Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Virtual Worlds Resources - Will Update from Time to Time
Terra Nova - Weblog on virtual worlds (incredible authors list and great links)
http://terranova.blogs.com/
Games, Learning + Society Research Group
http://gameslearningsociety.org/
The Daedalus Project: Psychology of MMORPGs (research studies on gamers) Nick Yee
http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/
Virtual Worlds Economy/Economies
http://virtual-economy.org/bibliography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Castronova (who also blogs on Terra Nova)
and Google "Edward Castronova" to see/hear podcasts of talks, interviews, etc.
Graduate Students: You can probably use your library database research skills to get access to his papers, listed on the bibliography in fuller detail than on his wiki page.
http://terranova.blogs.com/
Games, Learning + Society Research Group
http://gameslearningsociety.org/
The Daedalus Project: Psychology of MMORPGs (research studies on gamers) Nick Yee
http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/
Virtual Worlds Economy/Economies
http://virtual-economy.org/bibliography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Castronova (who also blogs on Terra Nova)
and Google "Edward Castronova" to see/hear podcasts of talks, interviews, etc.
Graduate Students: You can probably use your library database research skills to get access to his papers, listed on the bibliography in fuller detail than on his wiki page.
Comparative Exercise in There.com DUE Tues 2/24
In preparation for the presentation Tuesday 2/24, do a comparative avatar/social event exercise in There.com using a free account. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ROOM ON YOUR HARD DISK. Post snap shots and comments on your blog as you did for the SL avatar exercise (only JUST do the social event) to keep it concise. Note contrasts between the experience in There and the experience in Second Life and be prepared to share these in discussion. THIS IS TO PREPARE YOU TO ENGAGE IN THIS DISCUSSION AND GET THE MOST OUT OF JANIS' PRESENTATION.
Labels: assignments
Wings3D to SecondLife Sculpty Object
Information on Wings3D Modeling for SL Objects
A. Settings:
Edit > Preferences > Camera Mode > Maya (I think it's more fluid than the default Mirei mode but you do need a 3 button mouse for the Maya mode). I uncheck the auto-save option because I find it distracting and potentially destructive. I also display the Advanced Menus at Edit > Preferences > Misc Edit > Preferences > Advanced > Advanced Menus (check).
B. Resources for Starting
1. Download the wings3d manual.pdf file from the wings3d.com website - YOUR MAIN RESOURCE, good info on GUI and section 3 Quickstart guide (build a doghouse, hand, etc), and section 4 on organic shapes, edge loops, etc. Section 6.3 UV Mapping is about adding image textures - but that might be easier in SL...more on that later.
2. Tutorials on the site and links to other tutorials.
C. Wings3D Modeling for SL Import
KEY: Tutorial and links to other tutorials and the plugin: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Wings_3D. There is also a SL forum on using Wings3D.
1. Exporter plugin: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Wings_3D_Exporter
Download the plugin from pkpounceworks.com, unzip the file in your modeling folder, and copy the wpc_sculpty.beam file to the Wings3D Program Files or Applications folder > Plugins folder > Importer/Exporter folder on your hard disk. Open Wings3D and File > Install Plugins > find the wpc_sculpty.beam and click Install. You also get a collection of sphere-based templates with this plugin. Keep that folder in your modeling folder.
2. Download the Non-sphere Templates, unzip them in your modeling folder. Keep the zipped folder for backup.
3. Then, you can open any of the template objects - the sphere-based ones that came with the plugin or the non-sphere ones - and use them as your starting point for modeling SL prims. Be sure to save them as a new name before you start to modify them. NOTE: THE KEY IS NOT ADDING OR REMOVING ANY VERTICES FROM THE TEMPLATE-BEGUN OBJECT. So don't use extrude or collapse or similar features. Instead use non-vertex-destructive features such as Edge Loops, Move, Rotate, Scale, Flatten, etc.
4. Watch this Video Demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzgb2BrOjbw (using 64x63 sphere)
NOTE: THE KEY IS NOT ADDING OR REMOVING ANY VERTICES FROM THE TEMPLATE-BEGUN OBJECT. So don't use extrude or collapse or similar features. Instead use non-vertex-destructive features such as Edge Loops, Move, Rotate, Scale, Flatten, etc.
