Options For Your Personal World

Courtesy of: Mauz (Some edits done by Chi3D)

World Options Reference    Building the World   Object Server   Backups   Old World Servers

In your own galaxy, you have the option for users to enter free or join for a fee.



World Options Reference

When you have the caretaker rights in the world, you can change the world attributes. Log in to AW, enter your world, go to the Options menu and choose World. From there, you can choose either Features, Rights, or Ejections. [3.3 also had Lights and Fog.]

World Features

General


World Features - General [4.1]

1. Title: The text that people will see in the browser's title bar, between the universe name and the coordinates, when they are in the world. This will also be the name that the Immigration Officer says after the "Welcome to" part to the people entering the world, unless you have set a Welcome Message (see 4). This will also be the name shown when a location inside world is saved into Teleports list with Remember command in Teleport menu. Default: blank
2. Object Path: URL (http link) to the web server where the objects will be downloaded from. Default: objects.activeworlds.com/aw (AlphaWorld's object server)
3. Home Page: The web page that people will see in AW's internal web window (Show - Web) when they enter the world. Default: blank
4. Welcome Message: The message that the Immigration Officer says to the people who enter the world. The maximum length is 254 characters. You can insert line breaks and tabs into the message e.g. with a bot like Xelagot. Default: blank
5. Search Keywords [3.3+]: A comma separated list of words to describe the topics of the world, for the universe's Search tab bot. Default: blank
6. Botmenu URL [4.1]: URL (http link) to a control menu that you see when right-clicking bots that are programmed to use the menu. Default: blank
7. Entry Point [3.3+]: The location where visitors start out by default. The syntax is the same as for the teleport command. You can set it to the location where you are currently standing by pressing the Set to my location button. Default: blank means 0n 0w
8. Object Password: Password that object zip files have been encrypted with, if there are such files in the world. (Caution: Do not password-protect freebie objects, avatars.dat, seqs and similar, because it is easier to break the password if the contents of the original file are known.) Default: not set, although it shows as *****
9. Object Refresh: How often, in minutes, AW will look for updated versions of the objects. The value only has effect when you enter the world, or if it is changed while you are there. If you change objects often, you can set it lower, but that also means heavier net traffic. E.g. 1 means that browser looks for new versions every time you enter the world. Default: 10080 or one week
10. Restricted Radius: The limit in meters (= 10 times the coordinate value) from the Ground Zero where only caretakers and those with Special Objects right can build or run bots. Default: 0
11. Max. Light Radius [3.1+]: Maximum distance how far the light command reaches, in meters. Possible values 0 - 999. Default: 10
12. Cell Data Limit: How much objects, their actions and descriptions you can put inside a cell (10 x 10 meters) when you build. Normal = 1650, Large = 2750, Huge = 4400, Mega = 5500 bytes, Ultra = 11000 bytes [3.6: 1500, 2500, 4000, 5000] Note that the maximum length of one object's description and action field is still 255 bytes. Default: Mega
13. World Rating: Guide whether the world contains material that is not suitable for children. AW user cannot enter worlds rated higher than their browser's world rating setting allows. G = General Audiences, should not contain any controversial material; PG = Parental Guidance suggested; PG-13 = Parents strongly cautioned; R = Restricted, parental guidance requested; X = Adults only. Default: PG
14. Minimum Visibility [3.2+]: The minimum visible range for all visitors. Default: 30 meters
15. Avatar Updates per second [3.4+]: How often avatar movements update to the viewer. Higher values are smoother but use more bandwidth. Default: 1, maximum 15
16. Empty mover reset timeout [4.1]: How fast a mover that is no longer in use returns to its original location. Default: 600
17. Used mover reset timeout [4.1]: How fast a mover that is in use returns to its original location. Default: 3600


Options


World Features - Options [4.1]

1. Disable "create url/media[3.6]": When checked, people cannot use "create url" command when building and cause AW's internal web browser's content suddenly change when people move inside the world, or create media that starts media content automatically. Default: checked
2. Disable multiple media playing [3.6]: When checked, people will only hear one media command stream at a time. Default: not checked
3. Allow pass-thru (SHIFT): When checked, people can go through objects by pressing Shift key while moving. You may want to prevent this and the next two selections to prevent cheating in mazes or similar games, or when you want to add more realism. Default: checked
4. Allow flying (+/-): When checked, people can fly with +/- keys. Default: checked
5. Allow local teleports/invites[3.6]: When checked, people can teleport inside the world with teleport commands or from the Teleport menu, and can invite others to join them within the world. Default: checked
6. Allow object selection: When checked, people can see the content of the Object Properties box when they right mouse click an object. You may want to prevent this if you don't want people to see how the world is built or by whom. Default: checked
7. Allow tourist whispers [3.2+]: When checked, tourists can whisper. Citizens can always whisper to them. Default: checked
8. Allow citizen whispers [3.4+]: When checked, citizens can whisper. Default: checked
9. Hide chat [3.4+]: When checked, users don't see chat messages from each other, except bots with caretaker rights, that can relay it on. Default: not checked
10. Always show names [3.4+]: When checked, users see everybody's names over their head. Default: not checked
11. Allow avatar collision [3.0+]: When checked, avatars can bump into each other, instead of going through. Default: not checked
12. Enable 3-axis object rotation [3.3+]: When checked, enables rotating objects along all three axes when building: tilt along x axis, rotate around y axis, roll around z axis. Default: not checked
13. Disable Avatar List [3.4+]: When checked, the avatar list cannot be selected. This can be used by SDK programs to control which avatar each visitor is wearing. Default: not checked
14. Personal AV enabled [4.1]: Allows people wear their personal avatar in the world. Default: not checked
15. Allow tourist building [3.4+]: When not checked, tourists cannot build in the world, even when Build right is set for everyone. Default: checked
16. Enable browser referrer [3.4+]: When checked, AW browser identifies itself to web servers according to HTTP standards. This can stop downloads from web servers that prevent direct linking, like many free sites. Default: not checked (always off before 3.4)
17. Enable send bump event [4.1]: When checked, bots can see if somebody bumps an object with a bump command and take action accordingly. Creates more net traffic. Default: not checked
18. Enable global events [4.1]: When checked, builds can use global actions that are visible for all when they happen. Default: not checked
19. Chat disable url clicks [4.1]: When checked, url http links posted in chat cannot be opened into web browser by clicking them. Default: not checked.


