Second Life Forums Archive - Avatar Turns Black

Hoonose Howe

Registered User

Join date: 5 Aug 2006

Posts: 1

09-13-2006 20:02

My avatar turns black, either in parts or in total, leaving an Avatar-shaped hole in an otherwise perfect scene. The black figure responds to arrows and flight buttons as if it were whole. The blackened state is visible to nearby residents. This has been happening intermittently across the last week or so.

It happens in either of two situations: Changing clothes (individually or in Outfits), and Changing Appearance.

When adding or removing clothes the related body part turns black, e.g., a change of shirt causes the entire torso, arms, and hands to turn black; changing hair blackens the head and face--except the eyes, which turn red or empty.

Clicking Appearance opens up the window and displays the appropriate buttons and sliders, but the Avatar is black and the illustrations of zero and 100 percent are filled with gobbledy-gook. Upon exiting, the Avatar may be either totally or partially black, or may return in its original form. On the other hand, opening Appearance with a black Avatar, changing and restoring a setting in the affected area, and closing Appearance *sometimes* restores the Avatar's appearance.

This appears to have no predictable relationship to the number of attachments or clothes either worn or changed out.

I'll appreciate any suggestions on what I'm doing wrong or how I can fix this frustrating and embarrassing phenomenon.

Gwyneth Llewelyn

Winking Loudmouth

Join date: 31 Jul 2004

Posts: 1,336

09-14-2006 02:18

Hello Hoonose,

It's not always easy to understand what is going on in these cases, but — usually — it is related to the graphic card of your computer. The newest ATI "X" series have had some problems (in some cases a simple download of the latest graphic card drivers helps a lot), and the on-board Intel cards, which aren't supported by SL but "sort of work", all have described similar examples.

To see what graphics card you have, you can use Help > About Second Life. It should list the card and the card's vendor that was detected by Second Life.

One thing that helped quite a lot of people describing your issue is to check (or sometimes uncheck) the "Avatar Vertex Program" under Edit > Preferences > Graphics Detail. On the ATI "X" series, again, SL detects it as a top-of-the-line graphics card (which it is), and has "Avatar Vertex Program" checked. Unchecking it, however, fixes the "black/coloured avatar" problem for many people who reported this (I've even seen it happening once on a friend's laptop!). If that option is grayed out for you, that's too bad — try to update the graphics card drivers then.

If none of the above works, try changing the value of "Outfit Composite Limit" in Edit > Preferences > Adv. Graphics.

Also, there have been some texture issues on Second Life, and maybe, just maybe, this can be related, although I think not. It seems clearly to be related to "texture baking" on your card, a thing it has to do while changing clothes.

_____________________

Elle Pollack

Takes internets seriously

Join date: 12 Oct 2004

Posts: 796

09-14-2006 06:58

Moved to Technical Issues (the Live Help forum in the SL voulenteers section is for discussions about the Live Help program and helpers.).

_____________________

***********************************************
"Ya'll are so cute with your pitchforks and torches ..." ~Brent Linden

SL streams a world, can you also stream a mind?

Strife Onizuka

Moonchild

Join date: 3 Mar 2004

Posts: 5,887

11-17-2006 20:20

I've been having this problem with my newish (bought them in the spring) duel nvidia 7800's (GT). It usualy happens when the textures are baking when running in window mode and the client isn't the active application.

_____________________

Truth is a river that is always splitting up into arms that reunite. Islanded between the arms, the inhabitants argue for a lifetime as to which is the main river.
- Cyril Connolly

Without the political will to find common ground, the continual friction of tactic and counter tactic, only creates suspicion and hatred and vengeance, and perpetuates the cycle of violence.
- James Nachtwey

Abaddon Eros

Registered User

Join date: 5 Nov 2006

Posts: 1

THX , Gwyneth Llewelyn

12-10-2006 07:08

Fixed my problem , i have a laptop asus with a x1600 from ati and i unchecked the vertex .
I can see all clothes clear now.

