I can’t hear. What should I do?
1. Make sure your headphones or computer speakers are plugged in and turned on/up.
2. Check the main audio control panel for your operating system to make sure your speaker/headphone volume is up and that there is no mute symbol (red no entry sign) displayed.
3. In the viewer, ensure that Streaming Music & Media are enabled in the Edit > Preferences > Sound & Media tab, and that the volume sliders for streaming music and media are turned up and that there is no mute symbol (red no entry sign) on the speaker icon next to those.
4. Make sure the Master Volume in your viewer is turned up. On the OSCC Viewer, the master volume slider is in the lower right hand corner above the “Mini-Map” button.
How do I move my camera?
Mouse: Hold down the ALT+LEFT MOUSE BUTTON and move your mouse to move your camera.
Keyboard: Use ALT+ARROW KEYS
Touch Pad: Hold down ALT+LEFT MOUSE BUTTON and use your touchpad to move the camera.
On Screen Controls: Go to View > Camera controls to enable the on-screen camera control interface. (Bottom bar for Firestorm users.)
How do I increase my draw distance?
In the OSCC viewer, click the small up arrow in the bottom right corner of the screen (above Inventory button) and use the slider to increase your draw distance.
You can also go to Edit > Preferences > Graphics > Custom > and increase the Draw Distance slider there.
I am seeing the name UNKNOWN USER, how do I fix it?
You need to clear your viewer cache and log out and back into the conference grid.
To do this go to Edit > Preferences > Network > Clear Cache. Then exit the viewer and log back in.
I see myself as a cloud. What should I do?
Solution 1: First try a rebake (CTRL+ALT+R) several times. If that does not help, select Rebake from Advanced>>Character>>Rebake Textures.
Solution 2: Try wearing different Shape/Skin/Hair/Eyes
Solution 3: Pick up and use the Blank Avatar Kit that can be found on the Landing Zones > Clothing Area.
HyperGrid Users: It is very important that you make sure your avatar has fully loaded on your home grid before making the hypergrid jump! If you do not wait for your avatar to fully load on your home grid, you may appear as a persistent cloud when you jump to the conference grid.
What is OpenSimulator?
OpenSimulator is an open-source platform that supports the creation of collaborative, immersive, distributed and social 3D virtual environments over the Internet. Started in 2007 and developed by individuals and organizations large and small, it has become a versatile system with which anyone can experiment. OpenSimulator software is now the basis for many “grids” of varying sizes and purposes.
For more information, view the OpenSimulator wiki.
I’m interested in being a volunteer or helping out, where do I sign up?
The conference needs volunteers to help greet attendees, moderate breakout sessions, assist with building and scripting tasks, technical support and assistance with streaming, and other duties to help make the conference a success. If you are experienced with the OpenSimulator platform and have an interest in helping, we’d love to have you join the team!
Please complete the Volunteer Application form and a conference planning staff member will get back to you soon!
I’m interested in being a sponsor, where do I sign up?
Although the OpenSimulator Community Conference is being held in virtual space, and made possible by hardware donations and by dozens of volunteers, the conference incurs some expenses, in particular the professionally-managed operation of the conference center grid (the setup, performance tuning, and constant monitoring are of utmost importance for the success of the conference) and the streaming services and other web services. Compared to real-world conferences, the budget of a virtual event like the OpenSimulator Community Conference is very modest, but, nevertheless, it’s not zero. As such, we ask businesses, entrepreneurs, and community members alike to help financially support the conference if they are able.
We offer a wide range of sponsorship opportunities for community members and grids of all levels, and sponsorships are tax deductible for US residents minus the value of any tangible benefits!
Please see the Call for Sponsors page for more information, and we are grateful for your support!
I’m interested in being a speaker, where do I sign up?
The conference will have six “tracks” to cluster break-out sessions into common areas of interest, including:
- Arts & Creativity
- Business & Enterprise
- Developers & Open Source
- Education
- Research
- Social & Communities
Each track may have different requirements in their Call for Speakers, so please be sure to view the specific pages for each track you may be interested in. All speaker proposals are due on July 1, 2013.
