PhotoSpin User’s Manual 1: Setup and Menus

PhotoSpin Version 2.0

Ananke Media Systems

September 2010

Introduction

The PhotoSpin User’s Manual is organized into three parts:

  1. Setup and Menus
  2. HUD
  3. Chat Interface

PhotoSpin is very easy to use. With the Quick Start guide, you can set up and start running PhotoSpin in just a few minutes. To learn more about how to use the many amazing features available in PhotoSpin, simply consult the detailed instructions in the relevant sections below.

To jump to specific sections of the User’s Manual: Setup and Menus, click on the following links:

  1. Quick Start
  2. Setting Up PhotoSpin
  3. Main Menu
  4. Options
  5. Backdrop
  6. Lights
  7. Effects
  8. Gazers
  9. Easy Touch
  10. Configurations
  11. Settings
  12. Support
  13. Usage Agreement

Please read the Usage Agreement section at the end of the manual. Using the PhotoSpin means you have accepted all the terms of the agreements outlined in this section.

Quick Start

Setup – Quick Guide

  1. Rez the PhotoSpin Backdrop and Control Sphere inworld.
  2. Left-click the Control Sphere to open the Main Menu.
  3. Navigate to submenus to operate the Backdrop, Lights, Effects, Gazers and other features.
  4. To rez a light, effect or gazer, go to the desired menu and click Create (ie. Lights > Light 1 > Create).

Menus – Quick Guide

  • to move forward to the next menu, use buttons with the >> symbol
  • to return to previous menus, use buttons with the << symbol
  • to open menus for objects already rezzed (backdrop, light, effect or gazer), left-click the object
  • Backdrop >> Textures >> ~ to change backdrop textures
  • Backdrop >> Colours >> ~ to change backdrop colours
  • Backdrop >> Appearance >> ~ to change brightness and glow settings
  • Backdrop >> Turn >> ~ to turn the backdrop by degree steps on the XYZ axes
  • Backdrop >> Spin >> ~ to spin the backrop continuously on the XYZ axes
  • Backdrop >> Align >> ~ to pin the backdrop to a desired alignment
  • Backdrop >> Size >> ~ to resize the backdrop
  • Lights >> Light [1-6] >> Create ~ to rez lights
  • Lights >> Light [1-6] >> Position ~ to position lights
  • Lights >> Light [1-6] >> Position >> Model ~ to choose preselected positions
  • Lights >> Light [1-6] >> Colours ~ to change light colour
  • Effects >> Gen [1-6] >> Create ~ to rez effects generators
  • Effects >> Gen [1-6] >> Glow/Snow/Fog/Smoke ~ to select effect
  • Effects >> Gen [1-6] >> Position ~ to position effects generators
  • Effects >> Gen [1-6] >> Colours ~ to change effects colour
  • Gazers >> Point [1-6] >> Create ~ to rez gazers
  • Gazers >> Point [1-6] >> Position ~ to position gazers

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Setting Up PhotoSpin

PhotoSpin comes packaged in a box. Rez the box inworld, right-click it, select Open, and copy the contents to your inventory. Locate the PhotoSpin folder in your inventory. Inside the folder you will find the following items:

  • PhotoSpin Backdrop
  • PhotoSpin Control Sphere
  • PhotoSpin HUD
  • PhotoSpin Quick Start Guide
  • Read Me (release notes)

To set up your PhotoSpin, first rez the Backdrop in an appropriate place, and then rez the PhotoSpin Control Sphere nearby. You must place the Control Sphere within 20 metres of the PhotoSpin Backdrop or it will not work. You should see the message “Backdrop detected” if the Backdrop has been properly linked. If you receive a message from the Control Sphere saying that it could not detect the Backdrop, please move the Sphere closer to the Backdrop, and wait a few seconds for the Sphere to detect it.

Once you have rezzed PhotoSpin inworld, you can customise the Users Allowed, Channel and Chat Channel by changing the settings. Please see the Settings section for instructions.

Important: when positioning your PhotoSpin backdrop, be very careful to ensure that all the prims are linked before moving it. Right-click the backdrop, select Edit, and make sure the ‘Edit linked parts’ box is unchecked. The various prims that make up the backdrop are precisely aligned. If you move a single prim even slightly, the backdrop will not operate properly. If this happens, simply delete the damaged backdrop, and rez a new one from your inventory.

Setting up Multiple Instances of PhotoSpin

The PhotoSpin Backdrop and Control Sphere are copiable, so you can set up multiple instances of PhotoSpin close to each other if you desire. To do this, you must set each PhotoSpin to use a different channel, otherwise they will interfere with each other. Please see the Settings section towards the end of the manual for instructions on how to set channels. You can rez up to nine different PhotoSpin studios in close proximity, provided you set each one to a different channel.