Physics [4.1]


World Features - Physics [4.1]

1. Gravity [3.4+]: How fast avatar rises or falls. Gravity is on only if there is a ground object or terrain. Default: 1.00 or standard Earth gravity
2. Underwater Gravity [3.4+]: How fast avatar rises or falls underwater. Negative value causes avatar to float to the surface. Default: 1.00
3. Friction [4.1]: How fast and easily avatar moves on surfaces. Default: 1.00
4. Underwater Friction [4.1]: How fast and easily avatar moves on surfaces underwater. Default: 2.00
5. Slope Sliding [4.1]: When checked, avatar can slide in slopes and hills, or climbing up can be prevented. See next options. Default: not checked
6. Slope slide min angle [4.1]: Minimum angle for steepness of a slope after which avatar starts to slide. Default: 0.00
7. Slope slide max angle [4.1]: Maximum angle for steepness of a slope after which avatar cannot climb up anymore, only jump, or steps over on other objects than terrain. Default: 90.00

Sound


World Features - Sound [3.4+]

WAV format sound files that visitors can hear, if they have sound effects playing setting on in their browser. Default: blank.

1. Global ambient sound [3.6]: Sound that can be heard at the same volume level all over the world. Can also be a streaming media url. For streaming media you can put noloop command in front to play it only once
2. Footstep: Sound that plays twice every time avatar walks the distance of their own height, doubled when running. See autowalk
3. Enter Water: Sound that plays when avatar enters water and begins swimming (the mid-point of the avatar drops below water level)
4. Exit Water: Sound that plays when avatar emerges from water.

Ground


World Features - Ground [3.4+]

1. Ground object repeats [3.2+]: When enabled, the ground object is repositioned every 60 meters as you move, so that it remains underneath you at all times, creating the illusion of an infinite ground. When disabled, the ground object is always centered at 0N 0W. Default: checked
2. Ground Object: The name of the ground object file, without the ".rwx" or ".zip" ending, from the object server's models directory. If you do not specify a ground object, the world will have no gravity. Default: blank
3. Enable Terrain [3.3+]: When checked, the editable terrain ground is enabled. Default: not checked
4. Terrain elevation offset [3.5]: How much all of the terrain is shifted up or down, in meters. Note that the change will not take effect until a terrain update is forced, by moving around. Default: 0.00
5. Terrain surface ambient [3.4+]: Ambient value for terrain; brightness, how much ambient and directional light effects surface. From 0.0 (reflects no light) to 1.0. Default: 0.20
6. Terrain surface diffuse [3.4+]: Diffuse value for terrain; shading, contrast between lit and unlit. Default: 1.00


Lighting


World Features - Lighting [4.1]

1. Enable Fog: When checked, sets fog on. Fog is always active underwater. Default: not checked
2. Fog Tinting [4.1]: When checked, fog will cover the whole view. Active when Fog Min is between 0 and 50 meters. Default: not checked
3. Fog Color: Fog color can be changed by clicking the color box. (In 3.0 - 3.3 fog color was the backdrop color.) Default: Blue 178
4. Fog Min: Where fog starts from the viewer. Also controls the tinted fog's density. Default: 0
5. Max view / fog distance: Where fog reaches its full thickness. The higher the Max value (difference between Min and Max), the thinner the fog is. Also controls the visibility of ground objects and terrain (far clipping plane), even when fog is turned off. Value can be between 50 and 1200 meters (before 3.4: 0 to 400). Default: 120
6. Ambient Light: The color of the light that shines equally from all directions in the world can be changed by clicking the color box. The intensity of the ambient light is determined by each object file's surface value setting. Default: White
7. Directional Light: The color of the world's main light source, such as the sun, can be changed by clicking the color box. You can disable the directional light by setting it to black (0 0 0). Default: White
8. Position X (W-E): The position where the directional light source is shining from (in 3.3: shining _at_), along the X-axis: left of slider is west (+X), right is east (-X). Default: -80
9. Position Y (Up-Down): The position of the directional light source along the Y-axis: left of slider is up (+Y), right is down (-Y). Default: -50
10. Position Z (N-S): The position of the directional light source along the Z-axis: left of slider is north (+Z), right is south (-Z). Default: -20
11. Light source texture [3.4+]: Texture of the world's directional light source. It will be tinted according to the color of the light source. Renders after cloud layer 1, but before layers 2 and 3. Default: blank
12. Light source mask [3.4+]: Optional mask for light source. Same name for both texture and mask creates a self-masking texture. Default: blank
13. Light source size [3.4+]: The size of the light source image, as percent of the viewport. Max 100 = entire screen. Default: 0
14. Draw light source in front [3.4+]: When checked, makes the world light source act as a corona, overlapping the scenery. Default: not checked
15. Light texture glow [3.4+]: When checked, makes the world light source blend with scenery. Default: not checked
16. Use light source alternate color [4.1]: When checked, the light source texture's (e.g. sun, moon) color can be set different from Ambient Light and Directional Light. The color is defined with the next setting. Default: not checked
17. Light source alternate color [4.1]: The light source's color can be changed by clicking the color box. The previous checkbox controls whether it is shown. Default: White.

