Main Menu
Server Support List
Members Online
Search Box
This section describes the PalacePresents Viewer and has the following sections:
This Palace Plugin allows you to take part in large-scale networked events such as conferences, guided web tours, slideshows, live interviews, lectures and other "one-to-many" interactions.
The PalacePresents software creates a multipurpose "stage" which is hosted on an existing Palace site. This stage appears in a separate window from the Palace software. The interesting thing about this stage is that once you're connected to it, you can always see it -- no matter what room you move to in the host Palace.
The PalacePresents software consists of two Plugins: a Moderator Plugin (which is used by Palace operators to set up and moderate events), and a Viewer Plugin (which you use to participate in the event while it's "on the air"). The PalacePresents Viewer allows you to view all events transpiring on the stage, and to ask questions of the moderator and others on the stage. You can also keep a log of the event, and may even be invited onto the stage yourself!
To participate in events via the PalacePresents Viewer, you must be running the Palace software for Windows 95/NT (version 3.0 or newer). You must also be a Palace member to participate in an event. Note that membership is free.
The PalacePresents Viewer Plugin is installed automatically by the Palace software. The name of the Viewer Plugin file is PalacePresents Viewer.dll. By default this file is installed into your PluginsStartup folder, which causes it to load automatically whenever you start the Palace software. If you would prefer to load the Viewer manually (each time you use it), you can move it to the Plugins folder instead. Note that the file must be located in one of these two places to operate correctly.
The following steps will get you started with the PalacePresents Viewer:
Select Preferences from the PalacePresents submenu to display the PalacePresents Viewer Preferences window, where you can customize your PalacePresents.
When this option is checked, the transcript of the PalacePresents event will be merged with the Palace log, so that you can follow everything at once.
If this option is checked, you will be automatically transported to the stage whenever you are invited. Leave this option unchecked if you want to change your avatar or throw on a few props before you hit the stage.
If you exit the PalacePresents Viewer, or if the moderator ends the current event while you have this option checked, you will be shown a dialog box asking if you want to save the event transcript to a file. If this option is unchecked and either of these events occurs, the dialog box will not appear, and the event transcript will not be saved.
When this option is checked, additional system information messages are displayed in the transcript.
The PalacePresents Moderator has the ability to run a "slide show" of web pages while the event is running. If this option is checked, all web pages visited will be displayed in the Browser Frame of your PalacePresents Viewer (beneath the Transcript window). If unchecked, your web browser will be launched separately to view these pages.
NOTE: To view the Slide Show within the Viewer window, you must have Microsoft's "Internet Explorer" installed on your system (it does not need to be your default browser, however). If you don't have Internet Explorer, you should leave this option unchecked.
This option causes the Viewer window to cover all other windows you might currently have open (including the Palace window itself), and to remain that way until turned off.
When checked, this option will cause the height, width, and screen position of the Viewer Window to be stored upon closing the PalacePresents Viewer. The next time you enter an event (regardless of its location in the Palace Community), the Viewer window will appear at the same size and position as before.
While you are on the stage, a copy of your avatar remains in the Palace room from which you came (i.e. in the host Palace), but a special prop is added to it to indicate that you are onstage. If you want to supply your own "on stage" prop, simply type its name into this textbox; otherwise a default prop is provided for you.
Click this button to set all preferences back to their original default values.
If you launch the PalacePresents Viewer while an event is running (or, conversely, if an event goes "on the air" while your Viewer is running), you will only be notified of the event and given a chance to join the audience automatically. However, if you decline the initial invitation notice and then change your mind later, you can still get in.
Selecting Join an Event from the PalacePresents plugin submenu displays the Select Event to Join window.
The PalacePresents Viewer is easy to operate. It contains a few basic elements, including the Stage, the Textbox, three viewing Frames and a special Toolbar.
NOTE: While you are onstage you also remain in the Palace room you were invited from, and a special "on stage" prop is automatically added to your avatar there. While onstage, you can continue to chat and move around in the Palace proper, and can also "broadcast" by typing into the viewer. You really can be in two places at once!
Whenever you're not on the stage (and that's most of the time, for most of us), the label above the Viewer's Input Box reads Submit Question. Type your question, and submit it to the moderator by pressing the Enter key. If selected by the moderator, your question will appear onstage, just as you typed it. Note that the moderator not only has control of which comments are selected, but can also delay or shuffle comments, and may even preload a series of "simulated" comments prior to (or during) the event.
NOTE: To submit questions to the moderator, you must be a Palace member. Guests can view the PalacePresents stage and read the flow of chat taking place there, but they cannot participate in the event directly.
To the left of the stage you will notice a column of five buttons. These buttons comprise the Viewer Toolbox, which provides shortcuts for the most commonly-used functions. This section describes these buttons and their use.
Invite Me
While you are watching an event (i.e. not onstage), clicking on this button means "Invite Me" (while you are onstage this button is disabled). Clicking here sends a message to the moderator, requesting an invitation to the stage. Note that if you have Always Accept Stage Invitations Without Prompting checked in the Preferences dialog box; you will be pulled onstage as soon as your request is accepted. Otherwise, you will see the following dialog box, which serves as your official invitation:
You can access a number of special PalacePresents features and settings through the PalacePresents System Menu. To access this menu, click the system menu icon in the upper-left corner of the Viewer.
Invite
Me 
Off
Stage Button
Preferences
Button
View
Event Info Button
Save
Transcript Button
You
can access a number of special PalacePresents features and settings through the
PalacePresents System Menu. To access this menu, click the system menu
icon in the upper-left corner of the Viewer.