User:Elkarind/Rough Draft-Scenecaster

Scenecaster is an online application that allows users to create a variety of 3d environments and allow other users to view these creations. While Scenecaster does offer many options for customization, the application does not allow users to upload their own photos into their designs nor can users upload videos directly into a scene. Scenecaster appeals to a wide variety of audiences, including businessmen, artists, or even inexperienced Internet users. Users may find also find similarities in the application known as Second Life. Scenecaster uses an online storehouse known as the Google 3d Warehouse that lets users search for any pre-made object, view the search results, and add the object to their scenes. Scenecaster also lets users add their scenes to various online locations, whether it be a social networking site, such as Facebook, or a company's subpage, for coworkers and supporters may view the design. Furthermore, these users interact with one another through blogs, as well as a variety of “discussion topics” and talk about their likes, dislikes, and ways to improve each other’s works.

= The User Interface =

Beginning A Scene
When first starting up Scenecaster, the user has three options: 1) create from dimensions, 2) create from a template, or 3) create from scratch. Creating from dimensions allows the user to set boundaries for their scene, which makes it easier for users to organize their work. Creating from a template gives users a very basic, already made scene, such as a bedroom. This way, users who are new to Scenecaster may explore how to design a scene of theirs from scratch or the user saves time by having Scenecaster set up a structure for them. The last option, creating from scratch, gives the most freedom for generating a scene, yet offers nothing to help people get started.

Scenecaster is viewed and edited in two modes: 2d view and 3d view. 2d view is designed like a grid and is used more to make a users work more scaled and exact, such as moving a chair exactly 3ft in front of a wall. 3d view is used to see how objects match with the rest of the scene. 3d view also shows whether or not objects are where they should be regarding their height.

Detailing A Scene
Objects may be relocated and re-sized accordingly. The Toolbar located near the top of the Scenecaster window contains these functions. The Scenecaster environments may be viewed using cameras and so cameras placed should be placed in convenient locations so that nothing is missed. Cameras may be raised and lowered, rotated clockwise and counter-clockwise, tilted, and moved forward and backward. Cameras may also be added by clicking the Camera Maps icon, right-clicking on the screen, and selecting the Add Camera function.

Scenes may be linked together by adding a URL link to various objects in scenes. This is done by selecting an object, clicking the Add Link icon the toolbar, and typing the desired URL to the Web Link tab.

Once finished, users may post your scene for everyone else to view and make their scene be known. This can be done on both Facebook as well as Flickr. When users save their scenes, Facebook is automatically updated and so if the Scenecaster application is displayed in their profile, any friend can view their scenes from their profile. Scenecaster users will also be allowed to view these scenes once they have been saved by another user.

Other functions that are not commonly used may be found on the Scenecaster help web page.

Google 3d Warehouse
The Google 3d Warehouse is a function of Scenecaster that allows users to link in a wide variety of artwork created by the a tool known as SketchUp into their scene. This tool makes it easier for users to add more complex artwork to their scenes because it links in pictures that have been created and stored in the warehouse rather than just supplying users with tools that would allow users to create their own objects.

To access this function, users simply click on the tab labeled "Google 3d Objects" and enter in the item that they are looking for. The Google 3d Warehouse then finds all items related to what the user entered and displays them in a condensed picture, with a title next to the picture. If the user likes a particular object, they may scroll over and click on the picture and view it more closely and if all seems good, the object may be added to the users scene. Then the user may move their object around as they please and edit its dimensions as they see fit. The dimensions of an object may be put into specific units (i.e. inches), allowing for more precision and exactness.

= Compatibility =

Scenecaster is compatible with any Windows 2000 or Windows Vista Operating system as long as they use Internet Explorer v6.0 or Firefox v2.0. Other components suggested to have when using facebook are a Pentium 4 2.8 GHz or equivalent AMD as well as 256MB of RAM and the newest Adobe Flash player.

Macintosh users may view and comment on scenes posted by other users, however, they may not create and post their own scenes because Scenecaster software is currently not Mac compatible.

= References =