Sky


World Features - Sky [3.4+]

The sky colors fade to one another (gradient) across the sky. Before 3.4, Backdrop Color setting controlled the color that you saw behind the background image and the ground, and also the fog color.


1. Backdrop: The background image, in jpg format but without the ".jpg" ending, from the object server's textures directory. The size is usually around 1536x384 pixels. Alternative to skybox, although they can also be used at the same time. Default: blank
2. Skybox [3.2+]: An rwx model, visible from the inside, that is always centered on your current position and rendered first, so it surrounds the whole world. Default: blank
3. Top: Color of the sky directly overhead. Default: Blue 178
4. North: Color of the northern part of the sky. Default: Blue 178
5. East: Color of the eastern part of the sky. Default: Blue 178
6. South: Color of the southern part of the sky. Default: Blue 178
7. West: Color of the western part of the sky. Default: Blue 178
8. Bottom: Color of the sky below the horizon, straight down. Default: Blue 178.

Cloud Layers


World Features - Cloud Layers [3.4+]

Cloud layer 1 gets drawn first, (then world light source,) then layer 2, and then last layer 3.

1. Texture: Cloud texture. Default: blank
2. Mask: Mask for the cloud texture; optional. If the name is the same as the texture name, it will be "self-masking": brighter areas nontransparent and darker ones see-through. Note that clouds are automatically transparent at the edges, and that fading rate cannot be changed with mask. Default: blank
3. Speed X: Cloud speed, moving to +X = west, -X = east. Default: 0.00
4. Speed Z: Cloud speed, moving to +Z = south, -Z = north. Default: 0.00
5. Tile: How many times the texture repeats itself across the sky, in each direction. Default: 0.00
6. Opacity: Cloud layer's "thickness": slider left = see-through, slider right = opaque, nontransparent. Default: 0

Water


World Features - Water [3.4+]

The water effect produces a plane of water, with waves and liquid looking surface texture. Note that water fades out beneath the terrain, and skybox and backdrop do not render underwater.

1. Water Enabled: When checked, water is shown. Default: not checked
2. Show water under terrain [3.5]: When checked, causes water to be rendered at a uniform opacity even underground, disabling transparent edges that otherwise appear on shallow water. Default: not checked
3. Top Texture: Texture of water surface's top, repeating once per cell. Default: blank
4. Top Mask: Optional mask for the Top Texture. Default: blank
5. Bottom Texture: Texture of water surface's bottom (that you see when looking up under water), repeating once per cell. Default: blank
6. Bottom Mask: Optional mask for the Bottom Texture. Default: blank
7. Color: Color of the water surface and the underwater effect. Default: Black
8. Opacity: Water's "thickness": left = see-through, right = opaque, nontransparent. Note that transparent and masked objects may not look right through water if opacity is low. Default: 0
9. Water Level: Water "height" (distance of surface from terrain), in meters. Default: 0.00
10. Wave Movement: How large the waves can be, in meters. The deeper the water, the larger the waves. Water beneath terrain does not have waves. Default: 0.00
11. Surface Movement: How far the surface will move up and down, in meters. Default: 0.00
12. Movement Speed: Speed at which the waves move. Default: 0.00
13. Underwater view distance: Distance how far avatar sees underwater, in meters. Default: 120

Custom World Avatar


World Features - Custom World Avatar [4.2+]

Custom avatars use special DirectX format X files (.x extension), and their body parts, textures and animations are defined in an XML format template file in the world's custom avatar object path. 

1. Uni CAV Citizen: Universe-wide Custom Avatar for citizens enabled inside this world
2. Uni CAV Tourists: Universe-wide Custom Avatar for tourists enabled inside this world
3. Uni CAV Bots: Universe-wide Custom Avatar for bots enabled inside this world
4. World CAV Citizen: World's own Custom Avatar for citizens enabled
5. World CAV Tourists: World's own Custom Avatar for tourists enabled
6. World CAV Bots: World's own Custom Avatar for bots enabled
7. CAV Object Path: Custom Avatars' object path URL (http link)
8. CAV Object Password: Custom Avatars' zip file password
9. CAV Object Refresh: Custom Avatars' refresh rate (how often, in minutes, AW will look for updated versions of the objects).

