This section covers issues related to audio, video and some aspects of search.

• For situations where you cannot hear audio, be it streaming music, or the audio from a movie/video, the first thing to do is check that:
  • streaming music and/or media are enabled in Preferences→ Sound & Media -> Sounds;
  • volumes for music and media are not at minimum;
  • audio is configured correctly in your operating system (ie, Windows, linux, OSX), that sounds is going to the correct device (ie, speakers or headset), and so on;
  • You have not blocked the stream/video; check Preferences → Sound & Media → Media → Manage Media Sites.
  • for streaming music, test the music URL in your external web browser, to make sure that the URL actually works.

• HTTP fetching may be overloading your router; please try the suggestions given here; if they do not help, revert the changes made then return to this page and continue.

• In Preferences → Sound & Media → Sounds, make sure the “Enabled” checkbox to the right of the “Media” slider is checked
  (For audio, check “Streaming Music”)
• In Preferences → Sound & Media → Media, check “Allow inworld scripts to play media”
• Make sure the issue is not with the specific television you are using, by attempting to view videos on a television that plays video normally for other Firestorm users.
• Make sure that “Enable plugins” is ticked in Preferences → Network & Files -> Connection, else Flash Player or Quicktime can not be executed, and you may see a message saying: Adobe Flash Player or an HTML5 supported browser is required for video playback.

• Relog Firestorm and open the Search window
• Go to your computer processes and look for “slplugin.exe”
  • For Windows users, go to Task Manager → Processes Tab
  • For Mac users, go to Activity Monitor → My Processes (usually by default, but you can check top right drop down)
  • For Linux users, go to Command Terminal, and type “ps aux”
  • You may see four instances of the slplugin running (that is normal behavior)
  • If you do not see any instances of slplugin running, that is the cause of media failing
• If slplugin is not running, disable all firewall and virus protection (including anti-virus software and windows or other operating system firewalls)
• Relog and attempt video playback again
• If it works, you will need to stop your firewall/virus protection from blocking the slplugin file by granting it appropriate permissions in your firewall/virus protection software
• NOTE: If you have several viewers installed, you will have to allow to each one access through your firewall, as well as to SLPlugin for each one.
• If all of the above does not resolve the issue, you can try downloading the latest SL Viewer 2 viewer and replacing your Firestorm slplugin file with the one from Viewer 2.

• Windows users:
  • In order to play Flash format videos (e.g., YouTube videos), you must have the Opera & Chromium version of the Adobe Flash plugin installed. Unless you already have this specific version of Flash installed already, you will need to get the Opera & Chromium Flash plugin from Adobe.

• Linux users
  • You need to have the pepperflash plugin installed, which can be satisfied by installing pepperflashplugin-nonfree for Chromium

• Mac users
  • Mac users currently need the Safari & Firefox version of Adobe Flash plugin installed. Download it from Adobe.

• NOTE: If you experience graphics driver crashes on nVidia cards when viewing Flash media (for example Youtube) both in-world and on a website and/or severe drops in your GPU clock mhz on any card then you will need to disable hardware acceleration on Flash Player. To do this, go to Youtube and Pick any video. Right click the video play area to bring up the options and follow the instructions here.

• The Quicktime plugin is bundled along with CEF in this version of Firestorm.
• You also must have Quicktime installed on your computer for the plugin to work in the viewer. Please note, however, that due to security issues with Quicktime (see this security alert), it is NOT advised for Windows users to have Quicktime installed.
• We expect that Linden Labs will soon be removing all support for Quicktime media.

If you are still using Quicktime media and you have issues watching movies (as opposed to YouTube videos) it might help to clear your QuickTime cache:

• Open the QuickTime player
• Click on Edit → Preferences → QuickTime Preferences → Advanced Tab → Empty cache
• Click on Apply then Ok and reboot your computer

• If YouTube videos suddenly will not play, and you just get a white screen, go to Preferences→ Privacy -> General, and click on Clear History, then try again.
• See also the Flash section, above.

Go to Preferences→ Sound & Media -> Sounds and make sure the volume sliders for streaming music and media are not all to the left and that there is no mute symbol (red no entry sign) on the speaker icon next to those. Make sure the Master Volume is not all to the left.

Check that Sound Source rolloff distance (Media tab) is correct; set back to default, if you changed it (5m and 30 respectively for min and max).

Go to Preferences→ Sound & Media -> Sounds and check that you have the Sounds and UI sliders up high enough and that there is no mute symbol (red no entry sign) on the speaker icon next to those.

Go to the top menu bar→ Advanced → Use Plugin Read Thread, and disable it, if it is enabled - or vice versa. (If you cannot see Advanced on the top menu, press Ctrl-Alt-D.)

If that doesn't help, first ensure that you have your bandwidth set correctly. Also, test the audio stream in your regular media player, and/or try a different audio stream in-world.

Please ensure that you have the most recent version of Flash for Safari installed. You can get this via the normal update process, or from Adobe.

For streaming music on OS X 10.9 Mavericks, please refer to this page.

Both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Firestorm for Linux require 32-bit libraries to function. See this page for a link to your Linux flavor to verify you have all the needed audio-related packages installed and to troubleshoot stream issues.

• Language default: Choose System Default or the language of your choice from the drop down menu.

• Content Maturity Rating: Allows you to choose what maturity level of content you are able to access in-world:
  • General, Moderate and Adult: Allows access to all content. You must be age verified to enable this option.
  • General and Moderate: Lets you access General and Moderate content.
  • General: Limits you to General content.

• Start Location: This allows you to choose what default login location shows on the login screen.
  • Show on login: Check this to enable the login location picker on the login screen.

• Name Tags: Here you choose how you display residents' tags. NOTE these apply to what you see, not others.
  • Off: Will set it so you do not see tags.
  • On: means tags will always be visible.
  • Show briefly: shows the tags temporarily.
    • And you can indicate how many second to show them; the default is 10.

• You can enable/disable the following:
  • My name: when unchecked, will not show your tag. Note this is for your view only, others still see it.
  • Group Titles: unchecked hides ALL group titles.
  • View Display Names: when checked shows display names.
  • Highlight friends: colors tags of those on your friends list.
  • Legacy nametag positioning: If enabled, the nametag will stay fixed at the avatar position and not follow the avatar head if it moves because of animations.
  • Usernames: when checked shows usernames names.
  • Hide own group title: If enabled, this will hide your current group title from others. (Versions after 3.2.2 only.)
  • Legacy names instead of usernames: will show legacy names instead of user names.
  • Trim 'Resident' from legacy names: self explanatory. (Greyed out if the option above is disabled.)
  • Show autorespond mode in nametag: This will show whether you have autorespond enabled, in your name tag.

• Away Time out: Will set you to away if there is no mouse or keyboard input for the minutes set:
  • 2 minutes
  • 5 minutes
  • 10 minutes
  • 30 minutes
  • 60 minutes
  • never
• Sit when away: Will sit your avatar when in away mode.

• Log out after being away: Will log you out after being away for the number of minutes you set here:
  • 2 minutes
  • 5 minutes
  • 10 minutes
  • 30 minutes
  • never

• Language default: Choose System Default or the language of your choice from the drop down menu.

• Content Maturity Rating: Allows you to choose what maturity level of content you are able to access in-world:
  • General, Moderate and Adult: Allows access to all content. You must be age verified to enable this option.
  • General and Moderate: Lets you access General and Moderate content.
  • General: Limits you to General content.

• Start Location: This allows you to choose what default login location shows on the login screen.
  • Show on login: Check this to enable the login location picker on the login screen.

• Name Tags: Here you choose how you display residents' tags. NOTE these apply to what you see, not others.
  • Off: Will set it so you do not see tags.
  • On: means tags will always be visible.
  • Show briefly: shows the tags temporarily.
    • And you can indicate how many second to show them; the default is 10.

• You can enable/disable the following:
  • My name: when unchecked, will not show your tag. Note this is for your view only, others still see it.
  • Group Titles: unchecked hides ALL group titles.
  • View Display Names: when checked shows display names.
  • Highlight friends: colors tags of those on your friends list.
  • Legacy nametag positioning: If enabled, the nametag will stay fixed at the avatar position and not follow the avatar head if it moves because of animations.
  • Complexity if too complex: if enabled, the nametag will show the avatar complexity if the avatar is too complex and has been rendered as a jellydoll. ¹⁾
  • Usernames: when checked shows usernames names.
  • Hide own group title: If enabled, this will hide your current group title from others. (Versions after 3.2.2 only.)
  • Legacy names instead of usernames: will show legacy names instead of user names.
  • Trim 'Resident' from legacy names: self explanatory. (Greyed out if the option above is disabled.)
  • Show autorespond mode in nametag: This will show whether you have autorespond enabled, in your name tag.
  • Always show complexity: If enabled, the tag will always show avatar complexity.

• Away Time out: Will set you to away if there is no mouse or keyboard input for the minutes set:
  • 2 minutes
  • 5 minutes
  • 10 minutes
  • 30 minutes
  • 60 minutes
  • never
• Sit when away: Will sit your avatar when in away mode.

• Log out after being away: Will log you out after being away for the number of minutes you set here:
  • 2 minutes
  • 5 minutes
  • 10 minutes
  • 30 minutes
  • never

• Onscreen console font size: Choose Small, Medium, Large or Huge

• Play avatar animations (such as shouting): Animates your avatar for some standard actions.
• Wrap system chat messages in brackets: makes system messages distinct by enclosing them in brackets.
• Show “You” in chat transcripts instead of your name: Replace your name in transcripts.
• Emotes use italic font: Makes emotes show in italics.
• Bold Shouting, Italicize whispering: If enabled, emphasises shouting and whispering, as the option indicates.
• Mark objects with (no name) when they speak to avoid spoofing: This allows object names in chat to be clicked, so that you can get information about them (creator, owner, etc). Useful in griefing situations.
• Route llOwnerSay to script debug window:llOwnerSay script output is sent to the script debug window rather than being shown in console, on screen.
• Show chat in bubbles above avatars: puts local chat in bubbles above users heads
• Show typing indicator in bubbles above avatars: This will show something like a chat bubble but only when another avatar is typing; it gives a visual indication that someone is typing. The text itself will appear according to your settings.

• Show seconds in timestamps: adds seconds to the timestamps.
• Show timestamps in: You can select whether to show timestamps in…
  • Nearby chat
  • IMs
  • Transcript

• Use classic draw mode for console: Changes the chat console ¹⁾ background to surround all visible text instead of displaying separate backgrounds per line of chat.
• Use full screen width for console: Will allow the chat to be the full width of the screen (requires restart).
• Fade chat after _seconds __ # lines: Allows you to choose how long, and how many lines show in the chat console.

• Chat window font size: Choose Small, Medium, Large or Huge

• Show names in direct IMs: If this is disabled, user names are not shown on each line in IMs.
• Use V1 style chat headers: Makes chat look like V1 style chat. With this unchecked, chat headers will appear as horizontal bars across chat windows, with text underneath. With it checked, timestamp and name will precede text on the same line.
• When using V3 style chat headers, show mini icons: shows the icon in the IM/group chat next to the name. If Remove chat headers is enabled this will not show even if enabled.
• Show the end of the last conversation: If enabled, the last few lines of the last conversation will be shown in IM windows. This requires that chat transcripts be enabled in Preferences→ Privacy → Logs & Transcripts.
• Add additional chevron (>) as typing indicator to IM sessions: This depends on the other person having enabled Send typing notifications to other avatars during IM sessions. If they have, then you will see a chevron when they are typing.

• Show new message notification for: If you have scrolled up in a chat window, and a new message is arrived, you can be informed of this, by enabling one or both of:
  • Nearby chat
  • Instant and group messages.

• Show IMs in: (requires restart)
  • Separate windows
  • Tabs

• Chat tab orientation: (requires restart)
  • Horizontal (along the bottom of the Conversations window)
  • Vertical (down the left side of the Conversations window)

• Name format for IM tabs: If you have both display names and user names enabled in Preferences -> General, then you can select what names you want display in IM chat tabs:
  • Display name
  • Username
  • Display Name (Username)
  • Username (Display Name).

