Week 6 – Scripting
Heading towards week 6 and an introduction to scripting (or programming) in Second Life. As you may have noticed on our tours, for all the building skills you may acquire a static build, with no way to interact with it, quickly becomes boring. It does not engage with nor immerse the user in the environment and no matter the quality of the build, a user will quickly loose interest if there is nothing to engage them. This power of engagement comes about through scripting; through designing user interactions that enhance the build, inform the user and keep them engaged with the subject matter.
To gain some understanding of the functions of scripting, the first two hours this Tuesday will be put aside for you all to re-engage with a build you have already been through; the SLENZ Project Foundation Studies build. This build was designed, built and scripted by myself so I have an intimate knowledge of the interactions involved and how they were crafted. This will not be a simple look over the build but is an assigned task where you will be required to investigate a number of interactions and to write up, as comments to this blog post, your thoughts on what events or functions might be required in the script to complete the experienced interaction. Scripting is a set of events that are triggered in some manner; either by the user interacting with the scripted object in some way, or being sensed by that object, or as a result of some other parameter being met. As an introduction to the complexity of what may occur as a simple interaction, first read this blog posting that I have written up on the Welcome Sign that a user is greeted with upon entering the confines of the Foundation build. It should give you some insight into what must be taken into account when designing a script and help broaden the scope of your thinking when completing the tasks set out below.
The task this week is to find at least three of the following interactive objects in the SLENZ Foundation build, consider all of the functions that each object performs and what events need to take place for those functions to be triggered. The interactive objects are as follows:
- The Stairway of Learning
- The Private Pose Stands
- The Hyperdome Console
- The Interview Room Teleporters
- The Student Notecard Dropboxes
You may discuss ideas amongst yourselves as a group and/or pose questions to myself about possible scenarios in the scripting, but each student is expected to write up, as a comment to this blog, their ideas on what is involved in terms of the functions and events required for the scripting of at least three of the interactive objects. This is an exercise in thinking not only creatively, but logically, a must for the programmer. And do consider that programming is not something that just gets done; it must be designed first. This is about looking at the design of a script, investigating what is required and thinking all that through in a logical manner, step by step. This must occur before a script even begins to be written.
For the last hours of Tuesday and the Thursday’s session we will be looking at some of the basic scripts available and you will be given an introduction to creating your own scripts. Look forward to seeing you then.
Isa
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About
This blog provides a point of central support for students enrolled in the NMIT course A&M624. The blog is maintained by Dr Clare Atkins and Aaron Griffiths.
Clare is a Principal Lecturer at NMIT in Nelson and co-led the successful SLENZ project looking at the educational possibilities of virtual worlds. Aaron is a highly acclaimed virtual world developer, specialising in interactive educational content development, courseware design, learning technologies, VR development and educational programming. Aaron is the Director of F/Xual Education Services.
Who’s visiting?
Immersive 3D Environments 
Hi Isa,
I am at the Stairway of learning. Initially the avatar has to read the first sign which is not interactive to get instructions as to how the staircase works. Then you approach the first platform and you have two things happening: 1 a board again with helpful hints of information, short sharp and sweet. 2 a green box “flying” on top of the board and that one is intercative. When you click on it is gives you two choices: to either save a notecard with more information into your inventory or to open a link to a website with more information.
AND… scripting wise… there probaply needs to be a code for “hover” over box as the hand appears only then, which indicates I can click on it and it is interactive. The second code then should follow once you clicked on the object have 2 options…
more to follow.
The Stairway of Learning-
Uses some sort of collision detection to display the signs when a user stands on a step. It is also on some sort of timer so when the avatar leaves the signs disappear again.
The Private Pose Stands-
Once the user interacts with this it uses code to manipulate the camera.
The Hyper dome Console-
Some sort of code is behind it to load what the user chooses; it also must have some sort of lock with authentication to check if the user has the required privileges to make the lock. Just a guess.
The Interview Room Teleporters-
The rooms from what I can gather are created at run time when the user selects which room they want to teleport to. The rooms are in some other area of kowhai maybe the sky? Where ever, they are hidden so you cannot see them from the ground.
