// Second Life Mentor Reference
Technical Q&A

Answers to more technical questions from residents — streaming, scripting, media, and more.

15Q&As
4Flowcharts
6Firestorm
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Media & Streaming
Is there any way to stream video from a local drive to an SL screen? Media +

Yes — Kosmi is the most practical solution for this. It's a free browser-based platform that handles the screen sharing and streaming relay, so you don't need to set up your own streaming server.

How it works:

1
Create a free room on kosmi.io — no sign-up required.
2
Use Kosmi's Screen Share feature to share your local video from your computer.
3
In SL, set your parcel or prim media URL to the Kosmi room link — a Kosmi TV object in-world handles this automatically.
4
Anyone in the region with media enabled will see the stream on the in-world screen.

Getting a Kosmi TV in-world:

There are free and low-cost Kosmi TVs on the Marketplace that make setup easy — they handle the technical parts like setting the media URL automatically.
Search Kosmi TV on the Marketplace to find options at various price points, including free ones.
Visit kosmi.io Kosmi TVs on Marketplace
// Click to copy
You can use a free service called Kosmi to stream video from your computer to an in-world screen. Head to kosmi.io, create a free room, then use Screen Share to share your video. You'll also need a Kosmi TV in-world — there are free and cheap ones on the Marketplace. Search for "Kosmi TV" there. The TV handles setting everything up automatically.
// Technical Note

Kosmi streams via your browser, so anything your computer can play can be shared — local files, streaming services, or any application window. Residents viewing in SL need to have Media enabled in their viewer preferences to see the stream.

🔧
Viewer Settings
How do I turn off the lookat crosshairs — I don't want others seeing where my camera is pointing? Privacy +

The lookat crosshairs show where your camera is focused (normally via Alt-Click). You can control both what you see and what you send to others.

🔷 Official SL Viewer

Settings are in Preferences → Privacy. First enable the Develop menu with Ctrl+Alt+Q to access the Show Look At toggle.

🔶 Firestorm

Go to Preferences → Privacy → LookAt tab for granular control:

Show look at targets — show/hide all crosshairs on your screen.
Don't send my look at targets to others — stops your camera focus point showing to others.
Don't send any look at targets at all — also stops your avatar's head turning to follow your camera.
Don't send my selection target hints — stops your selection pointer showing to others.
// SL Viewer — click to copy
Go to Preferences → Privacy. Uncheck "Enable LookAt" to stop crosshairs showing on your screen and to stop sending your camera position to others. While you're there, you can also uncheck "Enable Selection Hints" to stop your selection pointer showing to others.
// Firestorm — click to copy
Go to Preferences → Privacy → LookAt tab. To stop others seeing where your camera points, check "Don't send my look at targets to others". You can also uncheck "Show look at targets" to hide everyone else's crosshairs from your own screen.
// Note

Crosshairs show where the camera is focused, not necessarily where the person is actually looking — the camera can be moved independently after focusing. Disabling "send my look at targets" is the most common setting for privacy.

What was Project Zero? Retired +

Project Zero was Linden Lab's experimental browser-based Second Life viewer — no download, no install, streamed via the cloud. Its goal was to reduce to zero the technical barriers to entering Second Life, making it easier for brand-new users to get in-world.

Launched: January 2025, as a limited-testing experiment
Ended: Support withdrawn on 24 April 2026
Why it mattered: Accessed at zero.secondlife.com, simplified UI, ran in any modern browser with no hardware requirements
What LL said on closure: Insights from the experiment would inform improvements to the main desktop viewer and mobile app. No successor has been announced.
// Mentor Note

Why this card is still here: older YouTube videos, forum posts, blog articles and Discord references still mention Project Zero. If a resident or fellow Mentor brings it up, this is the short answer — it was an experiment, it ran for about 15 months, it's no longer available, and the desktop viewer and the mobile app are unaffected and continue to work normally.

📎 LL announcement: Ending Support for Project Zero — and What’s Next ↗
Can the viewer protect against spam/griefing from objects? Security +
🔷 SL Viewer

No dedicated spam protection tab. Use Preferences → Privacy → Block List to manually block griefing objects and residents.

// SL Viewer — click to copy
Go to Preferences → Privacy → Block List. From there you can manually add the griefing object or avatar to your block list to stop receiving messages from it.
Firestorm

Go to Preferences → Firestorm → Protection tab. Enable Spam Protection to automatically block objects sending excessive messages. Configure:

Max lines in a single message — blocks sources exceeding this line count.
Max events from same source — blocks sources exceeding this many events in 2 seconds.
Unblock all spam sources — clears all blocked sources.

