photo by lockhere

3d ICC provides a lot of functionality in our Immersive Collaboration Environment.  Some have argued that there is too much functionality.  Most people learn how to navigate and use ICE in less then 1 hour.  The hardest part is setting up your sound but the funny part about that is that once you know how to setup your sound it is also the thing you think the least about when using the software.

In general people learn best by doing.  If possible sign up for a tour and let someone who knows the environment show you around.  If you can't do that, or can't wait, then you have come to the right place.

In the next 10 minutes we are going to teach you:

1. How to navigate with your arrow keys
2. How to navigate with your mouse
3. How to navigate with your finger on a touch screen
4. How to make gestures
5. How to find content
6. How to add content
7. How to retrieve content
8. How to find someone
9. How to follow someone
10. How to setup your sound

Start your clock.

1. How to navigate with your arrow keys

Press and hold them down to move around.  You can press two keys at the same time.  Up is forward, down is back, right and left are ...  Well you get it.  

(Tip: if you are trying to move and the arrow keys are not working hit "Esc" to exit document edit mode or press the "Home" key to get back to where you entered the room.)

2. How to navigate with your mouse

Right click or option click your mouse on your screen.  You will notice a cross hair icon show up in the center of your screen (look closely at the center of the screen above).  Move the mouse away from the center.  The further you are away from the center of the screen the faster you will go.  Above is forward, below is back, right and left are ... Well I'm sure you still get it.

3. How to navigating with your finger on a touch screen.

What you do is walk up to the screen and touch the panel at the bottom of the client. It is not easy to see.  It is right at the bottom in the center of the screen.  Just move your mouse over the panel and it will pop up.

The compass shows what direction you are facing.  click on the compass arrow and spin yourself around.  The "n" button faces you north.  This is very useful if you build your own rooms.  There are tools to align things based on the compass.  The other arrows move you left, right and side to side, the arrows turn you right or left.  The eyes make you look up and down or straight forward again, and the + and - arrows move you up into the air and back down again.  (you can also look up and down with a keybaord by pressing the first letter of ceiling or the last letter of floor.  f the key between them makes you look straight again.  c=up, r=down, f=straight)

4. How to make gestures

Press "y" to nod yes, "n" to nod no, 'b' to bow, "space" to say hi and wave, "page up" makes you go up into the air and "page dn" makes you go down.  (You can also press tab to move from place to place, home takes you to where you started and end takes you to a place where you can see the whole space.  But we don't have time for that now.  Moving on).

5. How to find content

Use the landmarks.  Click on a landmark to go there.

or select: menu > Tools > Documents to find something in the room.

6. How to add Content

Drag and Drop.  Almost everything in 3d ICC ICE works with drag and drop.  Drag your webcam image to a wall and it opens up a panel with your webcam.  Drag a document from the document panel and drop it on the floor it will open up a document stand.  Drag a document file (doc, xls, ppt, pdf) from your computer desktop and it will open up that file also.  You can even open a web browser (menu > File > Web Link...) then drag the document card to a panel (or wall or floor) to open up a fully interactive web browser.  We also support h.264 streaming video (mp4 m4v).

 Once you have the content you can organize your document cards on card holders like book shelves, or card stands or many other card holders.  Just drag the card from the panel and drop it on the bookshelf.

You can also open you Object Catalog (menu > Tools > Object Catalog) to find 3d objects you can add.  You can also add files by selecting: menu > File > Import, or share a file by selecting (menu > File > Share a window).

You can also import standard 3d mesh objects like 3ds Max (ase), SketchUp (kmz), Collada (obj), and VRML (wrl) files.

7. How to retrieve content.  From any document select the panel menu (which is the blue button on the left corner of the panel).  

Select: panel menu > Save Local Copy or Panel Menu: View Privately

 

8. How to find someone

Double click on their name in the people panel on the upper right.  This works even if someone is in another room.  It will take you to that room (if you have permission to enter) and then take you right to that person.  If they are standing in front of a document you will stand next to them.  If they are standing in the middle of a room you will stand facing them.

9. How to follow someone

Right click on someones name in the people panel and select: "Go With"

10.  And now with time to spare (hopefully) the hardest thing about 3d ICC ICE.  Sound!

The immersive environment works best with headphones.  You should get some comfortable USB headphones.  Plug them in an set up your computer to use them.  Now when you go into ICE you will see the sound panel.  If you need to access the sound panel again you can select: menu > Tools > Sound or right click on the microphone at the bottom of the client and select Sound Settings.

What you need to do is set your speakers and your microphone to your headset.  Make sure you computer sound and your headset is not muted.  If it doesn't work try unplugging your headset and plugging it back in.  If you hear strange noises you can also right click on the microphone and select "Reset Sound".  This is esp. useful if you are having network trouble. 

In general the sound is fantastic.  It is also the thing that most people think the least about. 

 

Your feedback is very important to us.  Please feel free to comment or ask questions.

Your 3d ICC Support Team