World Rights


World Rights [4.1]

World rights determine the citizens who can or cannot do certain things in your world. That is done by defining lists of citizen numbers. The maximum length of a field is 255 characters. By default all lines are empty. Some conventions:

• empty line = nobody
• * = everybody
• , = and (list separator)
• 99999 = right is granted to the citizen number 99999
• 99990,99999 = right is granted to the citizens number 99990 and 99999
• 0 = tourist. All the tourists have the same citizen number, so you cannot grant or deny some right to just one or some tourists.

Also exclusions (-) and ranges (~) can be used [4.1]:

• 99990~99999 = right is granted to the citizens number 99990, 99991 etc up to 99999
• -99999 = right is denied from the citizen number 99999 (and everybody else too, if this stands alone in the line)
• -99990~-99999 = right is denied from citizens number 99990 to 99999 (and everybody else too, if this stands alone in the line)
• 1~999999 = everybody except tourists
• -1~-999999 = nobody except tourists
• 0,1~999999 = everybody
• 0,1~999999,-66666 = everybody, except citizen number 66666
• *,-1~-999999 = everybody, because * overrules prohibitions.

1. Enter: Who can enter the world. When everybody can enter, the world has a colored disc beside its name in Worlds list; otherwise the disc is grey
2. Build: Who can build in the world
3. Eminent Domain: People who can change or delete properties of other citizens, and in non-registry worlds also change an object's owner
4. Special Objects: Who can build with objects that begin with the letter "z". This allows you to create special objects that cannot just be duplicated all over the place by any builder. People with z object right can also build within the Restricted Radius
5. V4 objects [4.1]: Who can build movers, particles and zones. Others get z object warning
6. Special Commands [3.1+]: Who can use move and rotate commands when building
7. Public Speaker: Who speak in bold text and can use special and hidden avatars
8. Eject: Who can eject others out of the world, by choosing the Eject option in avatar's right-click menu. It blocks users coming in from a certain citizen number, IP or MAC address for a certain period of time. Note that only caretakers, not people with just Eject rights, can see and modify the list of ejections by choosing Options - World - Ejections [3.0+]
9. Bots: Who can run bots in the world
10. Speak: Who can speak in the world
11. Voice Chat [4.1]: Who can speak through the voice chat panel in the world.

Building the World

When your world starts the first time, it will only contain one starter object, a street.rwx. Do not delete it, because you start building by copying it. Remember that as a caretaker/eminent domain holder you can change the owner of any object. If you accidentally delete your only object, then reinstall the world server, or use e.g. SeedBot or ChatBot to recreate it.

It is helpful to have possible object download errors shown on your chat window: go up to Options menu, Settings, Advanced tab, and check Print object errors in chat window. For instance, "file not found" means that the name of the built object is wrong (misspelled or not uploaded), "error 1403" means that the access to the object server is forbidden.

World Sizes

Worlds are square-shaped. Current world sizes (1 coordinate = 10 meters):

• P-10 40,000 square meters = 10 coordinates from Ground Zero to north, east, south and west
• P-20 160,000 sq. meters = 20 coords
• P-30 360,000 sq. meters = 30 coords
• P-40 640,000 sq. meters = 40 coords
• P-50 1,000,000 sq. meters = 50 coords
• P-60 1,440,000 sq. meters = 60 coords
• P-70 1,960,000 sq. meters = 70 coords
• P-80 2,560,000 sq. meters = 80 coords
• P-90 3,240,000 sq. meters = 90 coords
• P-100 4,000,000 sq. meters = 100 coords

In any world, you cannot go above 2000 m or under -350 m altitude, or build above 327.7 m or under -327.7 m.

Ground

A ground object is an ordinary rwx file, usually square but it can be any shape. It can be any size too, but it is good to be about 400 meters wide in order to seem endless. On the other hand it doesn't need to be much wider than that either, because RenderWare 3.0's clipping plane will cut it anyway.

When you have walked 30 meters away from the center of the ground object rwx, it "jumps" ahead of you 60 meters. So any repeating features look best when evenly divisible into 60 meters.

If you want a non-solid part in your ground object, like water, you can use a child clump for the non solid part, or in AW 3.x collision off command. For the non-solidity to work, the first vertex of the parent clump must be at zero or positive altitude, even if some part of the ground goes below it. In AW 2.2 objects bigger than 256 vertices are non-solid.

Without ground object there is no gravity. If you want to build a modular ground of various modules rather than similar pieces, but still have gravity, you can use e.g. an empty clump as the ground object.

Terrain

Terrain is a continuous ground object, editable by caretaker in pieces of one cell, 10x10 meters. You can change the elevation (height) of the south-eastern corner, the texture, and the rotation of each cell.

Elevation can change from -1000 to 1000 meters [pre-4.1: -327.68 to 327.67]. A terrain cell can also be a hole, gap. Terrain can use up to 500 textures [pre-4.1: 63] that must be called terrain0.jpg, terrain1.jpg, etc. in the world's object path.

