Depth of field

What is "depth of field"?

Depth of field ("DOF" for short) is an experimental graphics feature introduced to the Second Life "Mesh Import Project" Viewer in late November 2010. It simulates the real-world optical effect with the same name, where a lens' focused area appears sharp, while what's further away is progressively blurrier. This can be used to creatively draw attention to a scene's focal point, and can also be aesthetically pleasing because of how our eyes naturally see. DOF is already used in many popular games DOF's creative possibilities are appealing to artists like photographers and machinimatographers.

Here are some example videos from Residents:

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How can I see the depth of field effect?

Warning: DOF and other experimental graphics features are formally unsupported — meaning, don't count on them to work. Crashes and other system instability may result. Furthermore, these features are subject to change, and their rendered appearance may change from version to version. Feel free to share your findings with fellow enthusiasts, but otherwise, you're pretty much on your own. You should be comfortable tinkering with Second Life settings before going further.

DOF and the other graphical effects that must be enabled to see it are collectively taxing, and are best enjoyed with a graphics card and computer system that significantly exceeds the System Recommendations.

With that in mind, this video tutorial shows you the following steps:

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1. Download and install the newest Mesh Development Latest Build (as of 2010-12-02, build "2.4.0 (215872)"; the "Mesh Import Project Viewer" doesn't yet have DOF) from this page.
2. Start the special Viewer and login.
   • If you want to use DOF on the main grid, you'll need to change grids before logging in: press Ctrl+Shift ⇧+G on the login screen and choose Agni from the dropdown menu.
3. Choose Me menu > Preferences.
4. In the Preferences window, click Graphics tab.
   • You'll probably want to set the Quality and speed slider to Ultra.
5. Click Advanced button to show additional options.
6. Check Atmospheric shaders and Lighting and Shadows (if they aren't already enabled).
7. Set Shadows to Sun/Moon or Sun/Moon + Projectors, or it may be hard to see the effect.

How do I customize my DOF settings?

1. Enable Advanced menu.
2. Choose Advanced > Show Debug Settings.
3. Enter a DOF setting (it autocompletes) and change its value.

The settings are:

• CameraCoC - Camera circle of confusion for DoF effect (in millimeters)
• CameraFNumber - Camera f-number value for DoF effect
• CameraFocalLength - Camera focal length for DoF effect (in millimeters)

For example:

1. Set CameraCoC to 0.010.
2. Alt-click on your avatar to center that point and give it focus, and observe distant objects.

See also

• 2010-12-02 - Blog post pointing here - By Torley Linden.
• 2010-11-30 - Coming Soon to Second Life (Maybe): Depth of Field - From New World Notes.
• 2010-11-24 - Tips on using DOF - From Aki Shichiroji and others on SLUniverse.
• 2010-11-24 - DOF introduced into the Viewer code - By Runitai Linden.