DeepMatrix 3D multi-user system

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Draft

Introduction

“DeepMatrix is an open-source Java server/client 3D multi-user system capable of both chat and shared events working in conjunction with VRML/X3D browsers. Users appear as avatars in a shared 3D scene. [...] The latest version of DeepMatrix is composed of a Java server and Java standalone-client application. It uses the latest Sun Java Runtime Environment and is designed to work with standalone VRML/X3D viewers that have Java EAI or External SAI capability.” (deepmatrix.org)

Presently, DeepMatrix works with the free Instant Player client.

DeepMatrix was originally developed by a team led by Gerhard Reitmayr from the now-defunct Geometrek.com site in the late nineties. This project in turn was based on the VNet EAI applet by Steven White and Jeff Sonstein.

The new version seems to work better and has additional features. Active project when last checked in Sept. 2010 - Daniel K. Schneider

Short how to

Prerequisites

(1) Java 1.6 or higher (as of Aug. 2010)
(2) Install the very latest Instant Reality X3D/VRML player
Find your version in the FTP archive. Be careful to select the player and very right version
e.g. File InstantReality-Ubuntu-10.04-x86-2.0.0.20206.deb File for a typical 32-bit 10.04 LTS - the Lucid Lynx - install of April 2010.
or InstantReality-Windows-vs2008-x64-2.0.0.20206.msi for Vista/Win 7 64-bit versions.

Do not install the "official" public version you can find on the Deep MatrixIP9 web site.

Windows Vista / 7

(for version 1.03, downloaded sept. 8 2010)

(1) Install the prerequisites (above)
Remark: On my Windows 7 I had to fix the path to include Java (first time since Win95 ....)
(2) Download and install the DeepMatrix MU server from deepmatrix.org or Source Forge
Dezip the archive to c:\DeepMatrixIP9-v1_03
If not, you will have to fix the file paths in several bat files. See the next step
(3 - optional) Fix the path in the bat files if needed.
Replace "DeepMatrixIP9-v1_03" by "soft\deepmatrix" in all the bat files
(4) Copy missing files or fix the path
From the \client_application folder, copy root.wrl Screen.x3dv to \Win_Local_Client
(5) Use
  • open the DeepMatrixIP9/server_application folder, double click the DeepMatrixIP9Server.bat file and give the server time to finish starting up.
  • open the DeepMatrixIP9-v1_01/client_application/Win_Local_Client folder and double click the DeepMatrixIP9_MU_Local_Client.bat' file

If everything goes well, the server will listen on port 7744. Else, open a shell (command prompt), cd to the directories and type the *.bat files

Ubuntu

(for version 1.03, Aug 2010)

Download the whole package
(2) Read the documentation (Remark
As of sept. 8 the documentation button in the homepage was broken ...)
(3) Unzip the archive into a folder /opt/DeepMatrixIP9-v1_03 and fix permissions
  • Folder name should be precisely /opt/DeepMatrixIP9-v1_03/, else you'll have to change the sh scripts. Then change permissions for the the shell scripts. Remark: Using such fixed path is a bit strange, probably the developer is used to Windows.
sudo mkdir /opt/DeepMatrixIP9-v1_03
cd /opt/DeepMatrixIP9-v1_03
chmod a+x server_application/Linux_DeepMatrixIP9Server.sh
chmod a+x client_application/Linux_Client/*.sh
(4) Start the server (otherwise you also can use a public server somewhere else ...)
/opt/DeepMatrixIP9-v1_03/server_application/Linux_DeepMatrixIP9Server.sh &

You should see something like: 

........
MatrixD listening on /127.0.0.1:7744
9/8/10 5:10:28 PM main : MatrixD listening on /127.0.0.1:7744
(5) Run the client
/opt/DeepMatrixIP9-v1_03/client_application/Linux_Client/Local_Linux_Client.sh

Links

Deepmatrix.org
Research using (old) Deepmatrix
Articles of historical interest
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