With a bot or other program it may be possible to upload a terrain out of a file, e.g. in USGS DEM format.

Background

You can set the background picture, backdrop, for the world in Options - World - Features. It can be any jpeg file from the object server's textures directory, but typically world owners use some large scenery picture especially made for that purpose. You also set there the backdrop color: the color that shows in the background, above and under the backdrop if there is one, or as fog's color.

Alpha World backdrop pictures are often 1536x256 pixels, but they can be any size. With higher pictures the backdrop color doesn't show unless you look straight up. Narrow pictures tile side by side to fill up the whole surrounding perimeter. You can make it wider, so it does not that easily "follow" you when you turn. Some say that at least 2400 pixels is good for that. But there is no size that would make the backdrop stay fixed at certain compass points (so that the sun would stay in the same spot) for everyone, because it depends on your window size.

The backdrop color chooser in World Features is the same than in Windows Paint accessory (mspaint.exe). If you want to blend your backdrop color seamlessly with your backdrop image:
- convert your backdrop image to .bmp and open it in Paint
- or take a screenshot of it with PrintScrn button and paste it into Paint
- choose the Pick Color tool in Paint; looks like a dropper
- choose the color of the picture's topmost part with it
- choose Edit color from the Options menu
- choose Define Custom Colors
- write down the numbers in either Hue, Sat and Lum, or Red, Green and Blue boxes
- enter the same three numbers as the Backdrop Color.


Object Server

The information about what goes where in your world (see World Database) can be on your own PC, but the actual object files (rwx's, jpeg's, seq's, wav's etc), must be on some public web server, object server.

The default object server is Alpha World's objects.activeworlds.com/aw, and it can be used freely. All the Alpha world and 3D homepage objects have also been compiled into Megapath: host.activeworlds.com/megapath. If you want to have other objects, you must use some other object server. (If it is not your own object server, ask permission from the server owner first!)

You can create your own object server, if you have web space for it. There are many free web page providers, but not many of them allow using their space as an AW object server, they may send the file inside an HTML page instead of direct response, or they may have page forwarding that makes it hard to tell the real path name. You can get reliable path hosting from Chicago3D.Net.

You can only use objects from one web server at a time, unless your primary web server can run specific PHP or Perl scripts designed for providing multiple object paths.



 

Directories

The object server must contain the following directories:

• avatars: avatar list (avatars.dat/avatars.zip), .rwx and .cob avatar files, zipped
• models: .rwx and .cob object files, zipped
• seqs: avatar movement sequence .seq files, zipped
• sounds: .mid and .wav sounds, zipped
• textures: .jpg, .gif and .png textures (lower case), masks as zipped monochrome BMP files

Upload the files to the object server with some ftp program, like Ws_ftp. Use binary format, and make sure that the filenames and extensions are in lower case.

When you go to your world in AW, the following directories will be created in the AW program cache on your PC's hard disk, and then the downloads go into them:

• <AW-directory>/cache/art/<web-server-path>/
• <AW-directory>/cache/property/<world-name>/

You can change the object server path and your world will still look the same, but then all the objects will be downloaded again into a new directory in your art cache.




Registry

You may want to use object registry in your world, if public building is allowed but you don't want people to build on (encroach) other people's properties. The other effect of a registry is that builders can only build with objects that are in the registry, otherwise they get the error message "Only registered objects can be used for construction".

Without a registry, you don't need to use the ".rwx" ending in objects' names, which saves space so that you can build more in the same cell. On the other hand, if you build with an non-existent object, it will stay in the world as a black triangle.

The registry file defines the dimensions of the objects, so that encroachment can be determined. The format of a registry file line is:

filename.rwx 1 left bottom back right top front

The coordinate values are in centimetres, the minimum values increased by 5 cm and the maximum values decreased by 5 cm.

You can make the registry file of your objects with RWXMod or Andras' Reggen utility. You can also download the ready-made AlphaWorld registry.

Put the registry.txt file into the world server directory. To enable the registry, right click the world in the Server Administration Tool, choose Properties from the menu, and type the registry file name (registry.txt) in the Registry line.

Avatars

The avatar selection of the world is in the file avatars.dat. It must be in plain text (.txt) format. Zip it and put it into the avatars directory.

At the start of the file there must be the line version 3:

# animation registry version 0.3
version 3                               # keep this around

After that is each avatar defined in this format:

 

avatar
 name=Gray
 geometry=gray.rwx
 hidden
 autowalk
 autolook
 beginimp
  walk=gray01
  wait=gray02
  idle=gray02
  endwait=gray07
  fly=qfly2
  run=qrun2
  swim=qswim
  jump=qjump1
  fall=qfall1
  float=qfloat
  hover=qhover1
  warp=gray01
  slide1=slidelow
  slide2=slidehigh
  slide3=slidemax
  climb=qclimb
 endimp
 beginexp
  turn=qturn
  group=Emotes
  happy=gray03
  angry=gray04
  group=
  wave=gray05
 endexp
endavatar



 
• Avatars.dat must contain at least one avatar definition. The description of the avatar goes between avatar and endavatar lines.
  Public Speakers have extra avatars at the end of their avatar list, called special avatars. For them use the opening word special instead of avatar.