Note: the PhotoSpin HUD also carries a channel setting. If you change the channel in the Backdrop and Control Sphere, you will also need to change the channel in the HUD.  For instructions, please see Channel in the Settings section below.

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Operating PhotoSpin

Main Menu

PhotoSpin is very easy to use. Simply touch (left-click) the Control Sphere and the Main menu will appear. From here you can navigate to all the menus used to operate PhotoSpin:

  • Hide Sphere / Show Sphere – Click this button to make the Control Sphere invisible or visible. The button automatically toggles between Hide Sphere and Show Sphere.
  • Backdrop >> – Click this button to access the Backdrop menu. From here you will be able to change the texture, appearance, colour, rotation or size of the PhotoSpin Backdrop.
  • Lights >> – Click this button to access the Lights menu. From here you will be able to create and customise lights for your PhotoSpin.
  • Effects >> – Click this button to access the Effects menu. Here you will be able to work with effects such as fog or snow.
  • Gazers >> – Click this button to access the Gazers menu. Here you will be able to manage gazers (eye focus points) for your models.
  • Configs >> – Click this button to access the configurations menu. Here you will be able to save or load desired looks.
  • Options >> – Click this button to access the options menu.

You can also use the Easy Touch feature to quickly access the menus for specific elements once they have been rezzed inworld. Just touch (left-click) an element (the backdrop or a desired light, effect or gazer), and the menu corresponding to that element will appear. Please see the Easy Touch section below for more details.

Please note that menu buttons showing just a hyphen (“-“) are sometimes used as spacers for a better layout. You can safely ignore these buttons.

Instead of menus, you can also use the PhotoSpin HUD or the Chat Interface to operate PhotoSpin. Please see the PhotoSpin User’s Manuals for the HUD and Chat Interface for further instructions.

Hide Sphere/Show Sphere

This button makes the Control Sphere invisible or visible, and automatically toggles between Hide Sphere and Show Sphere. This feature allows you to position the Control Sphere conveniently for ease of access while setting up your shots, and then make it invisible when it’s time to start shooting.

Options

The Options menu contains the following buttons:

  • Manual – opens the web version of the PhotoSpin User’s Manual
  • Info – displays information about the PhotoSpin’s current settings in the chat channel
  • Re-Link – re-establishes the communication link between the Control Sphere and the Backdrop
  • Reset – resets PhotoSpin to its default settings
  • Update – checks for updates to PhotoSpin; if one is available, it will be delivered to you within minutes
  • Get HUD – delivers a PhotoSpin HUD to your inventory
  • << Main – returns to the main menu window.

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Backdrop

The Backdrop menu provides access to the following sub-menus:

  • Textures >> – select textures
  • Colours >> – change backdrop colour
  • Appearance >> – change brightness and glow settings
  • Turn >> – turn the backdrop by degree steps on the XYZ axes
  • Spin >> – spin the backdrop continuously on the XYZ axes
  • Align >> – pin the backdrop to a desired alignment
  • Size >> – resize the backdrop
  • << Main – return to the Main menu

Backdrop: Textures

The Textures menu contains the following buttons:

  • No Texture – removes the backdrop texture. The backdrop will show a flat colour with no texture applied.
  • Previous/Next – moves to the previous or next texture in the PhotoSpin texture list and applies the texture to the backdrop.
  • Back/Forward 5/10/20 – jumps 5, 10 or 20 positions back or forward in the texture list, and applies the corresponding texture to the backdrop.
  • Tile – and Tile + – decreases or increases the tile factor. Note: textures need to be seamless to tile successfully. Use the 0 tile setting to place a single texture across the entire backdrop.
  • << Backdrop – returns to the Backdrop menu.

When you apply a texture to the backdrop, PhotoSpin displays the name of the texture on your chat channel.

By default, the Backdrop colour is set to white to show the true colours of the textures. You can alter the colour of the texture by using the Colour menu.

Adding or Removing Textures

The PhotoSpin backdrop comes stocked with a good variety of textures, but you can add or remove textures to suit your needs. Follow these steps to add textures, or remove existing ones:

  1. Edit the PhotoSpin Backdrop by right-clicking it and selecting Edit in the pie menu. An Edit window appears.
  2. Click the Content tab. You will see a list of textures in the list. You will see also other items here that are not textures (i.e. they don’t have the multi-coloured icon that identifies textures). Don’t change, delete or rename these items; doing so will cause your backdrop to malfunction.
  3. To add a texture, drag it from your inventory and drop it on the list. To remove a texture, right-click it and select Delete in the menu.
  4. Wait a few seconds for the Backdrop to re-load the texture list.

You can add any texture you like to your PhotoSpin Backdrop. However, if a texture is not of the “seamless” variety, the texture’s seams may be visible on the backdrop. For the best background effect, use seamless textures. You can also use the 0 tile setting to apply a non-seamless texture to the entire backdrop.

