Dynamic Shadows Added to SL Release Candidate As "Experimental" Feature

Finally, the rumors are confirmed: the latest release candidate of Second Life, 1.23, includes dynamic shadows as an "experimental/unsupported" feature. Here's the wiki documentation: requires a GeForce 8 or Radeon HD2600 or better to work, which unfortunately, includes me out. There's at least two open source versions of the SL viewer which also incorporate shadows: KirstenLee's Shadowdraft, and Boy Lane's Shadow Viewer. So now Residents with a smoking graphics card have several options. I put it to them: which version of dynamic shadows do you most prefer so far? (Thanks, by the way, to GlitterRock Nexen for cluing me in on the addition last night.)

Update, 9:32am: Several people report difficulty figuring out how to enable dynamic shadows; however, the Lindens won't offer help at this time: "[T]here are instructions in various places," Q. Linden writes in the announcement's comments, "I'm going to make you find them and understand them yourself, because I want to emphasize how unsupported this is." So, can anyone point people to decent documentation?

Update 2, 4:10pm: Here's much advice on enabling shadows in Comments-- thanks to Steven Hynes, QueenKellee Kuu, Leila Carroll, and melponeme_k.

Comments

[Jovin]

Some welcome UI changes in there too - and some quite unwelcome ones too. Why remove the Cam Smoothing and Time options? These are really useful if you're into machinima, almost vital in my experience.

They killed all the Linden trees (by default)! They no longer sway in the breeze, which might be welcome to some people but makes the place looks strangely dead somehow. Performance improvements are cited as the reason but toggling the wind-sway on/off makes ZERO difference on my ageing Mac, so go figure.

As usual LL give with one hand and remove with the other. Can we really spin feature degrades as progress? Which other platform regularly removes or limits features as part of it's supposed evolution?

[ArminasX]

I'm really excited to try out shadows.... but it "will not work on Mac OSs". Sigh.

[Uccello Poultry]

They killed the trees? Crap. That is a huge part of my landscaping in several regions. I wonder how all the "real" shadows are going to affect the "fake" prim shadows builders have been using of late. ::::runs to the download with some fear::::

[Steven Hynes]

Release notes say the shadow viewer is off by default. How does one turn it on? Or is the option to do so only visible if you have a graphics card that sl recognizes to use for this?

[Jura Shepherd]

Steven, my card will support it but it doesn't show for me either. I scanned the wiki and official blog comments for how to enable it and Lindens clearly don't want to say to the point of being condescending. It's cool, there are other shadow viewers.

[Marianne McCann]

They killed jes the sway of the trees. Easy enough to turn back on in debug settings. The reordering of the makeup is a pain though, especially for no mod skins.

No idea on the shadows. While I run an HD2600, I'm on a Mac. :-/

[Steven Hynes]

I was able to find out how to turn on shadows, or at least one way to do it, which is the same as for the non-sl viewers with this feature:

1. In the Advanced menu, Debug Settings, set "RenderDeferred" to False if it is set for True.

2. Then set "RenderUseFBO" to True.

3. Now set "RenderDeferred" to True again.

That gave me the shadows. And a frame rate less than 5, so I will not be using this feature. But it was fun to see.

[QueenKellee Kuu]

A little google searching came up with, via BoyLane's website, instructions for the nightly (assuming it's the same method), and I quote:

To enable shadows you need to go to Edit / Preferences / Graphics / Hardware Options. There select "OpenGL Framebuffer Objects" and "Enable per-pixel lightning and shadows". Please note that Antialiasing did *NOT* work for me (Nvidia GTX260).

--Info found here: http://my.opera.com/boylane/blog/not-a-cool-viewer-but-almost

[Melissa Yeuxdoux]

Over and above the shadows, I'll have to try this RC client now. I'm not sure which is more disturbing: rigid trees, or trees as they are now, looking more like a metronome than an organic object swaying _and bending_ in the breeze. I've seen an experimental client with flexible sculpted prims--I think it will take that to get decently swaying trees.

[Leila Carroll]

For those interested in shadows using the RC 1.23, Boy Lane's steps do not apply for this, but instead, the instructions provided for the Kirstens Viewer: http://www.vintfalken.com/kirstens-viewer-sl-shadows-for-the-masses-with-good-enough-pcs/

I followed steps 5-8 and it works. Just make sure you are outdoors (or near a window) and are not using optimized windlight settings like those of Caliah Lyon, Redgrave, etc. As these have an overall, even light with no shadows.

[melponeme_k]

I tried this on my Imac Intel.

Turn off antialiasing and then the instructions everyone posted above, should work.

On my own machine, the shadows are very faint. I just see a small blob on the ground when I walk.

[Ann Otoole]

If you can manage to figure out a way to not be affected by the eye brows and lips this is pretty cool. (The skin issues are being corrected) The shadows are laggy but will be great for still shots. Maybe by next year it will be ready for prime time and time to upgrade to some new monstrous video card to run it smooth for filming.

These shadows are really good compared to the jaggies that were first revealed long long ago lol.

[Arahan Claveau]

I'm using an nvidia 8800gts and it works if AA is disabled. If they can get both working together and optimise performance it will be a really cool feature. Here's a quick demo video showing the shadows in action -

http://arahanclaveau.blogspot.com/2009/05/release-candidate-dynamic-shadows-demo.html

[JJccc Coronet]

I tried out the new release viewer got the shaddows working all i can say is, its crap waste of time dont bother its not worth wasting your time over. it only seems to work at midday but any skies i have created it dosnt give shaddows. very disappointing see me after school must try harder

[Melissa Yeuxdoux]

Tried it... and saw some very weird effects with shadows enabled:

- There's a bright fringe around the strands of my prim hair.
- Only my attachments cast a shadow, not my body.
- The moon at midnight was huge!
- Snapshots I took with shadows enabled were came out totally black.

[Black]

i have an ati radeon 4870x2

i can run it on AAx8, and it works beautifully