  The old way for special avatars was to put avatar files called special1.zip, special2.zip etc in the avatars directory, and seq files called sp1act1.zip, sp2act1.zip etc. in the seqs directory, for wait, end and walk seqs. Up to AW 3.3 avatars could only have one gesture. Up to 4.1 there could only be five special avatars.

• The name line gives the name of the avatar shown on the avatar list. The name cannot be just a single digit, but it can be just one letter, and as long as fits the screen. (From XelaG:) ASCII characters from 32 to 255 are allowed (before version 3.3 just a-z, A-Z, numbers, dot, underscore). Some exceptions: number sign "#" starts a comment that is not shown in the actual menu; and ampersand "&" defines a keyboard shortcut, so if you want it shown in the menu, you must double it as &&.
• The geometry line defines the name of the avatar zip file, but ending with ".rwx" or ".cob" instead of ".zip".
• (Optional) Hidden [4.1] hides avatar from the avatar list for others than the caretakers and Public Speakers.
• (Optional) Autowalk [3.4-] lets the browser handle the timing of the walk and run sequences automatically. The walk sequence plays once every time you walk the distance of the height of your avatar, doubled when running. Recommended for human resembling avatars only.
• (Optional) Autolook [4.1] forces the avatar to always look into the moving direction.
• (Optional) Between beginimp and endimp lines are the actions that avatar makes automatically. The names to the right of the "=" character must match names of zip files found in the seqs directory.
  • (Optional) idle [3.4+] sequence sets the posture of the avatar when it stops moving. Then after 30 seconds avatar performs the wait sequence.
  • (Optional) hover [3.4+] sequence is performed when flying, and float when swimming.
  • (Optional) slide and climb [4.1] sequences are used when the Slope Sliding feature is enabled:
    • slide1: when the slope angle is greater than the minimum slope angle and less than half the difference between min and max slope angle. Upper limit = min_slope + ((max_slope - min_slope) / 2)
    • slide2: when the slope angle is less than the maximum slope angle, but greater than half the difference between min and max slope angle
    • slide3: when sliding down steep terrain and the slope angle is higher than the maximum slope angle
    • climb: when the slope angle is too steep to walk (greater max-slope angle) and the jump key is hit.
• (Optional) Between beginexp and endexp lines are the explicit gestures that show up as buttons on the toolbar and that you have to press to execute. The name to the left of "=" will be seen on the button.
  Gesture groups [4.1] are created by using the keyword group for the gesture name, following by the group's name. All subsequent listed gestures go into that group unless another group is set. If no group name is supplied (group=), the subsequent gestures go into the main level again.
• (Optional) You can put non-executing comments in the avatars.dat file if you start them with the number sign #. Tip: Put lengthy comments at the end of the file rather than beginning, so it loads faster.

You can organize the Avatars list into submenu groups by creating title sections like this [4.1]:

avatar  
name=Submenutitle
endavatar 

To create your own avatar list, you can simply cut and paste avatar definitions (avatar - endavatar clumps) from existing avatars.dat files and put them into any order you want. There can be 512 avatars in the avatar list [pre-4.1: 256]. Caution: If you have a syntax error in your avatars.dat file, then the avatar where the error is, and maybe even all avatars after that, do not show up in the list.

See also Avatars.dat Editor by Byte Me.

Teleport Sounds

There are two sounds that get played when teleporting in your world: warp1.wav for teleporting inside your world, and deport1.wav for teleporting out of your world. They must be zipped each and put into the sounds directory. Note: You can rename any wav file as warp1.wav or deport1.wav to be used as teleporting sounds.

 

Making Your Own Objects

You can make your own objects, avatars and textures. AW objects can be Renderware rwx files or TrueSpace cob files.

Local Path option

You can use local path option in AW browser for testing new art files. It is a directory on your computer where AW will check for objects and textures first before downloading them from the object server. Other people won't see those files until you upload them to the object server.

Set the name of the local path directory in Options - Settings - Advanced, e.g: D:\mycache. Create that folder on your PC. Under it, create a directory structure like on the object server, replacing tilde '~' and other possible special characters in the www address with a hyphen '-'.

So if the object path of your world (or the world where you want to test objects) is "www.myisp.com/myworld", create under D:\mycache a folder called "www.myisp.com", and under that a folder called "myworld". Under that, make one or more of the folders avatars, models, seqs, sounds, and textures, as needed. Then put the files that you want to override into respective folders. For instance, to test a new avatar list, copy it as D:\mycache\www.myisp.com\myworld\avatars\avatars.zip. Remember to put all the textures and seqs needed by the objects you test into their own folders too.

About Refreshing Updated Objects

Sometimes you may not see the new version of an object even when you have uploaded it right and lowered the object refresh rate.

