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	http://slurl.com/secondlife/VCE/240/110/22/
Open Challenge	Ultimate Challenge	http://slurl.com/secondlife/VCE/128/128/22/

Previous VATAR Events

See http://openvce.net/logo

A 3D Virtual Collaboration Environment is under development for your community in Second Life.

If you do not already have a Second Life "avatar" please get one first. Some guidance can be found here:

• Sign Up for a Second Life Avatar
• Useful Documentation:
  • Second Life Quickstart
  • Second Life User's Guide - Part I
  • Second Life User's Guide - Part II
  • Second Life Landowner's Guide
  • Content creator's guide (To be added)
• Second Life Advanced Users Advice
• More Guidance and Tutorials from Skye Gears
• Use "Contact Us" or send IM or e-mail to to ask Skye Gears (our OpenVCE event assistance avatar) for assistance

After you have your Second Life avatar, and have completed the initial orientation tour, please visit the OpenVCE collaboration facility at:

VW Platform	Location	URL	Launcher
Second Life	OpenVCE 3D Space - I-Zone Round table for up to 25 people	http://slurl.com/secondlife/VCE/128/80/22

Setup and Test Your System

• Install Second Life Viewer (you may need to have this done by your computer support staff, or get their permisison to do it)
• Note that Second Life Viewer updates are usually optional, but usually occur every 3 or 4 months.
• In some cases related to security issues, a viewer update is mandatory to continue to access Second Life.
• Network and firewall requirements (to give to your computer support team): [Second Life] [Opensim]
• For specific network or firewall ssues with Quicktime Video see below.
• Hardware Test - select test for meeting requirements of "Second Life" to test if your computer, graphics card, network and so on are suitable to run Second Life well.

Problems Receiving Video

Check you can receive Quicktime Streaming Video. Test without the Second Life Viewer. Run Quicktime Player for these tests and open these test URLs with File -> Open URL:

1. Test simple http media url from Apple: http://www.pixar.com/theater/shorts/ljr/quicktime/ljr_320.mov
2. Check connectivity to AIAI Media Server in HTTP mode on standard port 80: http://media.aiai.ed.ac.uk/Project/Vue/2008-08-08-Vue-Tour-Lo.mov
3. Check connectivity to AIAI Media Server on port used for real time streaming (554) mode: http://media.aiai.ed.ac.uk:554/vue.sdp
4. Test real time stream mode works (paste this URL into QT Player): rtsp://media.aiai.ed.ac.uk:554/vue.sdp

This could indicate where any problem lies, or if there are firewall access issues on the HTTP and/or RSTP standard ports. If 1) and 2) work but 3) and 4) do not the issue may be the RTSP port used... see: http://support.apple.com/kb/TA26368?viewlocale=en_US

General Firewall advice for Quicktime Use:
http://www.its.umd.umich.edu/documentation/quicktime-streaming-troubleshooting/

Checklist Before Meeting

1. Assuming Second Life, Quicktime media streaming, (possibly voice if it is to be used) and the relevant avatars are all set up. Otherwise see this advice.
2. Check media streaming is set to automatically play media streams as the avatar walks between plots. Use Edit -> Preferences -> Audio & Video and check audio, media and automatic play options are on.
3. Set the graphics settings appropriately. Edit -> Preferences -> Graphics. Try relatively High (or Ultra) settings for good looks of the environment and the avatars. Tick the custom box, and adjust the Draw Distance to say 96m for use in meeting spaces. You can try 192m to show scenery though the windows. [Tip: If your system allows for it, try to use a draw distance of 512m if you take screen shots separate to your main activities]
4. The VCE region has a fixed time tof day to assist new users.  But, for snapshots, a suitable light for the demonstration and fix it, rather than allowing Second Life day/night cycle. Use World -> Environment Settings and try Sunset for example, rather than the rather harsh Midday.

The Official OpenVCE logo and icon are shown here:

The double growing wave is intended to reflect a build up of community enengy.

Logo Design by Austin Tate, AIAI, University of Edinburgh, March 2009. Final Artwork by David Fliesen, USJFCOM/J5 Joint Futures, June 2009.

The OpenVCE "double wave" logo and the "wave" icon (using the right hand of the two waves from the logo) plus the colours adopted are listed at:

• http://openvce.net/resources/images/logos/openvce/OpenVCE-Logo-Icon-Colour-Palette.pdf
• http://openvce.net/resources/images/logos/openvce/OpenVCE-Logo-Icon-Colour-Palette.doc

The origination formats of the logo (.ai, .dxf, .esp, .fla, psd) are available at:

• http://openvce.net/resources/images/logos/openvce/openvce-logos-originals/

A range of raster versions (.gif, .jpg, .ico, .png) are available at:

• http://openvce.net/resources/images/logos/openvce/grey/

Colour Palette

The main logo uses 3 greys, although there is also a version that is set on a white backgound for use when needed.

On the current web site, a warm brown link colour and salmon highlighter colour are also used.

The old 3 blue colour logo we initially used at http://openvce.net/alt/  is still there in case its useful. But the 3 grey base is what we hope to stick with now.

OpenVCE - "Wave" Logo Colours:

Grey

• Dark Grey Background:  #434343 RGB: 67,67,67
• Mid Grey Wave: #9d9d9d RGB: 157,157,157
• Pale Grey Text: #e4e4e4 RGB: 228,228,228

Grey Alternative where needed for White Background:

• White Background:  #ffffff RGB: 255,255,255
• Mid Grey Wave: Grey Text: #e4e4e4 RGB: 157,157,157
• Light Grey Text: #5f5f5f RGB: 95,95,95

Suggested Link or Highlight Colour (current used on Web Site):

• Warm Brown: #8b4513 RGB: 139,69,19
• Salmon: #d2b8a5 RGB: 211, 184,165

Not Active at Present - Blue Alternative on Pale Blue or White:

• Pale Grey Background:  #dce9fc RGB: 220,233,252
• Mid Blue Wave: #84acf0 RGB: 132,172,240
• Dark BlueText: #06338b RGB: 6,51,139

After our exploration over the last month or so of social networking sites and their features. The problem is that they all have SOME good features, but many lack really key elements, or provide it in ways that are not the best available. Also, they may or may not link into places where people have voted with their feet and used the top largest populations sites - like Flickr for photo sharing, Youtube for video sharing, etc.

I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that we should NOT try to choose one that happens TODAY to have a range f features we think is important.