• Enable group moderator message highlighting: This option will make text posted by group moderators stand out in group chat, so you can easily tell which poster has moderator rights. Two options may be combined (you may enable either one, or both):
  • Name Style: You can opt to have moderator names highlighted in one of several text styles, such as bold, italic, etc.
  • Text Style: You can also specify a style for the etxt that apepars in chat after the moderator name.
• Disable ALL group chats: Prevents group chats from opening automatically when another user IMs the group.
  Note: The viewer will still receive group chat with this option turned on when an IM/Group Chat tab is open for the group in the Conversations window. What the option does is prevent the automatic creation of a tab when a group message is received.
• When “receive group notices” is disabled, disable group chat as well: Turns off group chat from any group from which you are not receiving group notices.
  Note: Group text chat may now be disabled independantly of group notices, in the groups profile window.
  Note: The viewer will receive group chat with this option turned on when an IM/Group Chat tab is open for the group in the Conversations window. What the option does is prevent the automatic creation of a tab when a group message is received.
• Automatically ignore and leave all conference (ad-hoc) chats: Shuts down any conference chats in which you are included.
  • Report ignored conference chats in nearby chat: Informs you that a conference chat was ignored.
  • Don't ignore conference chats invitations from my friends: overrides the automatically ignore settings for conferences started by those on your friends list.

• Group Chat Snooze Duration: Length of time a group chat will be muted when clicking the Snooze button. Setting this to zero will simply close the group window until the next group message arrives.
  Note that any chat which occurs during the “snooze” period will not be logged - should you have logging enabled.
• Set group chat snooze duration individually per group: If enabled, when you snooze a group chat, a window will open asking how long to snooze the chat for.

• Auto-Replace: Opens the Auto-Replace Settings window where you can define word replacement. Useful as an auto correct feature, for example.
• Spell Checking: Opens the Spell Checker Settings window.
• Translation (button): Opens the Chat Translation Settings window, where you can specify if you want chat to be translated, and which service to use.

• Play typing animation when chatting: Your avatar will play the typing animation when chatting in local with this enabled.
  • Play typing animation also when emoting: If the above is enabled, then this option will have your avatar play a typing animation when using emotes.
• Hear typing sound when people type in local chat: If enabled, you will hear the sound of typing
• Send typing notifications to other avatars during IM sessions: If enabled, this will show “xxx is typing” in IMs. It can also trigger the other person's IM to open before you actually send the IM text. (See Announces incoming IMs as soon as the sender starts typing below.)
• Enable auto-completion of gestures in nearby chat bar: If this is enabled, then typed gestures will auto-complete as typed.
• Enable automatic name prediction in nearby chat bar: When this is enabled, the viewer will attempt to autocomplete a name based on the names of those near you.
• ”:” as a synonym for ”/me”: Used in Role Playing. Allows use of ”:” instead of ”/me” to indicate an action, instead of a statement. For example; ”:nods in agreement” appears as “John Doe nods in agreement”. (NOTE: No space after the ':'.)
• Auto-close ((OOC)) parentheses: Used in Role Playing. When entering message in RP mode, it is assumed they are speaking as their character. To communicate something outside of their character, they enclose their message with “((” and “)) ”.
  When checked, the viewer automatically appends a ”))” to a message if it isn't present. For Example ((This is OOC“ results in ”((This is OOC)) “.
• Show send chat button in the chat bar for IM sessions: Adds a “Send” button at the right end of the chat bar in IM and group chat windows.
• Add a chatbar in the Nearby Chat window: As the name implies.
  • Show channel selection in chat bar: Enables the channel selector in the nearby chat bar.
  • Show chat type / Send chat button in chat bar: Adds a button to the right of the nearby chat bar; you can click this to send chat, and you can select whether to say, whisper or shout.
• Autohide Main chatbar: If this is enabled, then the chat bar at the bottom if the screen will close after you have typed something. Starting to type anything again will cause it to reopen.
  Note that if both the WASD selection in Pressing Letter Keys (above) and Autohide are enabled, you will need to hit Enter/Return before you begin typing in an autohidden chat bar.
• Deselect Chat after sending Messages: Will move the cursor out of the chatbar after you send a message.
  • De-focus chat history as well: Will also remove focus from the nearby chat history window.

Here, you can enable/disable three special shortcuts:

• Ctrl-Enter - Shout
• Shift-Enter - Whisper
• Alt-Enter - OOC

• Enable incoming chat popups: Allows Group and/or IM chats to appear onscreen, in either console or toasts, whichever is set below.
  • Group Chats
  • IM Chats

• Use console for chat popups instead of floating toasts (Viewer 1.x style): Displays chat in the onscreen left-hand console rather than in bottom-right toasts
  • Show IMs in chat console: Will show IMs in the chat console; this is on the lower left of the screen, not in the communication window.
  • Show group chat in chat console: Will show group chat in the chat console; as noted above, this is on the screen, not in the communication window.
  • Length of group name to be printed in chat transcripts:
    • Setting '0' turns it off.
    • Setting '-1' shows the full group name.
    • Setting '1 or higher' shows the group name truncated to how ever many characters are set here, the '[' and ']' aren't counted.

• Open Conversations when an offline mesage has been received: Normally, any offline messages you get will be shown as chiclets when you log in. If you enable this, the Conversations window will also open to show the text of the messages.
• Email me IMs when I'm offline: will send any offline IMs to your email that you have on file with LL
• Show IMs in nearby chat window: Shows the text of received IMs in the nearby chat window.
  • Save IMs in nearby chat: Enable logging of IMs along with local chat; requires that local chat be logged, which can be enabled in the Privacy -> General tab.
  • Fade IM text into the background of the chat transcript window: 0.25 for most faded, 1 for no fade.
• Show number of unread IMs in Firestorm's window title: Displays a count of unread messages in the window title bar.
• Announces incoming IMs as soon as the sender starts typing: If enabled, your IM window will open and beep as soon as someone starts typing a message to you, rather than after they complete and send the message.
  Note that this will not work if the person IMing you has disabled Send typing notifications to other avatars (above).
• Flash IM tabs when friends come online or go offline: visually notifies you when friends log in or out; most useful during IM conversations.
• Flash chat toolbar button if new nearby chat arrives: The nearby chat window must be docked to the conversations window, and this must be closed for the button to flash.
• Flash chat toolbar button if new IM arrives: The IM window must be docked to the conversations window, and this must be closed for the button to flash. also, this option is only available if IMs are shown in tabs, rather than separate windows; see the setting in Preferences→ Chat -> Chat Windows.
• Report muted group chat in nearby chat: If chat starts in a group which you have “muted”, a message to that effect will be displayed in nearby chat.
  Group chat can be “muted” (disabled) in the groups profile window.
• Show group notices in group chats, in addition to toasts: If enabled, the text of group notices is displayed in the group chat window.
  • Show their subjects and authors as well: Also shows the title and sender of notices in group chat.

• Radar reports when avatars enter/leave chat range: Will show in nearby chat when an avatar enters or leaves chat range.
• Radar reports when avatars enter/leave draw distance: Will show in nearby chat when an avatar enters or leaves your draw distance.
• Radar reports when avatars enter/leave the region: Will show in nearby chat when an avatar enters or leaves the region.

Each of the above can, optionally, play an alert sound, which you can change by specifying your own sound clip UUID. You an hear the sound by clicking the button labelled 'P', or revert the sound to the default by clicking the 'D'.

Note that the names shown by radar, in the nearby chat window, can be clicked to open a profile.

• Report enter/exit alters to scripts: This is the same function that is available from the People panel gear menu. It will output radar information to user scripts. For more information, refer to this page.

• Enhance radar with LSL-Client Bridge: If this is enabled, radar functions responsible for determining avatar locations at high altitudes are assisted by the LSL bridge, particularly when they are beyond draw distance.

• Age Alert: You can also be alerted to avatars who are “younger” than a certain number of days.
  • Threshold: Set the age in days.
  • Radar reports avatars younger than the specified age: Enable to be alerted.
    again, you can specify your own alert sound by giving a valid sound UUID.

• Enable Keyword Alerts: Enables using Keyword Alerts.
• Look for Keywords in Local Chat: When checked, the alert system monitors Local Chat for the presence of these keywords.
• Look for Keywords in IMs and Group Chat: When checked, the alert system monitors the IM and Group Chat areas for presence of these keywords.
• Check sender's name for keywords: Look for keywords in the names of speakers or objects as well.
• All keywords are case-sensitive: Enable this if you want (for example) Apple to be treated differently from apple.
• Only match whole words: Enabling this will prevent an alert from being generated on partial matches. For example, if you have an alert on the word frank, you will not be alerted if someone types frankly.

Note: Because Group Chats are prevented from appearing when either When Receive Group Notices is disabled, Disable Group Chat As Well or Disable All Group Chats are enabled (see above), no alerts are triggered.

• Keywords (separated by commas): Specifies the list of words that will trigger an alert. They can be individual words or phrases and are separated by commas.
• Enable Color Alert: When checked, any messages that are to be alerted will have their color changed to what is specified in the color selector.
• Play alert sound: Enables playing a sound, identified by the UUID:
• Alert Sound UUID: Supply the alert sound UUID here. A default is given. To get a new UUID, find a sound in your inventory with full permissions (you can view the item's properties to check this), then right-click the sound and select Copy Asset UUID from the menu. Then paste the value into the text box.

See this page for a tutorial video.

• Enable usage of chat bar as a command line: If this is enabled, all the commands given below (except where noted) will be available for use.

All of the commands below can be changed from the supplied defaults.

• Calc. expressions (calc): Used to perform a calculation on the command line to figure out an answer quickly. Calculations adhere to precedence rules where multiplication/division occur before addition/subtraction. Therefore, example: “calc 1.3+2*5” results in “11.1” as the answer, because the multiply occurs before the addition.
• Change Draw Distance (dd): Changes the draw distance of the rendered view to the specified number of meters. Example: “dd 32” sets the draw distance to 32 meters.
• Max. Bandwidth (bw): Change your current maximum bandwidth. This is set in Preferences→ Network & Files -> Connection.
• Copy camera position to clipboard (cpcampos): Saves the current camea position in the clipboard, from which it can be pasted into a script, for example.
• Turn AO on/off (cao): Turns the embedded AO system on/off. Example: “cao on” turns AO on, and “cao off” turns AO off.
• Clear the chat transcript (clrchat): Clears the chat history from local chat. Example “clrchat”
• Set the media url (/media): Sets the video media for the parcel as identified by the URL. Only the land owner can set the media URL. If the URL contains a space, use to identify the space. The type is one of: Audio, Image, Movie or Web.
• Set the music stream url (/music): Sets the music stream for the parcel as identified by the URL. Only the land owner can set the music URL. Example: “/music http://scfire-dtc-aa04.stream.aol.com:80/stream/1010” sets a Smooth Jazz sound to the URL.
• Rez a platform (rezplat): Assuming the avatar has build privileges in the simulator, this command rezzes a circular platform of the given diameter beneath the avatar. Example: “rezplat 25” rezzes a 25m diameter platform below the avatar.

• Get avatar name from key (key2name): Looks up the specified avatar key and returns the name for the key. Example: “key2name” returns “Babbage Linden”.
• Roll dice (rolld): For role play. Use by typing rolld <number of dice> <number of faces> in nearby chat. Examples:
  rolld is a regular dice with 6 faces.
  rolld 1 20 is a single dice with 20 faces.
  rolld 3 10 is 3 dice, each with 10 faces.
  Bonuses, penalties, successes and explosions modifiers can also be added to the command; for more, refer to this page.
• Teleport within sim (gtp): Teleport to anywhere within the sim instantly according to the position specified. Example: “gtp 45 150 400” teleports to 45, 150, 400.
• Teleport to ground (flr): Teleport to the current ground position for the avatar's current position.
• Teleport to altitude (gth): Teleport to the specified height. Example: “gth 2800” teleports to a height of 2800 meters. It is also possible to teleport higher. Example: “gth 6500” teleports to 6500m above the sim.
• Teleport to cam position (tp2cam): Teleports the avatar to the position the cursor is currently looking at. This is useful when walking into a store. After looking around and finding the item to purchase, this shortcut takes you to the position immediately, without having to walk. Example: “tp2cam”.
• Offer teleport to avatar (offertp): Sends a teleport request to the avatar identified by the given key. Example: “offertp avatar-key”.
• Teleport to avatar (tp2): Finds a given avatar within the simulator and teleports to them. Example: “tp2 John Doe” teleports to “John Doe” if they are in the simulator.
• Teleport home (tph): Teleport home. Same as hitting Shift-Ctrl-H.
• Teleport to sim x (mapto): Teleports to the sim you specified (defaults 128, 128, 0 if no landing point is specified on the sim). Must use the full sim name, with spaces and all.
  • Use same position between sims: When enabled, your entry point at the new sim will be the same coordinates you left the old sim, unless a landing point is specified in the new sim.

