Downloading and Installing Qwaq Forums
Downloading and Installing Qwaq Forums
Qwaq Forums is a highly collaborative 3D environment. To run it you will need:
- A broadband connection to the Internet
- Windows XP or Vista or Mac OS X (Intel CPU)
- 1 GB RAM recommended
- 100 MB disk space
- A graphics card with Open GL support
- A headset with microphone and earphones
- A close up picture of yourself
Getting and setting up the Qwaq Forums Client
To get the client go to:
The site will automatically begin to download the Qwaq Forums Client (in Windows you may have to right click in your browser to permit the download). Choose Run to install the Qwaq client and accept the defaults by clicking Next all the way through.
Logging into our Forum
Now you can start the Qwaq Forums client. A login screen will appear. Click on the Options button. The login screen will expand and have space in it for four pieces of information. (This should be the only time you need to click on the Options menu. After this first time you can simply login with your username and password. Please don’t save your password unless you are on a computer that is used only by you.)
Username: Your username is your ASU email address.
Password: You should have received an email with your username and password.
Organization: You can leave this empty
Server: There is a plus button next to this box. Click on it and put in:
qwaq.rcoe.appstate.edu
Click on the Login button.
Another screen will come up that lists the forums available to you. Click on The Commons but before you login, right click on The Commons and indicate you would like it to be a favorite. This will assure that The Commons is always on the top of the list. Our preference is that you always login to The Commons in the future.
But, this time (your first login), don’t log in to The Commons. Instead, select Orientation Station. This area will take you through a number of features of Qwaq Forums and guide you through how to use some of those features.
After some download time you will enter the forum.
Customizing and using Qwaq Forums
One of the first things you should do is change your password. You can do that by clicking on the Extras menu and choosing Change Password.
The items listed below (and many more) are covered in Orientation Station if you wish to wait before doing them.
You can now also set some preferences:
Click on the Tools menu and select My Avatar. Here you can choose a shape (We are asking that you use the simple shape for now) and you can display two images; one on the head of your avatar (simple shape) and one on the body. Put a picture of yourself on the head and choose something else as the badge (on the body).
Click on the Tools menu and select Preferences. There are two tabs on this dialog. Under Public Profile you can choose the name that is displayed with your avatar. Please use your first and last names (spaces are allowed). You can also choose your avatar color and put in information you wish to share with other Qwaq Forum users. Please put your program and cohort. Also, put in the email address you would like others to see. You don’t need to use your ASU email address. Putting another address here will not change your username (ASU email address).
The second tab is Preferences. The only thing you want to make a decision about there is what view you would like to use. I use first person but you can choose one of the others that allows you to see your avatar if you like.
On the lower left hand side of the Qwaq Forums window are some icons. We will discuss them at another time. The only one you need to be concerned with now is the one that looks like a microphone. If you put your mouse pointer over it and hold down the left mouse button you will see the options you have for your microphone. I use Push-to-Talk (holding down the CTRL key to open my microphone) but you can also have your microphone on all the time (if you aren’t using a head set this is a bad idea since you will get feedback).
To use Text Chat make sure the chat window is open (if it isn’t go to the Tools menu and click on Text Chat), click in the small empty rectangle at the bottom of the chat window and press Enter (or Return) to send the message.
To move around you can use the arrow keys on your keyboard. The up arrow moves you forward, the down arrow move you back and the right and left arrow turn you in those directions.
To leave Qwaq forums click on the File menu and choose Exit.
The Qwaq Forums help menu is quite good so it will be worth looking at it.
We are now ready to explore the capabilities of Qwaq Forums.
Note:Qwaq Forums requires that users entering the same forum have the same version of the Client. We will try to keep you informed of updates but you should try to check for updates on your own.