AltspaceVR User Guide
This guide aims to guide you through all the steps required to visit any AltspaceVR virtual world and navigate it freely.
It includes the following chapters:
1. How to download and install AltspaceVR. (Page 2) 2. How to start AltspaceVR. (Page 4) 3. How to create an account and sign in. (Page 6) 4. How to sign out of an existing account. (Page 8) 5. How to enter a World/Event or “Favorite” it. (Page 9) 6. How to partake or skip the tutorial. (Page 12) 7. How to navigate the menu and UI. (Page 13) 8. How to move around and interact. (Page 16) 9. How to interact with objects. Key shortcuts. (Page 18)
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How to download and install AltspaceVR.
This guide will go over how to install the windows desktop version of AltspaceVR, but the process is very similar in other devices as well. If you would like to have a VR or Steam version, please use the link below:
https://altvr.com/getaltspacevr/
The link for the version we will be going over this guide is:
https://www.microsoft.com/en- us/p/altspacevr/9nvr7mn2fchq?activetab=pivot:overvi ewtab
It should bring you to the Microsoft store. After that click on the “Get” button.
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This pop-up will appear on your browser window.
Click on “Open Microsoft Store” The Microsoft Store will open.
Now click on “Install” and another pop up will ask you to sign in with your Microsoft account.
You can sign in or just close the window. In both cases, the download and installation will happen. Page | 3
How to start AltspaceVR.
Click on the Windows Search bar and Write “AltspaceVR”.
The Best Match will be the application that was just installed. Click on AltspaceVR and the application will launch.
We will now go through some steps required to get to the start menu.
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Once the application has started a terms of service agreement will appear. Click “Accept”.
Then a consent agreement regarding collecting diagnostic data will appear. You can “Deny” or “Allow” it. In both cases you will procced to the starting menu.
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How to create an account and sign in.
Now that we are at the Starting Menu, we can see a lot of buttons. Before we click on any of them let us first make an account. Without an account we cannot visit worlds or events. We can only go through the tutorial.
Click on the “Sign in” button at the left side of the screen.
Now select with which account you would like to sign in.
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If you sign in with a Microsoft account, you can skip to the next chapter as it can be used as an AltspaceVR account.
If you choose to sign in with AltspaceVR, click on the button and you will be taken to this login window.
Click on “No Account? Create One!” and fill in the form.
The Region and Birthday do not have to be accurate so you can leave them as is and you can also Untick the ticked box to avoid any AltspaceVR related emails. Page | 7
How to sign out of an existing account.
If you just created your account, you are already signed in.
To sign out of your account click on the “Account” button on the left side of the starting menu where the “Sign in” button was previously.
Now click on the “Sign Out” button.
A new window will pop up. Click the “Exit” button to sign out and close AltspaceVR.
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How to enter a World/Event.
There are two simple ways to enter a World/Event. By using the world/event code or with a link that takes you to the world/event webpage.
1. We will firstly go over how to join a world/event using a 6-digit code as it is the easiest way.
2. Then we will go over how to join and favorite a world/event using its webpage.
If you have not been provided with a 6-digit code but instead with a link to the world/event’s webpage, you can skip the next page.
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To join using our provided 6-digit code, click on the “Enter Code” button.
You will then enter the 6-digit code you have been provided.
Once you put in the code and press enter you will see the world/event’s page. Here you can see the event’s name, description, what time it is starting and how long it will last. You can then click “Enter” to enter the world/event.
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To join using the world/event’s webpage, go the link provided to you.
All world/event webpages look like the one below.
By clicking on the big blue “ENTER NOW” button a pop up will appear at on our browser.
Click on “Open AltspaceVR” and the AltspaceVR application will open and launch you directly into the world/event. (If you are signed in)
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How to partake or skip the tutorial.
The tutorial can help get familiar with the controls in a more interactive and hands-on way than reading them here.
You can access the tutorial by clicking on the “Tutorial” button on the left side of the start menu.
Then hover your mouse over the “AltspaceVR Tutorial” and click on the “Enter” button.
If you want to exit/skip the tutorial at any point you can press the ESC key on your keyboard, click on the “Settings” tab and then click “Skip” where it says, “Skip Tutorial”.
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How to navigate the menu and UI.
Once you are withing the event you can switch between “Camera mode” and “Mouse mode” by pressing on the Right Mouse button. To click on User Interface (UI) elements you will need to be in “Mouse mode” to be able to move your mouse.
Your UI Menu can be seen and accessed at the bottom left side of your screen. The buttons do the following:
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The buttons do the following:
Main Menu: Opens the main menu. From here you can access other menus/worlds/events/features/etc.
Mute/Un-mute: Mute/Un-mute your microphone so can/cannot hear you speak.
Emotes: Display emotes such as hearts, clapping, etc., over your head.
Personal Space Bubble: If you want other Avatars to disappear when very close to you can enable this.
Selfie: Takes a selfie of your avatar and anyone behind you. These pictures are saved in AltspaceVR.
Camera: Take a picture of everything you can see in front of you. These pictures are saved in AltspaceVR.
Return to Start Menu: Return to start menu. From here you can access other menus/worlds/events/features/etc.
Display World/Event Information: Display world/event information. See information about the event/world.
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Apart from speaking you can also privately message someone by clicking on their avatar and then clicking on the “Message” button above their head.
You can also add the as a friend with the button on the Left or mute them if they are loud/rude with the button on the Right.
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How to move and look around.
There are three ways to move around. We will go over all of them. Please choose whicever on that feels most comfortable to you.
1st way: Move around with the keys W,A,S and D. Imagine them like arrow keys so W moves you forward, A left, D Right and S backwards.
You can look arround using your mouse as a camera. If you want to click on any UI remember to press the Right mouse button to toggle between camera mode and mouse mode.
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2nd way: Move around and Look around with the Arrow Keys.
Look Right and Left with the Right and Left arrow keys. Move Forward with Up and Back with Down arrow keys.
3rd way: Look around with the mouse. Hold the F key to create a teleport indicator.
Once you release the F key you will be moved to the area you are indicating with the blue ring. If the indicator is red that means you cannot teleport to that certain spot.
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How to interact with objects. Key shortcuts.
You can interact with any object by pointing at it with the mouse or the centre of your camera/screen and clicking on the Left mouse button.
Some objects may have more functions. If they do, they are usually enabled with the E key.
To drop an object, you are holding, press the ESC key.
You can also hold and release the Left mouse button to throw an object. The longer you hold, the further the throw.
You can move faster by holding down either Shift key while inputting the direction you want to move towards.
You can quickly open the Main Menu using the ESC key.
You can quickly Mute/Un-mute using the Spacebar.
You can quickly create emotes with the keys 1,2,3,4,5 and 6.
You can quickly close the application by pressing the ALT and F4 keys together. This works with all PC applications.
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