• Onscreen console font size: Choose Small, Medium, Large or Huge

• Play avatar animations (such as shouting): Animates your avatar for some standard actions.
• Wrap system chat messages in brackets: makes system messages distinct by enclosing them in brackets.
• Show “You” in chat transcripts instead of your name: Replace your name in transcripts.
• Emotes use italic font: Makes emotes show in italics.
• Bold Shouting, Italicize whispering: If enabled, emphasises shouting and whispering, as the option indicates.
• Mark objects with (no name) when they speak to avoid spoofing: This allows object names in chat to be clicked, so that you can get information about them (creator, owner, etc). Useful in griefing situations.
• Route llOwnerSay to script debug window:llOwnerSay script output is sent to the script debug window rather than being shown in console, on screen.
• Show chat in bubbles above avatars: puts local chat in bubbles above users heads
• Show typing indicator in bubbles above avatars: This will show something like a chat bubble but only when another avatar is typing; it gives a visual indication that someone is typing. The text itself will appear according to your settings.
• Show typing indicator in tantag above avatars: Similar to the above, but the indicator appears in the nametag instead.

• Show seconds in timestamps: adds seconds to the timestamps.
• Show timestamps in: You can select whether to show timestamps in…
  • Nearby chat
  • IMs
  • Transcript

• Use classic draw mode for console: Changes the chat console ²⁾ background to surround all visible text instead of displaying separate backgrounds per line of chat.
• Use full screen width for console: Will allow the chat to be the full width of the screen (requires restart).
• Fade chat after _seconds __ # lines: Allows you to choose how long, and how many lines show in the chat console.

• Chat window font size: Choose Small, Medium, Large or Huge

• Show names in direct IMs: If this is disabled, user names are not shown on each line in IMs.
• Use V1 style chat headers: Makes chat look like V1 style chat. With this unchecked, chat headers will appear as horizontal bars across chat windows, with text underneath. With it checked, timestamp and name will precede text on the same line.
• When using V3 style chat headers, show mini icons: shows the icon in the IM/group chat next to the name. If Remove chat headers is enabled this will not show even if enabled.
• Show the end of the last conversation: If enabled, the last few lines of the last conversation will be shown in IM windows. This requires that chat transcripts be enabled in Preferences→ Privacy → Logs & Transcripts.
• Add additional chevron (>) as typing indicator to IM sessions: This depends on the other person having enabled Send typing notifications to other avatars during IM sessions. If they have, then you will see a chevron when they are typing.

• Show new message notification for: If you have scrolled up in a chat window, and a new message is arrived, you can be informed of this, by enabling one or both of:
  • Nearby chat
  • Instant and group messages.

• Show IMs in: (requires restart)
  • Separate windows
  • Tabs

• Chat tab orientation: (requires restart)
  • Horizontal (along the bottom of the Conversations window)
  • Vertical (down the left side of the Conversations window)

• Name format for IM tabs: If you have both display names and user names enabled in Preferences -> General, then you can select what names you want display in IM chat tabs:
  • Display name
  • Username
  • Display Name (Username)
  • Username (Display Name).

• Enable group moderator message highlighting: This option will make text posted by group moderators stand out in group chat, so you can easily tell which poster has moderator rights. Two options may be combined (you may enable either one, or both):
  • Name Style: You can opt to have moderator names highlighted in one of several text styles, such as bold, italic, etc.
  • Text Style: You can also specify a style for the etxt that apepars in chat after the moderator name.
• Disable ALL group chats: Prevents group chats from opening automatically when another user IMs the group.
  Note: The viewer will still receive group chat with this option turned on when an IM/Group Chat tab is open for the group in the Conversations window. What the option does is prevent the automatic creation of a tab when a group message is received.
• When “receive group notices” is disabled, disable group chat as well: Turns off group chat from any group from which you are not receiving group notices.
  Note: Group text chat may now be disabled independantly of group notices, in the groups profile window.
  Note: The viewer will receive group chat with this option turned on when an IM/Group Chat tab is open for the group in the Conversations window. What the option does is prevent the automatic creation of a tab when a group message is received.
• Automatically ignore and leave all conference (ad-hoc) chats: Shuts down any conference chats in which you are included.
  • Report ignored conference chats in nearby chat: Informs you that a conference chat was ignored.
  • Don't ignore conference chats invitations from my friends: overrides the automatically ignore settings for conferences started by those on your friends list.

• Group Chat Snooze Duration: Length of time a group chat will be muted when clicking the Snooze button. Setting this to zero will simply close the group window until the next group message arrives.
  Note that any chat which occurs during the “snooze” period will not be logged - should you have logging enabled.
• Set group chat snooze duration individually per group: If enabled, when you snooze a group chat, a window will open asking how long to snooze the chat for.

• Auto-Replace: Opens the Auto-Replace Settings window where you can define word replacement. Useful as an auto correct feature, for example.
• Spell Checking: Opens the Spell Checker Settings window.
• Translation (button): Opens the Chat Translation Settings window, where you can specify if you want chat to be translated, and which service to use.

• Play typing animation when chatting: Your avatar will play the typing animation when chatting in local with this enabled.
  • Play typing animation also when emoting: If the above is enabled, then this option will have your avatar play a typing animation when using emotes.
• Hear typing sound when people type in local chat: If enabled, you will hear the sound of typing
• Send typing notifications to other avatars during IM sessions: If enabled, this will show “xxx is typing” in IMs. It can also trigger the other person's IM to open before you actually send the IM text. (See Announces incoming IMs as soon as the sender starts typing below.)
• Enable auto-completion of gestures in nearby chat bar: If this is enabled, then typed gestures will auto-complete as typed.
• Enable automatic name prediction in nearby chat bar: When this is enabled, the viewer will attempt to autocomplete a name based on the names of those near you.
• ”:” as a synonym for ”/me”: Used in Role Playing. Allows use of ”:” instead of ”/me” to indicate an action, instead of a statement. For example; ”:nods in agreement” appears as “John Doe nods in agreement”. (NOTE: No space after the ':'.)
• Auto-close ((OOC)) parentheses: Used in Role Playing. When entering message in RP mode, it is assumed they are speaking as their character. To communicate something outside of their character, they enclose their message with “((” and “)) ”.
  When checked, the viewer automatically appends a ”))” to a message if it isn't present. For Example ((This is OOC“ results in ”((This is OOC)) “.
• Show send chat button in the chat bar for IM sessions: Adds a “Send” button at the right end of the chat bar in IM and group chat windows.
• Add a chatbar in the Nearby Chat window: As the name implies.
  • Show channel selection in chat bar: Enables the channel selector in the nearby chat bar.
  • Show chat type / Send chat button in chat bar: Adds a button to the right of the nearby chat bar; you can click this to send chat, and you can select whether to say, whisper or shout.
• Autohide Main chatbar: If this is enabled, then the chat bar at the bottom if the screen will close after you have typed something. Starting to type anything again will cause it to reopen.
  Note that if both the WASD selection in Pressing Letter Keys (above) and Autohide are enabled, you will need to hit Enter/Return before you begin typing in an autohidden chat bar.
• Deselect Chat after sending Messages: Will move the cursor out of the chatbar after you send a message.
  • De-focus chat history as well: Will also remove focus from the nearby chat history window.

Here, you can enable/disable three special shortcuts:

• Ctrl-Enter - Shout
• Shift-Enter - Whisper
• Alt-Enter - OOC

• Enable incoming chat popups: Allows Group and/or IM chats to appear onscreen, in either console or toasts, whichever is set below.
  • Group Chats
  • IM Chats

• Use console for chat popups instead of floating toasts (Viewer 1.x style): Displays chat in the onscreen left-hand console rather than in bottom-right toasts
  • Show IMs in chat console: Will show IMs in the chat console; this is on the lower left of the screen, not in the communication window.
  • Show group chat in chat console: Will show group chat in the chat console; as noted above, this is on the screen, not in the communication window.
  • Length of group name to be printed in chat transcripts:
    • Setting '0' turns it off.
    • Setting '-1' shows the full group name.
    • Setting '1 or higher' shows the group name truncated to how ever many characters are set here, the '[' and ']' aren't counted.

• Open Conversations when an offline mesage has been received: Normally, any offline messages you get will be shown as chiclets when you log in. If you enable this, the Conversations window will also open to show the text of the messages.
• Email me IMs when I'm offline: will send any offline IMs to your email that you have on file with LL
• Show IMs in nearby chat window: Shows the text of received IMs in the nearby chat window.
  • Save IMs in nearby chat: Enable logging of IMs along with local chat; requires that local chat be logged, which can be enabled in the Privacy -> General tab.
  • Fade IM text into the background of the chat transcript window: 0.25 for most faded, 1 for no fade.
• Show number of unread IMs in Firestorm's window title: Displays a count of unread messages in the window title bar.
• Announces incoming IMs as soon as the sender starts typing: If enabled, your IM window will open and beep as soon as someone starts typing a message to you, rather than after they complete and send the message.
  Note that this will not work if the person IMing you has disabled Send typing notifications to other avatars (above).
• Flash IM tabs when friends come online or go offline: visually notifies you when friends log in or out; most useful during IM conversations.
• Flash chat toolbar button if new nearby chat arrives: The nearby chat window must be docked to the conversations window, and this must be closed for the button to flash.
• Flash chat toolbar button if new IM arrives: The IM window must be docked to the conversations window, and this must be closed for the button to flash. also, this option is only available if IMs are shown in tabs, rather than separate windows; see the setting in Preferences→ Chat -> Chat Windows.
• Report muted group chat in nearby chat: If chat starts in a group which you have “muted”, a message to that effect will be displayed in nearby chat.
  Group chat can be “muted” (disabled) in the groups profile window.
• Show group notices in group chats, in addition to toasts: If enabled, the text of group notices is displayed in the group chat window.
  • Show their subjects and authors as well: Also shows the title and sender of notices in group chat.

• Radar reports when avatars enter/leave chat range: Will show in nearby chat when an avatar enters or leaves chat range.
• Radar reports when avatars enter/leave draw distance: Will show in nearby chat when an avatar enters or leaves your draw distance.
• Radar reports when avatars enter/leave the region: Will show in nearby chat when an avatar enters or leaves the region.

Each of the above can, optionally, play an alert sound, which you can change by specifying your own sound clip UUID. You an hear the sound by clicking the button labelled 'P', or revert the sound to the default by clicking the 'D'.

Note that the names shown by radar, in the nearby chat window, can be clicked to open a profile.

• Report enter/exit alters to scripts: This is the same function that is available from the People panel gear menu. It will output radar information to user scripts. For more information, refer to this page.

• Enhance radar with LSL-Client Bridge: If this is enabled, radar functions responsible for determining avatar locations at high altitudes are assisted by the LSL bridge, particularly when they are beyond draw distance.

• Age Alert: You can also be alerted to avatars who are “younger” than a certain number of days.
  • Threshold: Set the age in days.
  • Radar reports avatars younger than the specified age: Enable to be alerted.
    again, you can specify your own alert sound by giving a valid sound UUID.

• Enable Keyword Alerts: Enables using Keyword Alerts.
• Look for Keywords in Local Chat: When checked, the alert system monitors Local Chat for the presence of these keywords.
• Look for Keywords in IMs and Group Chat: When checked, the alert system monitors the IM and Group Chat areas for presence of these keywords.
• Check sender's name for keywords: Look for keywords in the names of speakers or objects as well.
• All keywords are case-sensitive: Enable this if you want (for example) Apple to be treated differently from apple.
• Only match whole words: Enabling this will prevent an alert from being generated on partial matches. For example, if you have an alert on the word frank, you will not be alerted if someone types frankly.

Note: Because Group Chats are prevented from appearing when either When Receive Group Notices is disabled, Disable Group Chat As Well or Disable All Group Chats are enabled (see above), no alerts are triggered.

• Keywords (separated by commas): Specifies the list of words that will trigger an alert. They can be individual words or phrases and are separated by commas.
• Enable Color Alert: When checked, any messages that are to be alerted will have their color changed to what is specified in the color selector.
• Play alert sound: Enables playing a sound, identified by the UUID:
• Alert Sound UUID: Supply the alert sound UUID here. A default is given. To get a new UUID, find a sound in your inventory with full permissions (you can view the item's properties to check this), then right-click the sound and select Copy Asset UUID from the menu. Then paste the value into the text box.

See this page for a tutorial video.

• Enable usage of chat bar as a command line: If this is enabled, all the commands given below (except where noted) will be available for use.

All of the commands below can be changed from the supplied defaults.

