Create Flying Avatars for Babelx3D/ABNet Vitor Cardoso (vcard), February 2012 - Draft 1.3 Abstract: This document explains shortly how to create a standard babelx3d flying avatar with Avatar Studio 2.0 (AS2). Additional gestures are provided as well as a replacement avatar studio export file (avatar.ASTmpl) which adds the necessary code, automatically, to the avatar saved by AS2 . An avatar with 12 animations for Babelx3D/ABNet can be produced with Avatar Studio (AS2). It's important to follow the information/instructions below for conformity. This group of 12 animations/gestures (1-12) was selected upon experience and relevance to other use besides simple navigation on worlds. Storytelling, virtual coaching and games are some of other potential uses taken into account for each one of the 12 animation selection. 7 animations are already available on avatar Studio 2.0; the other 5 (Point, Sit ,Sleep and Dance) are available for download here: http://www.odisseia.univ-ab.pt/ABNet2/tools/avstudio/BabelX3D_Avatar_Studio_addonPack.zip Gestures order and mandatory gestures The gestures should follow a proper order since world builders may use them in this order to include scripts with gestures associated with worlds or world objects. If gestures don’t have the right order avatars will not behave as expected. The names can be different but we advise the use of the ones (on the table below), or similar, for clarity. Basic avatar gestures 1. Hello

Additional anims in LiA format on add-on pack All available in standard Avatar Studio

2. Laugh 3. Frown . 4. Agree 5. Disagree 6. Point

One available: Point.LiA

7. Sit

There are several available. Ex: Sit.LiA

8. Sleep

There are several available. Ex: Sleepy.LiA

9. Dance - mandatory anim

There are several available. Ex: Dance1.LiA

10. Fly - mandatory anim

One available: Fly_3.LiA

11. Pose - mandatory anim

Both available in standard Avatar Studio

12. Walk - mandatory anim

Mandatory Gestures: the last 4 animations are mandatory. The avatar will not work properly with babelx3d/ABnet Avatar Studio's export file (avatar.ASTmpl) if the last 4 animations (9, 10, 11 and 12) are not the ones indicated. 1

Replace the Avatar Studio 2 export file ( avatar.ASTmpl ) To work properly in windows versions above XP (like windows vista, windows 7, or the next windows 8) Avatar studio 2 (AS2) should be installed with administrator rights. If that is nor your case you should reinstall it that way to avoid avatar malfunction. Flying Avatars are created normally in avatar studio. The secret is to use a special avatar.ASTmpl export file, we created, for AS2. So, before starting the av creation process, please replace the original avatar.ASTmpl inside AS2 […/systeme/export] folder by the one provided in BabelX3D_Avatar_Studio_addonPack.zip After replacing this file all avatars created with AS2 become flying avatars. You need to use the new animations provided in the zip and in the order informed (you can, of course, replace them with equivalent animations of your own). The image below shows the gestures and it's order. Some gestures (New) are available on the zip. Avatar Studio animation (gestures) section

The order of gestures must be the indicated above and the names similar ATTENTION: before saving please ensure the av is in a stand up position (if you save with the av in a horizontal position that will trouble gestures)

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Avatar showing the over menu

In VRML Click the av to open the menu

The avatar over menu The over menu allows testing the gestures and options when we are offline and using them, directly from the avatar when we are in a multiuser world. Other users will see our nick by clicking our avatar (and not the menu).

We see other user's nick when we click 3

on his avatar

Still option On and avatar gestures (gesture behavior with Still option on) The Still option disables normal gesture interruption which result from moving the avatar and automatically launching the movement gestures (WALK, FLY or POSE/idle). So, basically, the "Still On" "freezes" the actual gesture not allowing the movement gestures to start. Example: when a avatar is seated (Sit gesture) with the still option activated (on) if the user moves, the avatar walking animation will not start. So, the av moves position remaining "seated". This can be useful if the avatar seats in a moving vehicle (train, balloon, car, etc.). With the still option off the avatar will stand up and start walking stupidly when the vehicle moves. These instructions, all needed new gestures (6-Point, 7-Sit, 8-Sleep, 9-Dance and 10-Fly) and the special Avatar Studio export file, avatar.ASTmpl, are available from here: http://www.odisseia.univ-ab.pt/ABNet2/tools/avstudio/BabelX3D_Avatar_Studio_addonPack.zip

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