• Set Object Refresh to 1 (shouldn't be necessary though if you delete the respective database file)
• Exit AW
• Go to your world's folder in AW program's art cache. It is the same as your world's object path, with slashes (/) replaced by dashes (-). For avatars, delete avatars.dat. For textures, go to textures folder and delete its *.ras file(s).
• You could also empty your web browser's (especially IE's) cache and Windows\temp directory
• Remember that if you have restored a backup of an object zip by simply renaming it, its time stamp will be earlier than that of the newer file, so you better re-upload it, or "touch" it if you have the unix level access
• Sometimes the file doesn't update because it is in your ISP's (Internet Service Provider) proxy cache and they keep sending you the old version, so uncheck the proxy server option from your Internet settings, or use some other proxy (e.g. Control Panel - Internet Options - Connections - Settings)
• Sometimes the old file just lies somewhere else along your ISP's routes. If you have another ISP, switch to it
• Open AW, enter your world again, and when the new versions have downloaded, restore the default Object Refresh.

Tip: If the world has no registry, you can refresh a single object by putting a \ or / in front of its name.

Backups

The 4.1 world database is not locked, so no automatic backup folder is necessary anymore. MySQL server may offer its own backup tools. Otherwise you have to take care of backups yourself by manually copying the files. Shut down the world server first. The most important files are admin.ini, world.ini files and the data subfolder.

Automatic Backups

To back up the world database automatically, you can schedule a task to run propdump or mysqldump every now and then, or setup MySQL database replication, or use AdminBot tool by Andras.

The 3.x world server can make backups of the world database automatically, if you specify the backup directory's name and backup interval, in seconds, in world.ini. Default is once in 60 seconds. Later installation programs directed the backups to the folder C:\Active Worlds Server Backup\, otherwise you must create the directory manually first. For instance, to have the world backed up once a day into 'mydir' directory, add:

[backup]
dir=mydir
interval=86400

Dump/Load Commands

To write the world database into plain-text files or read them back into the world, use the Save/Load Property, Save/Load Attributes, and Save/Load Terrain commands in the File menu of the Server Administration Tool. They are useful for making registry, taking backup, or moving the world database between Windows and Unix machines.

You can also do propdump with XelaGot bot: survey the area and choose Save Project as Propdump from Project menu.

Note that if you Reset World in Administration Tool and then want to restore it back, you must load back the old attributes (atdump), property (propdump), and terrain (elevdump).

To take a backup of all the entire server if it is running many worlds, there are the old propdump and propload commands:

On Windows

- close the running world window with Ctrl-C
- open the MS-DOS Command prompt
- go to your world's directory with cd command
- run command
propdump > myworld.txt (the txt file can have any name)
- you can load it back into the world with command
propload < myworld.txt
(be careful with the syntax or you risk wiping out the entire world!)

On Unix

- take telnet connection to your server computer
- shut down the running world with kill command
- go to your world's directory with cd command
- run command
./propdump > myworld (the output file can have any name) or ./propdump -s > myworld
- you can load it back into the world with command
./propload < myworld

Propdump File Format

123456 825785165 287 0 1350 -1800 [900] [-150] [0] 11 12 16 [0] mailbox.rwxsend me mailmailto:me@my.com [x]

123456 - Builder's citizen ID
825785165 - Time of building (number of seconds since Jan 1, 1970)
287 - X origin (centimeters) = west/east, west being positive
0 - Y origin (centimeters) = up/down, up being positive; -32767 to 32767
1350 - Z origin (centimeters) = north/south, north being positive
-1800 - Y orientation (yaw), 1/10's of a degree: 0 = north, 900 = west, 1800 = south, 2700 = east
900 - X orientation (tilt), 1/10's of a degree, -1800 to 1800 [propdump version 3]
-150 - Z orientation (roll), 1/10's of a degree, -900 to 900  [propdump version 3]
0 - OBJECTTYPE [propdump version 4]
11 - Object file name length
12 - Description length
16 - Action length
0 - DATALENGTH [propdump version 4]
mailbox.rwx - Object file name
send me mail - Description; may contain linefeeds
mailto:me@my.com - Action; may contain linefeeds
x - DATA [propdump version 4]

The server-sided propdump has an additional index entry as the first line: propdump version 4.

Propdump Utility

JavaScript utility to interpret the contents of a propdump line, courtesy of Sleepy E:

Elevdump File Format

{PageX} {PageZ} {NodeX} {NodeZ} {NodeRadius} {TextureCount} {HeightCount} {space separated Texture list} {space separated Height list}

(Thanks MilesTeg ;)

Dumping Attribute Database

File, Save Attributes, or
- atdump > myattrib.txt
- atload < myattrib.txt

Atdump File Format

(by Sleepy E)

