Palace Viewer Screen image



Below you will find basic information about The Palace Viewer interface as well as screen prints of the The TPV screen and toolbar. We've included all the explanation you need to make your Palace Viewer visits go as smoothly as possible.


Please scroll down or choose a link below to get started.


Basic InformationThe Palace Viewer ScreenThe Palace Viewer Toolbar

 

Basic Information

 

When you connect to a Palace through TPV you will find one of two things. Depending upon how the Palace operator installed The Palace Viewer for their particular Palace you may find that the interface is either "floating" or that it is embedded in a new browser window.

If the TPV interface is in a floating window you can drag it to any position on your screen by clicking and holding on the top blue bar and dragging it to the position you prefer. If the interface is embedded in a browser window you will not be able to drag it but you will be able to scroll to position it as you like.

If your TPV screen is embedded, it's best to maximize your browser window as soon as it the new window pops up to allow room for the TPV screen. Even with the window maximized, you may still find that the actual viewing area of the interface is too large for your screen, making it difficult to see the entire room without scrolling throughout your visit.

If this is the case, you might try changing the resolution of your monitor. To change the resolution, right click on any blank area of your desktop (not on an icon). Choose properties and the "Display Properties" window will pop up. Click the "Settings" tab and look for the "Screen Area" slider bar. Sliding this bar to the right will decrease the amount of space that items need on your computer screen, making everything a bit smaller. Note the setting of the bar before you change it in case you find you want to return it to it's original position. A setting of 1024 by 768 works well for a 17" screen. Click the "OK" button and a window will pop up asking if you want to restart your computer at this time. It's best to restart, after changing the resolution, before entering a Palace.

[Up to TPV Screen Menu]

 

Palace Viewer Screenshot

 

Below you will find a screen print of the The TPV screen taken recently at Studio Dust Palace. Immediately following the screen print you will find explanations about each labeled area.

Please scroll down.




Rotating
Banner Ads

Ads for various Palaces, contests, and other links to web sites are shown here. They change every minute or so to advertise things that might be of interest to Palace users.

Clicking on the banner will open a new browser window to the targeted web site. It will most likely pop up in front of your TPV window. Simply minimize or close the window to return to Palace.

Palace Name
& Access
to Site Page

The name of the Palace you are currently visiting along with a link to the Palace Site Page for that Palace.

Clicking the link will open a new browser window to the page. If the page is opened in your current Palace window, simply hit your back button to return to the Palace.

Main View
Screen

The large rectangular area in the center of the TPV window. The picture represents the "room" you are currently in. As you move from room to room a new picture will be downloaded.

These pictures are automatically placed in your browser's cache and will remain there until the cache is cleared. As long as the picture is in your cache you can return to the room and see the picture immediately.

If you use your browser primarily for Palacing through TPV you might want to set your cache to clear less often. This will save a bit of time downloading room pictures on subsequent visits.

Back Button
Go to the previous room. This button also works between Palaces.

Chat Target
Selector

Clicking this button opens a popup menu that allows you to select who you would like to speak to. The default setting is "everyone". Unless you choose another target your message will be seen by everyone in the room.

This option is explained in detail in the "Talking at Palace" section of this TPV guide.

Balloon Type
Selector

Clicking this button opens a popup menu that allows you to select the type of balloon you would like to use. The choices include: talk (normal), shout, sign and thought. The default style is "talk".

This option is explained in detail in the "Talking at Palace" section of this TPV guide.

Status bar

This area displays your screen name and the room and palace occupancy.

At times you may also see a message in the status bar, telling you that a connection was refused, the server is down, etc. If you try to enter a room that is full you'll see a message stating this in the status bar.

Palace operators can also script messages to automatically show in the status bar.

Input Box

Type anything you want to say into the input box and hit the enter key on your keyboard. Your words will then appear beside your avatar.

If a cursor does not appear in the box, click anywhere inside it to activate the input box.