Important: Textures with no-transfer permissions will not work with PhotoStage. This is caused by a programming glitch within Second Life, as documented by entry SVC-368 in JIRA. Please use transferrable textures only.

Backdrop: Colours

You can apply any colour to the PhotoSpin Backdrop. You can choose from a number of predefined colours, or select your own using the custom colour feature. The Backdrop Colours menu contains the following buttons:

  • Colour buttons (Dark Red, Light Red, Dark Green, Light Green, Dark Blue, Light Blue, Black, White, Dark Grey and Light Grey) – click to apply the colour to the backdrop
  • Custom >> – accesses the backdrop custom colour menu (see next section)
  • << Backdrop – returns to the Backdrop menu

Note: if a texture has been applied to the backdrop, it will be tinted with the selected colour. To display the true colours of a texture, select white as the base colour.

Backdrop: Custom Colours

A custom colour can be obtained by mixing different amounts of red, green and blue (RGB). You can increase or decrease the RGB in 20%, 5% or 1% steps. The backdrop custom colour menu contains the following buttons:

  • Percentage buttons (20 %, 5 %, 1 %) – selects the amount to increase or decrease each RGB colour
  • Red – and Red + – decreases or increases the amount of red in the current colour by the selected percentage
  • Green – and Green + – decreases or increases the amount of green in the current colour by the selected percentage
  • Blue – and Blue + – decreases or increases the amount of blue in the current colour by the selected percentage
  • << Colours – returns to the Backdrop Colours menu

Note: as you increase or decrease the RGB values, PhotoSpin will display the current colour values on your chat channel.

Backdrop: Appearance

Use this menu to make the PhotoSpin backdrop full bright or normal. When full bright, the backdrop will not be affected by any surrounding light sources, always appearing as if fully lit. You also use this menu to change the backdrop’s glow intensity. The Appearance menu contains the following buttons:

  • Full – makes the backdrop full bright. The effects of lights will not be shown on the backdrop
  • Normal – makes the backdrop normal bright. The backdrop will show the effects of lights
  • Glow – and Glow + – decreases or increases the backdrop’s glow intensity
  • << Backdrop – returns to the Backdrop menu

Backdrop: Turn

The Turn menu allows you to turn the PhotoSpin backdrop in steps of 5, 30 and 90 degrees, and contains the following buttons:

  • X – and X + ~ turns the backdrop the selected number of degrees clockwise (+) or counter-clockwise (-) around the X axes
  • Y – and Y + ~ turns the backdrop the selected number of degrees clockwise (+) or counter-clockwise (-) around the Y axes
  • Z – and Z + ~ turns the backdrop the selected number of degrees clockwise (+) or counter-clockwise (-) around the Z axes
  • 5 / 30 / 90 ~ selects the number of degrees the backdrop will turn
  • Zero ~ restores the backdrop to its original (pinned) alignment prior to any turns
  • << Backdrop ~ returns to the Backdrop menu

Note: as you move into more extreme rotations of the backdrop, changes in axes alignments can create conditions in which the clockwise and counter-clockwise directions become reversed.

Backdrop: Spin

The Spin menu allows you to rotate the PhotoSpin backdrop continuously on the XYZ axes, and contains the following buttons:

  • X – and X + ~ spins the backdrop clockwise (+) or counter-clockwise (-) around the X axes
  • Y – and Y + ~ spins the backdrop clockwise (+) or counter-clockwise (-) around the Y axes
  • Z – and Z + ~ spins the backdrop clockwise (+) or counter-clockwise (-) around the Z axes
  • Slow ~ sets the rotation speed to slow
  • Medium ~ sets the rotation speed to medium
  • Fast ~ sets the rotation speed to fast
  • Stop ~ stops the rotation (the backdrop will continue to rotate in the selected direction until you press Stop or select another direction)
  • Zero ~ restores the backdrop to the alignment it had prior to any spins.
  • << Backdrop ~ returns to the Backdrop menu

Important: When you Turn the Backdrop, and then Spin it, PhotoSpin temporarily retains this final Turn positon as the point from which all subsequent Spin rotations occur. The assumption here is that most photographers will use Turn to rotate the backdrop into roughly the alignment they want, and then use Spin to fine-tune the alignment.

Backdrop: Align

The Align menu allows you to pin the PhotoSpin backdrop to a desired alignment. Once set, the backdrop will always restore to the pinned alignment when you click the Zero button on the Turn menu. The Align menu includes the following buttons:

  • Pin ~ sets the alignment of the backdrop to its current orientation
  • To Grid ~ sets the alignment of the backdrop to the Second Life grid
  • << Backdrop ~ returns to the Backdrop menu

When you first rez the PhotoSpin backdrop, it will align to the Second Life grid by default. To set a different alignment, follow these steps:

  1. Use the Spin or Turn menus to rotate the backdrop to your desired alignment.
  2. Navigate to the Align menu.
  3. Click Pin to set the backdrop to the new alignment.

