Interacting with others
You may chat with others you meet while online using
either text or voice chat. There are several chat options available depending on
your particular hardware.
Proximity Chat
Private Text
Chat Voice Chat
Both text and voice chat are also available (subject
to the speaker's permissions) while you are participating in a live
presentations.
Proximity Chat
This
system has a unique feature called proximity chat, which allows you to type a
message to everyone within 8 virtual feet of you. This is always activated and
is the left-most tab located in the chat text area.
Walk up within 8 virtual feet of one or more people.
(Some shows may have a larger proximity chat range).
If there is more than one tab showing here, click on
the Proximity Chat tab to make it the active conversation.
Messages others have sent over the proximity channel
will appear in this area. You may scroll it to see past messages.
Click in this single line box to give it the focus,
then type your message. It will appear here as you type. Press Enter to send the
message to everyone in range. If the characters you type are not showing up in
the one line text box at the bottom of the window, click your mouse in that box
to activate it, and begin typing again. While you are typing, the arrow keys on
your keyboard will not turn your view since they are being used to edit the text
you are typing. Once you send the text, or clear the text, then the arrows will
once again control your view of the 3D scene.
Private Text Chat
Private
text chat is used to text chat privately with one or more people, regardless of
where they are. It is like having a radio channel that works anywhere in the 3D
world.
To establish a private chat with another person,
simply left click on their avatar (character) once.
A new tab will appear that will have the user's name
on it, and it will now become the active conversation.
The text of the active conversation will be always
be shown here. A blinking red tab means that new text has come in that you have
not yet read.
You may have multiple conversations going
at one time, and each will have its own tab. However, only one tab can be
active, and the active tab is the one you can send messages to. To activate a
different tab, click on the tab itself (with the username on it) and the window
will change.
You should scan the tabs frequently to see if any new messages have come in.
Inactive tabs will be black, but any tabs with new messages waiting will flash
red. Click on a red tab to read the incoming messages.
To end a private chat, click on the red
to the right of the chat area when
that tab is active.
Adding others
A private text chat does not have to remain between
two people. You may add others to the private channel to form a private group
chat.
To add another person to the active private chat,
simply drag and drop the new person's avatar into the text chat area.
Drag and drop is performed by left clicking on the target, and while continuing
to hold the left mouse button down, move the mouse pointer to the drop area.
Release the left mouse button to drop.
The tab of a chat group will not have any single
username in it, but will be called Group #, the # being a number assigned
by the server.
To exit out of a chat group, make sure the group is the active tab and
then click on the red
to the right of the chat area to close that tab and
leave the group. If others are still in the group, the group will remain open
for them.
Voice Chat
A voice chat uses your microphone and speakers to
communicate with others, much like an Internet phone. Because voice chats
require extra hardware, others must be invited into a voice chat, and they must
accept the invitation before the channel is created. Voice chats are also
private and only the members of the group can hear or speak.
To
invite another person to voice chat, simple drag and drop the new person's
avatar into the voice chat list area. That sends them an invitation. If they
accept, their name will appear in the voice chat list. If they decline, you'll
receive a notice of the decline.
Invite additional people into an existing voice chat
the same way.
Press and hold the Talk button and speak into your microphone. When you have
finished speaking, release the Talk button. Note that
when you hold down the Talk button that you will always transmit into the voice
channel, no matter which text channel may be the active channel.
Voice chats can also use the text chat area to send
and receive messages. Just make sure the voice chat is the active text window
before typing the text or you will end up typing a message to the wrong
conversation.
To quit a voice chat, click on the red
to the right of the text chat area when
that tab is active. If others are still in the group, the group will remain open
for them and you'll have to be invited back if you wish to re-enter later.
Using Your Microphone
To
speak in a voice chat, left click and press the Hold to Talk button below the
list area. So long as it is pressed, you are transmitting.
The
speaker icon next to your name will appear active, and the button text will read
Talking... while you are speaking. When you have finished release the
left mouse button.
When others talk, their speaker icon will appear
active. It is important to take turns speaking during a voice chat. The system
will play a short beep when a person has released their Hold to Talk button.
This is one indication that you may begin to speak.
You may participate in only one voice chat at a
time. If you join another, you will automatically leave the current one. Live
presentations have an embedded voice chat and therefore you will also be forced
to leave a voice chat to join a slide presentation. In both cases you'll receive
notification first and therefore will have the ultimate control.
