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A few old ideas (Wishlist)
A few old ideas // Wishlisteep²Apr 26, 1998, 2:33am
You can do this now with a texture name that doesn't exist, like ".", "_", "-", etc. I use one character to use as little data as possible. I've been using it for months.
[View Quote] > Another idea... a way to shut an animation off so that the object would lose > the applied texture. For example, > astop off > might be used to turn a tree01.rwx back to it's original color combination > of green with a brown stem. technozeusApr 26, 1998, 2:34am
Although I like the way rotation of multiple objects works now (in 2.0 beta
build 242), I would still like to suggest a possible improvement. While presently the rotation happens around a common center, it would be nice to have a choice of rotating around the common center, the center of the first object selected, or the center of the last object selected. This would allow the average person much more freedom in building. Perhaps when multiple objects are selected, the Action or Description field could be taken out to make room for a few radio buttons (if those fields will not be used for multiple objects) and the Object field could indicate how many objects are selected... this is only one possibility. If you have comments, or related ideas, please mention them. :) TechnoZeus technozeusApr 26, 1998, 2:35am
An option to move in object size steps when one object is selected (for
example, a walk001h.rwx could be made to move ten meters per click while CTRL is held down... not sure how you would handle that with multiple objects selected. TechnoZeus eep²Apr 26, 1998, 2:35am
Or just be able to create an object "out of nothing", without needing a "starter" object.
[View Quote] > A "Bring ojbect with" checkbox in the Teleport dialog (for teleporting your > avatar) which would be availible if you have an object selected, and when > checked, would cause the object to be moved with your avatar.... or > alternatively, a "carry object" option in the object properties that would > let you walk around or teleport while holding the object, and would keep the > object in the same position relative to your avatar. technozeusApr 26, 1998, 2:36am
Addition of a "Building Supplies" tab that would display a list of
registered objects in the world, or in the case of no registry, the names of all objects in the Models path, as wall as seperately display the names of all files in the Textures directory and all files in the Sounds directory. TechnoZeus technozeusApr 26, 1998, 2:37am
Addition of a "Build Mode" with a corresponding toolbar button and menu
option. When entering a world that you have no build rights in, Build Mode would be turned off, enabling other right mouse button functions like "teleport to object" and "telegram to builder" but could still be turned back on as long as the world owner has not selected to prevent it. When entering a world where you can build, the setting of Build Mode would be determined by a prefference setting in Options Settings. This would allow people to study objects which would encourage learning about ActiveWorlds rather than prevent it, but would also allow people to explore a world in Explore Mode (meaning that Build Mode is turned off) giving greater control over interaction with the environment. TechnoZeus technozeusApr 26, 1998, 2:38am
A selected object count display to tell how many objects are selected.. That
would be nice when selecting multiple objects at a distance or against a background that too closely matches the color of the selection box. TechnoZeus technozeusApr 26, 1998, 2:40am
Make it so that an astart command on an object to which no animate has been
asigned would result in an imediate adone. TechnoZeus eep²Apr 26, 1998, 2:40am
Heh...interesting names. I suggested wireframe and pointcloud (just vertices) modes to Roland months ago, too. There should also be options for faceted lightsampling, Gourard (gradiated) lightsampling, unfiltered textures (bilinear texture filtering does reduce performance slightly), z-buffering, dithering, perspective correction, and triple-buffering. Most 3D games have ways of disabling/enabling most of these options.
[View Quote] > Vision enhancements: Normal Vision = Like it is now; Techno Vision = > Wireframe Vision (or Textureless Vision) with added viewing distance or > improved framerate; Kronos Vision = Normal for closer objects + Wireframe > for more distant objects. technozeusApr 26, 1998, 2:41am
World wrap: As you walk to the edge ot the world, if world wrap is turned
on, objects from the other side would apear to give the illusion of a larger continuous world. TechnoZeus eep²Apr 26, 1998, 2:43am
Guess you never heard about some of the bots in AW in the past. Supposedly there was one in a bar near AW GZ that responded when typed to. Another time there were supposedly a flock of birdes "flying" around. And still another time there was supposedly an object that you could actually push around by bumping into it. These all occurred before last summer cuz I've never seen 'em. Hamfon is working on a bot program currently that is supposed to allow text interaction, as well as avatar automation. I plan to use it for rolling tumbleweeds in Utah when he ever releases it...
[View Quote] > Wildlife. It has been brought to my attention that some people would like to > see such things as deer, horses, geese, squirrels, foxes, bears, ducks, > swans, gerbils, etc. roaming around the realm of Alpha World. This could > possibly be accomplished with a limited number of "bots" which would be > visually repeated at regular intervals... for example, every kilometer. > While not for every world and I would expect, not a priority, it has been > suggested that some worlds would be enhanced by the presence of computerized > life forms other than the people who visit the worlds. This is perhaps one > way such a possibility could be realized. eep²Apr 26, 1998, 2:45am
Now that's what I call Miracle Grow™.
