Believe it or not there are other grids out there! I discovered OpenSimulator yesterday. I have to admit I had heard about OpenSim months back but I received some misinformation. These grids are only lightly populated in comparison to Second Life making them seem rather lonely (currently 49 people on the OSGrid right now). The server application is built to be operable with the Second Life viewer, which is opensource and can run on various operating systems including Microsoft, Macintosh and Linux. So you might ask, "how do I access these grids". The answer is Hippo! Hippo is a Second Life like client but with an additional menu that lets you pick the "grid" you want to access, including the Second Life grid.
So what this means is I can set up my own simulation server and connect it to the OpenSim Grid, or keep my server(s) on a completely separate grid (let's call it the NIU Grid). The OpenSimulator server software is in alpha, so not completely ready for prime time, but open source applications like these are definitely going to lead to a rapid expansion of the 3D Internet.
What this also means is we can build things in 3D Max and upload it an OpenSim environment. That will make a lot of 3D artists very happy. More on this soon.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Friday, November 21, 2008
Google Lively Didn't Last Long
It was announced this week that Google's 3D virtual world called Lively will be shut down by the end of the year. I can't say I am surprised. I did make a Lively account soon after the product was launched, but I found the interface confusing, and the environment crowded, almost impossible to maneuver. I admit I lost interest rather quickly so I might not have given it a good enough chance. In my opinion nothing has come close to what Second Life delivers. While I have heard some faculty comment that Second Life still has a ways to go as far as intuitive navigation and development tools, it is still the most visually pleasing and flexible 3D virtual environment I have found in order to develop educational environments.
So what do faculty want in a 3D virtual world beyond what is already available in Second Life? I have heard a few good ideas, such as they want to be able to move their avatar's more naturally with the mouse instead of arrow keys. They want more GUI interfaces to post assignments. They need ways to manage the classroom access (lock the classroom door so to speak) without having to go through confusing group and property menus.
What would you like to see in an educational 3D virtual environment?
So what do faculty want in a 3D virtual world beyond what is already available in Second Life? I have heard a few good ideas, such as they want to be able to move their avatar's more naturally with the mouse instead of arrow keys. They want more GUI interfaces to post assignments. They need ways to manage the classroom access (lock the classroom door so to speak) without having to go through confusing group and property menus.
What would you like to see in an educational 3D virtual environment?
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Google Earth Virtual Environment?
I received an email today from WebProNews. I must have subscribed to their newsletter at some point along the way. Anyway this one caught my eye "Google To Create Its Own Virtual World?"
Even if the rumor turns out not to be true we all know it is only a matter of time. Why wouldn't someone try to replicate something as amazing as Second Life? I started to wonder what it might look like. I imagined creating my next virtual replica of Glidden Campus in Google Earth on the actual location of our DeKalb campus. Could we create classrooms in the sky in Google Earth or would we be confined to the earth by lifelike gravity? Who would own the land in virtual Google Earth? Could someone build on your real life (RL) property? If not, would big companies go after RL land so they could own it in Google Earth? Oh I know it is not likely that Google will develop their virtual world that way, but what if they did?
Other stories on the topic include: CNN Money, Glimpse Inside a Metaverse: The Virtual World of Second Life
Let me know what you think about Google getting into the virtual world business.
Ali
Even if the rumor turns out not to be true we all know it is only a matter of time. Why wouldn't someone try to replicate something as amazing as Second Life? I started to wonder what it might look like. I imagined creating my next virtual replica of Glidden Campus in Google Earth on the actual location of our DeKalb campus. Could we create classrooms in the sky in Google Earth or would we be confined to the earth by lifelike gravity? Who would own the land in virtual Google Earth? Could someone build on your real life (RL) property? If not, would big companies go after RL land so they could own it in Google Earth? Oh I know it is not likely that Google will develop their virtual world that way, but what if they did?
Other stories on the topic include: CNN Money, Glimpse Inside a Metaverse: The Virtual World of Second Life
Let me know what you think about Google getting into the virtual world business.
Ali
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Virtual Environments for Online Education
“Gamers come to virtual worlds because in them they find more than a game, they find other gamers.”.
Ludlow, P. and Wallace, M. (2006). Only A Game: Online Worlds and the Virtual Journalist Who Knew Too Much. to be published by O'Reilly Press. (http://www.slconvention.org/ludlowwallace_chapter.pdf)
After attending the Games, Learning and Society (GLS) conference last summer in Madison I began researching a multi-user virtual environment called Second Life. Soon after realizing the potential of this environment I obtained funding to purchase a piece of land (also know as region or island) and began to build a 3D replica of our university campus (Altgeld Hall and the surrounding landscape). I decided to call this region Glidden Campus which provided some anonymity while also familiarity to our student population. I was to soon realize this project was not a small undertaking. I have put over 650 hours into research and development since July 1, 2005 - Jan. 2006. I am working on this almost every night and weekend. I have been told Altgeld is one of the largest structures in Second Life and with only the exterior shell competed I have used over 8000 primitive object to construct it.