A. Settings:
Edit > Preferences > Camera Mode > Maya (I think it's more fluid than the default Mirei mode but you do need a 3 button mouse for the Maya mode). I uncheck the auto-save option because I find it distracting and potentially destructive. I also display the Advanced Menus at Edit > Preferences > Misc Edit > Preferences > Advanced > Advanced Menus (check).
B. Resources for Starting
1. Download the wings3d manual.pdf file from the wings3d.com website - YOUR MAIN RESOURCE, good info on GUI and section 3 Quickstart guide (build a doghouse, hand, etc), and section 4 on organic shapes, edge loops, etc. Section 6.3 UV Mapping is about adding image textures - but that might be easier in SL...more on that later.
2. Tutorials on the site and links to other tutorials.
C. Wings3D Modeling for SL Import
KEY: Tutorial and links to other tutorials and the plugin: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Wings_3D. There is also a SL forum on using Wings3D.
1. Exporter plugin: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Wings_3D_Exporter
Download the plugin from pkpounceworks.com, unzip the file in your modeling folder, and copy the wpc_sculpty.beam file to the Wings3D Program Files or Applications folder > Plugins folder > Importer/Exporter folder on your hard disk. Open Wings3D and File > Install Plugins > find the wpc_sculpty.beam and click Install. You also get a collection of sphere-based templates with this plugin. Keep that folder in your modeling folder.
2. Download the Non-sphere Templates, unzip them in your modeling folder. Keep the zipped folder for backup.
3. Then, you can open any of the template objects - the sphere-based ones that came with the plugin or the non-sphere ones - and use them as your starting point for modeling SL prims. Be sure to save them as a new name before you start to modify them. NOTE: THE KEY IS NOT ADDING OR REMOVING ANY VERTICES FROM THE TEMPLATE-BEGUN OBJECT. So don't use extrude or collapse or similar features. Instead use non-vertex-destructive features such as Edge Loops, Move, Rotate, Scale, Flatten, etc.
4. Watch this Video Demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzgb2BrOjbw (using 64x63 sphere)
NOTE: THE KEY IS NOT ADDING OR REMOVING ANY VERTICES FROM THE TEMPLATE-BEGUN OBJECT. So don't use extrude or collapse or similar features. Instead use non-vertex-destructive features such as Edge Loops, Move, Rotate, Scale, Flatten, etc.
Labels: modeling, resources, wings3D
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Second Life Startup - Due Tuesday 2/17
SL Support Center Knowledge Base (BASIC ORIENTATION INFO + FAQs)
https://support.secondlife.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=4417
Prep
1. Go to the Second Life site, http://secondlife.com/ , and read the page, What is Second Life?, and explore the site to get an idea of what SL is and how people use it. You can also Google Second Life and find lots of other information, reviews, fan sites, etc.
2. Sign up for a Premium Membership
3. Read the System Requirements and install the software
4. Write a short paragraph (3-4 sentences) describing the virtual persona* that you will initially adopt for your SL avatar's personality, talents, phobias, desires, etc. Note: you can change your avatar's visual appearance at any time later.
* Persona: 1. the characters of a drama, novel, etc. 2. Psychol. the outer personality or facade presented to others by an individual
In-World Tasks
1. Login to SL
2. Create your avatar’s appearance to be compatible with and expressive of your virtual persona. Note: Beware of spending FOREVER doing this.
3. Go through the Orientation Island training program where you will learn the basic skills of getting around in SL.
4. Look on the Events schedule and attend a social event AS YOUR VIRTUAL PERSONA, i.e. your avatar will behave and respond according to your described virtual persona. Take notes on your exchanges with others and how they respond to you.
5. Go to one of the non-event Popular Places (free games, classrooms, whatever interests you) . Take a snap shot of you there and notes on your experience.
6. Post on your blog: your virtual persona description, and a concise report (with snapshot) of your event and other location.
https://support.secondlife.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=4417
Prep
1. Go to the Second Life site, http://secondlife.com/ , and read the page, What is Second Life?, and explore the site to get an idea of what SL is and how people use it. You can also Google Second Life and find lots of other information, reviews, fan sites, etc.
2. Sign up for a Premium Membership
3. Read the System Requirements and install the software
4. Write a short paragraph (3-4 sentences) describing the virtual persona* that you will initially adopt for your SL avatar's personality, talents, phobias, desires, etc. Note: you can change your avatar's visual appearance at any time later.
