Render Weights explained

Here is a particularly useful video from the lab, explaining all you need to know about render weights and how you can control what you see versus performance of your viewer.

Avatar Complexity (Render Weight)

A new tool is on its way to Second Life,  "Avatar Complexity".

Currently being beta tested via 'Project Quick Graphics Viewer', the viewer will let you know at logon how complex your avatar is.

20k to 60k is normal.

Linden Lab explains, Avatar Rendering Complexity is a measure of how difficult it is to draw an avatar; it's a number that can range from just a few hundred to several hundred thousand. It is affected by your avatar shape and what you're wearing. Since drawing avatars can be one of the most expensive parts of rendering a Second Life scene, complexities at the upper end of the range can cause severe viewer performance problems. Being aware of your own complexity and that of those around you can be an important part of managing the performance of your viewer and how you affect the performance of others.

Regular visitors to London City will know that Render Weights are already monitored to ensure the protection of visitors from those using highly complex, or badly designed attachments.  High weights degrade the performance for other residents, sometimes crashing their sessions.

For more information see the Resources tab above and also the link to Avatar Rendering Complexity on the Second Life Wiki