Windlight settings and day cycle

I don't see which forum section might be appropriate for this question, so pardon me, but I guess I'll have to ask here.

There are quite a few sky and water presets available for download for the current release client, however, I have not been able to find a single complete day cycle replacement. I would like to use the more sensible and prettier presets, however, I don't want to run with the same time of day all the time, I would much rather have a full day cycle composed of presets that each looks better than the current defaults for that particular time of day.

Does something like this exist ready-made?

I really want to say 'yes', but I don't know how it would be done short of using a different viewer. To have the whole day cycle in a given preset would be awesome.

Current 1.20 includes a "day cycle editor" that allows you to set specific individual Advanced Sky presets to trigger at specific times of day. When you turn on "Use estate time" with this suitably altered, you should be able to have a day cycle.

Even if that for some reason doesn't work, the default day cycle triggers presets named "A-<timeofday>" which can simply be overwritten with other presets.

So yes, it can be done, the question is, whether it was.

There's no complete set of replacement presets that you can use. I suppose you could make a whole set yourself. You could load each default preset, modify it, and then save it as something new. Then put all of those into the day cycle editor. I almost had half a mind to do it but I stopped after about 2 presets.

Right now there's no entire day cycle presets...... But you CAN create a day/night cycle using the presets that you like.....and then run it. Presto....your day cycle will be only the presets you like. The pesky part is actually setting up the whole thing in the day cycle editor. But....it can be done.....it took me a a bit of time to tweek my own day cycle editor and get it to run smoothly with the presets I like.....but once I got it done....it's great because I don't have to mess with it at all. I use other presets all the time for my photography....but upon logging in.....the default remains on the day cycle that I edited.

Could you possibly share a kit?

I need to look into setting this up. Did you use your own custom skies, save them, and then link them together in a day cycle, or did you use only presets from the viewer?

Also, how do you set it up to default to this on log in?

I've really been wanting a custom day cycle. Great question Rika!

Well the first thing you do is go here...

C:\Program Files\SecondLife\app_settings\windlight\days

and backup the Default.xml file that's in there. It's just a little text file but I don't see any way to revert back to the default after you've made changes to the day setting. I suppose you can reinstall SL.

But anyways you need to go into SL and go to World-Environment Settings-Environment Editor-Advanced Sky-Day Cycle Editor. From there you can click on each 'key' and change the preset under the 'key frame settings'. There's no restrictions on what presets to use. You could make your day oscillate from day to night really fast. You could make the day go backwards or make it always midnight. You could also delete and add new keys. My only warning is to backup that default.xml.

Thank Bree! I'll have to find time to look into that!

I used my own presets yes....I've got tons that I've made plus all Torley's....but I love messing with the sky.

I'd be more then happy to help anyone in world with setting up the day cycle. It took me some time like I said, and I didn't even realize that it would be my default once I relogged, so that was a happy bonus! I haven't touched the settings since I got it to where I wanted it.....and to my knowledge you can only save ONE day/night cycle......unlike the individual presets which you can have 100s of. But.....once you get the hang of how to tweek it and add the presets....it would be no big deal to make changes and override it.