Best Graphics Settings for Firestorm Viewer
Welcome to this easy-to-follow guide for getting the best graphics and performance in Firestorm Viewer for LinkUp Grid.
The goal is simple: make your world look great while keeping Firestorm running smoothly.
You do not need to be an expert. We will go through the important settings one by one and explain what they do in plain language.
Before You Start
You will need:
A reasonably capable PC or Mac.
Firestorm Viewer installed.
An up-to-date version of Firestorm is recommended.
You can download Firestorm from the official website:
https://www.firestormviewer.org
Step 1: Open Your Graphics Settings
First, open the Firestorm settings window.
Click Avatar at the top of Firestorm.
Click Preferences.
You can also press Ctrl + P.
In the window that opens, click Graphics on the left.
This is where we will make most of our changes.
Step 2: Start With the Graphics Quality
At the top of the Graphics window, you will see a slider called Quality and Speed.
This is Firestorm's main graphics setting.
What the settings mean
Low
Best performance.
Lower-quality graphics.
Good for older or slower computers.
Mid
A good balance between graphics and performance.
Suitable for many computers.
High
Better graphics and more detail.
Uses more computer power.
A good starting point for most modern computers.
Ultra
Very high graphics quality.
Uses a lot of computer power.
Best used for photography or when you want the best possible visuals.
Recommended setting
Set the slider to High.
We will then change some individual settings to find the best balance for your computer.
Step 3: General Graphics Settings
Now click the General tab.
These settings can have a big effect on how smoothly Firestorm runs.
Draw Distance
Draw Distance controls how far into the world you can see.
A higher number lets you see further, but it also makes your computer work harder.
Recommended
Set it between 128m and 256m.
For normal exploring, 128m or 192m is often enough.
You can increase it temporarily when you need to see something further away.
For better performance
Try 96m or 128m in busy areas.
Max # of Non-Impostor Avatars
This controls how many people around you are shown in full detail.
People further away can be displayed in a simpler form to save computer power.
Recommended
Set this to 8–12 avatars.
This normally gives you enough detailed avatars around you without using too much performance.
At busy events
Try reducing this to 5–8.
Level of Detail (LOD) Factor
LOD controls how much detail is shown on objects and mesh.
A higher setting keeps objects looking detailed from further away.
A low setting can make objects look blocky or appear to change shape as you get closer.
Recommended
Set LOD to around 3.0–4.0.
3.0 is a good starting point.
If your computer is powerful enough, try 4.0 for better mesh detail.
Max Particle Count
Particles are used for things such as:
Fire
Smoke
Sparks
Magic effects
Weather
Special effects
Recommended
Set this to 2048.
You can increase it to 4096 if you regularly visit places with lots of particle effects, but this may reduce performance.
Post-Process Quality
This controls extra visual effects such as glow and depth of field.
These effects can make the world look more beautiful, but they can also use a lot of GPU power.
Recommended
Use Low or Mid.
This gives you some nice visual effects without putting too much pressure on your computer.
Step 4: Hardware Settings
Now open the Hardware Settings tab.
These settings are connected directly to your graphics card.
Antialiasing (AA)
Antialiasing helps remove jagged edges around objects.
It makes buildings, objects and avatars look smoother.
Recommended
Set Antialiasing to 4x.
This is a good balance between quality and performance.
If Firestorm is running slowly, try 2x.
If you have a powerful gaming PC, you can try 8x.
Anisotropic Filtering
This helps textures stay sharp when you look at them from an angle.
For example, it can make floors, roads and other surfaces look clearer.
Recommended
Turn this on.
Modern graphics cards can usually handle it with very little performance loss.
Texture Memory (VRAM)
Texture Memory controls how much of your graphics card memory Firestorm can use for textures.
Using too little can cause textures to stay blurry or take longer to load.
Recommended
Match the setting to your graphics card's VRAM.
Examples:
4 GB VRAM → about 4096 MB
8 GB VRAM → about 8192 MB
It is generally safer to leave a little memory available for other things rather than using absolutely all of your VRAM.
If you do not know how much VRAM your computer has, 1024 MB is a safer starting point, but checking your graphics card specifications is better.
Enable VBO
VBO is a modern way for Firestorm to handle 3D objects.
Recommended
Keep VBO enabled.
Most modern computers should benefit from leaving it on.
Only try turning it off if you are experiencing unusual graphics problems or problems with older hardware or drivers.
Step 5: Lighting & Shadows
Now click the Lighting & Shadows tab.
This is where you can make the world look much more realistic.
However, shadows and advanced lighting can also use a lot of computer power.
