O dyssey Collaboration System: OCS

What is Distributed Collaboration? Work by teams whose members are separated by space and time.

What is OCS? A persistent, distributed, virtual, real-time, interactive, shared environment which provides: –A sense of place –Support for multiple users –Metaphor-driven (buildings and rooms) –Shared Data, Tools, & Information (Objects) –Session Management Customizable in that users are empowered to develop and control objects that model their environment

Features Virtual Space –Digital Repository –Items, Rooms, Buildings –Virtual “Teleportation” between Virtual Spaces –Dynamic Visual “You Are Here” Navigational Map –Avatar-depiction for User Telepresence Applications and Assets –User Defined Restricted Access –Upload (Objects, Hyperlinks) –Application Launching from within the Environment –Local, Server or Hyperlink Object Creation Options –Virtual Briefcase for Transferring Objects Collaboration Tools –Public and Private Text Chat Modes –Locating and Paging Users (Online) – Messaging via Paging Function (Offline) –Multicast Voice Chat –Multicast Video –Multicast Whiteboard

OCS Login

Customizing Preferences Customizing your Environment Preferences Once you are logged in, system parameters can be modified to enhance the client’s usability, and additional or updated user information can be provided as necessary. Use the following steps to change your avatar image, and update your information to allow other users to contact you. 1.Click the Options icon on the Toolbar to display the Options dialog box. 2.Click the User tab to display your current user information. 3.Enter or update your contact and description information. 4.If you have an alphanumeric wireless pager, enter your pager’s address into the Pager: field. 5.To replace the default avatar image, click the Avatar Image, pick a new image to be used to represent yourself online, then click OK in the Avatar Image window. 6.Click OK in the Options window to save all of your changes. Note:If you replaced your avatar image, your new image will be displayed in the Users in Room area. If you entered a wireless pager address, other users within the virtual environment can now send you a Page message via your wireless pager. TIP: Note that the User tab of the Options dialog box also allows you to modify your password.

Virtual Space Digital Repository Buildings, Rooms, Items Virtual “Teleportation” between Virtual Spaces Dynamic Visual “You Are Here” Navigational Map Avatar-depiction for User virtual presence

Main Screen Panels When working within the OCS client interface, you will primarily be interacting through the following interface panels for navigation, communication and item management. –Room panel This panel in the upper left region provides information with respect to your current location within the virtual environment. It displays building and room information as well as an image representation of the room you are in. –Navigate panel The Navigate panel in the upper right displays a “You are here” type of map. It identifies how rooms are connected relative to your current location. Your current location is the room in the center of the map (usually displayed in Red). Rooms displayed above or below another room are then “connected” to it. –Users in Room panel Located in the lower left, this panel displays the avatar images of the users currently located within the room. If you move the cursor over an avatar image, the person’s description will be displayed. Double-clicking the avatar will display their contact information. –Room Contents panel This panel displays the items that are located within the room. These items are visible by any user that enters the room. Right mouse clicking on an item will display a pop-up menu for accessing and managing the item. –Briefcase Contents panel Located in the lower right, this panel contains the items that you carry with you as you navigate around within the virtual environment. These items are not visible by any other user within the environment.

Toolbar Menu bar Local Map Avatar Item OCS Interface

Adding Objects Buildings Rooms Items

Item Types Generic Audio Compressed File Document Executable Image Internet Link Shared Briefing Telnet Video Helper function allows mapping of any file type to a given application.

Main Screen Defined The Main Menu –The main menu at the top of the client includes options for managing your connection to the MUVE, Building, Room and Item management utilities, and accessing the various environment tools as well as the online help and application information. The MUVE menu allows you to disconnect from the Odyssey server or exit the application. The Edit menu provides general cut, copy and paste functions. The View menu allows you to manipulate how information is displayed in the interface. The Building, Room and Item menus allow you to manage buildings, rooms and items. The Tools menu provides access to environment tools and utilities as well as user and system settings. The Toolbar –Below the Main menu is a series of buttons that provide quick access to common tools and functions. The Home button teleports you to your Home location specified in your User preferences. The Users button displays a list of Odyssey users. Depending on the option you select, it will list currently connected users or all available users. The Session Manager button allows you to manage and communicate with other users using the various session tools (audio, video, text chat, shared briefings, etc.) The Pager button allows you to page other users. The Options button allows you to configure your user information and system settings.

Creating an Item Items are created by uploading files from your local client to a MUVE server. Once the item has been created, it will appear within your Briefcase Contents panel. You must then drop the item into the room before it can be viewed by other users. 1.Click Item | New. 2.In the Name field of the Create Item window, type SAMPLE WORD DOCUMENT. 3.In the Description field, type TUTORIAL SAMPLE. 4.Click the Type drop-down list and choose Document. The dialog box options may change based upon the selected item type. By default, the Location option is set to WWW Link. 5.Change the Location option to Upload File. 6.Click Browse. 7.In the File to Upload dialog box, locate and select the documents file that is to be uploaded to the MUVE server. Then click OK. 8.In the New Item window, click OK. The file will be uploaded to the server and an image of the file will be displayed in the Briefcase Contents panel. TIP: When files are uploaded to the MUVE server, they are placed within the Briefcase Contents panel. If you want other users to be able to access your item, you need to drop the item into the room. Right mouse click on the item and select Drop, or Drop a copy. TIP: Users may display items sorted by their type within the various panels. Therefore, it is important that you choose a Type that is appropriate for the particular item. Creating and Managing Items

Creating and Managing Items (cont) Duplicating an Item If necessary, Items can be duplicated for distribution without affecting the original item. 1.Click Item | Duplicate. 2.In the Duplicate Item window, choose SAMPLE WORD DOCUMENT. 3.Click OK to create a duplicate copy of the item. By default, the duplicated item will be placed in your Briefcase Contents. Modifying an Item You may modify the properties associated with an item, assuming you have the permissions to do so. 1.Right mouse click the “copy of WORD DOCUMENT” item created above and choose Modify…. 2.In the Modify Item window, select the text in the Name field and type “My copy of WORD DOCUMENT”. 3.In the Description field, type COPY OF ORIGINAL WORD DOCUMENT. 4.Click OK to save your edits. Note that the name of the item has been updated within the panel. TIP: If you select an item, right-click and choose Open, the file will be opened within the associated helper application specified in Options/Helpers window. You may also double-click an item to open it.

