How do I: Make a green-screen/photo-booth

I'd like to be able to take pictures of my custom avatars. One technique I saw in Luskwood was the use of an illuminated "green-screen" to provide a background that can be easily keyed-out (deleted) in Photoshop.

I tried making some light-based objects for this purpose, but I get too dramatic an effect. I get harsh shadows and washed-out textures.

Is there some method to provide the equivalent of "daylight" that won't mess with the avatar textures too much?

Hey Zero,

I've had good results making a 10X10 room and just using the blank texture (pure white). Plain old white works pretty well, and you needn't set any of it to light (or perhaps the ceiling above you or a small object to help eliminate some of the shading of the walls, without washing out all the tones of the colors). If you have lots of complicated textures and alpha channels on your attachments, you might do well to take a screenshot against a strongly colored background that does not contain any colors found in your avatar, but for most purposes, white does a fine job (for me).

Lumi

Thanks for the tips! I think my mistake was making the objects a Light, which explains why it was washing my textures away

I use the blank texture but I do set it to light. I use mouse moves sun to make it noon so the avatar is lit well. When I get the screenshots into Photoshop the white of the background is even enough that I can easily select it with the magic wand with a low tolerance.

I use a yellow blank texture.

But I also use a curved surface,

Feel frre to use my Photobooth at (Leda 222,220) (i think)

I have used it for my bigSL group shot..an example is displayed in my tower.

It does not work well with transparent materials

Zero-
IM me in world when you get a chance

DUDE, YOU CAN MOVE THE SUN!?!??!?!?
OMG!!!!

Seriously, I had no idea that was possible.

I also use a soft yellow/beige 'photo booth', but I leave that color there in the background for my boxes.

When my goal is to delete the background for, say, a standup mannaquin, I use a 'green screen', which is just blank texture tinted green.

I am sure now that you know you can move the sun you will have much more successful results!

Good luck!

Thanks for all the tips, folks. Now, how exactly does a kid move the sun? I keep staring at it meaningfully, but all I get are headaches I checked the menus but couldn't find anything...

ack I guess I forgot to pick up my back drops in Lusk..LOL

Just kidding but yes all the responces so far are accurate as to what you can do to create that perfect back drop.

The only drawback I have found so far taking pictures is the standing and waiting for the avatar to get the perfect pose and the fact that the body shadow lines up about on the ankles of the avatar.

aligning heads is ok if you are not taking a picture of yourself but someone else. But its pain if you are taking one of yourself.

Hope this gave you some more insight.
Shadow

Ctrl+Alt+D - Enable Debug Menu
M - Go into Mouselook
Alt+M - Move Sun where Mouse is Pointing
Look Up
Alt+M - Stop Moving Sun
M - Go out of Mouselook

Having the sun at high noon (or thereabouts) and a non-lit bright green screen work great. ^_^

Thanks Arito

I'd also add that once you move the sun, the sun won't bother moving again for SL day/night. If you want it to move automatically again as per usual, you'll need to relog. At least, that's how it was x releases ago -- not sure if it's still that way now.