• Calc. expressions (calc): Used to perform a calculation on the command line to figure out an answer quickly. Calculations adhere to precedence rules where multiplication/division occur before addition/subtraction. Therefore, example: “calc 1.3+2*5” results in “11.1” as the answer, because the multiply occurs before the addition.
• Change Draw Distance (dd): Changes the draw distance of the rendered view to the specified number of meters. Example: “dd 32” sets the draw distance to 32 meters.
• Max. Bandwidth (bw): Change your current maximum bandwidth. This is set in Preferences→ Network & Files -> Connection.
• Copy camera position to clipboard (cpcampos): Saves the current camea position in the clipboard, from which it can be pasted into a script, for example.
• Turn AO on/off (cao): Turns the embedded AO system on/off. Example: “cao on” turns AO on, and “cao off” turns AO off.
• Clear the chat transcript (clrchat): Clears the chat history from local chat. Example “clrchat”
• Set the media url (/media): Sets the video media for the parcel as identified by the URL. Only the land owner can set the media URL. If the URL contains a space, use to identify the space. The type is one of: Audio, Image, Movie or Web.
• Set the music stream url (/music): Sets the music stream for the parcel as identified by the URL. Only the land owner can set the music URL. Example: “/music http://scfire-dtc-aa04.stream.aol.com:80/stream/1010” sets a Smooth Jazz sound to the URL.
• Rez a platform (rezplat): Assuming the avatar has build privileges in the simulator, this command rezzes a circular platform of the given diameter beneath the avatar. Example: “rezplat 25” rezzes a 25m diameter platform below the avatar.

• Get avatar name from key (key2name): Looks up the specified avatar key and returns the name for the key. Example: “key2name” returns “Babbage Linden”.
• Roll dice (rolld): For role play. Use by typing rolld <number of dice> <number of faces> in nearby chat. Examples:
  rolld is a regular dice with 6 faces.
  rolld 1 20 is a single dice with 20 faces.
  rolld 3 10 is 3 dice, each with 10 faces.
  Bonuses, penalties, successes and explosions modifiers can also be added to the command; for more, refer to this page.
• Teleport within sim (gtp): Teleport to anywhere within the sim instantly according to the position specified. Example: “gtp 45 150 400” teleports to 45, 150, 400.
• Teleport to ground (flr): Teleport to the current ground position for the avatar's current position.
• Teleport to altitude (gth): Teleport to the specified height. Example: “gth 2800” teleports to a height of 2800 meters. It is also possible to teleport higher. Example: “gth 6500” teleports to 6500m above the sim.
• Teleport to cam position (tp2cam): Teleports the avatar to the position the cursor is currently looking at. This is useful when walking into a store. After looking around and finding the item to purchase, this shortcut takes you to the position immediately, without having to walk. Example: “tp2cam”.
• Offer teleport to avatar (offertp): Sends a teleport request to the avatar identified by the given key. Example: “offertp avatar-key”.
• Teleport to avatar (tp2): Finds a given avatar within the simulator and teleports to them. Example: “tp2 John Doe” teleports to “John Doe” if they are in the simulator.
• Teleport home (tph): Teleport home. Same as hitting Shift-Ctrl-H.
• Teleport to sim x (mapto): Teleports to the sim you specified (defaults 128, 128, 0 if no landing point is specified on the sim). Must use the full sim name, with spaces and all.
  • Use same position between sims: When enabled, your entry point at the new sim will be the same coordinates you left the old sim, unless a landing point is specified in the new sim.

• Quality and speed: Allows you to adjust the graphics quality (lower is faster). Many options are changed based on this setting.
  • Reload Defaults: The circular arrow to the right of the Quality and speed slider (above) will revert all graphics settings to default values. Use this if you have made changes that have a negative impact on the veiwer and cannot remember what you changed.
• Fullscreen Mode (requires restart): Enable this if you want to run Firestorm in full screen mode, as opposed to windowed.
• Shaders:
  • Transparent water: Allows water to look transparent instead of opaque. Enable this (if it isn't already) if you exeprience glowing water while wearing rigged mesh.
  • Bump mapping and shiny: Enables the rendering of shiny and bump mapped surfaces.
  • Local Lights: Globally enables/disables local lights.
  • Basic shaders: Allows rendering of high-quality water, basic lighting, and other graphical effects.
  • Atmospheric shaders: Enables advanced atmospheric and lighting.
  • Advanced Lighting Model: (formerly Lighting & Shadows) Check this to allow shadows and other features to be enabled. Note that enabling this can cause instability and performance issues; click here for known specifics. For more how shadows behave, see this SL wiki page.
  • Ambient occlusion: Checking this enables more realistic shadows; the stability and performance note above also applies here.
• Shadows: Lets you choose what light sources cause shadows; this is available only if the Advanced Lighting Model option above is enabled).
  • none
  • sun/moon
  • sun/moon and projectors
• Avatar Shadows: controls whether and how avatars cast shadows. The higher the setting, the more client lag it will cause.
  • None
  • Simplified
  • Optimized
  • Complex
• Water Reflections: Allows water to reflect terrain, objects, and avatars.
• Point Lighting: Affects the number of rendered light sources when Advanced Lighting Model (above) is disabled. A viewer restart is needed if this setting is changed.

• Draw distance: Affects how far out from your viewpoint objects will be rendered in the scene.
• Max particle count: Sets the maximum number of particles you are able to see on your screen at once.
• Max # of non-imposter avatars: Sets the number of avatars that will be fully rendered. See Avatar impostors below.
• Post process quality: Determines the resolution with which glow is rendered. A lower setting will cause glow to look slightly pixelated.
• Avatar Physics: Affects the detail of avatar physics. Set to 0 to disable avatar physics entirely.
• Level of Detail (LOD) Distance Factors:
  • Objects & Sculpts LOD: Determines the amount of detail the viewer will use in rendering object shapes; a lower setting causes objects to appear more angular and polygonal.
    Setting this higher than 4 via Debug Settings is not recommended.
  • Flexiprims: Determines the amount of detail the viewer will use in rendering flexible object shapes.
  • Trees: Determines the amount of detail the viewer will use in rendering (Linden) tree shapes.
  • Avatars: Determines the amount of detail the viewer will use in rendering avatar shapes.
  • Terrain: Determines the amount of detail the viewer will use in rendering terrain.
  • Sky: Controls the detail with which windlight skies are rendered. Higher values mean better quality but lower performance.
• Avatar Rendering:
  • Avatar imposters: Allows far-away avatars to be subtly rendered as two-dimensional images in order to improve your frame rate in crowded areas.
  • Hardware skinning: This allows some aspects of avatar rendering to be handled by your graphics card to improve performance.
  • Avatar cloth: Allows the rendering of flexible cloth on avatar clothing, such as shirts and flared pants.
• Terrain Detail: Choose the amount of terrain detail you would like to see. Setting this option to Low replaces the ground texture with a low-resolution ground texture.
  This option is not available (ie, it is greyed out) if Basic Shaders is enabled, in which case it is always set to High.

• Anisotropic Filtering: Enables anisotropic filtering to improve texture quality. This setting may reduce your viewer's performance. For more information see this wikipedia page.
• Enable OpenGL Vertex Buffer Objects: VBO on modern hardware gives a performance gain. However, older hardware often has poor implementation of VBOs and the viewer may become unstable when this is enabled. VBO is explained in depth here.
• Enable Streamed VBOs: Allows the use of streamed VBO as well as static; only works if you have VBO enabled.
• Enable Lossy Texture Compression: If this is enabled, texture compression will be enabled for rendering. This gives improved performance, and a smaller grapics memory footprint, at the cost of lower quality rendered textures. Textures are compressed by the video card before being stored into video memory. Given that compressed textures can often end up pixellated, it is not recommended that this be enabled unless you have little video memory. Ref: SL JIRA MAINT-708.

• Antialiasing: Smoothes jagged edges. Renders a scene the number of multiple times that is actually shown and scales it down. Choose the level of antialiasing the viewer will use (requires restart).
• Gamma: Use the Advanced Sky Editor's Scene Gamma control on the Lighting tab instead of this; currently functional only if Atmospheric Shaders are disabled.
• Viewer Texture Memory Buffer (MB): This is the amount of graphics memory the viewer will use. By default, it is set to the size of your graphics card's memory, to a maximum of 768 for 32-bit Firestorm, 1024 for 64-bit Firestorm. Lowering this value may resolve certain texture corruption and performance issues, but under normal circumstances you should not need to alter this setting.
• Fog Distance Ratio: Determines how far away Second Life's fog effect begins. Lower values = closer fog. Only used when you have Atmospheric Shaders disabled. If Atmospheric Shaders are enabled, this effect is handled by the Distance Multiplier control in the Advanced Sky Editor.

• Freeze updates to World (pause everything): This suspends rendering. Useful for picture taking, if you wish to capture a specific scene that might otherwise change while you are preparing.

• Use HTTP Textures: Uses the HTTP protocol to fetch textures as opposed to the older UDP. Always on, as it is required for SL.
• Max Texture Quality Level: If you have a poor connection, you may wish to reduce the level of texture detail. This can be set to Normal, Minimal or None.
  Naturally, setting this to anything other than Normal will result in textures displaying poorly, or not at all. Do not change unless absolutely necessary - for example, if you have a very poor connection but need to be online, and don't care if you can see textures or not.

These options control when alpha masking should be used in an attempt to mitigate the well known alpha sorting issue, in which prims behind other prims may appear to flicker in front. The two options are:

• Render alpha masks when “Advanced Lighting Model” is not enabled
• Render alpha masks when “Advanced Lighting Model” is enabled

• Render Glow: If enabled, shows the glow effect on any prims that have it.
  • Strength: Controls the intensity of the glow effect. The default is 2.
• Show avatars that haven't finished loading: Equivalent to the debug setting RenderUnloadedAvatar.
  Note that this is not a solution to a bake fail, as it doesn't actually fix anything; it merely forces the viewer to display whatever it happens to have managed to load. It is recommended that this be always left disabled.
• Limit Framerate: Yield some time to the local host if a threshold framerate is reached. The framerate limit is set with the slider to the right.
• Show the Scene as Wireframe: Enables wireframe display of everything. Note that this setting does not persist after a relog.
• Enable Attached Lights (Face Lights): Enable this if you wish to see the affects of lights worn by avatars.
• Render Attached Particles: Enable to see particles generated by worn attachments.

• Time to delay while pre-caching before showing world: Allows the world to start caching before it is shown, at login.
• Quality of the shadows: Adjusts the quality of shadows. Note that increasing this will significantly impact rendering speed (FPS).
• Scale of Terrain Texture Rendering (requires restart): Indicates the scale of terrain textures, with lower values being more compressed textures.

Depth of field simulates real life blurring that occurs when things are not in focus. For example, if you are taking a photo of a person, then typically, things in the background will be blurred; the futher away, the more blurred. If you shift your focus to a tree behind the person, then the person will, in turn, become blurred.

For more information, refer here.

You can adjust the following settings to mimic RL camera effects.

• Depth of Field: Enabling this causes out-of-focus objects to be blurred, depending on distance.
  • Enable while in edit mode: Normally, DoF disables when you edit something; if you enable this, DoF will remain active.
• Camera F Number: Controls maximum screen radius from which to sample from, to avoid graphics card In real world terms this is the aperture setting for the lens and the lower the value the shorter the depth of field will be. The same applies to SL.
  The default value is 9.00
• Camera Focal Length mm: This tells the viewer what Focal Length/Lens Length to simulate for the DOF effect. Higher numbers produce a narrower depth of field.
  The default is 50.0
• Camera FOV degs.: This tells the viewer what FOV you would like to simulate for the DOF effect. Higher values will produce a more narrow depth of field.
  The default is 60.00
• Camera Aspect ratio: This is supposed to be aspect ratio of the camera you're modelling. For example, a 35mm camera has an aspect ratio of 3:2 (1.5). Second Life will use this as a frame of reference for how field of view and focal length must be adjusted depending on window size.
  Apparently, this currently has no effect.
  The default is 1.50
• DOF Focus Transition Time: This sets the time in seconds it take to the viewer to change focus from one object.
  The default is 0.50
• DOF Rendering Quality: This determines the quality of the DOF Effect. For non-photography uses '.25' is good. For setting up shots '.50' or '.70' is very nice. For shooting quality images '1.00' is best. Note that High values will slow down your FPS.
  The default is 0.70

• Preset in use: Shows the name of the graphics preset in use.