If you wish to reset the alignment to the Second Life grid later on, simply click the To Grid button on the Align menu.

Alignment Pin Markers

You can display pin markers showing the Y and Z coordinate axes for the current pinned alignment of the backdrop. This can be a helpful guide when rotating the backdrop. To display the pin markers, simply touch (left-click) the backdrop and hold for 1.5 seconds, then release. Two pin markers will appear:  Y (green) and Z (blue). These markers will always show the pinned alignment of the backdrop. To toggle the pin markers off again, left-click and hold on the backdrop for 1.5 seconds, then release. The markers will disappear.

Backdrop: Size

You can resize the PhotoSpin backdrop to virtually any dimension you want, within the 10 meter limit on prim size set by Second Life. The Size menu includes the following buttons:

  • X – or X + ~ decreases or increases the size of the backdrop along the X coordinate by the size factor selected
  • Y – or Y + ~ decreases or increases the size of the backdrop along the Y coordinate by the size factor selected
  • Z – or Z + ~ decreases or increases the size of the backdrop along the Z coordinate by the size factor selected
  • f Small ~ sets the size factor to scale at a 1.1 ratio
  • f Medium ~ sets the size factor to scale at a 1.414214 ratio
  • f Large ~ sets the size factor to scale at a 1.732051 ratio
  • Reset ~ restores the backdrop to the default size
  • Join / Unjoin ~ toggles between Join and Unjoin: click Join to make the backdrop resize along all three XYZ coordinates simultaneously; click Unjoin to make the backdrop resize along the XYZ coordinates independently
  • << Backdrop ~ returns to the Backdrop menu

To resize the backdrop, follow these steps:

  1. Select the amount the backdrop will resize by clicking one of the size factor buttons (f Small, f Medium, f Large).
  2. Use the XYZ + or – buttons to increase or decrease the size of the backdrop.
  3. Click Join to resize along all three XYZ coordinates at the same time.
  4. Click Unjoin to resize along each of the XYZ coordinates independently.
  5. Use the Reset button to restore the backdrop to the default size.

Note: as you resize the backdrop, the texture alignments and offsets between the various prims that make up the backdrop will realign automatically.

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Lights

You can create up to six lights with your PhotoSpin. Each light can be independently customized for position, colour, intensity and other parameters. The Lights menu contains the following buttons:

  • Light buttons (1 to 6) – Click these buttons to access the Light menu for operating that particular light
  • Show All – shows all currently rezzed lights
  • Hide All – hides all currently rezzed lights
  • On All – switches on all rezzed lights
  • Off All – switches off all rezzed lights
  • Delete All – deletes all rezzed lights
  • << Main – returns to the Main menu

Initially, no lights appear when you rez PhotoSpin. The first thing you need to do to work with a light is create it. Once created, you can change the light’s position, colour and other parameters. The Light menu always displays the number of the light currently being operated on (Light 1 to Light 6) at the top.

Once rezzed inworld, you can access a light’s menu directly by using the *Easy Touch* feature: simply touch (left-click) the light and its corresponding menu will appear.

Lights: Light 1 – 6

The Light menu for specific lights contains the following buttons:

  • Create/Delete – click to create the light. A light globe with default properties will rez, and the button will toggle to “Delete”. Click this button again to delete the light, and the button will toggle to “Create”.
  • Show/Hide – shows or hides the selected light. This button toggles to “Hide” or “Show” depending on the visibility status of the selected light. When you hide a light globe, it keeps emitting light, but you cannot see the globe or its tag.
  • On/Off – switches a rezzed light on or off. This button toggles to “Off” or “On” depending on the status of the light being edited. When you switch off a light, it stays visible but it does not emit light.
  • Position >> – accesses the Light Position menu. See next section for further instructions.
  • Colours >> – accesses the Light Colours menu. See section below for instructions.
  • Params >> – accesses the Light Parameters menu. See section below for details.
  • << Lights – returns to the Lights menu.

Note: if you attempt to operate on a light that has not been created (for example, you click Light 3 on the menu and then go to change its position or colour), the light will be created automatically.

Lights: Position

PhotoSpin uses the XYZ coordinates to position lights. You can increase or decrease the distance the light moves in 1, 0.25 or 0.05 meter steps. The Light Position menu contains the following buttons:

  • Distance buttons (1 m, 0.25 m, 0.05 m) – sets the distance the selected light will move along any axis
  • X – and X + – decreases or increases the X coordinate of the light by the selected distance
  • Y – and Y + – decreases or increases the Y coordinate of the light by the selected distance
  • Z – and Z + – decrease or increases the Z coordinate of the light by the selected distance
  • Centre – moves the light to the default centre position
  • Model >> – accesses the Model menu, which provides a number of preset light positions (see next section)
  • << Light – returns to the Light menu

You can click a rezzed light at any time to display its XYZ coordinate axes pointing in the X +, Y + and Z + directions. This can be a helpful guide when positioning the lights. To display the XYZ axes, simply touch (left-click) the rezzed light and hold for 1.5 seconds, then release. The XYZ axes will appear. To toggle the XYZ axes off, touch the light and hold for 1.5 seconds, then release. The XYZ axes will disappear.

