When I first discovered facelights, it was a revelation. This was before SL adopted the use of Windlight and the harsh SL lighting, especially in the afternoon hours, was exceptionally cruel. The shadows created by the lighting made the best skins look terrible. And being a bit of a vain character, I instantly fell in love with facelights and I now never leave home without them. However, now with Windlight, there is some controversy about the use of the lights. Many find them not only useless, but annoying and many SL photographers will tell you to leave them at home when coming to a photo shoot. However, I find that the shadows can still cause some undesirable effects so I continue to use them. But I’m a bit more cautious. Before, I often cast a powerful beam on my face to counter the dark shadows even at nighttime, becoming a light source for the entire sim. Now, I only use as much as I need…and on occasion, none at all.
I do have some friends who don’t use them. And I occasionally find it difficult to make out their facial features in certain light settings which can be frustrating. So I’m guessing that it may possibly be the settings on my computer…a variable that we can’t all measure very well since we all have different levels of graphic cards and settings. What you see and what I see will often be different. So as a compromise, I’ve taken down the wattage of my facelights. The powerful ones aren’t really needed anymore in Windlight…but I still want to control the shadows. And I’ve now got the perfect solution which I will share with you all.
A good facelight will mainly illuminate your face and body with only a mild light cast elsewhere. It will also cast an upward glow to your face to eliminate shadows and not washout details of the skin.
I used to use a freebie facelight with only one setting, for all occasions. But a friend shared with me a wonderful facelight called the CG Facelight 3.0. It is an absolutely wonderful item! You wear the facelight as well as the hud. With the hud you can control the brightness level (dim, normal, bright, blinding), the radius, and light color for some pleasing effects with about 9 softly colored lights to choose from. This amazing tool is not only well made….but its FREE! You can find it here at CogNation where it is provided free and full-perm by the creator, Cognitive Gears. What a guy! You gotta love him for that…thanks Cog!!! I just love the generosity of some people who use their powers for good and not eeeeevil! In fact, according to his profile ALL of his items in his shop are free and full-perm! Wooohooo! I know where I’m going after I post this blog!
Another wonderful facelight that I just discovered at June Dion’s store, Bare Rose is designed to be used with Windlight. It is also a complimentary gift and offers several lights for different effects. You’ll find it here in the freebie/gift area of the sim. I really love the first one in the pack called 2points/windlight. It casts a soft glow that seems useful in many settings and lights up the body as well as the face for a great effect. Especially good when showing alot of skin. Thanks June!!! (the post to Bare Rose is forthcoming…it’s a MUST SEE)
One tip is that the lights can be directional. There are occasions to just light the face, and times you want to have a glow on your entire avi. Some skins are designed to be lit up to enhance a glow effect, so keep that in mind. This is why some skins don’t look as good to you after you buy them. Lighting is everything.
So, my final word about facelights is this: use them with discretion and keep in mind that a little bit goes a long way. Use good manners. In sims where the light setting is set to midnight or low light settings, take off your facelight. The light from your light source can ruin the environment for others. When in doubt, do without.
CG Facelight 3.0 settings
If you think we don’t have this problem in real life, you should watch the episode on Seinfeld where Jerry’s date is either pretty or ugly depending on the lighting. Funny stuff! If only I had a rl facelight.
http://www.commonsensible.net/2008/12/03/pp-1-second-life-facelights/
Facelights are ‘evil’.
Not in general, they work great as long as the creator knows what they are doing (90% *don’t*) and you (the wearer) knows what you’re doing (*most* people don’t).
Thus, for every ten facelights, 8 or 9 actually *ruin* the SL experience. Not only do they steal local lights from the sim build (your viewer only uses the closest six – and some facelights actually have 7 or 8 “bulbs”!) – but also most totally wash you out so you are just a white silhouette in a sea of …ummm… pure white. It’s funny if it weren’t so tragic.
Not dissing on you – just on facelights in general – and not because of *what they are*, but rather because 90% of the creators who create them and wearers who wear them completely *destroy* everything around them as far as lighting and often even seeing the build goes.
Thus, I have “Local Light Sources” turned off. Which means I don’t get to see the nuance of lighting build creators work so hard to achieve. But it’s better that those moving blasts of blinding light that dance around wildly every time the wearer moves their mouse.
If by chance I have local light sources turned-on and I see someone with an evil facelight (“evil being the light blast I describe above) – I keep a copy of the “Facelight 440 Turbo” in inventory and quickly toss them a copy.
After all, a facelight is all about vainness and se;f-worship, isn’t it?
