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Apr 21, 2002, 6:20pm

What technical skills do I need to have to run my own AW world and create
objects for it? Thanks, Iris

Apr 21, 2002, 6:54pm

To create your own objects you need to be fairly decent in math (that is if
you want to do it the old fashioned way). Or else you can use truespace
(www.caligari.com). Be advised, novice use of Truespace to create objects
will result in quite a bit of Framerate drop in your world.

As for running a world, not that much. Just a good internet connection and
a fast computer.. Do you want to run your Object path on your computer
locally?

--Bowen--

Have $3... want a website?
http://www.smartpenguin.com/affiliate.php?id=12

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Apr 22, 2002, 12:41am

Probably the best way to run a world is to let someone else host it. Find a
hosting service ( I offer good, free hosting.. I can set you up with
everything you need) and let them do all the dirty work. This let's you
worry more about creating objects, building, and running things in your
world.... Instead of worrying about server security, backing up your data,
installing the world server, and web server admin.

To run a world on you own you'd probably need:

-A computer to use to develop your objects and textures on (also used to
build and access your world)
-A computer to dedicate to hosting your world and the world's Object Path.
(it doesn't have to be really fast.. just as long as it works)
-A relatively fast internet connection.. DSL./Cable or faster - with a fixed
IP address
-Knowledge and experience at setting up and maintaining a web server
-You'll need MS Windows (for newbies) or a free copy of Linux if you know
what you're doing.
-Want a domain name? Better figure out how to use BIND (for Linux) or find a
DNS server for Windows.
-Experience with Photoshop or Painter (or any other nice image editing
program) for creating your textures.
-You'll need to lean RWX scripting and/or buy a copy of TrueSpace
-Anything else I left out....

Again, easiest thing is to let someone else host it. That way you can learn
RWX to create your objects, make your textures, and build using them without
worrying about all the server stuff.

-J.

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jeremy Booker
JTech Web Systems
(www.JTechWebSystems.com -- Coming Soon)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Apr 22, 2002, 1:24am

Honestly Jerme, there's a lot of useless stuff there that you don't need for
hosting a world.. It's best not to give misleading information to people.

Look below for highlights.

> Probably the best way to run a world is to let someone else host it. Find
a
> hosting service ( I offer good, free hosting.. I can set you up with
> everything you need) and let them do all the dirty work. This let's you
> worry more about creating objects, building, and running things in your
> world.... Instead of worrying about server security, backing up your data,
> installing the world server, and web server admin.

Well, security of the world server isn't really a big thing. No Uber
crackers are out there hacking there way into the Activeworlds servers.
Thank the light for a non-popular piece of software. If there are any
security breaches, it's most likely with said software then with the actual
computer itself.

> To run a world on you own you'd probably need:
>
> -A computer to use to develop your objects and textures on (also used to
> build and access your world)
> -A computer to dedicate to hosting your world and the world's Object Path.
> (it doesn't have to be really fast.. just as long as it works)

Don't need to dedicate a computer just to hosting a world and object path,
but if you do want it all in one, you want to make sure it can handle your
daily work plus a little of object paths and world hosting. Anything above
400 MHz / 28 Mb of ram should do quite fine.

> -A relatively fast internet connection.. DSL./Cable or faster - with a
fixed
> IP address

Well if you don't turn off your computer the IP doesn't change.. having a
fixed IP is something that's relatively moot now-a-days with the world of
DNS2GO and other similar services.

> -Knowledge and experience at setting up and maintaining a web server
> -You'll need MS Windows (for newbies) or a free copy of Linux if you know
> what you're doing.

That pretty much covers most the computer world doesn't it? ;) Linux is
still quite easy to set up if you follow directions on Mauz's site. Not
quite as easy as Windows though, so I'd have him stick to windows, thus not
having to dedicate a computer.


> -Want a domain name? Better figure out how to use BIND (for Linux) or find
a
> DNS server for Windows.

Don't need a domain name really, like I said with the fixed IP things.

> -Experience with Photoshop or Painter (or any other nice image editing
> program) for creating your textures.
> -You'll need to lean RWX scripting and/or buy a copy of TrueSpace
> -Anything else I left out....
>
> Again, easiest thing is to let someone else host it. That way you can
learn
> RWX to create your objects, make your textures, and build using them
without
> worrying about all the server stuff.

It may not always be as convienient though IMHO. Say you need something
relatively fast.. but your hoster's not on.. what then? IE: someone
terrorizes your world because you were stupid and thought you could trust
them.. but then again, that's always going to happen :\.

--Bowen--

Have $3... want a website?
http://www.smartpenguin.com/affiliate.php?id=12

Apr 22, 2002, 1:25am

> 400 MHz / 28 Mb of ram should do quite fine.

That's supposed to be 128.. stupid me.

Apr 22, 2002, 4:00pm

if you decide to have it and the OP hosted elsewhere, you need nearly no
special technical skills, just an understanding of AW and 3D (for object
creation).

KAH

[View Quote]

Apr 22, 2002, 4:59pm

I disagree. Infact AW Renders COB files much better than RWX files becuase
all they did is implement the Calligari COB engine which is much cleaner and
more efficient than the RWX system which is still quite messy in places. I'm
sure Roland is always improving it as best as h can, but since hes always
working on the next version of AW, he must not get too much time to go
through all the older code. Besides, when he does, hes at risk of messing
somthing up (e.g. 3.2 Masking).