Lights: Model

The Model menu provides a number of preset light positions. When you click one of the light position buttons on this menu, the light seeks the avatar nearest to the Control Sphere and positions itself accordingly. The Model menu contains the following buttons:

  • Left and Right – moves the light to the left or right of the model, and slightly in front of him/her
  • Front and Back – moves the light right in front or behind the model
  • Front Up and Back Up – moves the light in front or behind of the model, and above his/her head
  • Above – moves the light directly above the model
  • Feet – moves the light in front of the model’s feet
  • Closer and Further – moves the light closer or further away from the model by the selected distance (see Light Position section)
  • << Position – returns to the light position menu

Lights: Colours

You can make a light any colour you want. A few basic colours are pre-defined and can be applied by clicking a button; other colours can be obtained by using the custom colour feature. The light colours menu contains the following buttons:

  • Colour buttons (Red, Green, Blue, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Warming, Cooling, White, Soft) – applies the colour to the light
  • Custom >> – accesses the Light Custom Colour menu (works exactly the same as the Backdrop Custom Colour menu described above)
  • << Light – returns to the Light menu

Lights: Parameters

In addition to position and colour, you can change a light’s intensity (its strength), radius (how far it reaches) and falloff (how much it fades with distance). The light parameters menu contains the following buttons:

  • Intensity – and Intensity + – decreasse or increases the intensity of the light
  • Radius – and Radius + – decreases or increases the radius of the light
  • Falloff – and Falloff + – decreases or increases the falloff of the light
  • << Light – returns to the light menu window

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Effects

PhotoSpin comes equipped with six effect generators which can produce various visual effects, and add a nice touch to some photos. The Effects menu contains the following buttons:

  • Generator buttons (1 to 6) – accesses the menu for operating the selected effect generator
  • Show All – shows all rezzed effect generators
  • Hide All – hides all rezzed effect generators
  • On All – switches on all rezzed effect generators
  • Off All – switches off all rezzed effect generators
  • Delete All – deletes all rezzed effect generators
  • << Main –  returns to the Main menu

Initially, no effects generators appear when you rez PhotoSpin. The first thing you need to do to work with one is create it. Once created, you can select the type of effect you want, change its position, colour and other properties. The Effects menu always displays the number of the generator currently being operated on (Generator 1 to Generator 6) at the top.

Once rezzed inworld, you can access an effect generator’s menu directly by using the *Easy Touch* feature: simply touch (left-click) the effect generator and the corresponding menu will appear.

Effects: Gen 1 – 6

The menu for each effect generator includes the following buttons:

  • Create/Delete – click to create the effect generator. An inactive generator will rez, and the button will toggle to “Delete”. Click this button again to delete the generator, and the button will toggle to “Create”.
  • Show/Hide – shows or hides the selected generator, and toggles between “Hide” or “Show” depending on the visibility status of the generator. When you hide a generator, it keeps working but you cannot see it.
  • On/Off – switches the selected generator on or off, and toggles between “Off” or “On” depending on the status of the generator. When you switch off a generator, it stays visible but it does not produce any effect.
  • Position >> – accesses the Generator Position menu (see next section).
  • Glow – makes the generator produce glowing spheres.
  • Fog – makes the generator produce fog.
  • Smoke – makes the generator produce smoke.
  • Snow – makes the generator produce snow.
  • Props >> – accesses the Generator Properties menu (see below).
  • << Effects – returns to the main Effects menu

Note: if you attempt to operate on a effect generator that has not been created (for example, you click Generator 3 on the menu and then go to change its position or colour), the generator will be created automatically.

Effects: Position

PhotoSpin uses the XYZ coordinates to position the generators. You can increase or decrease the distance the generator moves in 1, 0.25 or 0.05 meter steps. The Generator Position menu contains the following buttons:

  • Distance buttons (1 m, 0.25 m, 0.05 m) – sets the distance the selected generator will move along any axis
  • X – and X + – decreases or increases the X coordinate of the generator by the selected distance
  • Y – and Y + – decreases or increases the Y coordinate of the generator by the selected distance
  • Z – and Z + – decreases or increases the Z coordinate of the generator by the selected distance
  • Centre – moves the generator to the default centre position
  • Model >> – accesses the Model menu, which works the same as that of lights (see above)
  • << Generator – returns to the Effect generator menu window

You can click a rezzed generator at any time to display its XYZ coordinate axes pointing in the X +, Y + and Z + directions. This can be a helpful guide when positioning the generator. To display the XYZ axes, simply touch (left-click) the generator and hold for 1.5 seconds, then release. The XYZ axes will appear. To toggle the XYZ axes off, touch the generator and hold for 1.5 seconds, then release. The XYZ axes will disappear.