Avatar Turns Black
Hoonose Howe Registered User Join date: 5 Aug 2006 Posts: 1	09-13-2006 20:02 My avatar turns black, either in parts or in total, leaving an Avatar-shaped hole in an otherwise perfect scene. The black figure responds to arrows and flight buttons as if it were whole. The blackened state is visible to nearby residents. This has been happening intermittently across the last week or so. It happens in either of two situations: Changing clothes (individually or in Outfits), and Changing Appearance. When adding or removing clothes the related body part turns black, e.g., a change of shirt causes the entire torso, arms, and hands to turn black; changing hair blackens the head and face--except the eyes, which turn red or empty. Clicking Appearance opens up the window and displays the appropriate buttons and sliders, but the Avatar is black and the illustrations of zero and 100 percent are filled with gobbledy-gook. Upon exiting, the Avatar may be either totally or partially black, or may return in its original form. On the other hand, opening Appearance with a black Avatar, changing and restoring a setting in the affected area, and closing Appearance sometimes restores the Avatar's appearance. This appears to have no predictable relationship to the number of attachments or clothes either worn or changed out. I'll appreciate any suggestions on what I'm doing wrong or how I can fix this frustrating and embarrassing phenomenon.
Gwyneth Llewelyn Winking Loudmouth Join date: 31 Jul 2004 Posts: 1,336	09-14-2006 02:18 Hello Hoonose, It's not always easy to understand what is going on in these cases, but — usually — it is related to the graphic card of your computer. The newest ATI "X" series have had some problems (in some cases a simple download of the latest graphic card drivers helps a lot), and the on-board Intel cards, which aren't supported by SL but "sort of work", all have described similar examples. To see what graphics card you have, you can use Help > About Second Life. It should list the card and the card's vendor that was detected by Second Life. One thing that helped quite a lot of people describing your issue is to check (or sometimes uncheck) the "Avatar Vertex Program" under Edit > Preferences > Graphics Detail. On the ATI "X" series, again, SL detects it as a top-of-the-line graphics card (which it is), and has "Avatar Vertex Program" checked. Unchecking it, however, fixes the "black/coloured avatar" problem for many people who reported this (I've even seen it happening once on a friend's laptop!). If that option is grayed out for you, that's too bad — try to update the graphics card drivers then. If none of the above works, try changing the value of "Outfit Composite Limit" in Edit > Preferences > Adv. Graphics. Also, there have been some texture issues on Second Life, and maybe, just maybe, this can be related, although I think not. It seems clearly to be related to "texture baking" on your card, a thing it has to do while changing clothes. _____________________
Elle Pollack Takes internets seriously Join date: 12 Oct 2004 Posts: 796	09-14-2006 06:58 Moved to Technical Issues (the Live Help forum in the SL voulenteers section is for discussions about the Live Help program and helpers.). _____________________ *********************************************** "Ya'll are so cute with your pitchforks and torches ..." ~Brent Linden SL streams a world, can you also stream a mind?
Strife Onizuka Moonchild Join date: 3 Mar 2004 Posts: 5,887	11-17-2006 20:20 I've been having this problem with my newish (bought them in the spring) duel nvidia 7800's (GT). It usualy happens when the textures are baking when running in window mode and the client isn't the active application. _____________________ Truth is a river that is always splitting up into arms that reunite. Islanded between the arms, the inhabitants argue for a lifetime as to which is the main river. - Cyril Connolly Without the political will to find common ground, the continual friction of tactic and counter tactic, only creates suspicion and hatred and vengeance, and perpetuates the cycle of violence. - James Nachtwey
Abaddon Eros Registered User Join date: 5 Nov 2006 Posts: 1	THX , Gwyneth Llewelyn 12-10-2006 07:08 Fixed my problem , i have a laptop asus with a x1600 from ati and i unchecked the vertex . I can see all clothes clear now.

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Avatar Turns Black