Persistent shared objects (mostly furniture for your homes, so far)
have been added to Cybertown. "Shared" means that these 3D objects and their
locations can be viewed by people all over the world at the same time. When they
move, everybody sees where they moved to. "Persistent" means that after anyone or
everyone leaves the space, the objects remain there and will still be there when
they return. These objects can be handled in 3D and 2D blaxxun Contact versions
4 upwards. blaxxun Contact 3D is the plug-in that you downloaded in order to enter the
3D worlds. blaxxun Contact Java is available in your Java-equipped browser without any
download but only enables chatting in 2D.
Objects can be bought at shops in the Shopping Mall, and members can place them in
their private properties and can trade them with other members.
This document describes the shared object features from the perspective of Cybertown
members.
The Cybertown Shopping Mall can be reached via the City Map. The Mall consists
of five shops: the Gallery selling pictures, the Gift Shop selling
art objects and flowers, the Appliances Shop selling lamps and TV sets,
the Furniture Store selling armchairs and sofas, and the Carpet Shop
selling rugs to decorate floors.
All shops are linked from the Shopping Mall, and can be reached either from
the 3D world or from the 2D image of the Mall.
After you enter a shop with blaxxun Contact 3D, the objects for sale in the shop are
displayed in 3D. A list of all objects available for purchase in the shop (or
possibly available for sale in someone's home) is displayed in a tab panel called
"Public Objects". That tab panel can be found in the lower right frame
of the blaxxun Contact 3D interface. The panel is the third panel from the left,
after the "People" and the "Places" panels.
Activate the panel by clicking on the third tab from the left.
Select an object from the object list by left-clicking on it.
Beam to an object in the object list by double clicking on it.
Activate the action menu of an object by right-clicking on its entry
in the object list.
The following options are offered in the action menu of an object:
In blaxxun Contact Java, the list of objects for sale in a shop is listed in the
"Public Objects" panel; this is the third panel, and you can
reach it by clicking twice on the "Next" button.
Activate
an object's action menu by clicking on the object's
name in the list.
The following options are offered in the action menu of an
object.
In order to buy something from a shop, you have to enter the shop using either blaxxun Contact
3D or blaxxun Contact Java (2D).
Display
the list of objects for sale by activating the "Public Objects" list
of the shop (see above for details).
Select an object from the shop's object list, right-click on it and select
the Buy option from the object's action menu.
The object is displayed in a separate window with its description and price.
Click on the "Buy" button if you want to buy the object. Once you click on
the "Buy" button, the object is transferred into your "My Objects"
bag and your new object is displayed.
The price of the object is deducted from your Cybertown money account.
You always carry the objects that are listed in your "My Objects" bag around
with you, but the list can only be displayed if you are in a place
that is activated for objects, like a shop or a member's home. These
are the objects that you have bought but have not yet placed in your home or
sold or traded.
In blaxxun Contact 3D, the list of objects you have in your bag is listed in a tab panel
called "My Objects ". That tab panel can be found in
the lower right frame of the blaxxun Contact 3D interface. It's the fourth panel
from the left, after the "People", the "Places" panel and the "Public Objects"
panels.
Activate the panel by clicking on the fourth tab from the left.
Select an object from the object list by left-clicking on it.
Activate an object's action menu by right-clicking on its
entry in the object list.
The following options are offered in an object's action menu:
You always carry the objects that are listed in your "My Objects" bag around
with you, but the list can only be displayed if you are in a place
that is activated for objects, like a shop or a member's home.
In blaxxun Contact Java, the list of objects in your bag is listed in the "My
Objects " panel. It's the fourth panel and you can reach it by
clicking three times on the "Next" button.
Activate an object's action menu by clicking on the
object's name in the object list.
The following options are offered in an object's action menu:
Enter your property and select an object from the list of "My Objects" that
you have in your bag.
Select the "Drop" action from the actions menu of the object.
If you drop an object in blaxxun Contact 3D, the object is dropped right
in front of you; if you drop an object in blaxxun Contact Java, it is
dropped at the center of your place.
Dropping an object removes it from the list of objects in your "My Objects"
bag and adds it to the list of "Public Objects" of your property.
You can pick up objects you dropped into your property by selecting the "Take
" option from the object's actions menu.
Taking an object removes it from the list of "Public Objects" of your
property and adds it to the list of your "My Objects" bag.
Display the list of objects in your property by choosing the "Public Objects" tab panel while you
are in your property. If you right-click on an object in the list, you'll see "Move" in the actions
menu.
If you select the "Move" option from the object's actions menu, the object
move control is displayed in the 3D window.
If you display the attributes of objects that are located in your "My
Objects" bag or located in your
property, you can change the object's name, trade price and buyer name. You can
do this in the form that's displayed when you click on the "Display"
option in the object's actions menu.
If you leave the Object Price empty, nobody can buy or take the object from you.
If you set the Object Price to some value, other members can buy the object from
you for the price you set there. If you also set a Buyer Name, only the member
with that name can buy the object from you.
You can set a selling price for
an object that you own, and also specify who can buy it. You can
do this in the form that's displayed when you click on the "Display
" option in the object's actions menu. If you
specify an Object Price for one of your objects, other members
can buy it from you at that price; if you also
specify a Buyer Name for the object, only the member with
that name can buy the object from you.
Example:
The objects located in a property can be listed by activating the "Public
Objects" tab. In
blaxxun Contact 3D this is the third tab from the left,
after the "People" and the "Places" tabs, just click on it to activate it. In
blaxxun Contact Java (2D) the tab can be reached by clicking the "Next" button
twice.
Note:
If you are in a place that is activated for object handling, like the
shops and the private homes of members, you can look at the list of objects in
those other members' "My Object" bags.
Activate the "People" tab panel - this panel is actually activated by default
when you enter a place.
Right-click on another member's name; this displays the member menu. Choose
"Objects" from that menu.
This displays the list of objects in the "My Objects " bag of the other
member. Right-clicking on an object in that list displays the action menu with the
options that are available to you for the selected object.
Have fun!