Effects: Properties (Props)

Depending on the type of effect assigned to a generator, you can change various properties that control how the effect is produced. The Effect Generator Properties menu may contain combinations of the following buttons:

  • Density – and Density + – decreases or increases the density of the effect
  • Colours >> – accesses the Effect Colours menu, which works the same as that of light colours, including the use of custom colours (see above)
  • << Generator – returns to the Effect generator menu

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Gazers

Use a gazer when you want your model’s eyes to look in a specific direction. Ask the model to Alt+Click on the gaze point to “lock” her avatar’s eyes on it. As you reposition the gazer, the model’s eyes will move with it. PhotoSpin provides six gaze points (useful for group shots). The Gazer menu contains the following buttons:

  • Gazer buttons (1 to 6) – Click these buttons to access the Gazer menu to operate the corresponding gazer
  • Show All – shows all rezzed gazers
  • Hide All – hides all rezzed gazers
  • Delete All – deletes all rezzed gazers
  • << Main – returns to the Main menu

Initially, no gazers appear when you rez PhotoSpin. The first thing you need to do to work with a gazer is create it. Once created, you can change its position. The Gazer menu always displays the number of the gazer currently being operated on (Gazer 1 to Gazer 6) at the top.

Once rezzed, you can access a specific gazer’s menu directly by using the *Easy Touch* feature: simply touch (left-click) the gazer and its corresponding menu will appear.

Gazers: Gazer 1 – 6

The Gazer menu for specific gazers contains the following buttons:

  • Create/Delete – click to create the gazer. A gazer will appear, and the button will toggle to “Delete”. Click this button again to delete the gazer, and the button will toggle to “Create”.
  • Show/Hide – shows or hides the selected gazer. This button toggles to “Hide” or “Show” depending on the visibility status of the selected gazer. When you hide a gazer, the model’s eyes will stay locked onto it. The gazer remains rezzed inworld but has been made invisible.
  • Position >> – accesses the Gazer Position menu. See next sections for instructions.
  • << Gazers – returns to the Gazers menu window.

Note: if you attempt to operate on a gazer that has not been created (for example, you click Gazer 3 on the menu and then go to change its position), the gazer will be created automatically.

Gazers: Position

PhotoSpin uses the XYZ coordinates to position gazers. You can increase or decrease the distance the gazer moves in 1, 0.25 or 0.05 meter steps. The Gazer Position menu contains the following buttons:

  • Distance buttons (1 m, 0.25 m, 0.05 m) – sets the distance the selected gazer will move along any axis
  • X – and X + – decreases or increases the X coordinate of the gazer by the selected distance
  • Y – and Y + – decreases or increases the Y coordinate of the gazer by the selected distance
  • Z – and Z + – decreases or increases the Z coordinate of the gazer by the selected distance
  • Centre – moves the gazer to the default centre position
  • Model >> – accesses the Model menu, which works the same as that of lights (see above)
  • << Gazer – returns to the Gazer menu

You can click a gazer at any time to display its XYZ coordinate axes pointing in the X +, Y + and Z + directions. This can be a helpful guide when positioning the gazers. To display the XYZ axes, simply touch (left-click) the gazer and hold for 1.5 seconds, then release. The XYZ axes will appear. To toggle the XYZ axes off, touch the gazer and hold for 1.5 seconds, then release. The XYZ axes will disappear.

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Easy Touch

The Easy Touch feature provides a quick way to access the menus for the backdrop, lights, effects and gazers in PhotoSpin. Once any of these elements has been rezzed, you can simply touch (left-click) an element to open the menu for that item. Navigating menus via the Control Box can become tedious, so Easy Touch greatly facilitates the ease and flexibility of operating PhotoSpin.

To use the Easy Touch feature, simply touch (left-click) the backdrop or any rezzed light, effects generator or gazer. The menu for the touched element will instantly appear.

You can open multiple menus if you wish. Each new menu will appear over top of any pre-existing menus. For this reason, it’s best to close each menu once you’ve finished making adjustments (click the “Ignore” button to close a menu). Otherwise, a large number of menus may start to accumulate on your viewer.

Once you’ve opened a menu, you can use it to navigate to all the other menus for PhotoSpin operations as well. Of course, the Control Sphere is still the best point for accessing the Main Menu.