* Persona: 1. the characters of a drama, novel, etc. 2. Psychol. the outer personality or facade presented to others by an individual
In-World Tasks
1. Login to SL
2. Create your avatar’s appearance to be compatible with and expressive of your virtual persona. Note: Beware of spending FOREVER doing this.
3. Go through the Orientation Island training program where you will learn the basic skills of getting around in SL.
4. Look on the Events schedule and attend a social event AS YOUR VIRTUAL PERSONA, i.e. your avatar will behave and respond according to your described virtual persona. Take notes on your exchanges with others and how they respond to you.
5. Go to one of the non-event Popular Places (free games, classrooms, whatever interests you) . Take a snap shot of you there and notes on your experience.
6. Post on your blog: your virtual persona description, and a concise report (with snapshot) of your event and other location.
Gamasutra Article by ToonTown Developers
Here's an article about the development of ToonTown, discovered by Chris Selig (THANKS!).
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/2027/postmortem_disney_onlines_.php
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/2027/postmortem_disney_onlines_.php
Monday, February 9, 2009
Maybe something to sample: From Sarah Robbins: Just a little self-promotion for a talk I’m giving tomorrow. Here’s the description and the instructions for watching the session online through Breeze. The online session is open to the public.
______________________________
The Games and Virtual Worlds in Education series opens Tuesday, February 10, at 12 noon EST (i.e. 9am PST) in the TLTC Presentation Room (Wells Library W305). Sarah “Intellagirl” Robbins will present “MMORPGs, MUVEs, Games…What’s the difference?”
To register, go to http://www.indiana.edu/~tltc/ and click the Technology Integration Series (TIS) link. For those of you who wish to attend remotely, you can go to http://breeze.iu.edu/tltcgames/ and log in as a guest. Remote attendees will be able to interact via chat. A description of the session follows.
Abstract: Today there are over 150 virtual worlds open to users. From Webkins to World of Warcraft, IMVU to Second Life, there are a wide variety of virtual worlds with millions of users. However, for researchers and educators, there are important small differences between these spaces that make some more valuable than others. In this presentation Sarah “Intellagirl” Robbins will share the results of a study including 75 virtual worlds and their mechanics. Participants will learn about common trends in virtual world development as well as interesting spaces where no virtual worlds exist.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Henry Jenkins Reading
READ FOR TUESDAY 2/10: http://web.mit.edu/cms/People/henry3/complete.html Henry Jenkins, Complete Freedom of Movement: Video Games as Gendered Play Spaces”, Chapter from From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: gender and computer games. Edited by Justine Cassell and Henry Jenkins. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
SCAN: Testimony before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, Washington, D.C., May 4, 1999 (following Columbine massacre, April 20, 1999)
http://www.voxygen.net/cpa/speeches/jenkinstxt.htm
CONTEXT:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbine_High_School_massacre
Thoughts on E3: http://culturalpolicy.uchicago.edu/conf2001/papers/jenkins.html
MIT Website: http://web.mit.edu/cms/People/henry3/
Official Weblog: http://henryjenkins.org/
Labels: readings
Monday, February 2, 2009
ToonTown Research Exercise
Due Thursday 1/19
See WORD .doc file at
http://online.sfsu.edu/~jkv4edu/VWS/627/ToonTownResExercise_S09.doc
Edit the file with your concise answers. Note: This is not about right and wrong answers but about becoming aware of design issues in virtual worlds and practicing how to articulate that verbally.
YOUR BLOG: Select 3 questions that you found the most interesting and had the most to say about. Post 3 blog entries that each include at least one snapshot taken in ToonTown and your written response. If your response features any images, include those. BE CONCISE. Our discussion on Thursday will be based on these 3 questions. Note: If you cannot finish all questions by Thursday, work on the 3 and be ready to share in class.
See WORD .doc file at
http://online.sfsu.edu/~jkv4edu/VWS/627/ToonTownResExercise_S09.doc
Edit the file with your concise answers. Note: This is not about right and wrong answers but about becoming aware of design issues in virtual worlds and practicing how to articulate that verbally.
YOUR BLOG: Select 3 questions that you found the most interesting and had the most to say about. Post 3 blog entries that each include at least one snapshot taken in ToonTown and your written response. If your response features any images, include those. BE CONCISE. Our discussion on Thursday will be based on these 3 questions. Note: If you cannot finish all questions by Thursday, work on the 3 and be ready to share in class.
Labels: assignments, ToonTown
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