to higher end nVidia and ATI cards. Support for  
Second Life supports medium to higher end nVidia and ATI cards. Support for  
Intel graphics (which is a chipset on the motherboard designed primarily for 2D  
Intel graphics (which is a chipset on the motherboard designed primarily for 2D  
graphics) is not available.<br>
graphics) is not available.
<br>
 
<br>
===Are you using the latest graphic card drivers?===
Am I using the latest graphic card drivers?<br>
 
----------------------------------------------<br>
Even brand new PC's often ship with outdated graphics card drivers. It is highly  
Even brand new PC's often ship with outdated graphics card drivers. It is highly  
recommended you go to the site for your graphics card and download and install  
recommended you go to the site for your graphics card and download and install  
the latest graphic card drivers.<br>
the latest graphic card drivers.<br>
<br>
 
ATI cards: www.ati.com<br>
* [http://www.ati.com ATI cards]
nVidia based bards: www.nvidia.com<br>
* [http://www.nvidia.com/ NVIDIA cards]
<br>
 
<br>
===Still invisible?===
I've done all that, and I am still blank!<br>
 
-----------------------------------------<br>
Choose '''Me > Preferences''' to display the '''Preferences''' window. Click on the following tabs:
Open up preferences (ctrl-p) and click on the following tabs:<br>
 
<br>
'''[[Viewerhelp:Preferences - Graphics|Graphics]]''' tab: Change '''Draw Distance''' from 128 down to 96.
Graphics Tab: <br>
* Under Avatar rendering, un-check '''Hardware skinning'''. If it is unavailable it means your graphics card does not support it.
* Change 'Draw Distance' from 128 down to 96, and click 'apply'<br>
* Under '''Mesh detail''', make sure the '''Avatars''' slider is in the middle setting.
<br>
* Click '''Hardware'''
Graphics Detail Tab:<br>
** Increase '''Texture Memory''' to the maximum available.
* Locate 'Avatar Vertex Program' under the shaders section and UNcheck it -
 
click apply<br>
'''[[Viewerhelp:Preferences - Setup|Setup]]''' tab:  
if it is unavailable it means your graphics card does not support it<br>
 
<br>
* Change the '''Maximum Bandwidth''' setting to a speed lower than your internet connection speed. Suggestions:  
* Make sure the 'avatar mesh detail' slider down the bottom is in the middle  
** 768 Kb: set to 400 kbps
setting.<br>
** 1MB/s: set to 500 kbps
<br>
** 1.5MB/s or greater: set to 1000 kbps
Adv. Graphics Tab:<br>
* Increase '''Cache size''' to the maximum (1024 MB) .
* Disable AGP graphics (if selected) by unchecking it.<br>
 
* Increase Graphics Memory to the maximum available (if not already selected)<br>
ALSO IMPORTANT:
* Click Apply<br>
 
<br>
In some cases check if you tryd to use OpenGL under the advanced graphics settings. Some cards dont support OpenGL any more for SL.
Network Tab:<br>
 
* Maximum Bandwidth - this setting should be changed to a speed lower than your  
=== Clear your cache ===
internet connection speed.<br>
 
Suggestions: 768 Kb Internet speed, set to 400 kbps<br>
See [[Clearing the cache]].  
1MB/s Internet speed, set to 500 kbps<br>
Be sure to log out of Second Life. Log back in.
1.5MB/s or greater, set to 1000 kbps<br>
 
<br>
===No, all that didn't help!!! What now?===
* Increase Disk Cache size to the maximum (1000 MB) <br>
 
* Click Apply<br>
* Still under the Network tab, click the 'Clear Cache' button. then click OK<br>
<br>
Log out of Second Life. Log back in<br>
<br>
<br>
Whew! That worked! Thanks a lot!<br>
--------------------------------------<br>
You're welcome :)<br>
<br>
<br>
No, all that didn't help!!! What now?<br>
---------------------------------------<br>
It's possible your firewall may be preventing transfer of some data - try  
It's possible your firewall may be preventing transfer of some data - try  
disabling your firewall temporarily and relogging in to Second Life. Should that  
disabling your firewall temporarily and relogging in to Second Life. Should that  
not assist, please contact our tech support department via support@secondlife.  
not assist, please contact our tech support department via support@secondlife.  
listing your system specifications, and the steps you have tried (as above) to  
listing your system specifications, and the steps you have tried (as above) to  
correct the issue.<br>
correct the issue.
&nbsp;</p>
 
== Contributor ==
[[User:Kilmarac Drago|Kilmarac Drago]]


[[Category:Text from In-world Notecards|Invisible Avatar? Try these things!]]
[[Category:Troubleshooting]]

Latest revision as of 12:05, 26 September 2012

If you are unable to see your avatar, it could be due to any of several reasons, including your graphics card, drivers or internet connection.

Are you using two monitors?

At least on some computers(*), if you have two monitors and you rebake your av's texture when your SL window is not sitting in the primary (i.e. first) monitor, you will turn transparent. If this happens, just move the window back to your primary monitor and rebake again.

(*) Empirically, this appears to be a monitor/graphics card port issue rather than computer. Thus swapping which monitor is primary and which secondary will also help in some cases.

What graphics card are you using?

Click on the Help menu at the top of your screen, and select 'About Second Life'. In the window that opens, your graphics card type and manufacturer are listed about half way down.

Second Life supports medium to higher end nVidia and ATI cards. Support for Intel graphics (which is a chipset on the motherboard designed primarily for 2D graphics) is not available.

Are you using the latest graphic card drivers?

Even brand new PC's often ship with outdated graphics card drivers. It is highly recommended you go to the site for your graphics card and download and install the latest graphic card drivers.

Still invisible?

Choose Me > Preferences to display the Preferences window. Click on the following tabs:

Graphics tab: Change Draw Distance from 128 down to 96.

  • Under Avatar rendering, un-check Hardware skinning. If it is unavailable it means your graphics card does not support it.
  • Under Mesh detail, make sure the Avatars slider is in the middle setting.
  • Click Hardware
    • Increase Texture Memory to the maximum available.

Setup tab:

  • Change the Maximum Bandwidth setting to a speed lower than your internet connection speed. Suggestions:
    • 768 Kb: set to 400 kbps
    • 1MB/s: set to 500 kbps
    • 1.5MB/s or greater: set to 1000 kbps
  • Increase Cache size to the maximum (1024 MB) .

ALSO IMPORTANT:

In some cases check if you tryd to use OpenGL under the advanced graphics settings. Some cards dont support OpenGL any more for SL.

Clear your cache

See Clearing the cache. Be sure to log out of Second Life. Log back in.

No, all that didn't help!!! What now?

It's possible your firewall may be preventing transfer of some data - try disabling your firewall temporarily and relogging in to Second Life. Should that not assist, please contact our tech support department via support@secondlife. listing your system specifications, and the steps you have tried (as above) to correct the issue.