Also has Texture Lag Protection to hide large high-texture objects — useful against texture griefing.

// Firestorm — click to copy
Go to Preferences → Firestorm → Protection tab. Enable Spam Protection to automatically block objects sending too many messages at once. You can also enable Texture Lag Protection to hide large objects being used to grief.
Can I get a confirmation dialog before paying someone or an object? Economy +
🔷 SL Viewer

Go to Preferences → General and look for a payment confirmation option.

// SL Viewer — click to copy
Go to Preferences → General and look for a payment confirmation option to enable a dialog before paying.
Firestorm

Go to Preferences → Firestorm → Extras tab. Enable Confirm before paying and set a threshold. Set to 0 to confirm before every payment.

// Firestorm — click to copy
Go to Preferences → Firestorm → Extras tab. Enable "Confirm before paying" and set the threshold to 0. That way you'll get a confirmation before every payment so you won't accidentally pay anyone.
// Tip

Setting the threshold to 0 means every payment requires confirmation, no matter how small — useful for new residents who accidentally click pay buttons.

How do I set up reflection probes for PBR? Graphics +

Reflection probes tell the viewer how to render reflective PBR surfaces (glass, polished metals, mirrors, water, etc) within a given area. Without them, PBR materials look flat or wrong; placed correctly, they make the space look properly lit and reflective.

There's no single "set up" button — it's a multi-step process involving rezzing probe objects, sizing them to cover the relevant volume, and tuning their settings. Two community video tutorials cover it well:

Zanibar Pixelbottom — Setting up Reflection Probes for PBR — youtube.com/watch?v=Y3-0q2XD_Jg
Artsy Marie — [ARTSY] Manual Reflection Probes for Second Life PBR — youtube.com/watch?v=GaDU8WKmGFQ
// Mentor note

Both videos were pinned in the Bellisseria Mentors channel by Mini Mole as the recommended walkthroughs for residents asking about PBR reflection probe setup. If a resident is unfamiliar with PBR generally, point them at the videos rather than trying to talk them through it in chat — it's genuinely easier to follow visually.

Why won't lipstick, eyeshadow or makeup show up on a resident's head? Appearance +

The usual cause is the head itself. The Avatar Welcome Pack "Lite" mesh heads cannot use HD appliers — the scripted texture layers many creators use for lipstick, eyeshadow, blush and other detailed makeup. The makeup applies without any error, but it never becomes visible.

This is a built-in limitation of the free Lite head, not something the resident can fix with a rebake or relog. To wear HD-applier makeup they need a head that supports it:

A free mesh head from Firestorm Social Island (Milena for female, Mike for male) — available to avatars under 90 days old.
A full mesh head such as LeLutka — free demos are available in-store before buying.

Basic system-layer (BOM) makeup will still show on a Lite head — it is specifically the HD scripted appliers that don't work.

// Click to copy
If your makeup like lipstick or eyeshadow won't show up, it's most likely because the Avatar Welcome Pack "Lite" head can't use HD appliers. You'll need a full mesh head, or a free mesh head from Firestorm Social Island, for that makeup to appear.
A newcomer can't export .dae from Blender — the Collada option is missing. Mesh +

They're almost certainly on Blender 5.x. Collada I/O was marked legacy in Blender 4.2 (July 2024) and fully removed in Blender 5.0 — Linden Lab was apparently the last major user of the format, so the Blender devs let it go.

The easy answer: Blender 4.5 LTS.

It's the last version with built-in Collada support, and it's supported until July 2027. Send them to blender.org's LTS download page, not the homepage's big green button. Anyone creating for SL should be on 4.5 LTS, not the rolling latest.

If they need a newer Blender for other reasons: a Collada addon.

Gaia Clary — who maintained Blender's built-in Collada exporter for years before letting it go — distributes a Collada addon for Blender 4.x, including in Avastar.

If they've already modelled in 5.x, the work isn't lost — they just need to either downgrade Blender or add the addon to get the file out.

// Watching brief

Blender 4.5 LTS reaches end-of-life July 2027, and there's no announced replacement upload format on the SL side yet. There's an open feature request asking LL about the roadmap, with no answer so far. Worth flagging to creators planning a long-term workflow.

// Click to copy
If your Blender doesn't have a .dae / Collada export option, you're on Blender 5.x — Collada was removed in 5.0. The simplest fix is to download Blender 4.5 LTS from blender.org's LTS page instead. It's the last version with built-in Collada and is supported until July 2027.
How does a newcomer upload textured mesh? (full walkthrough) Mesh +

The full upload flow for textured mesh. Three things trip newcomers up most often: missing UV unwrap before export, forgetting the Include textures tickbox at upload, and not realising textures still need applying face-by-face after rezzing.

