DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds
Week 4 Session
6pm – 9pm
Tuesday, August 13th, 2007
Owen Macindoe and Kathryn Merrick
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, August 2007
Announcements
We’ve had a few more class changes: check the website for group allocations
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, August 2007
Overview
The FBS framework Gu and Maher’s 4 design phases Issues in Second Life
Homework discussion Work on Task 1
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, August 2007
Gero’s FBS Framework
A model of design activity
Function What is it for?
Behaviour What does it do?
Structure What is it?
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, August 2007
FBS in Virtual Worlds
Function drives design Architecture is just a metaphor
S is not visual representations of objects S -> B connections may not map across Behaviours tied to scripting Take world norms into account
But the metaphor is useful
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, August 2007
Phases of Designing Virtual Architecture
Layout Volumes and
adjacencies
Configuration Object placement
Navigation Circulation and
way-finding
Interaction
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, August 2007
Building in SL using an imported floor plan
Layout
Intended activities Required space Relative space Spatial adjacency Spatial ordering Vertical layout Teleportation
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, August 2007
Tower layout from the CRC for construction innovation
Configuration
Spatial boundaries
Affording activities
Functional cues Metaphors Decoration
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, August 2007
Ning Gu’s virtual classroom
Navigation
Circulation Sight lines Maps and signs
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, August 2007
_blacklibrary’s guide bot
Teleportation Agents and bots
Interaction
Scripting Permissions Animations Poses Agents and bots
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, August 2007
Dancing using pose balls in SL
Issues in Second Life
Flight Teleportation Scale Prims Phantom objects Physical objects PermissionsDESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, August 2007
Flight
Allowed or not? Ceiling heights Open interiors Entry points Immersion
versus convenience
Sky boxes
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, August 2007
Coke’s SL presence is a sky box
Teleportation 1
Pros Smaller world Neat special
effects Hypertext-like
Cons Can be disorienting Inconsistent with
spatial metaphor Skips content
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, August 2007
eLumenta University teleport HUD
Teleportation 2
SL methods Landmarks Sit-teleporters Landing points Signage
Other worlds Warping Triggers Inter-server
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, August 2007
Reuters teleport directory
Scale
Distances seem smaller
Teleportation bypasses spaces
Chase cameras need space
Bounding boxes and collisions
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, August 2007
The Sentient in Second Life
Prims
512m2 = 177 prims
Performance issues
Transparency
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, August 2007
Side view of a tree made from textures
How to cheat Prim deformations Creative texturing Sculpties
Top view of a tree made from textures
Phantom Objects
Uses Vines, beads,
curtains, gases Secret doors Script triggers Traps
Can disrupt immersion
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, August 2007
Phantom prims used to simulate water
Physical Objects
Uses Realistic
movement Force transfer Can be rolled,
pushed, knocked Weapons Vehicles
Unpredictable
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, August 2007
Vehicles use the SL physics engine
Permissions
Land Access Objects and
scripts Pushing Damage
Objects Sharing Move and copy Modify and transfer
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, August 2007
Permissions control panels in Second Life
Other Issues
Doors Require scripting
Elevators Bump avatars
Water Streaming media
Sound Video
Notecard dispensers Hyperlinks Generative design
Grey goo
DESC9180 Designing Virtual Worlds University of Sydney, August 2007
Ning Gu’s grammar-generated floor plans