[View Quote] > A "Mutate" command. Example: create Mutate me 3 10000 seed plant tree > bigtree, astop > This example would change the object displayed to seed.rwx after 10 seconds, > plant.rwx after 20 seconds, tree.rwx after 30 seconds, and bigtree.rwx after > 40 seconds although the name of the object file (in the Object Properties) > would not change. technozeusApr 26, 1998, 2:50am
Actually, if you look more carefully, you will see that what this does is
not possible with the animate command unless you encorporate several objects each with a portion of the action desired. TechnoZeus [View Quote] eep²Apr 26, 1998, 2:53am
It will be much easier if people learned how to create their own objects and then allow people to use non-world objects in any world by having a "null"-type object, then entering, say in its name field, its URL ("site.com/1.rwx", for example; "http://" is assumed in front, but other protocols could be used like "ftp://", "https://", etc.). But all these new commands you're suggesting are just going to add to the cell data limit, and even with the huge limit in 2.0, that data limit would easily be reached. Either AW has to be able to organize its data better, either through the use of checkboxes, pull-down lists, radio buttons, etc in the object properties box, or some other way, or that cell data limit will always be a problem.
[View Quote] > Tint command. This command would cause the surface colors and textures of > the effected object to be blended with the RGB color specified by the first > three numeric parameters using the last number to determine the extent of > the effect. I'm not sure if (or how) this command could be implemented, but > if so it would give builders a great deal of added control over the look of > their creations. eep²Apr 26, 1998, 2:54am
How about "move"?
[View Quote] > speed and direction of your avatar's present movement. Perhaps an easier > word to spell would be a better choice... maybe a Walk or Fly command? eep²Apr 26, 1998, 2:57am
Suggested this months ago, as well. Roland said he didn't want to go redoing command names since he wants to redo the whole command structure anyway. Problem is, he never has (and who knows if he ever will). He just doesn't have time to do all these things and COF doesn't have the money to hire another programmer. It's really a lame situation and AW's development (and the users' enjoyment of using it) is the price.
[View Quote] > Here's one I would REALLY like to see: Command abreviations. For example, eep²Apr 26, 1998, 2:59am
This has been discussed before. The first thing to happen would probably be allowing people to use their own avatar objects from outside the world (i.e. a URL). This was supposedly rumored for 2.0, but who knows when it'll be implemented, if ever. Specific avatar customization within AW will probably be even farther off...
[View Quote] > Avatar Customization flyout menu to let the user select clothing color > variations and/or skin tone for a personalized version of the selected > avatar. This one may be difficult or impossible, but here it is anyway if > anyone is interested. eep²Apr 26, 1998, 3:06am
Suggested this months ago, too. I think Roland said the entire world cell structure would have to be redone. Cells aren't 10m³ cubes, but 10m x 65535m x 10m--2D, since the y-axis is the buildable distance . It should've been 3D in the first place but lots of corners were cut, as Roland keeps telling me when explaining off why things weren't done better. Until AW has TRUE 3D object manipulation, it won't entirely be a TRUE 3D application, in my view. Visibility distance is also only 2D, since AW's setting only applies on the x-z plane.
[View Quote] > Ability to rotate an object vertically. (That is, through the x-z or y-z > plane.) Even if only in specific "large" increments within a limited range. technozeusApr 26, 1998, 3:07am
Same here. Last year in fact. Didn't see it in the newsgroup yet though,
so I added it in case someone who hasn't seen it might be interested. The list I've just posted is just a few of the suggestions I've made, and although some of my best ones are included, there are also some that were not so good, and many of the good ones got left out simple because I haven't kept track of them of kept them in any kind of list or folder. Anyway, I take it you aprove of this idea... seeing as you've also found it worthy of suggesting. Am I correct in this assumption? TechnoZeus [View Quote] technozeusApr 26, 1998, 3:08am
Not what I meant. That strips the texture altogether. What I am
suggesting here is a way to return the object to the textures it has built in. TechnoZeus [View Quote] eep²Apr 26, 1998, 3:09am
I suggested to Roland something similar, except that the object would move flush next to itself automatically (and could be continued if moved further). He said they had considered doing something like that before but, as usual, it never got done.
[View Quote] > An option to move in object size steps when one object is selected (for > example, a walk001h.rwx could be made to move ten meters per click while > CTRL is held down... not sure how you would handle that with multiple > objects selected. technozeusApr 26, 1998, 3:14am
Actually, what I'm suggesting here could not be accomplished by simply
adding new objects as it would require a set of 16777216 variations on each texture and a corresponding object for each variation. At the very least, that would be quite impractical. TechnoZeus [View Quote] technozeusApr 26, 1998, 3:17am
I also suggested this one last year. Actually, it wouldn't require any
addition or changes to the command names. Only changes to the parsing routine that looks for the names. TechnoZeus [View Quote] technozeusApr 26, 1998, 3:29am
Well, as I stated in my opening note for this thread, these are mostly old
ideas. There is actually a considerable amount of complication involved in making the transition from 2-D rotation to 3-D rotation. If I'm not mistaken, you create objects so you're probably very familliar with this fact. Anyway, it would still be nice to see. :·) TechnoZeus [View Quote] technozeusApr 26, 1998, 3:32am
Sounds similar to my Slide out of Object idea. See "Automatic elimination
of overlap" in an earlier branch of this thread. TechnoZeus. [View Quote] eep²Apr 26, 1998, 5:05am
No, you can have textures with the same name (different end #) change at set intervals. Read up more on the animate command and you'll see.
[View Quote] > Actually, if you look more carefully, you will see that what this does is > not possible with the animate command unless you encorporate several objects > each with a portion of the action desired. |