Scripts a Major Factor
The avatar and any attachments that have scripts are a significant factor in the crossing. Scripts have; code, data, and state. The simulators have to collect those from sim memory and pass them to the destination sim. That code and data is added and state is… adopted… The script has to start running from wherever in code it was stopped in the departed sim.
The more scripts the avatar wears and are built into attachments (stuff the avatar wears and the viewer’s HUDs) and vehicles the larger the data packet transferred. Then there is the process of decompressing adding the code and data to the sim’s memory.
To improve crossing speed and reliability, one wants as few scripts as possible. In Firestorm one can right-click the avatar and select Script Info.
Example:
| Script info: ‘Nalates Urriah’: [90/90] running scripts, 5488 KB allowed memory size limit, 0.080964 ms of CPU time consumed. |
Wow… I am wearing hair, dress, and shoes… well, mesh body and head. But, in general the target for scripts is as few as possible and less than 3MB of memory.
There are also free Script Weight Scales in the marketplace.
The Viewer Matters More Than Most People Think
One of the most interesting insights from researching forum posts is how much the viewer’s performance influences crossing reliability. This tells us by extension that one’s computer matters too. Faster computers are better.
When a region is busy, the simulator is already under load. If your viewer is also overloaded — high draw distance, high quality rendering, streaming media, voice chat, etc. — the probability of timeouts and data drops increases.
Here are the viewer settings that consistently show up as influencing crossings:
- Draw Distance — major factor; recommended 160–200m
- Bandwidth — avoid extremes; Firestorm still recommends 1500 kbps, but modern connections handle 2000–3000 kbps well
- Voice Chat — WebRTC reconnects during crossings and can introduce instability
- Streaming Music — continuous bandwidth use; best turned off during long trips
- Media Autoplay — unexpected media loads can spike bandwidth
- High Render Settings — shadows, high LOD, and high‑quality water increase GPU load
Read more… page links below.