Before they start

Use Blender 4.5 LTS — newer versions don't export .dae (see the Blender version Q&A above).
Payment info on file on their SL account dashboard.
IP Terms accepted on the Mesh Upload Status page — one click. (The old 10-question quiz was retired years ago.)

If payment info or IP Terms haven't been sorted, the Upload Model option stays greyed out in the viewer.

In Blender

1
Build the model.
2
UV unwrap it. In Edit Mode, select all (A), press U, choose Unwrap. Skipping this is the #1 reason textures don't show up properly.
3
Save the texture image in the same folder as the .blend file. Use a power-of-2 size: 512×512, 1024×1024, or 2048×2048.
4
In the material settings, assign the texture image to the model.
5
Export: File → Export → Collada (.dae). Save the .dae in the same folder as the texture.

In Second Life

6
Open the viewer. Go to Build → Upload → Model.
7
Browse to the .dae file.
8
In the upload dialog, find the Upload Options tab and tick "Include textures".
9
Click Calculate weights & fee and wait for the price to appear.
10
Click Upload and pay the fee.

After upload

11
The mesh is now in Inventory → Objects. Textures are in Inventory → Textures.
12
Drag the mesh from inventory onto the ground to rez it.
13
If the texture isn't on it already: right-click the mesh → Edit → tick Select Face → click the face → drag the texture from inventory onto that face. Repeat for each face.

If it looks wrong

White or smeared mesh — UV unwrap is missing or broken. Back to step 2.
No texture at all — they probably didn't tick "Include textures", or the .dae couldn't find the image file. Upload the texture separately (Build → Upload → Image) and apply it as in step 13.
Blurry texture — re-upload at a power-of-2 size like 1024×1024.
Greyed-out Upload Model option — payment info or IP Terms haven't been sorted on the dashboard yet.
// Click to copy — quick offer to help
Happy to walk you through the textured mesh upload — there are a few common snags (UV unwrap, "Include textures" tickbox, applying textures to faces after rezzing). If you tell me which step you're stuck on, or what you're seeing on the mesh once it's in-world, I can help you sort it.
Firestorm-Specific Settings

These settings are only available in the Firestorm viewer.

How do I stop my avatar's head following my mouse cursor? Appearance +

Firestorm only — not available in the official SL viewer.

Go to Preferences → Firestorm → Avatar tab. Set both sliders to zero:

Vertical range — controls up/down head movement.
Horizontal range — controls left/right head movement.
// Click to copy
Go to Preferences → Firestorm → Avatar tab. Set both the vertical and horizontal "amount that avatar's head follows mouse" sliders to zero. That will stop your head turning to follow your cursor.
How do I turn off the selection beam (the particle stream when I click on things)? Display +

Firestorm only — not available in the official SL viewer.

Go to Preferences → Firestorm → Avatar tab. Uncheck Enable selection beam. You can also adjust the beam width and update rate if you want to keep it but make it less intrusive.

// Click to copy
Go to Preferences → Firestorm → Avatar tab. Uncheck "Enable selection beam" and the particle stream when clicking on objects will disappear.
How do I turn off the swirling particles that appear when scripts communicate? Display +

Firestorm only — not available in the official SL viewer.

Go to Preferences → Firestorm → Extras tab. Uncheck Create particle effects when scripts communicate.

// Click to copy
Go to Preferences → Firestorm → Extras tab. Uncheck "Create particle effects when scripts communicate" and the swirling particles around scripted objects will stop appearing.
// Tip

Particularly useful in busy areas — the constant particle effects from many scripted objects can be visually distracting and affect performance.

How do I do a clean install of Firestorm? Viewer +

A clean install is more than just uninstalling and reinstalling — it also removes cached settings and files that may be causing problems. Think of it as the nuclear option: effective, but save it for when the viewer is truly misbehaving.

// Note

For a normal update, a clean install is not required. Only do this when experiencing persistent issues that other fixes haven't resolved.

🔷 SL Viewer

Back up first — note that uninstalling deletes chat and IM logs. Save them first if needed.

1
Delete cache files:
Windows: delete contents of AppData\Local\SecondLife and AppData\Roaming\SecondLife
Mac: delete ~/Library/Caches/SecondLife
2
Uninstall the viewer:
Windows: Settings → Apps → Second Life → Uninstall
Mac: Drag Second Life from Applications to Trash
3
Download and reinstall the latest version from secondlife.com/support/downloads
4
Log into a quiet region and test before restoring any saved settings.
// Note

To show hidden folders on Windows: File Explorer → View → check Hidden items.