Advanced Lighting Model (ALM)
ALM enables modern lighting features such as:
Shadows
Better materials
Normal maps
Specular effects
Projector lights
Recommended
Turn ALM ON.
This makes a very noticeable difference to the appearance of the world.
Shadows
The Shadows setting controls what produces shadows.
Recommended
Choose:
Sun/Moon
This gives you good-looking dynamic shadows without using as much performance as the more advanced options.
Avoid Sun/Moon + Projectors for everyday use unless you have a powerful PC.
Shadow Quality
This controls how detailed the shadows are.
Recommended
Set this to Mid.
It normally gives a good-looking result without causing a huge FPS drop.
High and Ultra can look better but may significantly reduce performance.
Water Reflections
This controls what you see reflected in water.
Recommended for everyday use
Choose:
Minimal or Terrain and Trees
These options provide some nice reflections without using too much performance.
For photography
You can temporarily use:
Everything
This can make water look fantastic, but it can also cause a large drop in FPS.
Step 6: Save Your Settings
Once you have everything set up, save your settings as a preset.
This makes it easy to switch between different configurations.
At the bottom of the Graphics window:
Click Save Preset.
Give it a name such as LinkUp Balanced Settings or LinkUp High Performance.
Click OK.
Click Apply or OK to use the settings.
You can create different presets for different situations.
A Good Everyday Setting
For a good balance between graphics and performance, try this:
Setting Recommended
Quality and Speed High
Draw Distance 128–256m
Non-Impostor Avatars 8–12
LOD Factor 3.0–4.0
Max Particle Count 2048
Post-Process Quality Low–Mid
Antialiasing 4x
Anisotropic Filtering On
Texture Memory Match your VRAM
VBO On
ALM On
Shadows Sun/Moon
Shadow Quality Mid
Water Reflections Minimal / Terrain & Trees
Having Performance Problems?
Do not worry. A few changes can make a very big difference.
"My FPS is very low"
Try these changes first:
Reduce Draw Distance to 96m.
Reduce Non-Impostor Avatars to 5.
Turn Shadows off.
Close unnecessary programs running in the background.
These are usually some of the quickest ways to improve performance.
"Objects are blurry or never finish loading"
This can sometimes be caused by cache or texture memory problems.
Try:
Avatar → Preferences → Network & Files → Clear Cache
Then restart Firestorm.
Also check that your Texture Memory setting is appropriate for your graphics card.
"Everything looks flat and there are no shadows"
Check that:
Advanced Lighting Model (ALM) is enabled.
Then make sure your Shadows setting is not set to None.
Try selecting:
Sun/Moon
"I see flickering or strange graphics"
This can be caused by graphics driver problems.
Make sure your graphics drivers are up to date for your graphics card:
NVIDIA
AMD
Intel
As a troubleshooting step, you can also try turning VBO off temporarily.
How to Check Your FPS
Firestorm lets you see your current FPS.
Press:
Ctrl + Shift + 1
This opens the Statistics panel.
Look for FPS (Frames Per Second).
Around 25–30 FPS or higher generally feels reasonably smooth, although the ideal number depends on what you are doing and your computer.
Use the FPS number to compare different settings.
For example, change one setting, then check your FPS. This makes it easier to see which settings are affecting your performance.
Create Different Presets
It is a good idea to have more than one graphics preset.
Everyday / Balanced
Good graphics with reasonable performance.
Events / Low Lag
Use:
Lower Draw Distance
Fewer detailed avatars
Shadows Off
Lower graphics effects
This is especially useful when visiting busy events or crowded regions on LinkUp Grid.
Photography
Use:
Higher Draw Distance
Higher LOD
Higher Shadow Quality
Better Water Reflections
Higher Post-Process effects
Remember that photography settings can use a lot of computer power.
Use Quick Preferences
Firestorm also has a Quick Preferences option.
This can give you quick access to important settings such as:
Draw Distance
Avatar count
LOD
This is useful when you need to quickly change your settings without opening the full Preferences window.
Remember: Every Region Is Different
Your computer might run perfectly on a quiet LinkUp Grid region but struggle in a busy region filled with people, scripts, mesh and effects.
This is normal.
For example, a region with many avatars and lots of detailed objects can require much more computer power than an empty region.
Do not be afraid to lower your settings when visiting busy places.
You can always increase them again when you leave.
Final Tip
There is no single "perfect" Firestorm setting for every computer.
The best setup is the one that gives you:
Good-looking graphics + smooth movement + comfortable FPS
Start with the recommended settings in this guide, then change one setting at a time until you find what works best for your computer.
Most importantly, enjoy exploring LinkUp Grid!
Created by Sofee SupermarinePosted Aug 26 2026 12:57PM