To
leave a voice chat manually, make sure the Voice Chat tab is the active tab, and
then click the red icon on the right side of the text area.
About
Microphones and Speakers
The kind of equipment you use will affect your voice
chat experience far more than the quality of the equipment. Because headsets
prevent feedback, it is better to use a cheap headset than an expensive
professional microphone and speakers.
If you need to use a microphone and speakers in a
conference room environment, try to use a directional mic and point it away from
the speakers.
Exchanging Business Cards
To
exchange a business card with another person, you must first be in a text or
voice chat with that person. Thereafter, you may click the business card icon
located on the right side of the text chat area. That click sends a request to
the other person that you wish to exchange business cards. If they agree, the
exchange will be done and you will see their card on your screen. You may than
close (discard) the card, or save it by clicking on the associated Save button.
Contacting a live exhibitor
The easiest way to contact a live exhibitor is to click on the exhibitor's
figure. Exhibitors will always be wearing an electric blue suit or dress. Once
you click on their figure, a new text chat tab will be created and you may type
your message. You may also walk up to within 8 virtual feet of their figure and
send them messages in the proximity chat window.
Contacting an exhibitor during non-live times
You
may always contact any live exhibitor by chatting with them. For the times when
an exhibitor may not be online, there are several methods that can be used to
contact an exhibitor. As you walk through the world, a green banner will pop up
showing the exhibitor name that you are currently looking at.
By
clicking on the banner, you bring up the contact menu shown to the left.
This contact menu can also be accessed by clicking
on the contact image found at the bottom of every e-brochure.
The typical contact methods are:
-
Leave a text message. This option will allow
you to type your text message and the send it to the exhibitor's Expo3D text
mail box. The next time they log in, they will see your message.
-
Leave a voice message. This option will allow you to record your voice message
and the send it to the exhibitor's Expo3D voice mail box. The next time they log
in, they will hear your message. You must have a microphone to use this option,
and the exhibitor much have a sound card and speakers to hear the message.
-
Send an email. This option launches your favorite email program and allows you
to send an email from your own system. You must have your own Internet email
address for this option to work.
-
Have sales person contact me. This option allows you to send your contact
information, and a brief note, to the exhibitor's Expo3D text mail box, with the
special request automatically identified.
-
Send me more information. This option allows you to send your contact
information, and a brief note, to the exhibitor's Expo3D text mail box, with the
special request automatically identified.
-
Add me to your mailing list. This option allows you to send your contact
information, and a brief note, to the exhibitor's Expo3D text mail box, with the
special request automatically identified.
To use all but the "Send an email" option, you must be logged into the Expo3D
server using your registered username and password. If you are not logged in, or
logged in as an anonymous guest, these options will be grayed out and not
available.
Some exhibitors may have a custom contact page which may detail other methods of
contacting the exhibitor. Typically these would send you to their web site to
fill in one of their contact forms, so an Internet connection is required.
If you are not connected to the Internet at the time your send the message, the
message will be stored on your own system for later transmission. The next time
you start your Internet connection, and then log into the Expo3D server using
your registered username and password, the stored messages will automatically be
sent. Also, any messages that the Expo3D server is holding for you will be
automatically downloaded to your PC.
Message Center
If you have any messages upon login, the proximity messages window will alert
you. You may click on the alert message itself in the window, and the message
center utility will display and list the messages. Click on a single message to
select/highlight it. Click the Read button to read or listen to the message, and
the Delete button to delete it. Once a message is deleted it cannot be retrieved
again. If you wish a permanent record of the message,
use the Windows cut and paste function to copy it out to another application
such as a word processor.
You may also reply to messages by clicking the Reply button.
Sharing e-brochures with others
While chatting with an exhibitor, they may drop you a link to a brochure. Such
links will appear in the text chat window. You may click directly on that link
to view the e-brochure or other item. If you run across something that you wish
to share with another person, you may also drag and drop the item from the 3D
screen to the chat tab of that person. They will then be able to click on that
and view the item.
Automated representatives
Automated representatives are identified by the top
line of the name tag shown when the mouse is placed over the character. Clicking
on automated representatives will not start a chat, but will start (or stop) the
character's pre-recorded script.
