PUFS-How+To


 * How to Use Second Life**

These are some simple instructions to do basic functions in Second Life. I hope that this will make your SL experience a little easier and more enjoyable.

Once you are logged into SL, at the top of the screen will be a number of tabs. These allow you to do many things. This is a brief summary of some of the more important functions.

FILE

Upload Image-this allows you to upload any kind of image file into SL. Each upload costs L$10.

Take Snapshot-this allows you to take a picture of anything in SL. Several steps are required to do this. 1) First you must position your camera. To do this click on VIEW-Camera Controls. This will bring up a small box on the bottom of your screen, with control arrows. These will reposition your camera at any angle you want. 2) Click on New Snapshot, and save your picture to your harddrive. The picture will save as a .bmp file. If you want to change it to a .jpg file, you will need a photo editor to do that.

EDIT

Attach and Detach Objects-this allows you to put on or take off items in your inventory. This could include clothing, jewelry, glasses, etc.

Gestures-this tells your avatar to make particular gestures, like waving, bowing, laughing, blowing a kiss, etc.

Profile-this is where you can provide personal information about yourself. This information can be read by other people in SL. It gives organizations you are a part of, websites you recommend, and a brief introduction about you. You can upload a photo of your avatar and a real photo of yourself, if you wish.

Appearance-this allows you to change how your avatar looks. This includes clothing, hair, face, body shape.

Preferences-this offers many options for settings on the basic set-up of SL. 1) Voice Chat-this allows speaking in SL, and will require a mike and speakers/headphones a-click on Enable Voice Chat b-then you must choose how you will listen:

__hear from camera__ allows you to hear anything your camera looks at, even at great distance. This is very helpful if you want to listen to a conversation without being close by.

__Hear from avatar__ permits listening only near your avatar. It is more like a normal listening function.

c-run the Voice Setup Wizard. If you are successful, you will see a white dot over your head. That means you have speaking/listening capability. If you see other people with white dots, they can also speak/listen.

d-If you want to join a group conversation (taking place with an officially registered group, you must click on the __communicate__ button (left bottom corner). Then choose the group you wish to talk with, from your list, and click the IM/Call button. This will connect you with the conversation.

e-To talk, you must click the __Talk button__ (bottom right of screen). You must hold down the talk button all the time. If you click on the __lock__, it will keep the mike open all the time. If it is working, you will see green lines coming out of the white dot over your head, while you are speaking.

2) Communication-saves chat in archive. You must click the following boxes: include IM in chat history, show timestamps in IM, log instant messages, log chats, show timestamps in chat log. At the bottom, you can see the file where the logs are stored. If you want to change that file, type in the new location, and remember where it is.

VIEW

Mouselook allows very fluid camera movement

Camera controls-pulls up a small box on the bottom of the screen with arrows. You can reposition your camera from any angle, and zoom in or out. Very practical for looking around a building or object, without moving your avatar.

WORLD

Create Landmark Here-if you want to remember a place, you can landmark it. It will appear on your map, under __My Landmarks__. This will allow for instant teleport to that location. This is a good idea for finding your team plot of land.

Force Sun-allows you to change the time of day lighting. Helpful if dark outside.

=__Bottom Tabs__=

Communicate-allows for chatting with friends or groups

Chat-speaking to anyone (don’t forget to change your Communication settings under Preference, to save your chats in the archive) See above under EDIT

Search-allows you to search for places, people or groups. Make sure you click on the correct tab at the top. All students should join the WUE Students group: type WUE Students in the Find Box, click search, highlight WUE Students, click join. You will also need to join World University Exchange, in order to build. Whenever building, make sure you check your group activation (right click on your avatar, click groups, click on World University Exchange, click activate)

Mini-map-shows local area. You are the yellow dot with a red circle. Others are green dots.

Map-allows to search for friends, landmarks. You can teleport to new locations. You can also zoom the map by placing cursor on the map and turning the mouse wheel.

Inventory-a storage area for all your personal items in Second Life. Anything you collect (name cards, notecards, objects, clothes, etc), goes into inventory. To wear clothing, you will need to click and drag (onto the land) the box with items you want. You will see a box on the ground. Right click and choose open. A menu box will pop up. At the bottom you can choose to store the items in your inventory (in a wearable file), or to wear them immediately.

If you wish to share something in your inventory with another avatar, click and drag the object onto the other avatar. You will see a small white envelope, if you are successful. The other person must accept your gift, in order to see it in their inventory.