There are a few ways to improve how your system interacts with Dynamic Lighting. In the case of graphic issues or fatal errors springing from Dynamic Lighting, such as the "d20.engine.finishcurrentpolygon" fatal error*, the steps below should assist. If you’re looking for general system recommendations for Roll20, check out Roll20 System Recommendations or Optimizing Roll20 Performance.
*This error appears when WebGL is not enabled in your browser. Dynamic lighting uses WebGL, a Javascript API for rendering high-performance interactive 3D and 2D graphics without the use of plug-ins. WebGL is available on most computer systems and is supported by Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, the browsers for which Roll20 is optimized. On Chrome and Firefox, you’ll need to turn on Hardware Acceleration in your advanced settings.
Enable Hardware Acceleration and WebGL In Your Browser
Why Enable Hardware Acceleration?
Enabling Hardware Acceleration allows your browser to use additional computer resources to perform more intense tasks. If you enable this setting in your browser, your performance may improve considerably. We also suggest toggling this setting if you experience any unusual Dynamic Lighting instances. Here’s how to enable Hardware Acceleration in our two supported browsers, Chrome and Firefox:
Turning Hardware Acceleration on in Chrome
First, access your settings in Chrome, either by typing chrome://settings in the web address field, or selecting the three dots on the upper right of your browser and selecting Settings. From there, you can access the Hardware Acceleration toggle under the System category.
Turning Hardware Acceleration on in Firefox
First, access your settings in Firefox, either by typing about:preferences in the web address field, or selecting the three bars on the upper right of your browser and selecting Settings. From there, ensure the Use Recommended Performance Settings checkbox is unchecked in the Performance category, and the Use Hardware Acceleration When Available button is checked.
Why Enable WebGL?
Dynamic Lighting uses WebGL, a JavaScript API for rendering high-performance interactive 3D and 2D graphics without the use of plug-ins. WebGL is available in most computer systems.
99.9% of Roll20 users already have WebGL enabled on their systems, and you can test whether it works by clicking this link. If your system does not support WebGL, you will not be able to access Dynamic Lighting or its features.
WebGL leverages the power of your computer's graphics processor to make rendering much faster and smoother. We feel that it’s important to note that while many web browsers support WebGL, Chrome and Firefox are the only browsers supported with this release. In addition, Dynamic Lighting has not been tested on Table on Tablet. Here’s how to enable Hardware Acceleration in our two supported browsers, Chrome and Firefox:
Turning WebGL on in Chrome
When you turn on Hardware Acceleration in Chrome, WebGL functionality is already turned on! You can ensure this is the case by by taking a WebGL test using this link.
August '22 Update:
As of August 2022, new updates in Chrome have changed how WebGL functions. This has impacted how Roll20 works with Chrome, and we are still configuring the extent of these changes. If you’re having problems loading your game or accessing Dynamic lighting, please reach out to us via the Help Center!
Turning WebGL on in Firefox
First, access your advanced settings in Firefox by typing about:config in the web address field. Using the search field, find "webgl.force-enabled" and make sure it's set to true, and "webgl.disabled" and make sure it's set to false. Then, make sure to refresh Firefox to enact these changes!
Limit Your Map Intensity
Why Limit Map Intensity?
Dynamic Lighting can be taxing on lower performing computers, which can impact your players' experience! Here’s a list of things to use sparingly if any of your players are running on older or low performance computers:
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Large Map Sizes
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Many Complex Dynamic Lighting Lines
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Giving All Tokens Sight On A Heavily Populated Page
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Explorer Mode
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Dynamic Lighting |
Looking to set up Dynamic Lighting quickly, or need to double check your work?
You can visit the Dynamic Lighting Checklist for a quick and easy walkthrough!