Venue

Online Venue:  AltspaceVR

Conference events: AVAR Lobby, AVAR Keynotes, AVAR Papers, AVAR Workshops, AVAR Panels,

VALVE (sponsor room), Facebook Reality Labs (sponsor room)

Find the above conference events inside AltspaceVR: EVENTS / MY EVENTS

The AVAR 2020 conference will take place online using AltSpaceVR. This will allow attendees to see and hear live presentations, panel discussions, videos, and binaural audio demos. Attendees will also be able to speak directly with presenters and with each other in a virtual setting. Participants may attend the conference in 2D mode using a Windows PC, and must register in advance for a free AltspaceVR account. For a more immersive experience, attendees may prefer to use any of the VR/AR systems currently supported by AltspaceVR, including HTC Vive, Oculus Quest, Oculus Go, Oculus Rift, Samsung GearVR, or Windows Mixed Reality.

Essential Steps for Attendees:

1. After you have registered for AVAR 2020, please go online to altvr.com and register for a free AltspaceVR account. You will be asked to first download and install the AltspaceVR app, then proceed with account creation and tutorial. 

If possible, please use the same email address that you used to register for the conference, which helps us with tracking.  For your AltspaceVR DisplayName, please use your real name, first and last.  This will serve as your "conference badge", allowing other attendees to identify you in VR. 

2. Follow this link to register your AltspaceVR Username, DisplayName, and Email, with the AVAR 2020 organizers.  Or send your username to [email protected].  This step is essential, so that we can include you in the conference events!

Guidelines for using AltspaceVR:

3. After completing steps 1 and 2 above, launch AltspaceVR and login.

4. Explore AltspaceVR and learn how to navigate the environment. Go through the Tutorial, including customizing your avatar. Visit a public event to get comfortable in VR, even if you’re only using 2D mode.

5. Confirm that your microphone and headphones are working properly. For a successful VR experience, it is essential that you can talk to and listen to other people. Use headphones rather than computer loudspeakers, to avoid generating an echo for other attendees. Headphones will also improve your experience of spatial audio demos presented in the conference.

6. Basic movement is AltspaceVR in 2D mode is easy with the mouse: i) right click and hold, then drag to rotate in place, ii) left click to a spot on the floor to teleport there, iii) right click and hold, then push down on mouse wheel to move forward, iv) to zoom in/out on the screen (without moving avatar) right click and hold, then scroll mouse wheel. Keyboard can also be used for movement: w (forward), s (backward), q (rotate left), e (rotate right), a (move left), d (move right).

7. Visit the AVAR 2020 Event Space (currently under construction and testing) by going in your AltspaceVR Menu to: Events > My Events from within AltspaceVR. We’ll post information on special pre-conference events, and members of our staff will be available periodically to answer your questions.  (These options will be available as we upload attendee information to altvr.com.)

8. Come to the AVAR 2020 Pre-conference Events! (see the Preconference Events Tab)

9. If you experience technical difficulties inside AltspaceVR (audio or video are poor, etc.) consider the Re-Enter Space option in your menu under Settings / General / Re-Enter.

Host Institution:

DigiPen Institute of Technology digipen.edu, host of AVAR 2020, is a dedicated leader in education and research in computer interactive technology. Since 1988, DigiPen has been preparing students to succeed as skilled engineers, artists, designers, and audio professionals in the growing technology industries. DigiPen's main campus is located in in Redmond, Washington, USA, close to 400 game development and interactive media companies, making the greater Puget Sound area the largest concentration of interactive media companies in the United States.