• Quality and speed: Allows you to adjust the graphics quality (lower is faster). Many options are changed based on this setting.
  • Reload Defaults: The circular arrow to the right of the Quality and speed slider (above) will revert all graphics settings to default values. Use this if you have made changes that have a negative impact on the veiwer and cannot remember what you changed.
• Fullscreen Mode (requires restart): Enable this if you want to run Firestorm in full screen mode, as opposed to windowed.
• Shaders:
  • Transparent water: Allows water to look transparent instead of opaque. Enable this (if it isn't already) if you exeprience glowing water while wearing rigged mesh.
  • Bump mapping and shiny: Enables the rendering of shiny and bump mapped surfaces.
  • Local Lights: Globally enables/disables local lights.
  • Basic shaders: Allows rendering of high-quality water, basic lighting, and other graphical effects.
  • Atmospheric shaders: Enables advanced atmospheric and lighting.
  • Advanced Lighting Model: Check this to allow shadows and other features to be enabled. Note that enabling this can cause instability and performance issues; click here for known specifics. For more how shadows behave, see this SL wiki page.
  • Ambient occlusion: Checking this enables more realistic shadows; the stability and performance note above also applies here.
• Shadows: Lets you choose what light sources cause shadows; this is available only if the Advanced Lighting Model option above is enabled).
  • none
  • sun/moon
  • sun/moon and projectors
• Avatar Shadows: controls whether and how avatars cast shadows. The higher the setting, the more client lag it will cause.
  • None
  • Simplified
  • Optimized
  • Complex
• Water Reflections: Allows water to reflect terrain, objects, and avatars.
• Point Lighting: Affects the number of rendered light sources when Advanced Lighting Model (above) is disabled. A viewer restart is needed if this setting is changed.

• Draw distance: Affects how far out from your viewpoint objects will be rendered in the scene.
• Max particle count: Sets the maximum number of particles you are able to see on your screen at once.
• Maximum complexity: Controls at what point a visually complex avatar is shown as a jellydoll. ¹⁾
• Max # of non-imposter avatars: Sets the number of avatars that will be fully rendered. See Avatar impostors below.
• Post process quality: Determines the resolution with which glow is rendered. A lower setting will cause glow to look slightly pixelated.
• Avatar Physics: Affects the detail of avatar physics. Set to 0 to disable avatar physics entirely.
• Level of Detail (LOD) Distance Factors:
  • Objects & Sculpts LOD: Determines the amount of detail the viewer will use in rendering object shapes; a lower setting causes objects to appear more angular and polygonal.
    Setting this higher than 4 via Debug Settings is not recommended.
  • Flexiprims: Determines the amount of detail the viewer will use in rendering flexible object shapes.
  • Trees: Determines the amount of detail the viewer will use in rendering (Linden) tree shapes.
  • Avatars: Determines the amount of detail the viewer will use in rendering avatar shapes.
  • Terrain: Determines the amount of detail the viewer will use in rendering terrain.
  • Sky: Controls the detail with which windlight skies are rendered. Higher values mean better quality but lower performance.
• Avatar Rendering:
  • Avatar imposters: Allows far-away avatars to be subtly rendered as two-dimensional images in order to improve your frame rate in crowded areas.
  • Hardware skinning: This allows some aspects of avatar rendering to be handled by your graphics card to improve performance.
  • Avatar cloth: Allows the rendering of flexible cloth on avatar clothing, such as shirts and flared pants.
• Terrain Detail: Choose the amount of terrain detail you would like to see. Setting this option to Low replaces the ground texture with a low-resolution ground texture.
  This option is not available (ie, it is greyed out) if Basic Shaders is enabled, in which case it is always set to High.

• Presets: Three buttons which allow you to save, load or delete graphics settings presets.

• Anisotropic Filtering: Enables anisotropic filtering to improve texture quality. This setting may reduce your viewer's performance. For more information see this wikipedia page.
• Enable OpenGL Vertex Buffer Objects: VBO on modern hardware gives a performance gain. However, older hardware often has poor implementation of VBOs and the viewer may become unstable when this is enabled. VBO is explained in depth here.
• Enable Streamed VBOs: Allows the use of streamed VBO as well as static; only works if you have VBO enabled.
• Enable Lossy Texture Compression: If this is enabled, texture compression will be enabled for rendering. This gives improved performance, and a smaller grapics memory footprint, at the cost of lower quality rendered textures. Textures are compressed by the video card before being stored into video memory. Given that compressed textures can often end up pixellated, it is not recommended that this be enabled unless you have little video memory. Ref: SL JIRA MAINT-708.

• Antialiasing: Smoothes jagged edges. Renders a scene the number of multiple times that is actually shown and scales it down. Choose the level of antialiasing the viewer will use (requires restart).
• Gamma: Use the Advanced Sky Editor's Scene Gamma control on the Lighting tab instead of this; currently functional only if Atmospheric Shaders are disabled.
• Viewer Texture Memory Buffer (MB): This is the amount of graphics memory the viewer will use. By default, it is set to the size of your graphics card's memory, to a maximum of 768 for 32-bit Firestorm, 1024 for 64-bit Firestorm. Lowering this value may resolve certain texture corruption and performance issues, but under normal circumstances you should not need to alter this setting.
• Fog Distance Ratio: Determines how far away Second Life's fog effect begins. Lower values = closer fog. Only used when you have Atmospheric Shaders disabled. If Atmospheric Shaders are enabled, this effect is handled by the Distance Multiplier control in the Advanced Sky Editor.

• Freeze updates to World (pause everything): This suspends rendering. Useful for picture taking, if you wish to capture a specific scene that might otherwise change while you are preparing.

• Use HTTP Textures: Uses the HTTP protocol to fetch textures as opposed to the older UDP. Always on, as it is required for SL.
• Max Texture Quality Level: If you have a poor connection, you may wish to reduce the level of texture detail. This can be set to Normal, Minimal or None.
  Naturally, setting this to anything other than Normal will result in textures displaying poorly, or not at all. Do not change unless absolutely necessary - for example, if you have a very poor connection but need to be online, and don't care if you can see textures or not.

These options control when alpha masking should be used in an attempt to mitigate the well known alpha sorting issue, in which prims behind other prims may appear to flicker in front. The two options are:

• Render alpha masks when “Advanced Lighting Model” is not enabled
• Render alpha masks when “Advanced Lighting Model” is enabled

• Render Glow: If enabled, shows the glow effect on any prims that have it.
  • Strength: Controls the intensity of the glow effect. The default is 2.
• Show avatars that haven't finished loading: Equivalent to the debug setting RenderUnloadedAvatar.
  Note that this is not a solution to a bake fail, as it doesn't actually fix anything; it merely forces the viewer to display whatever it happens to have managed to load. It is recommended that this be always left disabled.
• Limit Framerate: Yield some time to the local host if a threshold framerate is reached. The framerate limit is set with the slider to the right.
• Show the Scene as Wireframe: Enables wireframe display of everything. Note that this setting does not persist after a relog.
• Enable Attached Lights (Face Lights): Enable this if you wish to see the affects of lights worn by avatars.
• Render Attached Particles: Enable to see particles generated by worn attachments.

• Time to delay while pre-caching before showing world: Allows the world to start caching before it is shown, at login.
• Quality of the shadows: Adjusts the quality of shadows. Note that increasing this will significantly impact rendering speed (FPS).
• Scale of Terrain Texture Rendering (requires restart): Indicates the scale of terrain textures, with lower values being more compressed textures.

Depth of field simulates real life blurring that occurs when things are not in focus. For example, if you are taking a photo of a person, then typically, things in the background will be blurred; the futher away, the more blurred. If you shift your focus to a tree behind the person, then the person will, in turn, become blurred.

For more information, refer here.

You can adjust the following settings to mimic RL camera effects.

• Depth of Field: Enabling this causes out-of-focus objects to be blurred, depending on distance.
  • Enable while in edit mode: Normally, DoF disables when you edit something; if you enable this, DoF will remain active.
• Camera F Number: Controls maximum screen radius from which to sample from, to avoid graphics card In real world terms this is the aperture setting for the lens and the lower the value the shorter the depth of field will be. The same applies to SL.
  The default value is 9.00
• Camera Focal Length mm: This tells the viewer what Focal Length/Lens Length to simulate for the DOF effect. Higher numbers produce a narrower depth of field.
  The default is 50.0
• Camera FOV degs.: This tells the viewer what FOV you would like to simulate for the DOF effect. Higher values will produce a more narrow depth of field.
  The default is 60.00
• Camera Aspect ratio: This is supposed to be aspect ratio of the camera you're modelling. For example, a 35mm camera has an aspect ratio of 3:2 (1.5). Second Life will use this as a frame of reference for how field of view and focal length must be adjusted depending on window size.
  Apparently, this currently has no effect.
  The default is 1.50
• DOF Focus Transition Time: This sets the time in seconds it take to the viewer to change focus from one object.
  The default is 0.50
• DOF Rendering Quality: This determines the quality of the DOF Effect. For non-photography uses '.25' is good. For setting up shots '.50' or '.70' is very nice. For shooting quality images '1.00' is best. Note that High values will slow down your FPS.
  The default is 0.70

There are several volume sliders available here so you can customize the levels for each. Note that the master volume slider affects ALL volume.

• Mute when minimized: Checking this will mute all sounds when you minimize the viewer.

You can enable/disable Streaming music, Media (video) and Voice Chat from the the check boxes to the right of their respective volume sliders. For issues getting audio or media working, refer to this page.

• Play sounds from collisions: (to the right of the Ambient slider) Enable this to hear when collisions occur.
• Play sounds from gestures: (to the right of the Sound Effects slider) Enable this to hear sounds from gestures.

• Play a sound when my friends:¹⁾
  • Log in
  • Log Out

• L$ change theshold: This sets the value above which you will get an audible alert when you receive or spend L$. Amounts below this will not trigger a sound.

• Allow Media to Auto-Play: With this enabled, video will play automatically (not recommended).
• Allow inworld scripts to play media: Will allows scripts to automatically start media (not recommended).
• Play media attached to other avatars: Enables media attached to other avatars (media on a prim).
• Enable media filter (increased security): This will let you control what media stream you connect to, allowing you to whitelist or blacklist any media stream. See this page for more information.
  • Manage Media Sites (button): Allows you to edit your whitelist Domains and blacklist Domains by Adding and Removing from either category. More information is here.
• Media source volume rolloff distance:
  • Starts getting quieter at: This controls when a sound source will start to fade out.
  • Completely disappears at: This controls when a sound source will be no longer audible.

• Allow audio streams to auto-play: With this enabled, streaming music will play automatically (not recommended).

• Enable Parcel Audio Fading: Check this if fading should be used when the parcel audio stream changes.
  • Fade in: duration of the fade in seconds.
  • Fade out: duration of the fade effect in seconds.

• Show stream title notifications: For audio streams that supply this information, the song title will be shown. Can be set to:
  • Off
  • Toasts
  • Nearby Chat
    • Send stream title to chat channel: Lets you choose what channel the viewer uses for the above option.

• Enable Voice: Check here to enable voice.
  • Reset Voice (Circular arrow): If you have problems getting voice to work, try clicking this to reset the vocie software. Should that not help, refer to this page.
• Allow Voice in multiple viewer instances simultaneously: Enable this if you want voice capability in multiple instances of Firestorm.

• Hear Voice from Camera Position: Voices closer to your camera position appear louder.
• Hear Voice from Avatar Position: Vocies closer to your avatar position appear louder.
• Hear Voice equally from everyone: Hear all voices the same.

• Move avatar lips when speaking: (aka “lip sync”) Will cause you to see avatars' lips moving when they speak in voice.
• Show voice visualizers over avatars: Enable this to disaply a white dot over avatars who have voice enabled.
• Show voice visualizers in calls: Show voice indicator and move avatar lips while in a private call.
• Show voice channel state in conversation tabs: Indicate, in conversation tabs, when people have voice enabled.

• Automatically reject all incoming group voice calls: Enable this to automatically decline group voice chat.
• Automatically reject all incoming AdHoc (conference) voice calls: Enable to automatically decline voice conference calls.
• Automatically reject all incoming P2P (avatar with avatar) voice calls: Enable to automatically decline person to person voice calls.

• Toggle speak on/off when I press: Clicking the Set Key button allows you to assign a button on your keyboard to toggle voice.
• Audio Device Settings (button): Opens a section where you can choose your input and output as well as adjust the mic volume. You will be disconnected from in-world voice while this is open. To close simply click the button again.

Here, you can change sounds played when specific “events” happen (for example, the sound played when you get a new IM). You can also chose to disable (or re-enable) sounds on a case by case basis.

To change a sound, locate the “event” you are interested in (example: Taking Snapshot), then paste in the UUID of the sound you wish to use. To obtain the UUID of a sound in your inventory, right click on it and select Copy UUID.
Note that the sound clip needs to be full permissions in order for you to be able to obtain the UUID.)

