If you are a Viewer 3 user, there is no reason to not be using Hitomi Tiponi's StarLight skin, it takes the standard LL V3 and brings it into the modern world. No changes to the underlying code are involved, simply the addition of some .XML files to bring out the hidden features all ready present in Viewer 3 and make them easily accessible. It is available for Linux, Mac and Windows, and fairly straight forward to set up, just a matter of merging the contents of 2 folders : app_settings and skins : there is also one optional file to change the way IM Tabs are stacked, floater_im_container_xml is in the StarLight Extensions folder. If you are using a Windows based computer, Hitomi has recently added a new automatic installation option, so you wont need to get your hands dirty.
I am not a big fan of Viewer 3, but that does not mean I do not appreciate, recognize and feel it is important to report on the enormous amount of progress being made with the User Interface. The StarLight skin really makes the new V3 UI really shine.
The Standard LL V3 UI is and always has been rather dreary to look at.
With StarLight you have a choice of 6 additional UI color schemes. Original Orange : Original Teal : Silver Blue : Silver Pink : Mono Teal and Nostalgia Blue. There are 5 extra Tool Bar options too, Translate : Statistics : Grid Status : About Region and Google. Plus a new menu item along the main tool bar, FILM which has a number of very handy features as well.
But wait there is more, the main Preferences Menu layout has been rearranged into a more logical system, with some additional items added along the way.
Standard StarLight
There are quite a few things to get excited about with StarLight, under the new Film Menu among the numerous very easy to access options are 3 sub menus.
Shader Toggles
Audio Mute
Agent Recorder
Another thing I really like is the revamped Graphics Menu available in Preferences. These extra options sould be of particular interest to SL photographers.
Hardware
Rendering
Shadows & Glow
Global Illumination
Depth of Field
There are a number of other items and features, but I will leave those for you to discover on your own, while you explore this truly wonderful enhancement to the standard Viewer 3
JayR Cela :_)
P.S. I almost forgot to mention, the newest V3 series has undergone not only a major face lift to the UI, the FPS performance has been kicked up a notch or two as well.
StarLight Download Page
http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Viewer_Skins/Starlight
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