Altgeld front view
Altgeld back view
Altgeld itself will be used as an orientation center (the technology lab), a social center (the auditorium), it will contain a resource room, a Huskie store, and an art gallery, a perfect venue for fine arts students to hold virtual art shows or to teach gallery layout. Altgeld could be used by our own gallery directors to decide on gallery placement as it would be easy to move things around and mock up the show before you took days installing massive pieces of art.
In order to maintain the immersive quality of our university campus landscape I decided to put the classrooms in the sky (600 meters high) that the students teleport to from the bus stop. These classrooms can look like anything from a courtroom, a club, or the surface of Mars.
Classroom designed after the Black Sun from the novel Snow Crash
While initially most people try to make their avatar look like themselves the avatar can look like whatever you want it to. If in real life a student is in a wheel chair, in the game he can walk along side his classmates. You can look like a human, hello kitty, or a little fox. Diversity seems to rule in this virtual world. Avatars are referred to as residents in Second Life because it is not so much a game, but a place, a virtual environment. However, there are games in Second Life such as Darklife, Tringo and Chess, built with primitive objects and scripted with a language similar to C++ by the residents.
Ali in Hanover New Hampshire, built by Dartmouth
I am currently collaborating with faculty from all over the world and most recently helped a Central Missouri State University faculty member present to students and faculty at Sorbonne University in Paris France. While he was physically in Paris, I was in my office in Illinois presenting through my avatar (Ali) in Second Life. Walking along side the presenter's avatar, Ali answered the student’s questions, gave them a tour of an in-world library, a planetarium and a replica of downtown Hanover New Hampshire (Hanover was developed by Dartmouth University for one of their homeland security for Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training.) I heard later that my presentation in Paris was a huge success with the students, with tons of questions afterwards about if I was a real person, etc.
BP Simulation
In addition the corporate world is using Second Life for training. I recently attended an in-world presentation by a company that tests gas station equipment. They developed a replica of a typical gas station to train their "new field techs on how gas stations work before letting them loose on real gas pumps". The asphalt suddenly disappears so the trainees can see all the pipes and valves below ground. The face of the pump does the same so they can see how it is constructed. Finally a simulated fire is started and the trainees have to follow proper procedures to address the situation.
A similar product developed by Disney called Virtual Magic Kingdom is now available for kids. I know several 10 year olds who spend their time hanging out with their classmates after school in the game, which isn’t such a bad thing because these kids are also learning keyboarding skills, spelling (the game won’t accept a misspelled word) and writing. In addition they are learning to follow cyberculture rules, such as what is appropriate language to use, the consequences of sharing their passwords and the system prevents them from typing phone numbers or names. One of these kids recently visited the real Disney World and he knew exactly where every ride was located, and tons of details about the Magic Kingdom based on his experience in the game. This example could be translated to lots of applications for adult immersive learning using Second Life.
The Army also uses a similar product for high level tactical distance training called “The Virtual Tactical Operations Center” bringing together geographically dispersed students and instructors for collaborative online learning.
http://www.tadlp.monroe.army.mil/dlbrief/ACCCDL%20Export.mpg
Army Training
"The technology in games has facilitated a revolution in the art of warfare," says David Bartlett, the former chief of operations at the Defense Modeling and Simulation Office, a high-level office within the Defense Department and the focal point for computer-generated training at the Pentagon. "
Virtual Reality Prepares Soldiers for Real War, Washington Post (02/14/06) P. A1; Vargas, Jose Antonio
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2006/02/13/AR2006021302437.html
Some other ideas of how this can be use to supplement courses includes: the College of Business could use this environment for the apprentice game, because Second life has a real economy.
“For the truth is that virtual world economies are extensions of the economy of the "real“ world. Because real world currencies are involved, there is nothing "fake" or "merely play" about them. As of September 2005, one U.S. dollar bought about 282 Linden dollars, plus change, on GamingOpenMarket.com, the main currency exchange for Lindens. In July 2005, one U.S. dollar fetched 248 Lindens. If your Second Life business is pulling in a million Lindens a month (as more than one SL business does, according to Rosedale), that's the difference between $3,546.10 in gross revenues in September and $4,032.26 in July, almost $500, or a difference of almost 14 percent.”