Oh, here is where to get your own copy of the FL44T (What O call it, anyway) LOL
https://www.xstreetsl.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=item&ItemID=1013627
I saw your facelight and uhhhhmmm….no thanks
However, after seeing all your products I can see why you shun the light as you mainly have goth/vampire products. Understandable. Particularly in the sims you’d most likely frequent, I can see how blaring facelights would ruin the ambiance. No doubt that kind of display would ruin the mood and I’d think the proper etiquette would be to remove the lights. Also, in many other artsy sims where the light setting is set to dark, one wouldn’t want to ruin the mood created by the artist and I’d say in those situations one should remove the lights.
I can even understand your point about the 6 light source limitation and it’s really worth consideration, depending on the environment you’re in. However, for all purpose general running amok, I still say having a gentle light cast on oneself is fairly harmless. As one who is out and about in various types of sims, I’ve never been too prickly about that kind of thing, but to each his own pet peeves. I personally dislike being unable to see facial features clearly, whether on myself or those I’m interacting with…not quite at the pet peeve level, but close. But again, that’s a personal preference. As for being an indicator of vanity…well, yes. I even concede that it is that, as are all items of adornment for our avatars. Your finely made designer skin, high quality high-prim hair, detailed high-prim clothing are no doubt of the same source of vanity wouldn’t you say? You’ve created quite an attractive avatar, no doubt out of careful consideration, some cost, and stemming from a good dose of vanity. I’m sure you are quite aware of the rendering cost of your vanity prims on the sim and how it affects those around you, but you choose to wear them still. That is a choice many residents make, and a bit of a conundrum for SL isn’t it? SL is a visual world, we are vain creatures…rarely do we see an avatar who is not attractive in SL aside from some newbies and the rebels. (But even the rebels have a gorgeous avatar alt somewhere, don’t they?) But is it a form of “self-worship”? I’d not be so quick to condemn a facelight user any sooner than I’d judge a furry, goth, vamp, tiny, or other avatar choice in SL.
But one thing we both agree on is that there is really no use for the blinding,intrusive, 4 or more light-sourced facelights in SL. Maybe you should make one of the good ones available for free to hand out instead? Because that is an offer I’d take you up on
You say: “I still say having a gentle light cast on oneself is fairly harmless.”
Please allow me to concur with this.
One prim, one light, gently illuminating can indeed do wonders.
Now – soldier-up and march forth to spread the word across the grid!
Oh as for my look? nah. Was the ‘significant other’ that did that shopping. Got tired of my original n00b look I fashioned for a year prior. -winks- (Ummm, really – I didn’t shop for my look)
Hey, guys. :3 There is actually a way to make your skin appear perfect without affecting anyone else. Great for photographers.
One of the better guides is from a notecard available at Laqroki (formerly RaC):
“In real life, professional photographers and models understand that things like whitefill reflectors are flattering on human subjects, and take advantage of this in their photoshoots.
Recent advances made in Second Life™ graphics now allows residents to have their own ‘whitefill’ without having to attach a facelight. Follow the steps below so that you can get these optimized lighting conditions, too. See your avatar the way it was meant to be seen!
1. Open your Environmental Editor.
(Menu bar > World > Environment Settings > Environmental Editor)
2. Go to Advanced Sky settings.
3. Click the New button. Type in Nicelight and click OK to save your new lighting preset.
4. In your new Nicelight preset, go to the Atmosphere tab. Make the following changes on the sliders:
Blue Horizon:
R: 0.10
G: 0.32
B: 0.66
I: 0.66
Haze Horizon: 0.00
Blue Density:
R: 0.04
G: 0.04
B: 0.04
I: 0.04
Haze Density: 0.00
Density Multiplier: 0.19
Distance Multiplier: 27.0
Max Altitude: 1315
5. Go to the Lighting tab. Make the following changes on the sliders:
Sun/Moon Color:
R: 0.29
G: 0.28
B: 0.32
I: 0.32
Sun/Moon Position: 1.000
Ambient:
R: 1.00
G: 1.00
B: 1.00
I: 1.00
East Angle: 0.00
Sun Glow:
Focus: 0.17
Size: 1.75
Scene Gamma: 1.15
Star Brightness: 0.00
6. Hit the Save button to save your new Nicelight settings. That’s it! The light on your avatar should now appear even and smooth, making your avatar look its best!”
Don’t forget that if you want to get the #s exactly right, click the slider and then use your left/right arrow keys.
I always have the lights turned off on my viewer so I don’t have to see other people’s facelights making everything white all around.
Here’s an example of how your avatar will look if you use the Advanced Sky settings I outlined above!
http://i37.tinypic.com/343qeyr.png