Introduction to Virtual Worlds

1. Virtual Worlds
ETT 590 - Module 5

2. Agenda
 Gameplay: Crazy Machines
 Game Sharing
 InspiredTeaching and Learning
 VirtualWorlds: Module 5
 Introduction to OpenSim
 Project Plans

3. Games and Game Principles in Learning
 Brainstorm activities that incorporate game
principles and scientific thinking
 Choose two to describe in more detail
 One, non-digital video game experience
 One, incorporating a digital video game
 Present:
 What is the setting of the activity?
 What is the goal of the activity?
 What are the rules/conditions?
 How will students know when they have succeeded?
 What game principles have you incorporated?
 How does your activity encourage systems
level/analytical thinking?

4. VIRTUAL WORLDS

5. Intro to Virtual Worlds
Persistent spaces made available by networked computers
accessible through a graphical interface to provide
inhabitants synchronous interactions between individuals
and the environment
(Bell, 2008; Click 2013, Schroeder, 2008: Ondrejka, 2008).

6. Short List of Terms
 Simulator (Sim) – server application
 Grid – multiple servers
 Region – 256 x 256 meters of virtual space
 Viewer – Browser
 Avatar – Player embodiment
 Persistent – stuff is still there when you log back on

7. Virtual Worlds
 Second Life
 Opensimulator
 Minecraft
 ActiveWorlds
 Kaneva
 Metaplace
 realXtend

8. What is Second Life?
 Linden Labs Launched Second Life in 2002
 Described as a 3-D virtual world entirely built by its residents
 Residents retain the IP rights to their digital creations
 15,753,363 people from over 100 countries
 30,436 regions (256x256 meters each)
 Virtual land is 15 times the size of San Francisco

9. How do I get a Second Life?
 Register for an account (free)
 Select an avatar and screen name
 Download the Second Life browser
 Go through orientation (take your time there)
 Explore and meet people
 Attend in-world workshops

10. What technology is needed?
 Broadband connectivity
 Supported video card
 Administrative control over your computer to install software, or…
 Flash drive (see, Second Life in your pocket)
 Optional – headphones with built in microphone, for audio chat

11. Education in Second Life
Harvard University
Idaho State University
United States Military
Northern Illinois University
Ohio State University
University of Central Missouri
PennsylvaniaState University
Stanford University
Texas State University
University of Colorado at
Denver
VirginiaTech
Leeds College of Art and Design
http://secondlife.com/destinations/learning

12. Glidden Campus
 NIU entered Second Life in summer of 2005
 Replica of our landmark buildings
 Collaboration with other universities

13. All objects start as primitive objects
 Your avatar does the building.
 This picture demonstratesAli rezzing a primitive object (a box).
 Other basic objects include a prism, sphere, cylinder, torus,
tube, ring, and sculpted

14. Laying the floors of Altgeld Hall
 You quickly realize you need to do things in a certain order
because of the camera limitations.
 For example I had to build the staircase first.
 This building is built to scale, but because your camera is above
your avatar things appear smaller.

15. Building the walls of Altgeld Hall
 Measuring sticks were used to offset objects
 Prim heavy - contains over 8000 primitive objects
 Stone texture – photographs of real world building

16. Altgeld Hall in Second Life

17. Altgeld Hall in Real Life

18. Why teach in Second Life?
Good question and initially heavily debated.
• Anytime, anyplace access
• Social presence due to avatar embodiment and interactions
• Ability to create your own learning environment
• Ability to create a custom avatar

19. NIU - The Art Café
 Learning space for art education majors
 Gallery shows for a global audience
 Class meetings
 Doctoral research

20. NIU - ETRA Online Classroom
 Classroom community
 Group work
 First time we used 2-way audio in-world

21. NIU - Time Arts
 Senior projects
 Live 2-way presentation
 Local and global attendance

22. Illinois Crisis Intervention
 Online class in Homeland Security certificate
 Debriefing experience for students

23. “I am moving to Canada!”

24. Virtual World of Your Own
 Defined as a 3D application server
 There is no LL code in OpenSimulator
“We didn’t reverse engineer the browser, but the
communication that goes between the browser and
Second Life”

25. “If you break it, you get to
keep both pieces”

26. Initial Impetus
 No age restrictions
 Research control
 Control over upgrades
 Programmable avatar experience
 Develop locally, implement on server
 Cost (scalability)

27. The One Room School House
 Research opportunities
 Basically free for student researchers
 Accessible by kids under the age of 13
 Protected, private, safe

28. Microfinance Simulation
 Package and sell
 Server-side coding
 Privacy/containment
 Consequences

29. Server-Side Programming
 Content Management Tool
 Instructor Dashboard
 User Administration

30. Games Camp
 Basically free persistent space
 Available and safe for kids under 13
 Easy to learn tool set

31. Feature Comparison
Feature Second Life OpenSim
Audio Yes Yes – Freeswitch module
Groups Yes Not out of the box
Off-lineCommunication Yes Not out of the box
Currency Yes Not out of the box
Scripting Yes Yes, but slightly different
UploadTextures Yes Yes - free
Terraform Yes Yes
Grid Mode Yes Yes
Building Yes Yes with some glitches
Comparing SL and OpenSim

32. Pretty Solid
 Avatars
 Land, sky, water
 Inventory
 Building
 Terraforming
 Textures
 Scripting

33. Yes, But..
 Orientation
 Off-line communication
 Audio
 Profiles
 Search

34. Not so much…
 Currency
 In-world market

35. Pros and Cons of Opensim
Pros Cons
Control over server updates Less stable than SL
No age restrictions Need for technical support
Flexibility Lack of some nice SL functions
Control over cost Scattered documentation
Modular Beta application
Opensource Absence of Pre-made Inventory
Scalability Lack of market
Control over user access Lack of large community
Archiving No one in charge of development
Some Pros & Cons of OpenSim

36. Quickly Experience OpenSim
 Access one of the public OpenSim grids (OSGrid,
Reaction Grid…)
 Run a stand-alone sim on y0ur own workstation or laptop

37. Viewers
 Imprudence
 Hippo
 Meerkat
 EmeraldViewer (Mac)

38. NIU in OpenSim
NIU Digital Convergence Lab
Presents
Highly InteractiveVirtual Environments (HIVE)
http://hive.niu.edu

39. Standalone OpenSimulator
 Free
 Local creation for export through .oar files
 Ultimate control over research data

40. An OpenSim on your own server
 Relatively Inexpensive
 Allows others to connect
 Maintenance and Support
 Demands on the system
 10-20 users
 4 regions
 Virtualization

41. Hosted Server
 Standard
 $50/mo
 Maintenance and
support
 OpenSim Specific
 $75-795/mo
 Virtualized-dedicated
 Bandwidth
 Support

42. Installing an OpenSim Server
 Download OpenSim and helper applications
 Install OpenSim application
 Launch server application
 Access from viewer (http://127.0.0.1:9000)
 Configure Regions.ini file to add more regions

43. The Future
 Interoperability between virtual worlds
 Divergence from Second Life
 More secondary providers (i.e. Reaction Grid)
 Distribution of content – Hypergrid - Diva Canto (the
inventor of the Hypergrid protocol)

44. Resources
Aline Click (Ali Andrews) aclick@niu.edu
Slideshare http://www.slideshare.net/Aliandrews
NIU HIVE http://hive.niu.edu Login URI http://hive.niu.edu:8002/
ImprudenceViewer http://wiki.kokuaviewer.org
SLED Educators Listserv https://lists.secondlife.com/
Opensim http://opensimulator.org