[Opensim-users] Branded opensim viewers

Wed Feb 19 18:56:42 UTC 2014

Hi mic,
Kitely implemented the approach you suggested but due to some changes with
chrome (and some of the other browsers I think), now the recommended way to
log in is through the viewer. Illan or Oren can perhaps tell us more or
correct me.
Ramesh

On Wed, Feb 19, 2014 at 1:53 PM, Mic Bowman <cmickeyb at gmail.com> wrote:

> I have a related question... for a while simian provided a separate
> "launcher" application could launch a viewer and embed in the login URI
> your openid credentials (the launcher app when installed registered with
> the internet browser as a handler for a URL scheme). It was pretty nice
> because there was no need to set up login uris in the viewer at all (and
> you didn't have to "login" if you had an authenticated OpenID). I still
> have the code but it relied on the viewers supporting the command line
> "--loginuri" switch so it stopped working when the viewers stopped
> supporting that switch.
>
> At this point... i'm interested in one of two login/startup options:
>
> Option 1: provide a URL in a web page which, when clicked on, would launch
> the viewer with the login uri embedded (obviously supporting an openid
> authentication would be nice too).
>
> Option 2: provide a URL for a hypergrid link which, when clicked on, would
> log you into your home grid with the startup region a hypergridded region.
>
> I kind of prefer the second option because it doesn't require account
> creation... but either one would help us with the login uri configuration
> problem.
>
> --mic
>
>
>
> On Wed, Feb 19, 2014 at 8:49 AM, Diva Canto <diva at metaverseink.com> wrote:
>
>>  I don't know about "branding" viewers, that's a whole other issue. But
>> regarding the process to make these environments easily accessible to
>> newcomers, I have some advice.
>>
>> A setup guide with painfully clear instructions works very well for
>> people who have never used this system before. I'm making the one I wrote
>> publicly available for non-commercial use, feel free to direct your users
>> to it:
>> http://www.ics.uci.edu/~lopes/opensim/SingularitySetupGuide.pdf
>> I usually send this setup guide by email along with the two URLs that
>> people need, one in step 1 and the other in step 4. In the email, I let
>> them know that they will need those URLs in those steps.
>>
>> So far, I've had zero problems with people configuring things and login.
>>
>> Interacting while inside the world is another story, as these
>> environments are extremely confusing for people who aren't used to them.
>> For those of you designing educational settings in opensim, my
>> recommendation is to design your environments so that people have a lot
>> less degrees of freedom than what these viewers provide. For example, have
>> people login to an environment with chairs/sits, and immediately have them
>> click on a chair and sit down. The chairs should have scripts for
>> controlling their cameras, so that they look at exactly the right thing,
>> whatever that is.
>>
>> I wrote about some of these design issues here:
>>
>> http://tagide.com/blog/2013/03/design-and-implementation-of-a-virtual-collaboration-environment/
>>
>> I've made peace with the fact that we have a complicated client software
>> that people need to install and configure. The way to mitigate the
>> complexity for newcomers is threefold:
>>
>> (1) avoid the Grid Manager altogether and use the grid textbox for the
>> login URL, which, thank god!, the Singularity developers already did;
>>
>> (2) provide setup guides that are as clear as possible (we're not the
>> only ones doing this, btw; many web conferencing systems also require
>> software installation and configuration); and
>>
>> (3) design your environments so that they are as simple as possible --
>> these environments have too many degrees of freedom, but it's possible to
>> reduce them.
>>
>>
>> On 2/19/2014 7:45 AM, Dr Ramesh Ramloll wrote:
>>
>> Kay, I think there are a number of things that need tailoring in addition
>> to the ability of adding a grid (which as diva pointed is available in
>> singularity). For my user base, no one will ever be interested to do even
>> that (no interest => will never learn). I was hoping for some configuration
>> file that can contain the needed custom data e.g. list of names of regions,
>> urls to pictures of various regions etc.. and once the user downloads the
>> viewer+drop the custom config file in the same folder, the config file is
>> read and all the important pieces set on application launch. So may be
>> working with tpv developers can help .... I definitely think that the only
>> things the casual user should know is how to navigate, click/touch, and
>> voice chat. The rest is for us.
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Feb 19, 2014 at 9:41 AM, Diva Canto <diva at metaverseink.com>wrote:
>>
>>>  Singularity already has this.
>>>
>>> On 2/19/2014 4:42 AM, Kay McLennan wrote:
>>>
>>>  As an alternative to re-branding 3 different versions of a viewer (to
>>> match 3 different operating systems) each time a viewer is upgraded, would
>>> it be possible to develop viewers that utilize web browser-like addresses
>>> (?).  What I have in mind is being able to type (or copy) a grid's login
>>> URL directly into the "Grid" text box.  In this way, there is no need to:
>>>  (1) re-brand viewers; or (2) go through all of the steps needed to add a
>>> grid to a viewer via the "Grid Manager" feature.
>>>
>>>  Again, wouldn't it be easier to develop viewers that enable users to
>>> simply type a grid URL into the grid name box (?).
>>>
>>> -- Kay
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
>>
>>  --
>>  'Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin.'
>> *Rameshsharma Ramloll* PhD, CEO CTO DeepSemaphore LLC, Affiliate *Research
>> Associate Professor*, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 83209 Tel:
>> 208-240-0040
>> LinkedIn <http://www.linkedin.com/in/rameshramloll>, DeepSemaphore LLC<http://www.deepsemaphore.com>,
>> RezMela <http://www.rezmela.com>, Google+ profile<https://plus.google.com/103652369558830540272/about>
>>
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-- 
'Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin.'
*Rameshsharma Ramloll* PhD, *Research Associate Professor*, Idaho State
University, Pocatello, ID 83209 Tel: 208-282-5333
Blog <http://deepsemaphore.posterous.com/>,
LinkedIn<http://www.linkedin.com/in/rameshramloll>
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