Current edition: Vol.4, No.10, October 2001
 

Active Worlds News


9.11.01 Remembered 3.2 Launched
3D Homepages
New Website
Tech Support Tip
Skyboxes
Bot of the Month
Worlds to Watch
Hot Spots to Visit
AWEC Calendar
AWCOMREG Articles
Intersculpt 2001
KriegMar Gallery
Halloween

Resources

Building Links
Community Links
AWCOM Links

 

 

icon

 

icon

 

icon

 

 

Active Worlds Version 3.2 Launched

The Active Worlds 3.2 upgrade brings several useful new enhancements and features to the Active Worlds technology platform. We hope that the new features and changes in version 3.2 increase your enjoyment of Active Worlds more than ever!

Note to 2.2 users: 3.2 includes a software renderer and will run even if you do not have any 3D hardware. So upgrade away! :)

Improvements in 3.2 include:

  • OpenGL Support - Particularly useful for users running NT 4.0.
  • Software Rendering Support - Provides access to the features and functionality of the version 3.x browsers without requiring a 3D accelerated video card.
  • Simplified Mode for New Users - New installations of Active Worlds 3.2 now start out in "Simple" mode. Simple mode simply means that many of the standard controls and windows of the browser are turned off. There is a single "Advanced Mode" button below the menu bar, which enables all of these controls for users who have become comfortable with the simple interface and want access to the more powerful features.
  • Skyboxes - A 3D object that is always centered on your current position and rendered first before any other object in the world. Skyboxes are intended as a replacement for the world backdrop feature and allow the implementation of far more sophisticated world surroundings than simple backdrop images.
  • Cell Grid - Feature which is useful for builders who are trying to get the most out of a particular world's cell data limit. The cell grid can be turned on and off from the Show Menu, or by pressing the F10 key.
  • Increased Visible Range - It is now possible to see up to 200 meters away.
  • Firewall Support - New features that should allow most people to access Active Worlds from behind firewalls.
  • Download Progress Bar - New progress bar displayed at the bottom of the browser window, indicating how many files are left to download in the current scene.
  • Improved Midi Playback - MIDI files are now passed directly to Windows Media Player, which is the same mechanism used for MP3 files, and produces far superior MIDI playback quality.
  • New Web Settings - There is a new web settings dialog which gives you better control over how Active Worlds displays web pages.
  • New World Options - World owners have several new options at their disposal, including the ability to use skyboxes, set a minimum visibility, and disable the repeating ground feature.
  • New Universe Options - Universe administrators have new options available in the universe attributes dialog.
  • Hardware "T&L" support - see Help Files for more info.
  • New transparency algorithm - see Help Files for more info.

 

 
  Active Worlds   |   Newsletter Home   |   Newsletter Archive   |   Contact Us    |   Disclaimer