1  |   Order by index

May 4, 2000, 1:06pm

The new ShowBot can stage a special effects performance on a set of your
choice in ActiveWorlds. You put together a Screenplay for the ShowBot to
follow. The Screenplay is made up of a few simple construction commands,
naming surveys, blueprints, & demolition files for the ShowBot to
perform. You could do a fireworks show, a volcanic eruption, a haunted
house, an earthquake--anything that can be done by building & destroying
objects according to a preconceived plan.

Since the ShowBot is constantly changing & moving objects on the Set,
you can avoid the frustrating Building Inspector calls that occur with
invisible objects & animation-sequences. Also, everybody who is there
sees the ShowBot special effect, not just the person who Bumps or
Activates the initiating object.

The ShowBot can be found at
http://www.canopus.org/construction/bots/staging.html.

There is also a new AWPhone application, which allows you to set up a
group chat call from within ActiveWorlds. It works like a bot program
but doesn't affect your bot quota. It doesn't route you through a Server
either; it just connects you with your friends. The AWPhone can be found
at http://www.canopus.org/construction/bots/phoning.html.

May 4, 2000, 2:18pm

On the description page for awphone, http://www.canopus.org/construction/bots/phoning.html,
I would replace "temporary calling number" and "internet number" with "I.P. number" as this is the
only valid term for it. Anything else leads to confusion at the reader or at his friends when spread
around :)

Faber

[View Quote]

May 4, 2000, 7:16pm

You're right. "Temporary calling number" and "internet number" are designed to put the user at ease,
like the fiction that the program form is a "phone". Microsoft itself uses the term "IP Address" when
its Service Provider dialog pops up in versions of its DPlay Chat sample. But I found that most people
did not have the slightest idea of what an "IP Address" was, and were not ready to learn how to use
WinIPCFG.exe in order to look up their IP Address before using the Phone program. They usually thought
"IP Address" was their email address, if they had any thoughts at all. Plus I wanted to build the IP
Address lookup into the AWPhone itself.

Looking at an IP Address ("109.144.25.37"), the technically literate would see it as an "address" and
surmise that it was an Internet Protocol identifier. Most people wouldn't see it as a "regular phone
number", that's certain! "I.P. number" is a nice compromise: I'll try it out on people and see how it
works. Thanks. :o)

[View Quote] > On the description page for awphone, http://www.canopus.org/construction/bots/phoning.html,
> I would replace "temporary calling number" and "internet number" with "I.P. number" as this is the
> only valid term for it. Anything else leads to confusion at the reader or at his friends when spread
> around :)
>
> Faber
>
[View Quote]

May 5, 2000, 9:38pm

A second AWPhone model has been added
(http://www.canopus.org/construction/bots/phoning.html): the AWPhone GPS.
The GPS version regularly contacts the global positioning satellites in
ActiveWorlds to get your coords. If successful, your world & coords are sent
to everyone in the group call. This is handy if you & your friends get
separated while travelling through AW together. Meanwhile, your group can
continue to chat as in the basic AWPhone.

[View Quote] > The new ShowBot can stage a special effects performance on a set of your
> choice in ActiveWorlds. You put together a Screenplay for the ShowBot to
> follow. The Screenplay is made up of a few simple construction commands,
> naming surveys, blueprints, & demolition files for the ShowBot to
> perform. You could do a fireworks show, a volcanic eruption, a haunted
> house, an earthquake--anything that can be done by building & destroying
> objects according to a preconceived plan.
>
> Since the ShowBot is constantly changing & moving objects on the Set,
> you can avoid the frustrating Building Inspector calls that occur with
> invisible objects & animation-sequences. Also, everybody who is there
> sees the ShowBot special effect, not just the person who Bumps or
> Activates the initiating object.
>
> The ShowBot can be found at
> http://www.canopus.org/construction/bots/staging.html.
>
> There is also a new AWPhone application, which allows you to set up a
> group chat call from within ActiveWorlds. It works like a bot program
> but doesn't affect your bot quota. It doesn't route you through a Server
> either; it just connects you with your friends. The AWPhone can be found
> at http://www.canopus.org/construction/bots/phoning.html.

May 6, 2000, 8:18am

BTW, you application fails to retrieve the correct i.p. number on multihomed systems.

Contact me for details or resolving help :)

FAber

[View Quote]

May 24, 2000, 1:57am

Version 1.1 of the AWPhone & AWPhone GPS has been posted to the website
(http://www.canopus.org/construction/construction.html). They now try to
detect if you have more than one connection to the Internet, letting you
choose the one for your AW Phone. (For example, you have both an old
modem connection & a new DSL connection on your computer.) Thanks,
Faber, for helping out on this issue.

[View Quote]

May 24, 2000, 2:24pm

You forgot to use the term "i.p. address" instead of "temporary calling number" on your web page.

Faber :)

[View Quote]

May 24, 2000, 2:29pm

Canopus,

I tried both of them and they still refuse to see my 3 i.p.s on this machine.
2 ethernetcard assigned and one PPP endpoint.

The one displayed is the wrong one (you don't reach the internet through it).

Faber

[View Quote]

May 24, 2000, 8:45pm

A bug left over from testing made the AWPhone branch around the new
code, which would be okay for people with just one internet connection,
anyway; try the version posted today, to see if offers a choice between
two or more of your connections--it does on my computer. And thanks for
testing it so fast!

[View Quote]

May 25, 2000, 3:49pm

Yay, Canopus, now you did it :)

Your program is now properly retrieving I.P.s on a multihomed system :)

Faber

[View Quote]

1  |   Order by index