Getting Started with Second Life

Transcription

1 Getting Started with Second Life Go to and click on the orange Join Now button. Choose your avatar s (or your virtual self s) name. This does not need to be your real name. Upper and lower case characters are important in this step. Some people choose names to represent the weather like Stormy and Sunny. Others choose names found in well know stories like Gandalf and Luke. Your imagination is your limitation. IMPORTANT: Be sure you can remember your avatar s name because this will be your user or login name. Write this name down in a safe place.

2 If you receive Sorry, that username has already been taken. Please try a different username. Try entering another name that you can remember. In this case the name Novice is already used by another person meaning that an alternate will have to be found. Lets try Novice1. Once you can see the green check mark next to your name, you have selected an available name and can use it. You will need to select a password for your account. Be sure that you choose something you can remember. Next you will select a starting look for your avatar. Please select a picture from the choices at the bottom of this screen. This will be your avatar s appearance and gender when you enter Second Life. Every aspect of your avatar s appearance can be changed later from within Second Life.

3 Next enter your address. Be sure it is your real . Also you will need to input your birth date as it is one of the security questions if you forget your password. The next section contains the security details. Be sure that your security answer is something you can remember. The security check may have capitals and spaces. Please be sure to copy the text exactly. Then click the orange Create Account button at the bottom. When you see this window with your avatar s image, please close your browser and check your application for an from Second Life. Your will be here You will receive an from no-reply@secondlife.com that looks similar to the image at the right. Click the blue link to activate your account. IMPORTANT: You cannot log into Second Life until you have activated your account by following the link.

4 Congratulations you have activated your account! The next screen will ask you to become a Premium Account Member. This is a paid option for using Second Life. Please click on the Download & Install Second Life button. This is something that you can add at any point in time if you want to own your own home in Second Life. Important: Second Life is free there are Premium Accounts that have fees associated with them. The Second Life Viewer will download to your desktop. Double click on the Second Life Installer icon and follow the instructions to install the Viewer in your applications/programs folder. Once the Viewer is in the appropriate place, double click to launch and log in using your avatar s name and the password you created while setting up your Second Life account. When the Second Life viewer opens, you will see the log in screen. You will need to enter your avatars First and Last names along with your password that you created when you set up your account.

5 Once you have entered your Second Life name and password, click the Log In button. You will see a loading screen such as the one pictured on the right. It may take a few minutes to load. Please read the Terms of Service, and the click the I agree check box. Then click the blue Continue button.

6 Congratulations! You are now in Second Life! You may see a light grey cloud while your avatar is loading. This is normal and will disappear once your avatar has fully loaded or rezzed in. You will need to click the Close button in the dialogue box to continue. See red circle in image. Rezzed a word used to describe the loading of things in the 3d space of Second Life This is the fully loaded (rezzed) avatar. You will arrive on Help Island and will be able to learn some of the basic controls for moving your avatar and exploring Second Life. Start by reading the signs on the wall and following the instructions. After you complete the instructions follow the arrows on the ground to the next stations. The 6 th and final station takes you out of Help Island. Click on any of the pictures to leave Help Island.

7 After you teleport you will arrive in another location or Sim from here you will still have to go to the U of I you can do this by doing a Search for University of Idaho. Use your mouse and click in the text box in the upper right corner of your viewer. Type in University of Idaho and then press the Enter key on your keyboard. Next you will see your search results. University of Idaho should be the top result. Please use your mouse and click the link.

8 After you click the link, an expanded explanation of the link will appear giving you detailed information about the University of Idaho in Second Life. Please click the Teleport button. Shown in the red circle in the image. When you are teleporting, you will see a loading screen. Congratulations and welcome to the University of Idaho s Virtual campus called Idahonia.

9 This is a map of all four islands that make up our virtual campus of Idahonia. The island names are in the lower left corner of each quadrant. We are adding new buildings and content often, so please feel free to explore.