The only reason that truespace objects could cause lower framerates is if
they are cobdumped or (like a few people I know) the modeller is lacking an
vital obsession with low poly/vert counts. :)

-Robbie

[View Quote]

Apr 22, 2002, 5:45pm

Not really, the same object converted to RWX is much much faster, by 3 or 4
framerates in my case.

--Bowen--

Have $3... want a website?
http://www.smartpenguin.com/affiliate.php?id=12

[View Quote]

Apr 23, 2002, 1:07am

Yeah.. that's what I was trying to get at...

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jeremy Booker
JTech Web Systems
(www.JTechWebSystems.com -- Coming Soon)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[View Quote]

Apr 23, 2002, 1:18am

I could not run an OP and AW server off my personal/home system:

1) I install software and need to reboot everynow and then..
2) My system is not designed for being a server and thus does not have key
components that are not required, but nice to have
3) My phone company is weird.. my ip address is semi-fixed, it tends to
change without warning....

This means, if you want serious, 24/7 hosting... then you *must* dedicate a
system doing nothing be serving up content.

About using Linux.. I reccond it for security reasons. I agree that there
aren't a *bunch* of crackers out there looking for security holes in the
awserver, however.. i'm more worried about the HTTP server used for the OP.
Case in point: Microsot IIS Vs. Apache. Apache has had so few security
exploits found that I could count them on my fingers... IIS on the other
hand takes installing around, ohh say, 300 pathches (and then it's still not
very secure). So, again.. if you're serious about hosting your OP and
world, you're going to need a good server, in other words: Avoid IIS at all
costs (get apache, even if you have to settle for the win32 version).

Again, all the stuff I mentioned was for *serious* hosting.. If you're only
going to be hosting your world and your own IP, and you don't mind if it's
down from time to time... Then:
-Download and install the AW world server..
http://www.activeworlds.com/products/download.asp
-Download and intall/configure the Apache web server...
http://httpd.apache.org/
-Find a free dynamic DNS service, and get them to help you register your
domain name (if you want/need one)

But, even doing it yourself has its disadvantages.. That's why I still
recomend letting someone who has the proper equipment host it for you. Makes
life a lot simpler for you.


-JerMe

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jeremy Booker
JTech Web Systems
(www.JTechWebSystems.com -- Coming Soon)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[View Quote]

Apr 23, 2002, 1:45am

Yeah I understand now, but then again I don't think anyone really cares if
it's down for 5 or so minutes a day? I would definately recommend Apache
over IIS.. only an insane person uses IIS.

--Bowen--

Have $3... want a website?
http://www.smartpenguin.com/affiliate.php?id=12

[View Quote]

Apr 23, 2002, 2:18am

I've had excellent results with Xitami myself as a web server.

[View Quote]

Apr 23, 2002, 2:21am

Much better then IIS I'm sure about that.. but I would certainly recommend
stepping up to Apache. These guys have been around since the birth of the
Windows operating system.. I think they were before it? Not sure I'd have
to check. They certainly know what they're doing :) Much faster, and you
have a lot more available in the available addons (more then 60% of the
world uses Apache for a webserver). Best of all it's free and open source!
:D

--Bowen--

Have $3... want a website?
http://www.smartpenguin.com/affiliate.php?id=12

[View Quote]

Apr 23, 2002, 2:47am

Xitami rocks!:)
BTW...anyone know how to open the port up on IIS?
Our ftp program auto looks for it and we want to use the G6 ftp proggy.
I detest Win2k as a server....grrrrr:)

Apr 23, 2002, 2:43pm

RWX is a lot easyer for an app to parse, and usually contains a lot less
useless polys and verts than tS objects. it does take longer to render tS
objects, it's a known fact, only the people who build their worlds with
mostly unconverted tS objects say otherwise because they don't want their
worlds looked upon as badly built...

KAH

[View Quote]

Apr 23, 2002, 2:43pm

open the port on IIS? the port IIS uses is defined by config (unless it's
even stupider than I think it is), probably port 80 (default HTTP port).
Anyway, use Apache, it'll knock you over in amazement over how little
trouble there is.

KAH

[View Quote]

Apr 23, 2002, 7:01pm

she means IIS is opening a port and making it unusable for other applications..

[View Quote] KAH

[View Quote]

Apr 23, 2002, 7:18pm

You're using a VERY similar setup to what I'm using - I was up on win
98SE, now I'm up on win2000. G6 for FTP, and Xitami for the webserver. Your
OS is? Better yet, get ahold of me inworld - I love getting down and geeky,
but I don't wanna bore the heck outta everyone else.

OK, as far as opening ports on ICS <I'm assuming this is what you're
referring to, and this tells me you're up on win98 SE>, go to
http://practicallynetworked.com/ics . This area deals with a slick freeware
port mapping utility.
[View Quote]

Apr 23, 2002, 7:23pm

You mean you have IIS running, and it's nabbed port 80 (or whichever port
you configured it for)... Simply shut down IIS and make sure it won't start
again on boot...

If you still want a way to run the server, but use the port it's using...
then you need to change the port the server is using. Not sure how to do
this with IIS.. get apache.

If IIS isn't working on port 80, then you probably need to open it up in
your firewall, or make sure no other software is using that port.

-J.

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jeremy Booker
JTech Web Systems
(www.JTechWebSystems.com -- Coming Soon)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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