If you wish to restore the default value, click the D button to the right of the UUID.

The drop down to the far right of each line allows you to enable or disable each sound.

See here for a video describing this.

This tab continues the previous one, with more “event” alert sounds you can change.

This tab continues the previous one, with even more “event” alert sounds you can change.

• Show Hover Tips: This allows you to set what hover tips, if any, you see. Disable this to disable all hover tips. Otherwise, enable it and then you can opt to indicate which hover tips you want to show:
  • on All Objects
  • on Land
    
    
  • Hovertip Trigger Delay: Allows you to choose how long your mouse has to hover over something before you get a hovertip. You can specify different delays for:
    • Tooltips
    • Avatars
    • Objects
      
      
  • Show extended information in hover tips: If this is enabled, hovertips will show details about the object your mouse is over, such as the owner, prim count, etc. Otherwise, hover tips will show just the object name.
  • Show avatar group titles in hovertips: If enabled, avatars' current group titles will display, along with the name, when your mouse over them.

• Floating text fade distance (in m): Sets the distance where floating text starts to fade.
• Flaoting text fade range (in m): Sets the range it takes for floating text to go from fully visible to fully invisible.

• UI Scaling (may cause side effects): Adjust the slider to choose the UI size.
  NOTE that too high may mean you cannot see all of your UI. This may also “break” some UI elements.

• Script Dialogs per Object: Controls how many dialogs get opened:
  • One per object - means if a second one opens either the first or second will not appear.
  • One per Object & Channel - means you can have more than one per object but only if they use different channels to interact.
  • Unconstrained - means you can see as many menus/dialogs as may be generated.
    • Remove “Block” button: Popup windows that are generated by scripts have a “Block” button on them; this allows you to easily mute the object that sent the popup, in cases of popup spam griefing. If you find this confusing and think you might click it by mistake, then you can disable it here.
      Note: muting an object also mutes the object owner; do not block popups from vendors without very good reason, or you will not receive items you purchase from them.
      You can review your listed of blocked people and objects in the Block/Mute List.
• Script Dialogs Position: You can select where on the screen scripted popup windows should appear.
  • Animate Script Dialogs: Enable this to replicate old style (V1) behavior when opening script dialogs. Only works if they open at the top of the screen.

• Visible rows per script dialog: Maximum number of lines visible in a script dialog window.

• Use Pie Menu: Allows you to have pie menus (on by default). If disabled, this gives the V2-style vertical drop down instead. You can override the colors used by the pie menu in Preferences→ Colors -> Miscellaneous.
• Group Group Notices and chiclets in Top Right: Moves other dialogs (group notices, payments, etc.) to the topright corner (V1 style).
• Hide group and IM chat chiclets: If this is enabled, the chiclets representing open and new IM and group chat messages will be hidden, leaving on the general chat bubble; if this is clicked, you will get a list of open IMs/groups chats.
• Use legacy list layout for Notifications window: Enable this to use the old style notifications window.

• Flashing IM tabs override: allows you to fine tune how long and fast the IM tabs flash:
  • Number of times IM tabs flash
  • IM tab flash rate (Hz)

• Show traffic indicator in upper right corner of the screen: Enable this if you want to display a small traffic meter in the upper right corner of the menu bar. This will show your current packet loss (left bar), and bandwidth usage (right bar).
  • Use legacy period mean per second display for lag meter: If enabled, Firestorm will use the legacy method of showing the period mean per second value in the meter instead of the current observed value.
  • Clicking on traffic indicator opens Statistics instead of the Lag meter: Opens Statistics instead of Lag meter.
• Show media controls in top menu: If you disable this, the media controls are removed from the upper right of the screen. You can still acess volume controls in Preferences→ Sound & Media -> Sounds, if needed, or just re-enable this option.
• Show simulator channel in status bar: Shows the region channel name in the status bar. Nothing is shown for Main Channel regions.
• Show Location in top menu: Shows the current region and parcel names in the top menu bar.
• Show Menu Search: Enable searching the top menu bar.
• Show Currency Balance: Display your L$ balance in the menu bar.

• Show Favorites Bar: Display the contents of your Favorites folder.
• Show Navigation and Search Bar: Add this bar to the top of the screen.

• Open avatar profile directly when clicking on its name: If enabled, when you click on someone's name in chat, it opens the profile immediately. With this disabled, you get a small summary window.
• Use web profiles by default: Displays user profiles as web profiles rather than in a profile window.
• Disable automatic opening of block list: Enable this option if you do not want the block (mute) list to open when you block a person or object.
• 'Friends' and 'Groups' in 'Comm' menu opens the V3 based windows: If enabled, Friends and Groups will open in the People panel; otherwise they will open in the Contacts panel.

• Use stand-alone windows:
  • Group profiles: If enabled, group profile windows will open in separate windows; if disabled, they will open in the same window, with the second opened replacing the first.
  • Teleport history: if enabled, teleport history will open in a window separate from the landmarks window.
  • Block/mute list: Keeps the list of blocked residents separate from the people panel.
  • Landmarks, place details and teleport history details: Similar to the above, but keeps each type of “location” window separate, rather than grouping onto a single window.

• Extend teleport history by: Enable these options to record additional information in your teleport history:
  • Position
  • Date

• Contact list options: Options concerning what is shown in your friends list, and how it is sorted.
  Note that some options have no effect if you have the corresponding option disabled in Prererences → General. For example, if you have disabled display names, then sorting your friends list by display name will have no effect, and therefore is best set to Username.
  • Visible name columns: Here you can select which name colums to shwo in your friends list: username, display name, or full name (see below).
  • Sort list by: What to use to sort your friends list, username or display name.
  • Show full name as: a full name can be shown as Username (Display name), or Display name (username).
  • Show permissions column: If enabled, this shows what permissions you have granted to each friends (eg, online status, edit rights, showing location on map, etc), and which they have granted to you.
  • Show search filter: adds a search box to the list window.

• Inventory Options:
  • Hide empty system folders from inventory: If enabled, the inventory window will not display any system folders (eg, Favorites, Landmarks, etc) that have nothing in them.
  • Show the Received Items folder in normal inventory: If enabled, this folder will be show in the normal inventory list of folders, rather than as a panel under the folder list.
    • Always show Received Items buttons at th bottom of inventory: Only available if the option above is enabled. When this is on, you will also have the button showing on the inventory window.
  • Allow separate search terms on each tab in inventory: If enabled, you can enter different words/phrases in the search bar of the Inventory window: each of Inventory, Recent and Worn can be searched independently.

• Notification Display Settings (Popups, console, toasts): This is where you can fine tune the way your “Toasts” look and act:
  • Space between lowest Toast and bottom (pixels)
  • Notification Toast life (seconds): How long group notices remain open.
  • Tip Toast life (seconds): applies to notificants such as after a TP, you see “Teleport completed from…”. Also includes the friend on/offline notification toasts.
  • Nearby Chat Toast life (seconds)
  • Nearby Chat Toast z-offset (pixels)
  • Nearby Chat Toast fade time (seconds)
  • Startup toast life (seconds)
  • Normal Toast fade time (seconds)
  • Gap between Toasts (pixels)
  • Height of Overflow Toast (pixels)
  • Width of Nearby Chat Toast (%)

• Show toasts in front of other windows: If enabled, toasts will always stay above (cover) any other open windows; otherwise, other widows will be allowed to cover, and potentially hide, toasts.
• Use new region restart notification: Enable this to use the new system for region restart notifications, which can include a distinctive sound and screen shake.
  The alert sound feature can be enabled/disabled in Preferences → Sound & Media -> UI Sounds 3.
  • Don't shake my screen when the region restart alert message is shown: Check this to disable the screen shake feature.

• Font Scheme: Allows you to choose one of the following fonts from the drop down menu.
• Dyslexia:
  Image may be NSFW.
  Clik here to view.
• Droid:
  Image may be NSFW.
  Clik here to view.
• Mobi:
  Image may be NSFW.
  Clik here to view.
• Ubuntu:
  Image may be NSFW.
  Clik here to view.
• Liberation:
  Image may be NSFW.
  Clik here to view.
• Deja Vu:
  Image may be NSFW.
  Clik here to view.
• Roboto:
  Image may be NSFW.
  Clik here to view.
• Font Size Adjustment: Lets you change the size of the font. NOTE that this may cause issues.
• Chat Line spacing: spacing between lines of text.
• Folder Item Height: Height of items in inventory.

• Show Hover Tips: This allows you to set what hover tips, if any, you see. Disable this to disable all hover tips. Otherwise, enable it and then you can opt to indicate which hover tips you want to show:
  • on All Objects
  • on Land
    
    
  • Hovertip Trigger Delay: Allows you to choose how long your mouse has to hover over something before you get a hovertip. You can specify different delays for:
    • Tooltips
    • Avatars
    • Objects
      
      
  • Show extended information in hover tips: If this is enabled, hovertips will show details about the object your mouse is over, such as the owner, prim count, etc. Otherwise, hover tips will show just the object name.
  • Show avatar group titles in hovertips: If enabled, avatars' current group titles will display, along with the name, when your mouse over them.

• Floating text fade distance (in m): Sets the distance where floating text starts to fade.
• Flaoting text fade range (in m): Sets the range it takes for floating text to go from fully visible to fully invisible.

• UI Scaling (may cause side effects): Adjust the slider to choose the UI size.
  NOTE that too high may mean you cannot see all of your UI. This may also “break” some UI elements.

• Script Dialogs per Object: Controls how many dialogs get opened:
  • One per object - means if a second one opens either the first or second will not appear.
  • One per Object & Channel - means you can have more than one per object but only if they use different channels to interact.
  • Unconstrained - means you can see as many menus/dialogs as may be generated.
    • Remove “Block” button: Popup windows that are generated by scripts have a “Block” button on them; this allows you to easily mute the object that sent the popup, in cases of popup spam griefing. If you find this confusing and think you might click it by mistake, then you can disable it here.
      Note: muting an object also mutes the object owner; do not block popups from vendors without very good reason, or you will not receive items you purchase from them.
      You can review your listed of blocked people and objects in the Block/Mute List.
• Script Dialogs Position: You can select where on the screen scripted popup windows should appear.
  • Animate Script Dialogs: Enable this to replicate old style (V1) behavior when opening script dialogs. Only works if they open at the top of the screen.

• Visible rows per script dialog: Maximum number of lines visible in a script dialog window.

• Use Pie Menu: Allows you to have pie menus (on by default). If disabled, this gives the V2-style vertical drop down instead. You can override the colors used by the pie menu in Preferences→ Colors -> Miscellaneous.
  • Enable text animation: If enabled, the text within the pie is also animated.
  • Enable outer ring shade: Adds shading to the outside of the ring, to further draw attention to the selected “slice”.
• Group Group Notices and chiclets in Top Right: Moves other dialogs (group notices, payments, etc.) to the topright corner (V1 style).
• Hide group and IM chat chiclets: If this is enabled, the chiclets representing open and new IM and group chat messages will be hidden, leaving on the general chat bubble; if this is clicked, you will get a list of open IMs/groups chats.
• Use legacy list layout for Notifications window: Enable this to use the old style notifications window.

• Flashing IM tabs override: allows you to fine tune how long and fast the IM tabs flash:
  • Number of times IM tabs flash
  • IM tab flash rate (Hz)

• Show traffic indicator in upper right corner of the screen: Enable this if you want to display a small traffic meter in the upper right corner of the menu bar. This will show your current packet loss (left bar), and bandwidth usage (right bar).
  • Use legacy period mean per second display for lag meter: If enabled, Firestorm will use the legacy method of showing the period mean per second value in the meter instead of the current observed value.
  • Clicking on traffic indicator opens Statistics instead of the Lag meter: Opens Statistics instead of Lag meter.
• Show media controls in top menu: If you disable this, the media controls are removed from the upper right of the screen. You can still acess volume controls in Preferences→ Sound & Media -> Sounds, if needed, or just re-enable this option.
• Show simulator channel in status bar: Shows the region channel name in the status bar. Nothing is shown for Main Channel regions.
• Show Location in top menu: Shows the current region and parcel names in the top menu bar.
• Show Menu Search: Enable searching the top menu bar.
• Show Currency Balance: Display your L$ balance in the menu bar.