Ludlow, P. and Wallace, M. (2006). Only A Game: Online Worlds and the Virtual Journalist Who Knew Too Much. to be published by O'Reilly Press. (http://www.slconvention.org/ludlowwallace_chapter.pdf)
We could use Second Life to teach 3D modeling, computer programming, architectural design and humanities. Our university Public Affairs wants to use this to create advertisements for use at football and basketball games. We could build virtual replicas of cities not only for homeland security training but to demonstrate future city development and enhancements.
As this system becomes more popular and accessible I can see it being used for online tutoring and student communities, where students can hang out with their classmates (both on campus and off – campus, globally even). Tutors, labeled as such, will be found just hanging out in a coffee shop available to answer a quick question or take appointments for additional help.
There are a few drawbacks to using the system. It requires the user to have high speed connectivity (cable modem) and a good graphics card. Most campus computers have adequate hardware, but some students may not be able to access this from their homes (except maybe for PC gamers, they will have no problem).
It is amazing to me that all of a sudden we have this inexpensive tool right on our desktops that provides such amazing graphics and flexibility. This is the largest technical leap I have seen in 10 years on the Internet. A system like this proves we are going to see amazing changes in how we will use the Internet to find information, learn, and even interact with others in the very near future.
The link below provides snapshots and videos to give you a sense of the look and feel. But you really have to experience it to get a true feel for the quality of the graphics and animation, the level of interactivity and ability to communicate with others in the game with more than just chat, but body language as well. It is truly amazing.
This link contains presentation notes for an Educause conference on using Second Life to teach computer mediated communication. It also contains links to several Second Life video captures.
http://www2.kumc.edu/netlearning/SLEDUCAUSESW2005/SLPresentationOutline.htm
Other Blogs on Second Life
Architecture http://virtualsuburbia.blogspot.com/
The Metaverse http://trumpy.cs.elon.edu/metaverse/
Eric Rice on Second Life: http://blog.ericrice.com/blog/_archives/2006/3/10/1815029.html
Ludlow, P. and Wallace, M. (2006). Only A Game: Online Worlds and the Virtual Journalist Who Knew Too Much. to be published by O'Reilly Press. (http://www.slconvention.org/ludlowwallace_chapter.pdf)
After attending the Games, Learning and Society (GLS) conference last summer in Madison I began researching a multi-user virtual environment called Second Life. Soon after realizing the potential of this environment I obtained funding to purchase a piece of land (also know as region or island) and began to build a 3D replica of our university campus (Altgeld Hall and the surrounding landscape). I decided to call this region Glidden Campus which provided some anonymity while also familiarity to our student population. I was to soon realize this project was not a small undertaking. I have put over 650 hours into research and development since July 1, 2005 - Jan. 2006. I am working on this almost every night and weekend. I have been told Altgeld is one of the largest structures in Second Life and with only the exterior shell competed I have used over 8000 primitive object to construct it.
Altgeld front view
Altgeld back view
Altgeld itself will be used as an orientation center (the technology lab), a social center (the auditorium), it will contain a resource room, a Huskie store, and an art gallery, a perfect venue for fine arts students to hold virtual art shows or to teach gallery layout. Altgeld could be used by our own gallery directors to decide on gallery placement as it would be easy to move things around and mock up the show before you took days installing massive pieces of art.
In order to maintain the immersive quality of our university campus landscape I decided to put the classrooms in the sky (600 meters high) that the students teleport to from the bus stop. These classrooms can look like anything from a courtroom, a club, or the surface of Mars.
Classroom designed after the Black Sun from the novel Snow Crash
While initially most people try to make their avatar look like themselves the avatar can look like whatever you want it to. If in real life a student is in a wheel chair, in the game he can walk along side his classmates. You can look like a human, hello kitty, or a little fox. Diversity seems to rule in this virtual world. Avatars are referred to as residents in Second Life because it is not so much a game, but a place, a virtual environment. However, there are games in Second Life such as Darklife, Tringo and Chess, built with primitive objects and scripted with a language similar to C++ by the residents.
Ali in Hanover New Hampshire, built by Dartmouth
I am currently collaborating with faculty from all over the world and most recently helped a Central Missouri State University faculty member present to students and faculty at Sorbonne University in Paris France. While he was physically in Paris, I was in my office in Illinois presenting through my avatar (Ali) in Second Life. Walking along side the presenter's avatar, Ali answered the student’s questions, gave them a tour of an in-world library, a planetarium and a replica of downtown Hanover New Hampshire (Hanover was developed by Dartmouth University for one of their homeland security for Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training.) I heard later that my presentation in Paris was a huge success with the students, with tons of questions afterwards about if I was a real person, etc.