When will registration open?
Due to the “alpha” nature of the OpenSimulator software, this conference is an experiment in capacity testing for OpenSimulator in addition to being a community event. Therefore, tickets to the conference will be free but limited in number. We hope to be able to accommodate over 200 users in total, a figure which includes speakers, sponsors and staff . Since seats are limited, registration will open on a first-come-first-served basis on June 17, 2013 until the maximum number of virtual conference center tickets is reached. At that point, community members will still be able to register for the live streamed version of the conference that will be available via UStream. This will also be free.
The expo area will not be ticketed and so can be accessed by any avatar, subject to constraints on the number of avatars that the exhibition regions can hold at any particular time.
Will the conference be HyperGrid enabled?
Yes! Conference participants will have the option at registration to request a local account on the conference grid, or to attend via a HyperGrid account. In addition, during the social hours, attendees will be able to move between the different grids using either the Hypergrid or by creating accounts in each of the participating grids.
Where will the conference be held?
The conference will be held entirely within the OpenSimulator environment. The official program will be held in a grid specifically set up for the conference. We expect 150-200 attendees of the conference to be able to attend virtually on the conference grid, as well as an even broader audience through live streaming of the conference sessions on UStream. In addition, the conference will offer social hours following each day’s program to accommodate satellite events that will take place in the many grids operated by members of the community. There will also be an exposition area on the conference grid for sponsors.
Who should attend the conference?
Anyone who is interested in the OpenSimulator software and the future of the metaverse is welcome to attend. We especially hope to see OpenSimulator developers, grid administrators, and members of the community who participate on OpenSimulator grids.
What are the conference hashtags?
The official name of the conference is the “OpenSimulator Community Conference 2013“.
The official hashtags of the conference are #OSCC13 and #OSCC.
See the Branding Guidelines page for more information.
Who is producing the conference?
The OpenSimulator Community Conference 2013 is being organized in a joint effort between the Overte Foundation and AvaCon.
The Overte Foundation is a non-profit organization that manages contribution agreements for the OpenSimulator project. In the future, it will also act to promote and support both OpenSimulator and the wider open-source 3D virtual environment ecosystem.
AvaCon, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the growth, enhancement, and development of the metaverse, virtual worlds, augmented reality, and 3D immersive and virtual spaces. We hold conventions and meetings to promote educational and scientific inquiry into these spaces, and to support organized fan activities, including performances, lectures, art, music, machinima, and much more. Our primary goal is to connect and support the diverse communities and practitioners involved in co-creating and using virtual worlds, and to educate the public and our constituents about the emerging ecosystem of technologies broadly known as the metaverse.
Is this only about OpenSimulator or are other platforms also welcome?
The primary focus of this conference is the use and expansion of the core OpenSimulator platform, as defined on the OpenSimulator wiki. Having said that, presentations that discuss the metaverse or virtual worlds more broadly, or that feature interesting work performed using other virtual environment platforms, will also be considered.
Why am I being asked to sign a “Limited Presenter Release Agreement”?
AvaCon, Inc. is the actual legal entity responsible for organizing, managing, and producing the event, and in order to provide certain services for the event, like printing and publishing the event program, or streaming sessions to our virtual audience, we need the legal permission of each presenter before we perform these functions.
The “Limited Presenter Release Agreement” is the legal document that records our mutual agreement and understanding about what you’re giving us permission to do. It protects both parties by ensuring that we do have your permission to publicize or produce the event in which you will be speaking or performing, but that we can only use your information for the purposes you intended.
For more information about the agreement, see the Limited Speaker Release Agreement FAQ, which explains each sentence of the agreement line-by-line.
Wait, I still have questions, who do I contact?
Please use the Contact form for additional inquiries, and thanks for your interest in the first annual OpenSimulator Community Conference 2013!