Creating and Managing Items (cont) Dropping an Item If you want to place an item in the room for others to view, you need to “drop” the item. 1.In the Briefcase Contents panel, right-click the “My copy of WORD DOCUMENT” item, and choose Drop. The item will be dropped moved into the Room Contents panel. 2.In the Items in Room window, pick the SAMPLE WORD DOCUMENT item, right-click and choose Delete. 3.Click OK in the confirmation dialog to remove the item from the room. Taking an Item If you want to take an item with you to a different location, you need to “take” the item. 1.In the Room Contents panel, right-click the “My copy of WORD DOCUMENT” item, and choose Take. The item will be moved into the Briefcase Contents panel. Deleting and Item 1.In the Briefcase Contents panel, select the “My copy of WORD DOCUMENT” item, right- click and choose Delete. 2.Click OK in the Confirm Delete dialog to remove the item from the panel. NOTE: You may only drop, take or delete an item if you have the permissions to do so. Permissions are assigned by the Building/Room/Item owner.

Applications and Assets User Defined Restricted Access Manage Resources (Files, Hyperlinks, etc.) Local or Global (upload) Item Creation Options Virtual Briefcase for Transferring Items Application Launching from within the Environment

Objects and Applications

Creating a Shared Briefing 1.Create your brief in PowerPoint. 2.Save your brief as a Web Page (HTML format) with an image size of 640x480. Note: This will save the brief as multiple files under a directory named the same as the brief’s filename. 3.In OCS, choose Item | New on the menu bar. 4.Enter a name for the briefing and select “Shared Briefing” as the Item Type. 5.Choose Upload File for the Location. 6.Click Browse, select the directory where the brief was saved to, then click OK. 7.Click the “OK” button on the New Item window. The Shared Briefing item should appear in your Briefcase Contents panel. 8.Right-click a shared briefing item and choose “Create Shared Briefing…” from the pop-up menu. 9.In the New Session window, enter a name and description for the shared briefing session, then click OK. Shared Briefing

Viewing a Shared Briefing 1.Right-click a shared briefing item and choose “Create Shared Briefing…” from the pop-up menu. 2.In the New Session window, enter a name and description for the shared briefing session, then click OK. Shared Briefing (cont.)

Collaboration Tools Text Chat (Public and Private Modes) Paging (Online /Offline) and Locating Users Messaging via Paging Function Voice Chat Video Whiteboard

Text Chat and Paging

Chatting with Other Users Chatting allows you to communicate with anyone logged in to the virtual environment. There are two types of chat modes available to users, public and private. Messages sent as a Public chat are broadcast to everyone within the session, while a private message is sent only to selected users. Creating a session –In the Toolbar, click Session Manager. The Session Manager window will appear. –Click the New… button to display the New Session window. –Enter a short yet descriptive name for the session. Make sure “Chat” is selected as the Tool. –Click OK. Joining a session –From the Session Manager window, select a Chat session that you wish to join. –Click the Join button. –The Text Chat window will appear.

Chatting with Other Users (cont.) Sending a public chat message –Note that Chat Mode is set to Public by default. –In the text entry field at the bottom of the window, type THIS IS A PUBLIC MESSAGE –Press the Send Chat button to send the message. As you chat with others within the room, your messages, as well as responses from other users, will be displayed in the Chat View field. Sending a private chat message –In the Select for Private Chat list, select the user(s) that you wish to conduct a private chat session with. Note that the Chat Mode will change from Public to Private. To select multiple users, hold the Shift key down as you select users. –In the text entry field, type THIS IS A PRIVATE MESSAGE and press ENTER to send the message. Only yourself and the selected user(s) will see your message. –When you are done with the private chat session, click Stop Private Chat. TIP: Clicking the Clear Text button will remove existing messages in your Chat View field. TIP: Text chat also allows you to search messages and save a log of a text chat session using the Search Text and Save Text buttons above the Chat View field.

Paging Sending Pages The paging feature allows you to send a message to any Odyssey user(s), whether or not they are currently logged in. 1.Click the Pager toolbar icon to display the Pager window. 2.Click the Send tab. 3.Click the Users drop-down list and note the two options Connected Users and All Users. Connected Users only displays those users that are currently logged in; All Users displays a list of all users that have been provided accounts on the system. 4.Choose All Users. 5.Scroll through the user list and choose the user(s) you wish to send a page to. For this example, select yourself from the list. 6.In the Text Message window, type THIS IS A PAGER MESSAGE. 7.Click the Send button to send the message. Receiving Pages If you have received a page, the green indicator light on the Pager button will flash green and you may hear an audible tone. Note: You will not see the green indicator flash if the Pager window is already open. 1.If the Pager window is not currently displayed, click the Pager icon on the toolbar. 2.Click the Receive tab. The incoming page message will be displayed in the text field. If you have multiple pages, you can scroll through them by using Previous and Next. You can also jump directly to a page by clicking the time/date drop-down list and choosing the desired message. 3.Click Close to exit the Pager utility. TIP: You may reply to the sender of a page by clicking the Reply button. This will select the Send tab with a blank message pre-addressed to the original sender.