How To Locate Particle Sources

This article is part of the Extended Second Life Knowledge Base that includes advanced and specialized information. This information was originally provided by Linden Lab, but is not actively maintained nor guaranteed to be accurate. Linden Lab does not certify nor assume any responsibility for this information.

See the official Second Life Knowledge Base for the most current information.

1. Help! I want to know where these particles are coming from!

Particles originate from a source object. Finding the source object is the best way to edit and remove particles from an area. To find the source object of a particle, begin by making some changes in the View menu found at the top taskbar:

By pressing View > Beacons > Particle Sources, the source of particle effects will be beaconed with blue axes. Blue lines along XYZ axes will center on all objects within view that emit particles.

2. I can't see anything with all these particles flying around!

By pressing View > Beacons > Hide Particles, you can remove the images of the particles from your viewer. Note this removes their presence on your viewer, but others will still see the particles.

3. I see the beacons, but can't see a source of the particles!

Press View > Highlight Transparent or press Ctrl+Alt+T. This makes invisible objects visible and highlighted red. Many particle sources are invisible, but can be seen with this tool.

4. What if the particle source is underground?

Objects stuck underground can be seen by visually removing the ground! First, open up the Client and Server menu options at the top menu bar by pressing Ctrl+Alt+D on your keyboard. Client and Server appear to the right ofthe Help menu when you press these keys. From there, click on Client > Rendering > Types >Surface Patch. (Alternatively, you may press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+5). 

Some extra tips for finding objects underground:

It sometimes helps to press Client > Disable CameraConstraints. This allows you to move the camera beyond normal parameters. Disabling Client > Limit Select Distance will allow you to select objects normally outside your reach. These two are helpful if there is a particle source that is several meters below the ground.

5. I found it!

Once you isolate the particle source, right click on the source object and choose Edit from the pie menu to begin editing, if you have permission to do so. If it is not within your permissions to edit, click the More>> button in the Edit screen to open the Editing tabs. In the General tab, click the Profile button beside the name of the Owner and use the Send IM feature from their profile to request the particle source be removed or edited. If it seems necessary, file an Abuse Report through the Help menu at the top menu bar. This solution may be necessary if the resident is using the particle emitter as harassment and fails to remove the particle source in a timely manner. If an escalation is required after these steps have been followed, contact Second Life Support for further assistance.