NonDinkie related Tips+Tricks

Tips & Tricks 

All are related to the Firestorm Viewer (FS). May work with other viewers. 
BUT functions and pictures here are Firestorm (FS) related!



How to separate the cache and settings of FS 6.x and 7.x

If you have already installed the 7.x.x version and want to keep all your settings:
Make a backup of your settings.xml FIRST (see step 3 how to find them).


1. Install the FS 6.x to another folder than then the default release folder



Choose Browse -> create a new folder - call it FS_6 or FS_Old...or and install the 6.x release in this folder.


2. Start it and make all wanted settings and define a cache location which will be only the cache location for this viewer version


3. Go to your Settings folder - it can be easily found using the Open Settings folder. (see pic above)

Left the Win Explorer open and exit the viewer.

4. In the folder you will find the "settings.xml" - rename it to "settings6.xml"

5. Edit the shortcut properties of the shortcut used to start the viewer and include the "--settings settings6.xml" in the target section:

"C:\Program Files\FS_Old\Firestorm-Releasex64.exe" --settings settings6.xml

6. Install the 7 release with standard values.

If the 7 release was already installed: Replace the settings.xml with your backup file.

It will be installed in the standard "Firestorm-Releasex64" Folder and use the default cache location.
Of course, this location can also be changed (just don't use the one from the 6) and should be set to 20GB (max) for the 7.

Now you will have 2 settings in your settings folder. One for the 6 and one for the 7.
Settings made in one of them will not affect the other one + cache will be separated.



How to mix 2 shapes

1. Download Dr. Frank

2. Export 2 shapes (1x for the body and 1x for the head) in the FS Viewer

Developer -> Avatar -> Character Tests -> Appearance to XML

3. Start Dr. Frank 
and choose the xml you want to use for the head and the one you want to use for the body














Press "Combine" and save the new xml.

4. Go to "Editing Shape" in the FS viewer and:





Alternative PIE Menu FS 7.x

If you want to use my version: I'm not part of the FS Team! Use at your own risk!
-> No risk if you do also Step 3!!!

In the 7.1.11 release the FS team introduced the new Take Menu for the pie Menu.
Now you have to do Take -> Take again to do one take. 
Furthermore "Buy" switched to the 2nd Menu page.

I don't like it and changed the menu_pie_object.xml


1. Shutdown FS
2. Go to the deafault skins XUI folder - most likely:

C:\Program Files\Firestorm-Releasex64\skins\default\xui\en

3. Rename the original menu_pie_object.xml to menu_pie_object_orig.xml
(so you will have always a working original standard FS version. If something doesn't work just delete my version and rename the original one back to menu_pie_object.xml)

4. Place my version in this folder

5. Start FS and enjoy ;-)

You will now have a simple Take on the first page of the pie menu and a Take Menu on the 2nd page,
which contains Take Copy and the other new Take options if multiple objects are selected. 
Additionally Buy and Pay should now be again both on the first page.



The EEP with PBR thing


First of all the basics. 

An EEP (Environmental Enhancement Project) is the setting for your SL environment. It determines the light and the coloring that you perceive in SL, the look of the skin, the furniture, etc... It used to be called Windlight (which many still do today, although Linden switched to EEPs years ago). Windlights were XML files on the hard disk. EEPs are objects in the inventory (under Settings). 

Physics-Based Rendering (or PBR) Materials use a more realistic lighting model that makes chrome reflective and leather look like leather. Viewers using PBR Materials better simulate the way light interacts with different types of object materials, creating a more rich and visually interesting environment. This is a technological upgrade that begins to bring Second Life closer to modern 3D rendering standards like those used in software like Blender or Adobe Substance Painter.


How to create an EEP

In your inventory go to the "Settings" folder. Right-click -> New Settings -> New Sky

Double-click the New Sky (or right-click -> Open) and here you are.



How to change an EEP
An EEP has the same authorizations as any other SL object. 
If the EEP is MODIFY you can make changes opening it from the inventory.
Changes made here are permanent after "Save". You can use "Save as" to create different versions.

EEP Settings

EEP settings floater after opening an EEP from the inventory.



Another option to change any EEP (whether it is modify or not) is: 
    
            World -> Environment -> Personal Lightning

Personal Lightning


Here you can make changes for the current situation. The actual EEP, i.e. the object, is not changed. It is therefore only ever temporary. It is useful when taking photos, for example, to change the position of the sun.


Legacy and PBR EEPs

Now we come to the great myth full of legends and fake news :-)

Linden and therefore also FS have changed the handling of Legacy EEPs
in the course of development. FS version 7.1.10/11 tried to turn the legacy EEPs into a PBR EEPs (RenderSkyAutoAdjustLegacy was TRUE). As a result, the legacy EEPs suddenly looked completely different. CalWL (already bright) suddenly burned out your eyes.
With 7.1.13 it has been changed again and with some further changes the legacy EEPs should now be very close to the look before PBR. BUT that means also that some "PBR" EEPs created by users running 7.1.11 look now strange with 7.1.13....

A legacy EEP is simply any EEP that was created before the introduction of PBR and, in principle, any EEP that is currently created with a Reflection Probe Ambiance (RPA) of 0.
A value of 0 tells the viewer to handle it like a legacy EEP and not like a PBR EEP.
It's not better or worse, just different. 

The main differences:

A legacy EEP (RPA=0) doesn't react on the exposure setting

Exposure

Which changes the brigthness of any PBR EEP.

Instead of the "HDR Scale" value it will show you a "Brightness" slider:

HDR vs Brightness


Furthermore it doesn't react to the Tone Mapping feature.

Tip: You can add an Exposure slider  to your Quick Preferences. See video for a guide.
I didn't found a value for Brightness but you can add Gamma which is a limited option to change the brightness. 

How to choose "your" EEP, how to keep it and how to tweak the look

First let us have a short look how different EEPs influence the look:

EEP Compare Face

As you can see, different EEPs make a big difference....and even with the PBR Viewer, the original Linden Midday (now legacy) EEP is a terrible one 😒

Of those above, the only EEP that will respond to the PBR settings is the new Linden Midday, which you can find under World - Environment or call up with the shortcut CTRL-SHIFT-Y.

Meanwhile you can also find other PBR EEPs in the FS default Skies (see Quick Preferences -> Sky).
Alos the selection on the MarketPlace is huge. Many of them are free.
Of course I recommend this one👍😀


Shared Environment

To always use the parcel defaults, the EEP which was selected on each parcel by the respective owner or someone who has the rights, use "Shared Environment": 
    
        World -> Environment -> Use Shared Environment 

or press the "X" next to "Personal Lightning" in the FS Quick Preferences.


Set your own desired EEP

There are many ways to select an EEP - here are the Top3:

1. Find an EEP in your inventory -> right-click -> Apply Only to Myself
If you have the rights on your parcel you can also set the EEP as the default EEP for this parcel 
(Shared Environment).

2. World -> Environment

3. My favorite and probably the easiest and fastest way - TheQuick Preferences


Tip: If your choice should survive a relog 



How to tweak

Changing between EEPs is the big thing, changing the Expsoure or Brightness is the medium and 
the small things to tweak the look, which will affect the look of every EEP, are these settings:


Sharpening. I think should be clear (HaHaHa)

Tone Mapper: You can choose ACES or (new) Khronos Neutral.

Tone Mapping Mix: To mix between linear and the tone mapped colors.

Difference between Linear, ACES and Khronos (<- source of the picture):

Difference Tone Mappers


Just like choosing your favorite EEP, there is no right or wrong here. Everyone sets the 3 controls as they please or simply leave the default.



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