XYZ Coordinates

Arrows displaying XYZ coordinates are available on each light globe, effect generator or gazer. The XYZ coordinates can be a helpful guide when positioning an element. To display the arrows, simply touch (left-click) the light globe, effect generator or gazer and hold for 1.5 seconds, then release. Arrows showing the X (red) Y (green) and Z (blue) axes will appear when you release the mouse button. To toggle the XYZ arrows off, touch and hold on the light, generator or gazer for 1.5 seconds, then release. The XYZ arrows will disappear.

Note: You can set permission for who can access the menus of your PhotoSpin via the Easy Touch feature by setting the UsersAllowed to Owner, Group, or All. Please see the Settings section for instructions on setting UsersAllowed for PhotoSpin.

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Configurations

The Configurations menu allows you to save the properties of the current backdrop and all currently rezzed lights, effects and gazers under a name of your choice. You can then reload the saved configuration at any time. The configurations menu contains the following buttons:

  • Configuration buttons – Up to nine buttons can appear showing the names of the configurations you have saved. Clicking one of these buttons will load the saved configuration inworld.
  • Dump – Writes the current configuration to the chat channel. You can use the resulting text to create and save a new configuration. How to do this is explained below.
  • Reset – Resets the backdrop to its default appearance, and deletes all lights, effect generators and gazers.
  • << Main – returns to the main menu window.

Please note that the PhotoSpin does not reset before applying a saved configuration. The configuration is applied on top of any existing background, light and effect adjustments. Use the Reset button before applying a configuration if you want a fresh start.

Important: You may see the message “Configurations are still being read” in the Configurations menu, especially just after you modify the configurations notecard (see next sections). This means that the PhotoSpin is still reading the new configurations and cannot display the appropriate buttons at this time. If this is the case, please go back to the Main menu, wait a few seconds, and move to the Configurations menu again.

Saving a New Configuration

The text that the PhotoSpin writes into the chat channel when you click the Dump button can be used to save the current configuration under a name of your choice. Follow these steps to accomplish this:

  1. Click Dump to obtain a text description of the current configuration of the PhotoSpin.
  2. Find the generated text in the Chat History window. The first line shoud read “Begin Dump”, and the last line should read “End Dump”. If the dump is too large, one or more lines marked “(dump continues)” may appear interspersed.
  3. Copy the text between the “Begin Dump” and “End Dump” lines, not including them, by selecting the text and using the SL client menus Edit > Copy.
  4. Edit the PhotoSpin Control Sphere by right-clicking it and selecting Edit in the pie menu. An Edit window appears.
  5. Click the Content tab. Find a notecard named “.Configurations”. You will see many other items here in addition to the Configurations notecard. Do not change, delete or rename these items; doing so will cause your PhotoSpin to malfunction.
  6. Double click the configurations notecard to open it.
  7. Move to the end of the notecard. In a new line, type the word “Configuration:”  followed by the name that you want to give to the new configuration. Be careful not to place any blanks before or after the colon (eg. “Configuration:New Look”). Press Enter.
  8. Paste the copied text by using the SL client menus Edit > Paste.
  9. Delete all the “(dump continues)” lines that may exist.
  10. Close the notecard. When asked to save changes, click Save.
  11. Wait a few seconds for the PhotoSpin to reload the configurations. Your saved configuration will appear as a new button in the Configurations menu.

Important: Please remember not to include the begin and end dump lines in your copied text, and to delete the “(dump continues)” lines that may appear.

Loading a Saved Configuration

  1. Open the Configurations menu.
  2. Click the Reset button to restore PhotoSpin to its default settings (recommended).
  3. Click the desired saved configuration button.
  4. The saved configuration will load inworld.

Note: Loading a saved configuration usually works best if you click Reset to return PhotoSpin to its default settings first. On occasion the saved configuration may not load properly. If this happens, click Reset again, and then click the saved configurations button to reload. The configuration should load correctly the second time.

Deleting a Saved Configuration

In addition to adding configurations, you can also delete existing ones. Follow these steps to accomplish this:

  1. Edit the PhotoSpin Control Sphere by right-clicking it and selecting Edit in the pie menu. An Edit window appears.
  2. Click the Content tab. Find the notecard named “.Configurations”. You will see many other items here in addition to the Configurations notecard. Do not change, delete or rename these items; doing so will cause your PhotoSpin to malfunction.
  3. Double click the configurations notecard to open it.
  4. Find the configuration that you want to delete. It will be marked by the word “Configuration:” (notice the colon without any blanks before it) followed by the configuration name.
  5. Delete all the text between this line and the next configuration name line, or until the end of the notecard if this is the last configuration.
  6. Close the notecard. When asked to save changes, click Save.
  7. Wait a few seconds for PhotoSpin to reload the configurations. The deleted configuration will have disappeared from the Configurations menu.

