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Features

This list highlights the most significant Open Wonderland features. Each Wonderland installation will include a different set of features depending on the applications and utilities installed on the server. To see the additional features you can add to a base Wonderland system, visit the Wonderland Module Warehouse.

Basic Features

  • Access worlds via URL
    • Java Web Start technology used to start Wonderland client
    • Links can go to specific location within a world
  • 2D Application Sharing
    • X11 (linux) applications run unmodified in world, including Open Office, Firefox, NetBeans, and others
    • Multi-user Java applications written using the Open Wonderland shared application framework. Examples include a whiteboard, PDF Viewer, Sticky Notes, and others.
    • Screen share application for showing any portion of user's desktop
    • VNC integration for sharing non-X11 applications
    • "Show in HUD" for viewing applications on glass pane
  • Immersive Audio
    • Up to CD-quality audio
    • Distance attenuation and spatial audio provide a sense of immersion in the 3D space
    • Includes mix of live and recorded audio
    • Individual volume control for every user
    • Test and configure audio
  • Telephone integration
    • Dial-in and dial-out
    • Ability to connect avatars to world using telephone audio
  • Multi-media integration
    • Video player for recorded or streamed video
    • Webcam viewer
    • Ability to add audio recordings or streaming audio to any in-world object
    • Audio applications such as the audio recorder, cone-of-silence, and virtual microphone
  • Communication
    • Group and private text chat
    • Private voice chat with one or more users
  • Avatars
    • In-world avatar configuration
    • Low fidelity avatars for use on lower-end systems
    • Drag and drop avatars from Evolver.com
  • Placemarks and Portals
    • Associate placemarks with any object for easy navigation
    • Create portals to locations on same server or on different servers

World Assembly & Content Creation

  • Open art path
  • Support for industry-standard modeling tools that export to COLLADA
    • Content creation can be with Google SketchUp, Autodesk Maya, Blender, and others
    • Drag and drop import of .kmz (Google Earth format) and .dae files
  • Arrange objects using in-world tools
    • Move, resize
  • Drag-and-drop existing content
    • Images (.gif, .png., .jpg)
    • Documents (.pdf, .svg)
    • Multi-media (.mp4, .mov, .wmv, .ogg)
    • 3D models (.kmz, .dae)
    • Avatars (.evm)
  • Dynamically add 2D and 3D applications
    • Insert Object menu of all applications installed on the server
  • Add "capabilities" to any object
    • Includes security, container, placemark, clickable link, audio, and others

Extensibility

  • 100% Java toolkit enables modifying or extending Wonderland client or server
    • Extensive developer documentation and tutorials
  • Modules (akin to "plug-ins")
    • Mechanism for packaging and sharing Wonderland extensions
    • Can contain artwork, code, audio, scripts, web management, and web services
    • Most extensions can be accomplished using modules
    • Modules can be either open source or proprietary
  • Module Warehouse (app store)
    • Browse available Wonderland apps and utilities
    • Rate and comment on modules
    • Share your own modules
    • Easily download and install modules

Security and Authentication

  • Standard username and password database
  • Can enable or disable "guest" access
  • Includes an LDAP plug-in for connecting to existing LDAP authentication systems
  • Object-level security for in-world objects
    • Secure objects never downloaded to clients without proper permissions
  • Group mechanism for adding security based on user groups

System Administration and Management

  • In-world administrator tools
    • Force mute
    • Force exit
    • Become invisible
  • Web-based server administration console
    • Manage servers, groups, users
    • Monitor servers
    • Install / remove modules
    • Save and restore "snapshots" (saved worlds)
    • Configure X11 applications
  • Web-based content repository
    • Based on WebDAV standard
    • Accessible via server administration console or in-world
  • Scalability
    • Server scales down to run on high-end laptop or up to run on server-class machine
    • Client supports 50-60 users, depending on server configuration