iED Presentation on Immersive Collaboration Tools

For my presentation on the most practical immersive collaboration tools available for Second Life & Open Sim at Monday’s Immersive Education Day, I will not be showing them via powerpoint, but rather as a tour in the immersive environments.  I’ll post more on the tools I chose to highlight in a later post.  For now, here are locations and instructions on how to join the tour in-world.

Second Life

Time: approximately 1pm CDT
Location: ThinkBalm Island
http://slurl.com/secondlife/ThinkBalm%20Island/52/107/38

• We will spend our time in Second Life surveying tools at the top of the ivory tower on the west island.

Second Life location of the iED presentation

ReactionGrid

Time: approximately 1:30pm CDT
Location:  Jeff Lowe Region

• To access ReactionGrid, you will first need to register for a free account:  http://www.reactiongrid.com/Default/Register.aspx

• Next, you will need to setup your Second Life or HIPPO client to access ReactionGrid: http://www.reactiongrid.com/Support/LoggingIn.aspx

• When you login for the first time, you will appear in the welcome sim.  On the platform, there are touch-click teleports to several of the core regions.  Click on the region “Jeff Lowe”

Where you will first arrive

• When you arrive to the region, you should see the tour platform near the volcano lab.  That’s where the demo will occur.

EDIT:

Here is a link to my field notes on each of the tools I will cover:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dfnzv8zw_455hk5xn2xs

The DIY Immersive Laserpointer (or, the Pinoochio Technique)

Anyone who has presented, trained, or demonstrated a tool within an immersive environment knows just how difficult it can often be to reference a specific position when communicating to others.  There is no simple physical world equilivant to pointing your arm and hand, or using a laser pointer to highlight focus.

Although I have just released a 3D Pointer tool, I also wanted to provide a simple, but limited in functionality, alternative for those do-it-yourselfers (or cheapskates) out there.

Here’s a quick tutorial on how to make your own laserpointer for the SecondLife & OpenSim immersive environments:

1.  First, create (rez) a cone.

2. Now, increase the height SIZE of the cone (the Z axis) to about 5 meters.

3. With the mouse, RIGHT CLICK on the object, and from the Pie Menus select MORE>, ATTACH>, HEAD>, NOSE.  This will attach the object to your nose.  This will replace anything you are currently have attacked to your nose (for example, a specialized avatar component).

4.  Laugh at how silly you look.

5.  Right click on the object and select EDIT.  Adjust the ROTATION of the Y AXIS to 90 degrees.  The object should now be pointing forward (still silly looking).

6.  Finally, lets reposition it.  Notice the BLUE, GREEN, & RED axis arrows running though it?  Click & hold on the RED arrow then slide it forward.  Click & hold on the BLUE arrow then slide it down so the object is almost level with your chest.

YOU ARE DONE.  Try it out by moving your mouse around.  Notice how the pointer now points toward where your mouse is located.  You should probably rename the object (so you can find it easier in your inventory) and maybe change the color or texture.  Just detach when finished.  If you want to use it again, RIGHT CLICK on the object in your inventory & choose WEAR.

For those of you that might need a more flexible pointer (one not attached to your avatar, that can easily point out exact positions within the environment, and that multiple people can easily share use), you might checkout my newly released 3D Pointer.

BrainBoard Training Modules

In preparation for the upcoming release of the BrainBoard V1, I prepared 3 videos to help people get the most out of their use of the tool.

The user orientation is under 3 minutes and will prepare users to fully collaborate on the board.

The two owner/moderator orientations are roughly 2 minutes each, and cover how to import/export, adding a 2nd board, Collaboration vs. Moderator Modes, and a few other basics.

I also posted a text reference sheet covering the basics in one page.