Ancient Spaces Blog

The Editor:
Having users be able to call up HTML content from selected objects allows them to quickly access information on the objects they are currently editing and manipulating.

The editor is a wxWidgets application and therefore has access to the wxHtmlWindow. This allows the loading and viewing of HTML pages, in a window inside the project. If this were to be implemented, I would suggest the pages exist on the local drive, and not be accessed via http protocol. The wxHtmlWindow is not a full blown web browser, so viewing custom HTML pages would guarantee it would work.

However, the editor is a windowed application and it would be very easy for a user to switch between and a web browser. There for a button that send a URL to a web browser could easily be preferable. This would allow linking to actual online information, such as the wiki, using an interface which the user is much more familiar with (IE, Firefox, etc.).

Either way, adding web pages, URLs, and web browsers, add some implications for the game engine. Information should be specified in a objects script (so every instance of Totem Poll A provides the same information), and this level of scripting is still a ways away.

The Game Client:
In order for the game client will required two important features to allow object specific content. First, there must be some form of interaction with the object besides basic collision. Second, there must be the required scripting API called for something to happen upon this interaction. Once these two components exits a whole world of possibilities open up.

A Well Organized Web Page:
By far the most piratical approach to linking online content with the current version of Ancient Spaces would be for an academic to provide web content in a well organized and highly graphical manner which reflects their respective Ancient Spaces content. This could include screen shots from the game or editor. Students would then be easily able to locate information on the site associated with a specific object. The information on the site can also give guides to where to find the object in the 3D world.

Loading the Client from other Sources:
It may be possible for command line arguments to be passed to future versions of the client, so that the user starts at a specific location, viewing a specific object. For example a user could open a prepared version of the client and be jumped right to a specific totem pole. However, much of the strength of the game client is that is immerses the user in an entire world, and a “jump to object” feature will cause the location and positioning of an object to loose significance.

Simon,
Second Additional Assistant Interface Director