Viewer Features - ApertureViewer/Aperture-Viewer GitHub Wiki

Aperture Viewer is engineered to provide an unparalleled experience for visual creators in Second Life and OpenSim. It combines the stability of the Firestorm codebase with a suite of exclusive, groundbreaking features and significant enhancements focused on visual fidelity, artistic control, and creator workflow efficiency.

This page highlights the key features that define the Aperture Viewer experience. For in-depth explanations and usage guides, please refer to the linked pages, especially those detailing the Aperture Phototools Suite (APS) - Overview and its various tabs.

Core Exclusive Systems & Visual Innovations

These flagship features are unique to Aperture Viewer and form the foundation of its advanced capabilities:

  • All-New Aperture Phototools Suite (APS) (Exclusive)

    • Description: The heart of Aperture Viewer (accessible via Ctrl+Shift+P). This completely rebuilt, unified command center consolidates a vast array of visual, environmental, and camera controls into one intuitive, tabbed interface. It's designed for real-time adjustments and a streamlined creative workflow.
    • Learn More: APS - Overview

  • Revolutionary Real-Time Post-Processing Pipeline (Exclusive)

    • Description: Integrated directly within the APS Post Tab, this system allows for professional-grade image mastering live within the viewer. Achieve sophisticated looks with tools rivaling Adobe Camera Raw/Lightroom, including:
      • Photographic Tone Mapping (Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, Blacks, Crush Blacks)
      • Complete Color Grading Suite (Vibrance, Saturation, 3-Way Color Balance, customizable Luminance Weights)
      • Cinematic Effects (High-quality adjustable Film Grain & Chromatic Aberration)
    • Impact: Drastically reduces the need for external image editing, allowing you to perfect your visuals in real-time.
    • Learn More: Post Tab - Post-Processing Effects

  • Vastly Improved Procedural Starfield (Exclusive)

    • Description: A complete replacement of the nearly 20-year-old legacy star system. Aperture's procedural starfield generates a breathtakingly realistic night sky with hundreds of thousands of stars, featuring:
      • Scientifically-informed Black Body coloration and luminosity distribution.
      • Dynamic atmospheric twinkling/scintillation (with color variation).
      • Horizon extinction effects (dimming and reddening of stars near the horizon).
      • Resolution-adaptive star sizing for consistent appearance.
    • Impact: Transforms night scenes with a new level of astronomical beauty and realism.
    • Learn More: (Details often found within the Env Tab - Environment Settings under Sun & Moon -> Star Brightness, and future guides)

  • Performance-Tuned Graphics Levels & Comprehensive Custom Presets (Exclusive System)

    • Description: A dual system for managing graphics settings:
      1. 9 Feature-Driven Graphics Levels: Accessible via the APS Gen Tab, these levels (e.g., "Essential Visuals," "HDR Foundation," "Shadows," "SSAO," "Eye Candy") replace vague "Low/Ultra" labels. They are meticulously tuned using a custom featuretable_aperture.txt to provide balanced performance starting points and solve common post-PBR FPS issues.
      2. Comprehensive Custom Presets: Using the "Graphic Presets: Save/Load/Delete" buttons at the bottom of APS, you can save and recall your entire visual state, including all Post-Processing settings, environment tweaks, lighting, etc. This allows you to create and share complete "looks" or filters.
    • Impact: Offers both ease-of-use for quickly selecting appropriate performance/feature balances and ultimate power for crafting and saving unique visual styles.
    • Learn More: Aperture Graphics Presets System

  • Robust Camera Preset System (Exclusive)

    • Description: Save and recall complex camera setups instantly via the APS Cam Tab.
      • 12 Standard Viewer Camera Preset Slots
      • 12 Flycam/Joystick Camera Preset Slots
      • Presets save Position (Global Coordinates), Focus Point, and Roll Angle (orientation for flycam), all stored per-account.
    • Impact: Essential for photographers and machinima creators needing consistent framing, repeatable shots, and efficient camera workflow.
    • Learn More: Aperture Camera Presets System (within APS) and Cam Tab - Camera Controls & Presets (within APS)

Enhanced Creative Controls & UI

Aperture Viewer provides additional exclusive tools and UI refinements tailored for creators:

  • Exclusive UI Themes:
    • A suite of 8 custom themes, including 4 original dark themes (Nocturn, Dusk, Phantom [Default], Umbra) and 4 Star Wars-inspired themes (Vader, Yoda, X-wing, Obiwan), providing a visually appealing and professional interface.
  • Dynamic SSAO Sample Count Control:
    • Real-time adjustment of SSAO samples (up to 1024x via spinner, typically up to 18-32x via presets for quality) in the APS Shd Tab, allowing for significantly improved Ambient Occlusion quality, especially for close-up details.
  • Luminance Weights Control:
    • Direct R/G/B weight sliders in the APS Post Tab provide unparalleled control over black & white conversion tonality and nuanced color rendering.
  • Fluid Global Animation Speed Control:
    • Precise, real-time adjustment of global avatar animation speed (from freeze-frame to fast-forward) via the APS Ava Tab, perfect for photographic posing and machinima effects.
  • Integrated Environment Editing:
    • Full control over Atmosphere, Clouds, Sun/Moon, and Water parameters directly within the APS Env Tab, eliminating the need for separate, cumbersome environment floaters for most adjustments.
  • Direct UI Scaling:
    • Easily adjust the entire viewer interface scale using a slider in the APS Gen Tab.
  • Avatar Hover Height Control:
    • Fine-tune your avatar's vertical offset from the ground via a slider in the APS Ava Tab.

Performance, Stability & Privacy Optimizations

Beyond new features, Aperture Viewer incorporates many under-the-hood changes for a better overall experience:

  • Enhanced Privacy by Default: Features like LookAt/selection beacon transmission and external data/metrics reporting are disabled by default. Local chat logging is enabled by default, but logs are stored locally only.
  • Faster Viewer Startup: Removal of certain hardware probes and benchmarks contributes to quicker launch times.
  • Modernized Network & Cache Defaults: Default network bandwidth settings are increased, and cache sizes are generous for better asset loading. VSync and FPS Limiter logic has been refined.
  • Increased Rendering Limits:
    • Reflection Probe resolution can go up to 2048px.
    • Camera Field of View (FOV) range is expanded (0.1° – 179.9°).
    • Object/Volume LOD defaults to a high 8.0 in presets to minimize accessory deformation.
  • Quality of Life UI Enhancements: Includes additions like Poser & Teleport History buttons on the main toolbar, improved tooltips within APS, and a simplified login/progress UI.
  • Targeted Fixes: Includes fixes for issues like SSAO consistency in snapshots.

This overview highlights the major features that set Aperture Viewer apart. We encourage you to explore the detailed documentation for each component in the Aperture Phototools Suite (APS) and other linked guides to fully unlock your creative potential!