BP Simulation
In addition the corporate world is using Second Life for training. I recently attended an in-world presentation by a company that tests gas station equipment. They developed a replica of a typical gas station to train their "new field techs on how gas stations work before letting them loose on real gas pumps". The asphalt suddenly disappears so the trainees can see all the pipes and valves below ground. The face of the pump does the same so they can see how it is constructed. Finally a simulated fire is started and the trainees have to follow proper procedures to address the situation.
A similar product developed by Disney called Virtual Magic Kingdom is now available for kids. I know several 10 year olds who spend their time hanging out with their classmates after school in the game, which isn’t such a bad thing because these kids are also learning keyboarding skills, spelling (the game won’t accept a misspelled word) and writing. In addition they are learning to follow cyberculture rules, such as what is appropriate language to use, the consequences of sharing their passwords and the system prevents them from typing phone numbers or names. One of these kids recently visited the real Disney World and he knew exactly where every ride was located, and tons of details about the Magic Kingdom based on his experience in the game. This example could be translated to lots of applications for adult immersive learning using Second Life.
The Army also uses a similar product for high level tactical distance training called “The Virtual Tactical Operations Center” bringing together geographically dispersed students and instructors for collaborative online learning.
http://www.tadlp.monroe.army.mil/dlbrief/ACCCDL%20Export.mpg
Army Training
"The technology in games has facilitated a revolution in the art of warfare," says David Bartlett, the former chief of operations at the Defense Modeling and Simulation Office, a high-level office within the Defense Department and the focal point for computer-generated training at the Pentagon. "
Virtual Reality Prepares Soldiers for Real War, Washington Post (02/14/06) P. A1; Vargas, Jose Antonio
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2006/02/13/AR2006021302437.html
Some other ideas of how this can be use to supplement courses includes: the College of Business could use this environment for the apprentice game, because Second life has a real economy.
“For the truth is that virtual world economies are extensions of the economy of the "real“ world. Because real world currencies are involved, there is nothing "fake" or "merely play" about them. As of September 2005, one U.S. dollar bought about 282 Linden dollars, plus change, on GamingOpenMarket.com, the main currency exchange for Lindens. In July 2005, one U.S. dollar fetched 248 Lindens. If your Second Life business is pulling in a million Lindens a month (as more than one SL business does, according to Rosedale), that's the difference between $3,546.10 in gross revenues in September and $4,032.26 in July, almost $500, or a difference of almost 14 percent.”
Ludlow, P. and Wallace, M. (2006). Only A Game: Online Worlds and the Virtual Journalist Who Knew Too Much. to be published by O'Reilly Press. (http://www.slconvention.org/ludlowwallace_chapter.pdf)
We could use Second Life to teach 3D modeling, computer programming, architectural design and humanities. Our university Public Affairs wants to use this to create advertisements for use at football and basketball games. We could build virtual replicas of cities not only for homeland security training but to demonstrate future city development and enhancements.
As this system becomes more popular and accessible I can see it being used for online tutoring and student communities, where students can hang out with their classmates (both on campus and off – campus, globally even). Tutors, labeled as such, will be found just hanging out in a coffee shop available to answer a quick question or take appointments for additional help.
There are a few drawbacks to using the system. It requires the user to have high speed connectivity (cable modem) and a good graphics card. Most campus computers have adequate hardware, but some students may not be able to access this from their homes (except maybe for PC gamers, they will have no problem).
It is amazing to me that all of a sudden we have this inexpensive tool right on our desktops that provides such amazing graphics and flexibility. This is the largest technical leap I have seen in 10 years on the Internet. A system like this proves we are going to see amazing changes in how we will use the Internet to find information, learn, and even interact with others in the very near future.
The link below provides snapshots and videos to give you a sense of the look and feel. But you really have to experience it to get a true feel for the quality of the graphics and animation, the level of interactivity and ability to communicate with others in the game with more than just chat, but body language as well. It is truly amazing.
This link contains presentation notes for an Educause conference on using Second Life to teach computer mediated communication. It also contains links to several Second Life video captures.
http://www2.kumc.edu/netlearning/SLEDUCAUSESW2005/SLPresentationOutline.htm
Other Blogs on Second Life
Architecture http://virtualsuburbia.blogspot.com/
The Metaverse http://trumpy.cs.elon.edu/metaverse/
Eric Rice on Second Life: http://blog.ericrice.com/blog/_archives/2006/3/10/1815029.html
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