The Student Note card Drop boxes-
You can drop off notes into the boxes if you have the permissions to do so set by the administrator. e.g ISA had to approve you in the note card box I found.
The Hyperdom console works I think just with “clicking” commands. Nothing happens when you “hover” over the buttons.
But when you click on a button the scenario in the room behind is changing according to your desired button/command. So I guess it is a simple: when clicking on buttomn”Interviewroom” create interview room with table chair to sit on etc…
I found it interesting that even though the avatar is inside of the hyperdome people can change the setting of the room cause it is not locked. Only certain people do get permission to lock it. This is set by the code too.
Notecard dropbox
You can only drop off a notecard when you have permission to do so by your lecturer. I found several notebox which were not named and when you click on them nothing happens. However when you click on the help box you receive a notecard explaing you what you need to do.
The Stairway of Learning:
Stepping upon a landing (step) triggers a screen to rez on the side of the landing. However it does not appear to trigger the previous screen to disappear immediately, instead it seems it may be timed to turn off after a few seconds?
The stairway of learning is activated using collision detection. I think the distance for the collission detection must be very small (0-5?)
The Private Pose Stands:
Clicking on the private pose stand triggers a message asking if you would like to use the stand, agreeing to use the private pose stands will then rez a room teleporter, clicking on this teleporter will transport you to a private room in the sky.
These ‘rooms’ will only appear if you have followed the process mentioned above. You are unable to just directly fly up into the rooms. The rooms ONLY appear once triggered.
The private pose stands are activated using touch.
The Hyperdome Console:
Entering the hyperdome console vicinity for the first time makes a welcome message occur. This is done using collision detection. Any further attempts to enter the vicinity causes a ‘welcome back’ message to appear this too uses collision detection.
The hyperdome console has a sign board out the front. Clicking on one of the options
causes a new area/objects to rez. This is activated by touch.
The Interview Room Teleporters:
When coming within a certain range of the interview room teleporters a small message appears asking you to click on a sphere to be teleported to an interview room. Clicking on the sphere causes a large message box to appear. The message box contains several different room options for the user to choose from.
Upon choosing a room to teleport to, a seating area is rez’d into SL. Clicking on one of the seats causes the user to sit upon it and then the user and the newly rez’d seating arrangement are teleported to the room chosen earlier.
The initial message that appears which instructs you on how to use the teleporters are activated using collision detection, the rest is activated by touch.
The Student Notecard Dropboxes:
Clicking on one leads to a message appearing telling me to refer to lecturer for info. Dragging and dropping a notecard into the dropboxes did not work.
my blog is still not on here …
Estrella I can’t put your blog up till you give me its url on your google document *smiles
Isa
Thanks Estrella. A link to your blog is now on the front page of this site.
Isa
The Stairway of Learning
There may be 4 scripts in The Stairway of Learning.
The first one is when you go onto the stair it will show the learning board. But if you leave the stair, the learning board will disappear after 3~5 seconds. At first, I think the learning board won’t popup without step on the board, but it doesn’t actually. When you are flying through the step and run into the place where the board should appear, it appears in front of you without touching any steps. I think there is some condition in the script that limit the board’s appearing area, and also, the script connects the step and the board so that the step can influence the board. Moreover, when you step on the last step of the left side stair, the teleport appears which also show script’s effect.
The second one is the Information light above the board. It popup some selection for the user when you click on it, and the script for the selection provides link of the website.
The third one is the teleport. You can teleport to the other side of The Stairway of Learning. The code of script must be given a coordinate which is the step of the other side.
The last one is the Stairway of Learning Quiz; the function also looks like the Information light.
The Private Pose Stands
It controls by the Hyperdome Console via you switch the REZ pose stands on/off. When you switch on the button, 2 post stand rooms come out at the end of the Rapungakore exhibition. One is the communal room and the other one is the private room. I consider all function rooms are controlled by the console through the script, but I’m not so sure are these 2 rooms’ location settled by the script? Or they are settled by designer and they appear via the script’s control?
