Glossary - Virtual World Design - page 349

Texture: a 2D graphic image such as a photograph, or illustration that is applied to the surface of a 3D model
to create its unique qualities. For instance, a photo of bricks might be applied to a large box, to
create the illusion of a brick wall object.
Third person camera: the visual perspective on a scene in a virtual world that has the cameras point of view
behind and slightly above the avatar or character the camera is following. This point of view, which
can be partially controlled in some games and completely controlled in virtual worlds, allows for
the player to view surrounding areas, see the approach of other players, and to see their own avatar
as they direct it on a course through the environment.
Transform: the process of calculating the graphical information received from a moving point of view in a
3D scene and creating a 2D image from it. This process is happening when your avatar is walking
through a 3D environment, and you are viewing it on a computer screen.
Universal Design: a “universal” approach to making the design of an environment, virtual or real, accessible
to all people. This includes creating easy access to the space, redundancy of information in both
audio and visual formats, directions and information in more than one language and color palettes
that can be seen clearly by all. This is also known as “Design for All.”
UUID: also called a “Universally Unique Identiier,” an alphanumeric code that identiies each asset, instance
of the object, avatar and land parcel.
Ver t ex: on a 3D model, the point where the lines or edges of a surface start. Many 3D modeling programs
allow for the manipulation of these points in order to “sculpt” the form of the 3D model.
Virtual Reality: a computer generated 3D enviroment created for the purpose of enabling people to visit a
simulacrum of our real world or a completely imaginary world. This kind of reality is enhanced for
the player with large screens, stereoscopic displays, sounds played through a headset, and haptic
feedback to create a compelling immersive experience.
Visuospatial Sketchpad: a component of human memory that initially starts with collection of short-term
memories, and caches them into the working memory for recall later. This is a valuable tool for
designers since it provides them with a vast store of visual, spatial, color and movement information
that can be recalled at will.
Wireframe: a viewer mode that removes the surface rendering, and shows only the lines and vertices of the
3D model. In the Firestorm viewer, the wireframe mode can be accessed in the Developers menu,
which along with the Advanced menu, is activated on the top bar of the Firestorm interface after
the basic installation is done. The key commands are (Ctrl+Alt+D) and then (Ctrl+Alt+Q) to turn
on these hidden menus.