OWorld Projects

OWorld grew and improved through involvement in projects like the Meet3D project where teachers meet on-line to discuss classroom and financial issues and integrated project work for NASA visualizing workflow for shared human/robot/rover missions.

We implemented projects through the use of Open Source software described below. The code base was released on April 2, 2003 after one last round of clean-up work by engineering and computer science students at the University of Washington.

OWorld Open Source projects came under four categorical headings:

Community 2-D Meetingpages
Community Real-time Chatspaces
Community Real-time Drawspaces
Community Real-time 3-D Meetingspaces

All were written in Java 1.1 (without Swing components) as we aimed to make the software runnable on as many platforms and within as many Web browsers as possible.

Example Software

Meetingpages provided a tabbed interface to a query-able back-end database (the client was lightweight as a result — no additional plug-ins or installs). A user clicked between tabs to interact with instant information on community members, messages, meetings, resources, and extras. Updates were provided in the background using a heartbeat strategy whereby the client sent a current status update message to the server every few seconds. Features valuable to the community included:

Applet implementation of instant messaging solution
URL and CGI two-way messaging (the update loop)
Canvas-based event model (easy method for older browser participation)
Tabbed panel implementation (using messaging between Canvas objects only)
Linked list implementation of Folders and Documents
Examples of message parsing and GUI painting
Flexible skins and branding

The Meetingpages code base was used by the OWorld community as a cross-platform instant messaging service — sharing resources on demand. We relied on its ability to keep developer teams in the USA, Italy, and Australia connected while working around the clock comfortably.

Chatspaces provided for lightweight (no plug-in or install required), real-time, chat spaces — connected via the open-source OWorld community server. The focus was on lightweight clients to connect the most possible number of Web-connected users. Drawspaces provided lightweight real-time shared drawing with the OWorld server.

Meetspaces provided for lightweight real-time shared virtual environments via the OWorld community server. Features of value to the community included plug-in-free Java-based 3-D renderers, efficient message dispatching, canvas-based event model, tabbed panel implementation, advanced behavior expression, and flexible skinning and branding. The Meetspaces was used to various projects to connect users with the Shout3D, Anfy3D, Java3D and Atmosphere renderers.