Firestorm — 12-Step Clean Install
1
Download the latest installer from the Firestorm downloads page. Only use the official site.
2
Back up chat transcripts (recommended) — move them out of your settings folder before deleting it.
3
Back up settings (recommended) — do this before wiping so you can restore them later.
4
Delete settings — launch Firestorm (don't log in), go to Viewer menu → Preferences → Network & Files → Directories → Open Settings Folder. Close viewer, go up one folder and delete everything in the Firestorm* folder.
5
Clear cache — only when needed. The viewer often does this automatically.
6
Remove the application — Windows: Settings → Apps → Firestorm → Uninstall. Mac: Drag Firestorm from Applications to Trash. Linux: Delete the install directory.
7
Install Firestorm — run the downloaded installer. When offered the option to launch immediately, choose No.
8
Whitelist in antivirus — add Firestorm's files and folders to your antivirus before launching. See antivirus whitelisting guide. Also turn off VPN.
9
Log in to a quiet region (Hippo Hollow, Aich or Hatton). Don't change any settings yet — just test.
10
Restore settings if the viewer is working correctly, then relog.
11
Restore chat logs — copy (don't move) logs into the folder named for your account. Repeat for each alt.
12
Log back in and confirm everything is working. Note: graphics settings are not restored automatically.
// Click to copy
If you're having persistent issues with Firestorm, a clean install might help. It's more involved than a normal reinstall — you also need to delete your settings and cache. The full 12-step guide is on the Firestorm wiki: wiki.firestormviewer.org/fs_clean_install
How do I reset all Firestorm settings to default? Viewer +

Resetting all settings can resolve unexpected viewer behaviour such as broken menus, missing UI elements, or options not responding correctly. It's the "turn it off and on again" of Firestorm fixes — surprisingly effective.

// When to use this

Try this before a clean install — it's quicker and solves many of the same issues. If the problem persists after a reset, then proceed to a clean install.

1
Go to Preferences → Advanced
2
Click Reset All Settings
3
Log out and log back in — your settings will be restored to defaults
// Click to copy
Try going to Preferences → Advanced and clicking Reset All Settings, then log out and back in. This resets Firestorm to its defaults and often fixes unexpected issues without needing a full reinstall.
📎 See also: Clean install guide
What are the most useful Firestorm keyboard shortcuts? Shortcuts +

On Mac, Ctrl → Cmd and Alt → Option. Click COPY to paste a shortcut into chat.

🧍 Avatar & Appearance
PCMac
InventoryCtrl+ICmd+I
AppearanceCtrl+OCmd+O
Rebake / Force AppearanceCtrl+Alt+RCmd+Option+R
Refresh AttachmentsAlt+Shift+ROption+Shift+R
Stop AnimationsAlt+Shift+AOption+Shift+A
Move Lock (toggle)Ctrl+Alt+PCmd+Option+P
Force Ground SitCtrl+Alt+SCmd+Option+S
💬 Communication
PCMac
FriendsCtrl+Shift+FCmd+Shift+F
GroupsCtrl+Shift+GCmd+Shift+G
Chat HistoryCtrl+HCmd+H
Conversations / IMsCtrl+TCmd+T
WhisperShift+EnterShift+Enter
ShoutCtrl+EnterCmd+Enter
🌍 World & Navigation
PCMac
Teleport HomeCtrl+Shift+HCmd+Shift+H
Fly Override (no-fly areas)Ctrl+Alt+VCmd+Option+V
World MapCtrl+MCmd+M
Mini-MapCtrl+Shift+MCmd+Shift+M
Resync AnimationsCtrl+SCmd+S
Nearby AvatarsCtrl+Shift+ACmd+Shift+A
📷 Camera
PCMac
Zoom in / outAlt+↑/↓Option+↑/↓
Rotate cameraAlt+←/→Option+←/→
Reset viewEscEsc
Zoom in / Default / OutCtrl+0 / Ctrl+9 / Ctrl+8Cmd+0 / Cmd+9 / Cmd+8
📸 Snapshots & Display
PCMac
Take SnapshotCtrl+Shift+SCmd+Shift+S
Toggle avatars hiddenCtrl+Alt+Shift+4Cmd+Option+Shift+4
Hide particlesCtrl+Alt+Shift+=Cmd+Option+Shift+=
PreferencesCtrl+PCmd+P
// Full Reference

The complete Firestorm keyboard shortcut list is on the Firestorm Wiki: wiki.firestormviewer.org/keyboard_shortcuts

🔀
Diagnostic Flowcharts

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