The same as the Stairway’s teleport, I find that it transfers me to the private room where I can’t fly to get there. It gets a button for the user to “stand” on the stage; I also find I can transfer back to the ground via using the teleport or just jump out the stage. It is interesting thing for me to see I “stand” there because the script controls my character, but I don’t know what’s this function supporting the user, is this use for changing clothes or something else? Anyway, I think there is some code to control the transfer and “stand” on stage if we click on that.
The Hyperdome Console
The console board doesn’t affect anything but the buttons do. As I have said, all the function facilities are controlled by script of the button, and the script sets when the users switch one on(one facility shows) then the other one off(one facility disappears).
When you go into the Hyperdome console area, you will get a welcome from the console in the chatting window. I consider the code set the character collide the setup place so that your character can get the message.
The Interview Room Teleporters
It is using nearly the same theory as the Stairway’s teleport, and then transferring the user gets into the interview room. But if there are 3 users sitting on the preparing chairs, I don’t know how the code is setting for all the participants because at that moment I’m the only person there (I discover if you stand on the board then click the transfer button, nothing is going to be happened).
The Student Notecard Dropboxes
Clicking on each Dropbox I can get a message there. I’m not sure how to use these boxes and what the function is, but the script of the Dropboxes limit the users (I think) so that there are not all the people can drop notecard in the boxes.
thanks for posting your work Vincent – some good investigation here.
1. The Stairway of Learning
Though The Stairway of Learning. When you arrive at the first platform, the learning board would be triggered and display. After you leave to trigger another one, the first one would be disappear. This should be including some scripts inside of board.
2. The Private Pose Stands
Switching on the private pose stand button in the Hyperdome Console board, click into the private room teleporter. Then you will be sent to the sky room.
There is a “stand” button on any stages. After clicking one, user can stand in the center of the room. It should be some scripts on these buttons.
3. The Hyperdome Console
This is a controlled board. It has the function to control areas change.
4. The Student Notecard Dropboxes
You need to get a permission to use dropping off notecard in this function. It should be some scripts limit the user to use this function
sorry i never got this posted last week. i was paying attention in class and wrote all my notes on paper just havent had time to get it on the blog.
1. stairway of learning
the indervidual steps or landings of the stairway recognize when an avatar is present and rez the information board that is connected to the step. The info boards are always there, they are transperent.If you remain on a step the connected board will stay rezzed, only returning to transperancy after an amount of time has passed after the avatar has left that step. the steps/boards themselves therfor must contain a script that recognizes the avatar is in contact with the step (collisions?) and also adjusts the transperancy of the attached board. some sort of timer function must also be used to return the boards to their transperant state. further scripting would be involved with the info boxes above the boards which ‘pop-up’ another window within the SL viewer.
2. Private pose stands.
firstly to acsess the pose stands you must use the console at the fornt of the hyperdome building to change the interior of the hyperdome (see 3 below). once in the hyperdome clicking on the pose stand iniatiates a script that ‘pops-up’ a window in the viewer that asks you if you want to continue to the pose stands. clicking on ‘communal’ in this viewer window causes an object to rez that has a script in it that teleports your avatar to the pose stands when touched.once at the pose stands (on the roof of the hyperdome) clicking one of the indervidual stands will cause your avatar to ‘sit’ in a particular pose on that stand allowing you to veiw your avatar. touching another teleportation scripted object returns you to the hyperdome.
3. Hyperdome console
the hyperdome console is located at the door to the hyperdome and has a number of interactive elements in the form of buttons. touching these buttons causes scripts to rez different interiors in the hyperdome. scripts must also log who is touching the board as different avatars have different acsess to the hyperdome and scripts must also deactivate or lock some of the other buttons as only one interior can be rezzed at once. other buttons on the board also ‘pop-up’ information windows in the second life viewer.
thats as far as i got last week sorry. also sorry i didnt get it posted last week either. thought it better late than never so you could see i was doing something last week.
All good Gryfynn… thanks for the post… insightful comments on what is happening. Can see you will make a good scripter.
Isa
Well done Gryf – thanks for getting it posted 🙂