• Show Favorites Bar: Display the contents of your Favorites folder.
• Show Navigation and Search Bar: Add this bar to the top of the screen.
  • Show Search Bar: Allows the search portion of the navigation bar to be enabled/disabled

• Open avatar profile directly when clicking on its name: If enabled, when you click on someone's name in chat, it opens the profile immediately. With this disabled, you get a small summary window.
• Use web profiles by default: Displays user profiles as web profiles rather than in a profile window.
• Disable automatic opening of block list: Enable this option if you do not want the block (mute) list to open when you block a person or object.
• 'Friends' and 'Groups' in 'Comm' menu opens the V3 based windows: If enabled, Friends and Groups will open in the People panel; otherwise they will open in the Contacts panel.

• Use stand-alone windows:
  • Group profiles: If enabled, group profile windows will open in separate windows; if disabled, they will open in the same window, with the second opened replacing the first.
  • Teleport history: if enabled, teleport history will open in a window separate from the landmarks window.
  • Block/mute list: Keeps the list of blocked residents separate from the people panel.
  • Landmarks, place details and teleport history details: Similar to the above, but keeps each type of “location” window separate, rather than grouping onto a single window.

• Extend teleport history by: Enable these options to record additional information in your teleport history:
  • Position
  • Date

• Contact list options: Options concerning what is shown in your friends list, and how it is sorted.
  Note that some options have no effect if you have the corresponding option disabled in Prererences → General. For example, if you have disabled display names, then sorting your friends list by display name will have no effect, and therefore is best set to Username.
  • Visible name columns: Here you can select which name colums to shwo in your friends list: username, display name, or full name (see below).
  • Sort list by: What to use to sort your friends list, username or display name.
  • Show full name as: a full name can be shown as Username (Display name), or Display name (username).
  • Show permissions column: If enabled, this shows what permissions you have granted to each friends (eg, online status, edit rights, showing location on map, etc), and which they have granted to you.
  • Show search filter: adds a search box to the list window.

• Inventory Options:
  • Hide empty system folders from inventory: If enabled, the inventory window will not display any system folders (eg, Favorites, Landmarks, etc) that have nothing in them.
  • Show the Received Items folder in normal inventory: If enabled, this folder will be show in the normal inventory list of folders, rather than as a panel under the folder list.
    • Always show Received Items buttons at th bottom of inventory: Only available if the option above is enabled. When this is on, you will also have the button showing on the inventory window.
  • Allow separate search terms on each tab in inventory: If enabled, you can enter different words/phrases in the search bar of the Inventory window: each of Inventory, Recent and Worn can be searched independently.

• Notification Display Settings (Popups, console, toasts): This is where you can fine tune the way your “Toasts” look and act:
  • Space between lowest Toast and bottom (pixels)
  • Notification Toast life (seconds): How long group notices remain open.
  • Tip Toast life (seconds): applies to notificants such as after a TP, you see “Teleport completed from…”. Also includes the friend on/offline notification toasts.
  • Nearby Chat Toast life (seconds)
  • Nearby Chat Toast z-offset (pixels)
  • Nearby Chat Toast fade time (seconds)
  • Startup toast life (seconds)
  • Normal Toast fade time (seconds)
  • Gap between Toasts (pixels)
  • Height of Overflow Toast (pixels)
  • Width of Nearby Chat Toast (%)

• Show toasts in front of other windows: If enabled, toasts will always stay above (cover) any other open windows; otherwise, other widows will be allowed to cover, and potentially hide, toasts.
• Use new region restart notification: Enable this to use the new system for region restart notifications, which can include a distinctive sound and screen shake.
  The alert sound feature can be enabled/disabled in Preferences → Sound & Media -> UI Sounds 3.
  • Don't shake my screen when the region restart alert message is shown: Check this to disable the screen shake feature.

• Font Scheme: Allows you to choose one of the following fonts from the drop down menu.
• Dyslexia:
  Image may be NSFW.
  Clik here to view.
• Droid:
  Image may be NSFW.
  Clik here to view.
• Mobi:
  Image may be NSFW.
  Clik here to view.
• Ubuntu:
  Image may be NSFW.
  Clik here to view.
• Liberation:
  Image may be NSFW.
  Clik here to view.
• Deja Vu:
  Image may be NSFW.
  Clik here to view.
• Roboto:
  Image may be NSFW.
  Clik here to view.
• Font Size Adjustment: Lets you change the size of the font. NOTE that this may cause issues.
• Chat Line spacing: spacing between lines of text.
• Folder Item Height: Height of items in inventory.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

As part of our summer series of entertainment The Firestorm Gateway is always honored to have wonderful opportunity to feature a live musicians to our regions. In my opinion music is the food of the Second Life community. Music and art fills our spaces and the air we breathe, they are a large part of our existence and why we return.

We are honored this week by another great performer who will feed our minds and souls.As part of our monthly celebration of life the Firestorm Team and Gateway invite you to come celebrate anyone who has a Rez Day in July at our Snow Ball on Sunday, July 17, 20106 at Noon. This monthly event is for the entire SL Community to introduce you to our region as well as a chance for some of us to meet and greet you!

The month its Snow Ball Fun with Music. This should cool off your hot summer day!

Coming Soon: Thursday, July 28th, 2016 at Noon Mark your Calendar!!

The Firestorm Gateway is honored to have live country singer Luke Auster perform for you and all of us here at our Gateway into SL. Luke is known as “the Voice with a Heart,” and has been singing in Second Life since January 2012. He brings his passion for music for one and all to hear at his show that will excite all who come to listen. He performs a broad range of music that not only includes country, but also rock as well. Please come join all of us at the Gateway to hear Luke sing while you meet new friends as they learn about the SL community through one of our favorite past times, Music.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.There is a wonderful group of creative individuals that meets on Friday and Sunday evenings at 6 PMSLT who actively roleplay on our Region. They welcome anyone from beginner to experienced role players to take part in the Sci Fi experience. Get your Trekie on with us at The Gateway!

Spoken Word Sunday, August 7, 2016 3 to 5 PMSLT Story Tellers will be at the Firstor

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

On occasion we are beginning to feature a few games, like Primtionary, Bingo and Trivia, from time to time at the Firestorm Gateway in our Small Event Space, just down the path from the Social Club House.

It is our hope you will come by to meet new friends and share some giggles while you learn more about Second Life, as well as its endless entertainment experiences that keep our community members coming back. Events Calendar

Watch our wiki to see what is happening next at the Gateway.

On Tuesday, June 28th, 2016 live Blues performer JavaJoe MacIntyre graced our stage at The Firestorm Gateway. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Joe's talent was truly heartfelt. All of us were impressed by his originals and mashups of popular songs like his versions of Eric Clapton's “Layla” and Cream's “White Room” to mention a couple of the many he played for us. Many “sang-a-long” (we do it in text of course) and stayed the entire show, including the Encore. His music is new yet strangely familiar. You can sample his vibes for yourself at www.jjmac.bandcamp.com or in Second Life by utilizing our viewer “Search” feature and “Events.”

Check out our Events Calendar for more opportunities like this one and to also learn more about why so many are drawn to Second Life by experiencing our community first hand by downloading the Firestorm Viewer to begin your own “Second Life.”

Firestorm Team and The Firestorm Gateway celebrated anyone who has a Rez Day in June on Sunday, June 12th at noon SLT,

These events are for the entire SL Community to introduce you to our region as well as a chance for some of team to meet and greet you!

Guest Dj Yogi Enyo rocked everyone with some great 1980's Music. Yogi has been a Dj for 7 years in Sl and has a vast music collection.

The Celebration for June Rezzies Day continued with a live performance featuring “Da Bluez Preacher” SRV4U Conacher and his guitar “Wilma” played live on our stage. Preacher lit up the stage with live electric and acoustic blues that were high energy standards like SRV, BB King, Buddy Guy and the like.

He also debuted a version of a Happy Rez Day Song to all the June Rezzies. We all had ROCKING fun. The Firestorm Gateway

Please Come Celebrate Your July Rez Day at .

Watch for more amazing events at the Firestorm Gateway.

• Allow Remote Scripted Viewer Controls (aka RLVa or RestrainedLove API): Enables RLVa (Requires restart).
  Documentation on RLV is available here and here.
• Always rez objects under the land group if possible: Many regions are set to only let objects be rezzed by group. When creating an object, the viewer will attempt to set the group of the object if the avatar is in the same group as set for the land.
• Create particle effects when scripts communicate: If this is enabled, when a script “chats”, the object containing the script will appear to generate swirling particles. Disable this option to turn that effect off.
• Deactivate tracking beacon when reaching the targetted avatar (⇐ 3m): Normally, a tracking becon (such as one set via map will vanish once get get within 3m of it; with this disabled, the beacon will remain visible until clicked.
• Disable Login Progress Screens: Disables the black login progress screen.
• Disable Logout Progress Screens: Disables the black logout progress screen.

• Enable progressive draw distance stepping: Enables PDD; the slider allows you to adjust the time in seconds between each draw distance increment.

• Enable LSL-Client Bridge: Enables the Firestorm bridge. See this page for more on what the bridge is and what it does.
• Flight Assist drop-down: The bridge can offer flight assist functionality, if this is enabled. Note that you should not wear any other scripted flight assist if you turn this on, as they will conflict. (Requires the bridge to be enabled.)
  Flight speed can be boosted; you can select by how much.
  Note that the SL flight height limit is now 5000m; below this, a flight assist is not required.

• Block left-click sitting on objects: Some objects are set such that a left click will result in sitting on them rather than touching; enable this if you want to avoid accidentally sitting on such objects. But note that this will prevent all left-click sitting; you will need to explicitly right click and select sit from the menu.
• Allow scripts to show map UI (llMapDestination): Certain teleport systems open the map for teleporting when clicked. Enable this if you wish to allow this feature.
  If you find the world map unexpectedly opening for you at some locations, and re-opening if you shut it, disable this setting temporarily, until you leave that location.

• Revoke Permissions: Removes an object's permission to animate or control your input. If this is not done, the object retains permission to animate your avatar indefinitely¹⁾:
  • Never (original behaviour): Objects will retain permission to always animate your avatar.
  • Revoke on SIT: Revokes permission when you sit on the object.
  • Revoke on STAND: Revokes permission when you stand up from sitting on the object.
  • Revoke on SIT and STAND: Revokes permission when you either sit or stand.
• Texture Lag Protection:
  • Automatically hide large objects with high texture area: Enabling this will cause objects with large texture area to not be rendered. This can be used to combat griefing done via specific objects.
  • Threshold: Sets the threshold area to use; prims over this value will not be rendered. This may cause some normal objects to not display either.
• Enable Spam Protection: These items allow you to protect yourself against various forms of spam, such as might be used in griefing attacks:
  • Max lines in a single message: this is the limit where the spam protection will start blocking messages from that source. ie. anything over this number of lines will be clocked.
  • Max events from same source: indicates the maximum number of events that can be recieved from a single source in 2 seconds before the source is blocked.
  • Sound play requests multiplier:
  • Sound preload requests multiplier:
  • Unblock all spam sources: will unblock anything that was blocked by the spam protection.
• Confirm before paying. Threshold: Shows a confirmation dialog before paying sums over this value. To always shows a confirmation, set the value to 0 (zero).

• Amount that Avatar's head follows Mouse: Set both these sliders to zero if you do not want your avatar's head following the mouse cursor for unfocused mouse movement. They do not affect whether your head moves to look at something your camera is focused on.
  • Vertical range that avatar's head follows mouse: Controls how far or how little your head moves up and down to follow the movement of your mouse cursor.
  • Horizontal range that avatar's head follows mouse: Controls how far or how little your head moves left and right to follow the movement of your mouse cursor.

• Selection beam particle effects:
  • Beam updates/sec: Controls how many particles the stream uses
  • Scale: Width of beam particle effect
• Enable selection beam: Disable/enable the display of the particle beam
• Send selection data to chat: (Formerly called SL Particle Chat). If enabled, selection start/stop information, and global position of an object being selected (edited) are sent on chat channel 9000.

• LSL-Client Bridge external protocol integration:²⁾
  • Allow OpenCollar protocol to enable or disable the built in AO
  • Allow LockMeister protocol to enable or disable the built in AO

• Automatically change environment to use region/parcel settings: If enabled, your WL settings will change if you TP into a region that has windlight region-level windlight settings. This is the same as top menu bar→ World → Environment Editor → Environment Settings→ Always use parcel/region settings.
• Crossfade region environment sky presets changes made from quick prefs: Dynamically transitions sky settings.
• Crossfade region environment water presets changes made from quick prefs: Dynamically changes water settings.

