Reference - ActiveWorlds Keyboard Defaults

The following are the sets of default control schemes available in the AW browser as of build 6.2.0.1432:

Classic controls:

Gaming controls:

Browser controls:

Additional unlisted controls: (Thanks Bach Zhaa!)

Camera:
Camera - Scrollwheel - Camera Zoom in and out
Camera - Alt + Scrollwheel - Camera Power Zoom in and out
 
Object Properties:
Object Properties - Numpad 5 - Reset rotation on current selection
Object Properties - Ctrl + Numpad 0 - Duplicate current selection outward equivalent to objects dimensions
 

Chat:
Chat - Ctrl + Scrollwheel - Enlarge/Reduce text in chat window

Menus:
Tab - Toggle main window focus. Application must be in this focus for menu shortcuts to work. Tab + Tab is required to set this focus if current focus in the 3D window. A single tab is sufficient if focus is currently in the chat window.
Alt T (Teleport)
Alt T then F (Forward)
Alt T then B (Back)
Alt T then T (Teleport to)
Alt T then H (Home)

Alt L (Login)
Alt A (Avatar)
Alt B (Visibility) 
etc... 

Too little, too late?

Hey guys, just wanted to drop in to share an update to AW that hasn't been applied to the release notes for whatever reason.

• The Contacts List has been reordered
• Sorted by ONLINE and OFFLINE users
• AFK users are denoted by a yellow check
• After X minutes, users can be automatically toggled AFK by the browser.

I like the yellow checkmarks as they offer some visual consistency to the notifications in the contacts list.  Hopefully someone will get some use out of it... I came in today to check it out and I didn't have very many friends online. :(

Happy April Fools Day!

Hey everyone, happy April Fools!  Hopefully you haven't been trolled too hard... it seems that Activeworlds has managed to dodge a bullet as far as that's concerned!  Well, unless you could the AlphaMopper. :)

I came across an interesting post today while combing through some Second Life blogs about someone who visited AW very briefly, but was immediately turned off by the camera controls and never made it out of AWGate because of that.  If you use any other 3D programs besides Activeworlds you have probably noted the frustration of AW's camera control system, as compared with 3d modeling programs, games, or even other virtual worlds like Second Life.

Anyway, you can read that post here.  I'm interested in doing a write-up on this soon, but I don't have the time for it tonight.  In it's stead, I'll leave you all with a question: What do you think about AW's camera controls?

Building - Basic Terrain Manipulation

For private world owners, manipulating the terrain is very simple and can go a long way to adding character to virtual landscapes and scenes.  Terrain editing used to be a caretaker-only right, but as of Active Worlds 4.2 Build 1015 can be given to users through the World Rights list. Public worlds also have limited terrain editing abilities, and rely on bots such as Demeter to allow builders to manipulate terrain on their property.

This tutorial explains simple terrain editing for users who can edit terrain directly.  Terrain in Active Worlds is manipulated at the intersection of coordinate grids.  You can view the coordinate grid by pressing F10 in Active Worlds.  This is the easiest visual way to distinguish between different areas terrain, especially if they have the same terrain texture or are on the same elevation.

Browser - Screenshots in Active Worlds

Short of video, screenshots are one of the easiest ways to present your virtual project to the world.  Problem is, most people have problems setting up to take even the most simple screenshot.  Fortunately for us, the process has been streamlined since Version 4.1. Did you know that Active Worlds has a native screenshot feature?  I've spent many years taking screenshots for projects and articles, and for a long time it's been a convoluted process of taking the screenshot and cropping it in an image editor. With the use of a simple hotkey, I can take many screenshots in a short time and I don't have to edit them all right then and there.  It's very handy. :)

In order to get started using the native feature, you'll need to set a 'Screen Shot hotkey' that you use to take the screenshot while in browser.  Once you press the key, the screen will stop briefly and an image of your 3D window will be saved as a JPEG file in your Active Worlds directory.

So to begin, lets set the hotkey.  Nagivate to your 'Keyboard Controls' window by clicking Options > Configure Controls on the top menu bar.

Pick a hotkey to link the 'Screen Shot' option to; I linked mine to the . key on my number pad.

After navigating to the screenshot option, just press the key you'd like to use and apply it, then press OK.  Now you're set!  Just press that hotkey and then check your Active Worlds directory (most commonly found at C:\ActiveWorlds).  Your images will be saved as JPEGs, in the format 'imageXXX.jpg.' Your first image should be 'image000.jpg.'  Try it a few times and check it out.  Below are some images that I've uploaded using this technique.

Rising Glen Retreat, Alphaworld

Highridge Waterfall, Alphaworld

I'm using a widescreen monitor right now, and from that you can probably infer that these screenshots stick with your current resolution.  If you want to change the resolution of the image, you could do so easily by shrinking the Active Worlds Browser to the preferred size, and then take the screenshot.  This shortcut is a very helpful and easy solution to keeping records of your virtual projects in Active Worlds, and definitely saves on time when you're needing to take many pictures in a hurry!

Uploading screenshots to the internet is another matter, and I won't elaborate on that in this post.  You can use image hosting services online or upload them to the Active Worlds Forums through your control panel.