User’s Guide for e-Learning Platform

System Requirements:

Google Earth

1) Google Earth Plugin required ( download link: http://www.google.com/earth/explore/products/plugin.html )

2) Operation System: Microsoft Windows 2000, XP and Microsoft Windows Vista

Apple Mac OS X 10.4 and higher (Intel and PowerPC)

3) Web Browser:

* Microsoft Windows (2000, XP, and Vista)

Google Chrome 1.0+

Internet Explorer 6+

Firefox 2.0+

* Apple Mac OS X 10.4 and higher (Intel and PowerPC)

Safari 3.1+

Firefox 3.0+

Google Map

1) Adobe Flash Player plugin required (Version 9.0.28 or higher).

2) Operation System: Windows XP, 7，Mac OS X 10.x

Web Browser:

IE6.x~8.x、FireFox3.x、Safari4.x、Opera10.x、 Google Chrome 4.x

Description:

1) Web link for e-Learning Platform via Mixed Reality:

http://www.pcexpert.com.tw/VN2011_Internal%20Use/VN_Demo_2.html

Left click on the weblink above in order to enter the “e-Learning via Mixed Reality” e-learning platform. There are three districts and one Botanical & Zoological Garden included in this platform-all of them located in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). Additional historic relics, museums, buildings, landmarks and scenic areas such as the HCM People’s Committee, Municipal Theatre, Post Office, Fine Arts Museum, Ho Chi Minh Museum, SECC, Hainan Association, Cho Ben Thanh and Thanh That Sai Gon ….etc, will be included in this platform. Select any one of the four maps by clicking on it in order to start to navigate the POI (Point of Interest) located on the map over the Internet through our e-learning platform developed by using Mixed Reality technology. Turn on speaker for voice and sound.

2) Click on one of the red block areas highlighted on the homepage as shown below to enter into our e-learning platform. (see Fig.1)

Fig. 1

3) Wherever you find any one of the items as follows:

-Red Ball

-Blue Ball

-Star

-Blinking icon with“I”and/or“V”character

Moving the mouse cursor over one of the items listed above will show a status bar near the cursor. You can then see the corresponding name and information about the POI inside the box. See Fig.2 for details.

Fig. 2

4) Clicking on any one of the items will activate the following functions:

- a panorama (540° or 360°), see Fig. 3 for details.

- a hot spot (close-up image) with the statement of the main features and/or milestones

- a video clip

Fig. 3

5) When you activate a Panorama, then a toolbar will show up on the Panorama (at the central bottom, see Figure 4 for details). Select the "FullScreen" mode by clicking on the button located at the right end of the toolbar for an extended view.

Fig. 4

Function Buttons on toolbar:

1. Zoom in button:

Click this button to zoom in the panorama image.

2. Zoom out button

Click this button to zoom out the panorama image.

3. Pan left button

Click this button to pan the panorama image left.

4. Pan right button

Click this button to pan the panorama image right.

5. Pan up button

Click this button to pan the panorama image up.

6. Pan down button

Click this button to pan the panorama image down.

7. Toggle quality button

Click this button to switch the panorama quality if the panorama with multi-resolutions.

8. Fullscreen button

Click this button to activate the fullscreen mode.

6) The panorama image contains both the Google Map (real-time GIS information) and a 2D layout image which can be hidden or expanded by clicking on the related tab. The middle button enables you to zoom in/out. To change the point to the left, right, up and down use the left mouse button.

Fig. 5

7) On the top right-hand corner in the web page is Google Earth (see Fig. 6), The operation of the Google Earth is almost identical with Google Map except for the following:

When you click on any one of the "STAR" icons with HCM pattern over the interested POI (Point of Interest), then an information window will show up (see Fig. 7). You may either click the image inside the information window directly or click on the text link below to activate a panorama image (Regular Panorama) which is identical with Google Map.

Fig. 6

Fig.7

A Google-Style Panorama window will appear when double clicking on any one of the "STAR" icons. In certain cases it is difficult to activate the Google-Style Panorama. In this case, just use the middle button to scroll forward (zoom in). This will show some bubbles (generated from its corresponding Panorama imagery) over its POIs (see Fig.8). Double click on any one bubbles and the Google-Style Panorama will show up (see Fig.9).

Fig. 8

Fig 9

8) The e-Learning Platform can also be integrated with any VR, AR, MR development

tool and/or authoring tool such as Flash for a variety of applications such as“Heritage

Preservation”,“Digital Archives”,“Marketing Event/Showcase”,

e-Catalogue/Book/Manual,“Simulation and Training”,“On-line Demo & Presentation”

or Virtual Museum/Mall… etc in real-time.

To follow the directions outlined in item 7 it is necessary to first activate the demo

program (available soon) shown below. The demo program will show the visitor how

to integrate a VR application into the e-Learning Platform:

When you click on any of the "STAR" icons with the HCM pattern over the Reunification

Palace, an information window will pop up (see Fig.10~11). You may click on the text

link below –“3D Navigation” to activate the demo program which was developed by

using a VR tool for real-time navigation.

Fig.10

The virtual (graphic-based) Reunification Palace will show up (see Fig.12). The visitor will be able to walk through the palace in any direction with a mouse or any other control device such as a Wii Remote or a Kinect Sensor.

Fig.12