atdump version 4

0 Allow 3-axis rotation
1 Allow avatar collision
2 Allow citizen whisper
3 Allow flying
4 Allow object select
5 Allow passthru
6 Allow teleport (local teleports and invites)
7 Allow tourist build
8 Allow tourist whisper
9 Always show names
10 Ambient light blue (color red)
11 Ambient light green
12 Ambient light red (color blue)
13 Avatar refresh rate
14 Backdrop
15 Bots right
16 Build number
17 Build right
18 Buoyancy (underwater gravity)
19 Cell limit
20 Cloud layer 1 mask
21 Cloud layer 1 opacity
22 Cloud layer 1 speed X
23 Cloud layer 1 speed Z
24 Cloud layer 1 texture
25 Cloud layer 1 tile
26 Cloud layer 2 mask
27 Cloud layer 2 opacity
28 Cloud layer 2 speed X
29 Cloud layer 2 speed Z
30 Cloud layer 2 texture
31 Cloud layer 2 tile
32 Cloud layer 3 mask
33 Cloud layer 3 opacity
34 Cloud layer 3 speed X
35 Cloud layer 3 speed Z
36 Cloud layer 3 texture
37 Cloud layer 3 tile
38 Creation timestamp
39 Disable avatar list
40 Disable (hide) chat
41 Disable create url (and media)
42 Eject right
43 Eminent domain right
44 Enable referer (for browser)
45 Enable terrain
46 Enter right
47 Entry point
48 Expiration
49 Fog blue
50 Fog enable
51 Fog green
52 Fog maximum (view distance)
53 Fog minimum
54 Fog red
55 Gravity
56 Ground
57 Home page
58 Keywords (for search)
59 Light blue (directional)
60 Light draw bight (light source texture glow)
61 Light draw front
62 Light draw size
63 Light green
64 Light mask
65 Light red
66 Light texture
67 Light X (position)
68 Light Y
69 Light Z
70 Max. light radius
71 Max users
72 Minimum visibility
73 Object count
74 Object password
75 (Removed)
76 Object path
77 Object refresh
78 Public speaker right
79 Rating
80 Repeating ground
81 Restricted radius
82 Size
83 Skybox
84 Sky bottom blue
85 Sky bottom green
86 Sky bottom red
87 Sky east blue
88 Sky east green
89 Sky east red
90 Sky north blue
91 Sky north green
92 Sky north red
93 Sky south blue
94 Sky south green
95 Sky south red
96 Sky top blue
97 Sky top green
98 Sky top red
99 Sky west blue
100 Sky west green
101 Sky west red
102 Sound footstep
103 Sound water enter
104 Sound water exit
105 Speak right
106 Special commands right
107 Special objects right
108 Terrain ambient (surface)
109 Terrain diffuse
110 Terrain offset (elevation)
111 Terrain timestamp
112 Title
113 VOIP right
114 Water blue
115 Water bottom mask
116 Water bottom texture
117 Water enabled
118 Water green
119 Water level
120 Water mask (top)
121 Water opacity
122 Water red
123 Water speed
124 Water surface move
125 Water texture (top)
126 Water under terrain
127 Water visibility (view distance)
128 Water wave move
129 Welcome message
130 Disable multiple media
131 Sound ambient (global)
132 Botmenu URL
133 Enable bump event
134 Enable sync events (global)
135 Enable CAV
136 Enable PAV
137 Friction
138 Water friction
139 Slopeslide enabled
140 Slopeslide min angle
141 Slopeslide max angle
142 Fog tinted
143 Light source use color
144 Light source color (alternate)
145 Chat disable url clicks
146 Mover empty reset timeout
147 Mover used reset timeout
148 V4 objects right

Old Atdump File Format

(by Andras)

atdump version 1

0 World Title
1 Backdrop
2 Ground Object
3 Object Path
5 Object Refresh rate
6 Build Rights
7 Eminent Domain
8 Enter Rights
9 Special Actions (obsolete)
10 Special or Z Objects
11 Backdrop Color Red
12 Backdrop Color Green
13 Backdrop Color Blue
15 Restricted Radius
18 Public Speakers
20 Home Page
22 Object Password
23 Disable Create URL
24 World Rating
25 Welcome Message
26 Eject Right
29 Cell Data Limit
31 Allow Pass-thru
32 Allow Flying
33 Allow Local Teleports
35 Allow Object Selection
36 Bots Rights
38 Speak Rights
39 Avatars in Scene (for AW 2.2)
40 Allow Tourist Whispers
41 Light Direction X
42 Light Direction Y
43 Light Direction Z
44 Directional Light Red
45 Directional Light Green
46 Directional Light Blue
47 Ambient Red
48 Ambient Green
49 Ambient Blue
50 Allow Avatar Collision
51 Enable Fog
52 Fog min
53 Fog Max

Dumping Ejection Database

- ejdump > myejects.txt
- ejload < myejects.txt

Old World Servers

In world servers before version 3.1, the world.ini looked like this after installation:

[world]
name=myworld
password=WorldPassword

[rights]
caretaker=123456

[limits]
;registry=registry.txt

The Windows version of the world setup program put the world name and password automatically into respective lines. If you wanted to run many worlds on the same machine, you had to add a port number line and put a different port number for each world. E.g:

[world]
name=myworld
password=WorldPassword
port=7001

If you wanted to use registry, you took away the comment mark from the registry line in the limits section:

[limits]
registry=registry.txt

If you had already built in your world, then you also had to run propdump and propload commands inside MS-DOS Prompt. Propdump command can be run inside a backup folder, in which case you don't have to close the world. Propload must be run inside the actual world folder and the world(s) must be closed.

When upgrading from 3.0 version 3.1 , you must convert the database files to the 3.1 format. In Windows, the installer detects an older world server if you are installing it in the same directory, and upgrades it to 3.1 automatically. Otherwise close the world and make backups, then do propdump, atdump and ejdump, and then propload, atload and ejload (see Dump/Load Commands). The installation comes with a convert script to make it easier.

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(..Mauz & Chi3D do not guarantee the reliability or completeness of the information on this page.)

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