Flickering Flames

I'm not the most tech-savvy when it comes to determining where an issue may be coming from so I thought I would ask here:

I notice that objects I may own with a flame (candle, oil lamp, etc.) will tend to burn perfectly when I first log on but begin to flicker off and on shortly after. I'm not sure if this is a connection issue, a server issue, or a hardware issue. I am thinking it is not a connection or server issue because it happens even when the lag meter is all green....also because the same thing tends to happen if I log-off and then come back.

So would something like this be controlled by RAM or the Graphics Card? I currently have 2 gigs of RAM and I will be upgrading to 4 shortly. Also, I have an Nvidia 7950 card. Will the RAM upgrade help?

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

Are they scripted to do this? Perhaps it's how they are set.

They are scripted, yes.

Could it have to do with Particle Count?

I also noticed that if I increase particle count to max value, it will burn normally for another few seconds. Don't know if that helps.

Ok I just realized what you were asking......

No they are not scripted to behave this way. They should burn consistently. And I notice that, if I stand and stare at them long enough, they will occasionally behave as intended.

Forgive my brain freeze.

Do they have local lights set? It may be that there are more than six local lights in the vicinity, be they lights in the room, or on your person (facelights or jewellery with local lights to make diamonds 'shine'). That would be enough to make the lights flicker.

Have they always done this?

LL changed the way Nvidia 7000 series graphics adapters handle local light sources in the 1.23.4 viewer. The number of local lights are limited to two instead of six on these adapters now.

It's not a problem with the light they give off. The light that is reflected off of other objects remains the same. The problem is with the flame script itself. Instead of burning steady, the actual flame will stop and start...almost like it is sputtering.

It looks like some sort of lag but given that I can "reset" it for a short time by logging off and on again, I don't think it's a lag issue (I could be very wrong). I am thinking that something gets "full" after a while which is what prompted me to ask about RAM and the Graphics Card.

Does that explain it better? Maybe I didn't explain it well enough the first time.

You're saying the script freezes, and the particles stop, so that the flame no longer flickers. Sounds as if sometimes it freezes mid-flicker while the flame particle isn't visible, thus making it look like the flame went out.

Maybe a problem with the particles - not enough textures included maybe? I haven't done particle objects yet.

This is why I like flames with animated textures, rather than particles. I have some lovely candle flames from Textures R Us that look wonderfully realistic, no matter what your particle settings are.

Actually the flame disappears completely. Like it shuts off. The amount of time varies. It could shut off for 1 or 2 seconds....sometimes longer. When it comes on again it could burn one or two spurts or normally before dying out again.

It's not a problem with the way it's scripted because it will work normally sometimes. So basically I am asking if it could be lag given that the same thing happens regardless of what the lag meter says, or if it could be something with my system.

Actually, I tried rezzing in 3 different sims and the same thing happens. But I noticed that in the shop where I bought them, they seem to be working better. Does that lend itself to the lag theory?

Thanks I will check that. And the ones I have are particles I am pretty sure.

I believe that particles are processed by the viewer, so any inconsistencies are most likely caused by issues relating to your computer, and what you describe seems to back this up. Ask someone else to have a look and see if they too experience the same effect.