• Use Firestorm Parcel Windlight sharing: Enables parcel level windlight sharing.
  • Auto apply WL settings from friend's land: If enabled the viewer will automatically see the windlight settings (no prompt) on a friends land if set.
  • Auto apply WL settings from my groups' land: If enabled the viewer will automatically see the windlight settings (no prompt) on group land if they are set.
  • Auto apply WL settings from any parcel: If enabled the viewer will automatically see the windlight settings (no prompt)on all parcels with it set by the owner.
  • Crossfade region environment changes for Parcel WL: Allows for dynamic changes between WL settings when a region with WL settings has parcels with their own, different, settings.
• Crossfading duration: You can indicate how long the above crossfade transition effect should last.
• Cloud Texture: You can select a different texture to be used to create Windlight clouds. Select from the drop down list. A relog is mostly likely required after changing.

Please refer to this page for more information on using Windlight with Firestorm.

NOTE: For a video tutorial on setting custom default prim parameters, see here.

Allows you to change parameters of your prim when it is first rezzed.

• x/y/z Size: Sets the size, in meters, of the prim.

Default settings to use for newly created objects.

• Phantom
• Physical
• Temporary
• Material: Lets you choose the default material

Set default texture parameters for newly created objects.

• Texture: Select the default texture to apply to newly created prims. Click to open the texture picker window.
• Color: Click to open the color picker window, to select a default color.
• Alpha: default transparency value.
• Glow: Default value for glow.
• Full Bright: whether full bright should be on by default or not.
• Shiny: A drop down from which you can select the default shiny value.

It is possible to automatically include an item into newly created prims.

• Embed an item into new prims: Enable this to embed items.
  Then drag the desired item (for example, a landmark) into the space marked Drop an inventory item here. Once dropped, the space below will show the name of the item.

Default Creation Permissions Opens a window which allows you to select permissions to be applied, by default, to newly created items of different types. (Same as top menu, Build → Options → Set Default Permissions.))

Allows you to change the pivot point of an object.

• Show axis arrow on root prim position: Moves the axis from the center of the object to the center of the root.
• Values are percent: When enabled the values are percentages.

• Enable LSL Preprocessor: Enables the functionality offered by the LSL Preprocessor. This has a few additional options, if enabled:
  • Script optimizer: Enables the script optimizer
  • Switch() statement: Enables Switch/case statements.
  • Lazy lists Enables Lazy lists.
  • #includes from local disk Allows the use of the #include directive.
  • Preprocessor include path

• Enable highlighting of selected prims: Shows the yellow highlight on prims you select. Deselecting this can increase viewer performance when several prims are selected.
• Limit Select distance: Enable this is you wish to limit the distance at which you may select (edit) objects. To the right, you can specify the maximum distance, if this option is enabled.
• Limit drag distance: If enabled, you won't be able to move objects over a distance greater than the limit set to the right. Disable to remove limits.
• Constrain rotations to multiples of: Manual rotations will always “snap” to this number of degrees - when “snap to grid” is disabled.
• Show unlink confirmation dialog if linkset has minimum: When unlinking a linkset, you will be asked for confirmation if there are this many, or more, linked items.
• Use old “Set Object For Sale” behavior: Uses the old style for setting objects for sale. The new behavior safeguards against an object being purchased for the default 10L$ while you are setting the correct price. You click “For sale”, specify the price, then click Apply.
• Save scripts edited from inventory as Mono: Allows you to set that scripts edited in inventory, will compile with Mono rather than LSL2.
• Save textures from inventory to disk as PNG instead of TGA by default: Changes the default image save format, to save you having to change it manually.
• Use Ctrl+mouse to grab and manipulate objects: If this is enabled, pressing Control while left clicking an object, will allow you to move it in-world.
• Allow click-drag or click-scale (together with caps lock) of a texture face in build mode: If this is enabled, you will be able to click and drag - or scale- textures on a prim face. To do this, you need to be in Edit mode on the prim, enable Select Texture then click the prim face that you wish to modify.
• Preview animations on own avatar during upload: If enabled, animations will be played in preview on your avatar when uploading them.

• Allow Remote Scripted Viewer Controls (aka RLVa or RestrainedLove API): Enables RLVa (Requires restart).
  Documentation on RLV is available here and here.
• Always rez objects under the land group if possible: Many regions are set to only let objects be rezzed by group. When creating an object, the viewer will attempt to set the group of the object if the avatar is in the same group as set for the land.
• Create particle effects when scripts communicate: If this is enabled, when a script “chats”, the object containing the script will appear to generate swirling particles. Disable this option to turn that effect off.
• Deactivate tracking beacon when reaching the targetted avatar (⇐ 3m): Normally, a tracking becon (such as one set via map will vanish once get get within 3m of it; with this disabled, the beacon will remain visible until clicked.
• Disable Login Progress Screens: Disables the black login progress screen.
• Disable Logout Progress Screens: Disables the black logout progress screen.

• Enable progressive draw distance stepping: Enables PDD; the slider allows you to adjust the time in seconds between each draw distance increment.

• Enable LSL-Client Bridge: Enables the Firestorm bridge. See this page for more on what the bridge is and what it does.
• Flight Assist drop-down: The bridge can offer flight assist functionality, if this is enabled. Note that you should not wear any other scripted flight assist if you turn this on, as they will conflict. (Requires the bridge to be enabled.)
  Flight speed can be boosted; you can select by how much.
  Note that the SL flight height limit is now 5000m; below this, a flight assist is not required.

• Block left-click sitting on objects: Some objects are set such that a left click will result in sitting on them rather than touching; enable this if you want to avoid accidentally sitting on such objects. But note that this will prevent all left-click sitting; you will need to explicitly right click and select sit from the menu.
• Allow scripts to show map UI (llMapDestination): Certain teleport systems open the map for teleporting when clicked. Enable this if you wish to allow this feature.
  If you find the world map unexpectedly opening for you at some locations, and re-opening if you shut it, disable this setting temporarily, until you leave that location.

• Revoke Permissions: Removes an object's permission to animate or control your input. If this is not done, the object retains permission to animate your avatar indefinitely¹⁾:
  • Never (original behaviour): Objects will retain permission to always animate your avatar.
  • Revoke on SIT: Revokes permission when you sit on the object.
  • Revoke on STAND: Revokes permission when you stand up from sitting on the object.
  • Revoke on SIT and STAND: Revokes permission when you either sit or stand.
• Texture Lag Protection:
  • Automatically hide large objects with high texture area: Enabling this will cause objects with large texture area to not be rendered. This can be used to combat griefing done via specific objects.
  • Threshold: Sets the threshold area to use; prims over this value will not be rendered. This may cause some normal objects to not display either.
• Enable Spam Protection: These items allow you to protect yourself against various forms of spam, such as might be used in griefing attacks:
  • Max lines in a single message: this is the limit where the spam protection will start blocking messages from that source. ie. anything over this number of lines will be clocked.
  • Max events from same source: indicates the maximum number of events that can be recieved from a single source in 2 seconds before the source is blocked.
  • Sound play requests multiplier:
  • Sound preload requests multiplier:
  • Unblock all spam sources: will unblock anything that was blocked by the spam protection.
• Confirm before paying. Threshold: Shows a confirmation dialog before paying sums over this value. To always shows a confirmation, set the value to 0 (zero).

• Amount that Avatar's head follows Mouse: Set both these sliders to zero if you do not want your avatar's head following the mouse cursor for unfocused mouse movement. They do not affect whether your head moves to look at something your camera is focused on.
  • Vertical range that avatar's head follows mouse: Controls how far or how little your head moves up and down to follow the movement of your mouse cursor.
  • Horizontal range that avatar's head follows mouse: Controls how far or how little your head moves left and right to follow the movement of your mouse cursor.
  • Disable random avatar eye movements: As the title suggests.

• Selection beam particle effects:
  • Beam updates/sec: Controls how many particles the stream uses
  • Scale: Width of beam particle effect
• Enable selection beam: Disable/enable the display of the particle beam
• Send selection data to chat: (Formerly called SL Particle Chat). If enabled, selection start/stop information, and global position of an object being selected (edited) are sent on chat channel 9000.

• LSL-Client Bridge external protocol integration:²⁾
  • Allow OpenCollar protocol to enable or disable the built in AO
  • Allow LockMeister protocol to enable or disable the built in AO

• Automatically change environment to use region/parcel settings: If enabled, your WL settings will change if you TP into a region that has windlight region-level windlight settings. This is the same as top menu bar→ World → Environment Editor → Environment Settings→ Always use parcel/region settings.
• Crossfade region environment sky presets changes made from quick prefs: Dynamically transitions sky settings.
• Crossfade region environment water presets changes made from quick prefs: Dynamically changes water settings.

• Use Firestorm Parcel Windlight sharing: Enables parcel level windlight sharing.
  • Auto apply WL settings from friend's land: If enabled the viewer will automatically see the windlight settings (no prompt) on a friends land if set.
  • Auto apply WL settings from my groups' land: If enabled the viewer will automatically see the windlight settings (no prompt) on group land if they are set.
  • Auto apply WL settings from any parcel: If enabled the viewer will automatically see the windlight settings (no prompt)on all parcels with it set by the owner.
  • Crossfade region environment changes for Parcel WL: Allows for dynamic changes between WL settings when a region with WL settings has parcels with their own, different, settings.
• Crossfading duration: You can indicate how long the above crossfade transition effect should last.
• Cloud Texture: You can select a different texture to be used to create Windlight clouds. Select from the drop down list. A relog is mostly likely required after changing.

Please refer to this page for more information on using Windlight with Firestorm.

NOTE: For a video tutorial on setting custom default prim parameters, see here.

Allows you to change parameters of your prim when it is first rezzed.

• x/y/z Size: Sets the size, in meters, of the prim.

Default settings to use for newly created objects.

• Phantom
• Physical
• Temporary
• Material: Lets you choose the default material

Set default texture parameters for newly created objects.

• Texture: Select the default texture to apply to newly created prims. Click to open the texture picker window.
• Color: Click to open the color picker window, to select a default color.
• Alpha: default transparency value.
• Glow: Default value for glow.
• Full Bright: whether full bright should be on by default or not.
• Shiny: A drop down from which you can select the default shiny value.

It is possible to automatically include an item into newly created prims.

• Embed an item into new prims: Enable this to embed items.
  Then drag the desired item (for example, a landmark) into the space marked Drop an inventory item here. Once dropped, the space below will show the name of the item.

Default Creation Permissions Opens a window which allows you to select permissions to be applied, by default, to newly created items of different types. (Same as top menu, Build → Options → Set Default Permissions.))

Allows you to change the pivot point of an object.

• Show axis arrow on root prim position: Moves the axis from the center of the object to the center of the root.
• Values are percent: When enabled the values are percentages.

• Enable LSL Preprocessor: Enables the functionality offered by the LSL Preprocessor. This has a few additional options, if enabled:
  • Script optimizer: Enables the script optimizer
  • Switch() statement: Enables Switch/case statements.
  • Lazy lists Enables Lazy lists.
  • #includes from local disk Allows the use of the #include directive.
  • Preprocessor include path

• Enable highlighting of selected prims: Shows the yellow highlight on prims you select. Deselecting this can increase viewer performance when several prims are selected.
• Highlight boundary of currently selected parcel: When editing an object, this will outline the containing parcel.
  • Show boundary up to maximum build height: When this is enabled, the highlight will be extended up to the max build height (currently 4096m).
• Limit Select distance: Enable this is you wish to limit the distance at which you may select (edit) objects. To the right, you can specify the maximum distance, if this option is enabled.
• Limit drag distance: If enabled, you won't be able to move objects over a distance greater than the limit set to the right. Disable to remove limits.
• Constrain rotations to multiples of: Manual rotations will always “snap” to this number of degrees - when “snap to grid” is disabled.
• Show unlink confirmation dialog if linkset has minimum: When unlinking a linkset, you will be asked for confirmation if there are this many, or more, linked items.
• Use old “Set Object For Sale” behavior: Uses the old style for setting objects for sale. The new behavior safeguards against an object being purchased for the default 10L$ while you are setting the correct price. You click “For sale”, specify the price, then click Apply.
• Save scripts edited from inventory as Mono: Allows you to set that scripts edited in inventory, will compile with Mono rather than LSL2.
• Save textures from inventory to disk as PNG instead of TGA by default: Changes the default image save format, to save you having to change it manually.
• Use Ctrl+mouse to grab and manipulate objects: If this is enabled, pressing Control while left clicking an object, will allow you to move it in-world.
• Allow click-drag or click-scale (together with caps lock) of a texture face in build mode: If this is enabled, you will be able to click and drag - or scale- textures on a prim face. To do this, you need to be in Edit mode on the prim, enable Select Texture then click the prim face that you wish to modify.
• Preview animations on own avatar during upload: If enabled, animations will be played in preview on your avatar when uploading them.