VATAR - Virtual Avatar Training and Recreation
The Virtual Avatar Training and Recreation programme (VATAR) is a regular opportunity to get together in Second Life and meet others involved in the the Virtual Collaboration Environment. There are regular sessions where you can meet other people from across the community who are involved in Virtual Worlds and discuss what they are doing, ask for hints and tips and learn new skills. You are encouraged to come along, join in and share.
Gain experience with your avatar in fun sessions:
- Skydiving
- Scuba Diving
- Winter Festival
- Vehicle Trips
And rather more serious tutorials to help you get theost out of attending events in the 3D space:
- Avatar Appearance
- Building and Texturing
- Inventory Management
- Voice/VoIP
And then, when you feel you are ready, try the VATAR Ultimate Challenge Course.
This programme is based on the Virtual University of Edinburgh's VATAR programme, which you can see described here.
| Date | Event Type | URL | Launcher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29-Oct-2009 09:00 EDT | Scuba Diving |  | |
| Open Challenge | Ultimate Challenge | http://slurl.com/secondlife/VCE/128/128/22/ | |
Previous VATAR Events
| Date | Event Type | URL | Attendees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24-Sep-2009 09:00 EDT | http://slurl.com/secondlife/VCE/193/81/45/ | 3 attendees | |
| 3-Sep-2009 09:00 EDT | Voice | http://slurl.com/secondlife/VCE/193/81/45/ | 7 attendees |
| 27-Aug-2009 09:00 EDT | Scuba Diving | 4 attendees | |
| 20-Aug-2009 09:00 EDT | http://slurl.com/secondlife/VCE/193/81/45/ | 4 attendees |
VATAR - Skydive
Join the OpenVCE.net team and come Skydiving on VCE, and use the experience to:
- get used to your avatar
- text chat to others
- open boxes and get inventory
- wear attachments
We will only use text chat, not voice for this event.
Free chutes, or purchase Cubey Terra sports chutes and jump trackers, on VCE Hill Top.
| VW Platform | Location | URL | Launcher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second Life |
VCE Hill Top |
|
VATAR - Scuba Dive
Join the OpenVCE.net team and come Scuba Diving on VCE, and use the experience to:
- get used to your avatar
- text chat to others
- open boxes and get inventory
- wear attachments
We will only use text chat, not voice for this event.
Free scuba gear on VCE, thanks to Tai Clifford, Reisekaufmann Zehetbauer of Taucher-Ausruestung TrendTown Travel and The Guided Tour Company.
| VW Platform | Location | URL | Launcher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second Life |
VCE Dive Trench |
|
VATAR - Ice Skating
Preparation of an Ice Skating VATAR event. Notes here.
Ice Skating Rink
https://www.xstreetsl.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=item&ItemID=1001236
On Frozen Pond Ice Skating Kit - by Henredon - Creator Holly Klaxon - L$750
https://www.xstreetsl.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=item&ItemID=1049124
Sample clothing and animations: Tanya Matahari
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Toussaint/186/41/22
https://www.xstreetsl.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=item&ItemID=486569
VATAR - Avatar Apperance in Second Life
Learn how to:
- Adjust your look in Second Life.
- Saving customiszed outfits.
- Permisisons and what you can and cannot change.
VATAR - Building in Second Life
Learn how to build and texture 3D objects in Second Life:
- Basic 3D Shapes
- Linking simple objects to form more complex objects
- Texturing
- Object Contents
- Object Programming - Understand that objects can be animated and programmed to respond using "Linden Scripting Language" (LSL)
VATAR - Inventory Management in Second Life
Learn how to manage your inventory:
- Standard folders
- Lost and Found (for items auto-returned from in-world)
- Search for and highlight items by typing in the top search bar
- Finding all "worn" items (body parts, clothing and attachments)
- Making your own folders to organize your inventory
- Create folders with copies of clothing and avatar attachments to easily change outfits and equipment
VATAR - Voice in Second Life
Join the OpenVCE.net team and test out Second Life Voice (VoIP) on VCE, and use the experience to:
- get used to your avatar
- check you have SL voice set up
- understand 3D spatialized voice
- understand point to point voice
- understand group voice
- understand voice gestures (activate speech gestures)
- test avatar lip sync (ctrl/alt/d for Advanced menu, then -> character -> enable lip sync.)
- learn about typical issues with firewalls
| VW Platform | Location | URL | Launcher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second Life |
VCE Hill Top |
|
More Help
- Second Life Voice FAQ
- Getting Started with Voice (Second Life Mentors)
VATAR - Ultimate Challenge
Coming soon... the ultimate trial of your ability to manipulate and use your avatar in Second Life. You will need a lot of skills, though we hope other VATAR sessions will have prepared you well. But you will also be up against the clock! But if you can complete the challenge in the set time, and can make the required report with images at the end, then your reward will be an official personalized "OpenVCE.net Ultimate Challenge Completion Certificate" which you can put on your CV. You will also be added if you wish to the OpenVCE.net Ultimate Challenge Hall of Fame here.
But this will not be easy... you have one hour maximum to complete this course...
| VW Platform | Location | URL | Launcher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second Life | Central Plaza | http://slurl.com/secondlife/VCE/128/128/22/ | |
- Start at the VCE Central Plaza, and send a tweet via Twitter with the in-world twitter HUD or otherwise and using hash tag #openvce to say you are starting. [Image 1 required - Ctrl+' in SL Viewer]
- Make your way to the Dive Trench, and use one of the submarine vehicles, or for the advanced not afraid to get wet (and to gain time) the (provided) scuba gear to go along the Dive Trench. A code you will see as you travel along there will be required later. [Image 2 Required]
- Emerge at the West end of the Dive Trench and go quickly to the North of the JOE GeoDome. You can use the Map to quickly get your sense of direction. http://slurl.com/secondlife/VCE/32/64/22
- Teleport from there up to the "Sky Launch Platform". You will need the code from the Dive Trench (it alters frequently) to access this teleport location. Make sure you pick up and wear a parachute (provided) if you do not already have one. [Image 3 required]
- Launch up and you will automatically be released [Image 3 required]
- Skydive down, watching out for the JOE Virtual Reality Rooms in the sky as you come down, and return as quickly as you can to the Central Plaza.
- Make a blog entry on OpenVCE. net to report in, and attach the 3 images required as thumbnails.
- Send a tweet via Twitter using hash tag #openvce to say you have finished and providing the URL of the Blog report you made. Send a message via the "Contact us" link on http://openvce.net giving the URL of your blog report, and how long you took.
- Send a tweet via Twitter using hash tag #openvce to say you have finished and providing the URL of the Blog report you made.