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Settings

PhotoSpin allows you to customize the Users Allowed, Channel, and Chat Channel settings according to your preferences. Each of these settings is stored inside the Control Sphere as a notecard. Follow these steps in order to view or alter the settings:

  1. Edit the PhotoSpin Control Sphere by right-clicking it and selecting Edit in the pie menu. An Edit window appears.
  2. Click the Content tab. You will see a list of notecards with names beginning with the # sign. These are settings. You will also see many other items here in addition to settings notecards. Do not change, delete or rename these items; doing so will disable your PhotoSpin.
  3. To change a setting, right-click it and select Rename from the menu. Change the text after the equals sign to whatever value you would like, respecting the limits applicable to that particular setting (see below). Press Enter when you are done to save the setting’s new value.
  4. Wait a few seconds for PhotoSpin to apply the changed setting.

Important: Do not rename or change in any way the text between the # sign and the equals sign in a setting. Also, don’t leave any blanks to either side of the equals sign. If you do this, the setting will not be interpreted correctly by PhotoSpin.

The next sections describe each setting that is supported by the PhotoSpin.

UsersAllowed

This setting controls who can use your PhotoSpin. Possible values are the following:

  • All – Anybody can use the PhotoSpin.
  • Group – Only active members of the same group the PhotoSpin belongs to, plus the PhotoSpin owner, can use it.
  • Owner – Only the PhotoSpin owner can use it.

If this setting is not specified, or a value other than the above listed ones is used, then by default PhotoSpin will allow anybody to use it.

Channel

This setting controls which communications channel is used by the Control Sphere to talk to the backdrop, lights, effects and gazers. Possible values are numbers between (and including) 1 and 9.

If this setting is not specified, or a value other than the above mentioned is used, channel 1 is assumed by default.

If you change the channel number for the Control Sphere and Backdrop, you will also need to change the channel number for the HUD. To do this, follow these instructions:

  1. Locate the PhotoSpin HUD in your inventory and rez it inworld.
  2. Edit the HUD and click the Content tab.
  3. Right-click the Channel notecard, select Rename, and enter the new channel number.
  4. Wait a few seconds for the HUD to apply the new setting.
  5. Take the HUD back into your inventory.

Note: the Control Sphere also contains a HUD which it delivers when you click Options>Get HUD. If you change the channel number, it is advisable to replace the HUD in the Control Sphere with the new one. To do this:

  1. Edit the Control Sphere and click the Content tab.
  2. Locate the existing PhotoSpin HUD (object) in the list of contents and delete it.
  3. Locate the HUD with the new channel number in your inventory.
  4. Drag the new HUD from your inventory and drop it into the Contents folder.

Chat Channel

This setting controls which communications channel is used by the PhotoSpin to listen to your chat commands. Possible values are numbers between (and including) 80 and 89.

If this setting is not specified, or a value other than one between 80 to 89 is used, channel 81 is assumed by default.

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Support

As an owner of PhotoSpin, you are entitled to free minor version updates. Every time the current version of PhotoSpin is updated, you will receive the update for free. PhotoSpin checks for updates every time it is reset, and you can make it check for updates manually by using the Update button in the Options menu (see Options above). Please note that beta or demonstration versions of PhotoSpin do not qualify for lifetime updates.

Please consider joining the Ananke Media Systems User Group to keep up to date about new developments and other information related to PhotoSpin and other AMS products. Find this group using the Second Life Search. Under the Groups tab, enter “Ananke Media Systems User Group” (without the quotes), hit Enter, select the group in the list and click Join. Please make sure that you understand and agree with the group charter before you join.

The Ananke Media Systems website and blog is also a good source of information and support. Please visit us at https://anankemediasystems.wordpress.com and feel free to leave your comments.

You are also welcome to send feedback about PhotoSpin by sending an email to serenity.mercier@gmail.com.

Thanks for using PhotoSpin!

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Usage Agreement

Please read carefully.

  1. As an owner of PhotoSpin, you are free to utilise the product for its intended use as described in this User’s Manual and the AMS web site. Other uses are not allowed under this agreement.
  2. You are not allowed to disassemble or reverse-engineer PhotoSpin.
  3. You are not allowed to alter PhotoSpin’s prim configuration or prim properties other than by using the customisation mechanisms provided for that purpose and documented in this User’s Manual.
  4. You are not allowed to use the textures included as part of PhotoSpin outside PhotoSpin. In particular, you are not allowed to extract those textures into your inventory or other objects.
  5. Use of the LeeZu! textures supplied with PhotoSpin are governed by a separate End-User Licenese Agreement. Please follow the link and read this agreement carefully.

Using PhotoSpin means you have accepted all the terms of both this Usage Agreement and the End-User License Agreement with AMS and LeeZu Baxter.

Credits

Design and Build by Serenity Mercier.
Scripts and Effects by Desdemona Enfield.
Original Scripts by Anna Tretiak.

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