How do I get started?

[e2easy]

SmartFox Server was easy to get off the ground with. It was all programming. (No difficult graphic design). Plenty of tutorials. I was up and running in no time.

How do I get started with OpenSpace?

I've downloaded the trial version, and tried to get the examples running in both Safari and Firefox.

(I fire up SmartFox server first then...)

I get the chrome, and the "Powered by OpenSpace" logo in the window. But the progress bar never moves, and I'm just stuck staring at the logo.

If I put in a username and press Join, there are minor changes. Buttons and fields grey out. No logger events. Still just a logo to look at.

I've tried both from the filesystem, and accessing it from localhost.

Has this been tested on a Mac? Mine is an older Mac. G4. MacOS 10.4.11 Flash 9,0,124,0 installed.

Also, the documentation says I can develop things in Flex. How do I open these examples in Flex?

I've obviously missed some vital information somewhere.

Also, are there any getting started tutorials on the net?

[Bax]

First of all, the OpenSpace examples are supposed to connect to a specific zone of SmartFoxServer. You will find the zone configuration xml in the examples main folder: copy that xml inside the SmartFoxServer config.xml file. In this way you should be able to run the examples.
As it regards Flex, you will have to use the Flex Component Kit for Flash. Create a container in Flash, place the OpenSpace component inside that container and export the swc file to be used inside Flex.

[e2easy]

Thanks, modifying the config.xml file worked. And I downloaded the trial version of Flash CS4 to do this with.

(Still, I think OpenSpace has quite a steep learning curve, and the AIR application should do more to help than it does).

I'm not out of the woods yet...

I thought the easiest way to go from the data exported by OpenSpaceEditor, to a working example - was to modify the Slopes example. So I replaced the TestSkinsLibrary.swf with my own. And I replaced m0_Slopes.xml.

But then when I tried to run the example in Flash, I got...

TypeError: Error #1009: Cannot access a property or method of a null object reference.
at com.smartfoxserver.openspace.mvc::IsoEngineModel/createAvatar()
at com.smartfoxserver.openspace::OpenSpace/createMyAvatar()
at OpenSpace_tester_fla::MainTimeline/onOpenSpaceMapRendered()
etc.. etc... etc...

So the problem is something to do with this call :-

os.createMyAvatar("dummy", null, initialSkin)

Can anyone suggest a remedy?

Also, this process that I'm following, trying to get from OpenSpaceEditor, to getting OpenSpace working must be covered in a tutorial somewhere? Where are the getting-started guides?

[Bax]

THe problem you are experiencing is related to the the avatar creation, so it has nothing to do with the Editor (by the way, moving from the editor to OS is quite straightforward: create a map, export it, tell OS to load it).
If the example works out-of-the-box, then it should also work if you change the map. Did you set at least one access point in your map?

[e2easy]

Thanks - The problem was with walkable access points.

Indeed, nothing to do with the editor - and that's the problem. The editor should have given me a warning that I was publishing a map with no walkable access points.

I'm still clambering up the learning curve with OpenSpace, but I'm an AIR/Flex expert. I'm just saying that the OpenSpace Editor is still in the early stages of evolution - and I'm sure you guys realise this. And I'm sure you've got plenty of ideas for improvement to the next version that really ease the workflow of designing a virtual world.

In fact, I think it would be cool one day if my e2vector application worked in conjunction with your editor.

At the moment, if I go back to my flash library, and add (+export) more skins - is there a way to incorporate them into an existing project? Without starting from scratch again?

[/i]

[Bax]

At the moment, if I go back to my flash library, and add (+export) more skins - is there a way to incorporate them into an existing project? Without starting from scratch again?

If you add more skins, you can reload the project in the Editor and generate each new skin in the Skin Editor.