The range of 3D virtual options is getting wider by the week and many of them are browser-based, which makes it much more accessible than Second Life or Twinity, where the 3D environments are accessed via separate programs. 3dxplorer is another browser-based solution…
3dxplorer is an interesting addition because it doesn’t even require a plugin download. 3dxplorer allows you to create your own 3D space for free and then add it to your webpage. I haven’t yet found how to embed it into a blog (although I think this is normally possible), but I can show you my new room on the Avatar Languages website: www.avatarlanguages.com/3dexplorer.htm. You don’t need to register to access my space, but you will need to give your guest avatar a name in the popup box.
The below YouTube video shows how to customize an avatar and how to create a virtual space…
Objects can link to external web pages and objects can play music, so there is a level of interactivity built into 3dxplorer. However, this is not really to be likened to an entire 3D virtual world such as Second Life.
3dxplorer is clearly more complex than Lively or Hangout.net, and I will need to take some more time to see how it could be used for language lessons. Look out for further posts on this…
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