It's important to keep in mind that when you are typing in the Avatar Catalog window the input box is deactivated. Be sure to click in the input box before you begin typing what you want to say or you will change the name of your avatar.

Palace &
Room Name
The name of the Palace your are currently visiting along with the name of the room you are currently in.
Room
Occupancy
The total number of people in the room you are currently in.
Palace
Occupancy
The total number of people in the Palace you are currently visiting, including those in all rooms of that Palace.
Tool
Button
Clicking this button will open the toolbar. The toolbar is discussed further down on this page.
Forward
Button
Once you have used your "Back Button", this button will activate, allowing you to return to the room you were in before you reentered the previous room. This button also works between Palaces.
Direct links to
Palace Web
Site pages

These links open your browser window to the appropriate page on the main Palace web site.

They should open in a new browser window which you can close or minimize to return to Palace. If the windows open in your current window, simply use your back button to return to the Palace.

[Up to TPV Screen Menu]

 

Palace Viewer Toolbar

 

Below you will find a screen print of the The TPV toolbar. Immediately following the screen print you will find explanations about each icons with references to other sections of this TPV guide that will give further explanation.



horizontal/vertical control

Horizontal/Vertical Control

Changes the tool bar from horizontal to vertical so that you can drag it to whatever position you prefer on the screen.

Version info

Version Info

Clicking here will open a small window that tells you the version of the Palace Viewer, along with copyright and contact information.

Palace log

Log

Clicking this icon will open you log, a transcript of all that is said by everyone in the room throughout your visit.

For more information on using the log please see the "Talking at Palace" section of this guide.

Identity Icon

Identity

Click here to access the "Avatar Catalog". This window is where you will be saving and choosing your avatars and where you can change your screen name. There is also a button in the "Avatar Catalog" that accesses your Palace Profile Page, allowing you to change the information shown there.

You can find out all you need to know about Avatars in the "Palace Avatars" section of this guide. For more information about your Palace Profile Page, see the "Getting Started" section.

Sound Library

Sounds Library

A list of sounds available for you to use in the current Palace. Highlight and click "Play" or double click the sound name to play a sound.

You'll find more information about the sound library in the "Sounds & Music" section of this guide.

Rooms List

Rooms List

Click this icon to access a list of all the rooms in the current Palace. To go to a room, double click the room name.

See the "Moving at Palace" section of this site for more information on getting around at Palace.

User List

User List

Clicking this icon will open a list of all the people in the current Palace along with the name of the room they are in.

More information on the options in the User List can be found in the "Moving at Palace" and "Talking at Palace" sections of this guide.

Preference icon

Preferences

Open the Preferences window by clicking on this icon. Here you can set preferences for chat and log text such as font size, color, style and more.

For more information on setting preferences see the "Talking at Palace" and "Getting Started" sections of this guide.

Palace Directory Icon

Palace Directory Page

Opens a new browser window to the Directory on the Palace Web Site. The site directory is a listing of the Palaces in Palace Space. (Some private Palaces are not listed, this is a choice made by each Palace owner.) A short description of each Palace is also given.

Click on the TPV icon beside the description to go to the Palace you choose.

More information on using and searching the Palace Directory is available in the "Moving at Palace" section of this site.

Palace Site Page Icon

Palace Site Page

Opens the Palace Site Page for the current Palace in a new browser window. The site page will give you information such as the name of the Palace owner, the hours of operation, the primary language used at the Palace and the URL of the Palace's web site if one is available.

Help Icon

Help

Opens a help window giving a few answers to frequently asked questions about The Palace Viewer.

To close any of the windows opened by clicking on these icons,
simply click the "x" in the upper right corner of the window.

[Up to TPV Screen Menu]

 

We'll see you at Palace

 

Please click on a link below to continue.

 

 

*** NOTE ***

The Palace Viewer is no longer supported by communities.com
In order to visit Palace through your browser at this time you will need to use Instant Palace, a very similar program. You are welcome to browse through this site, as much of the information on TPV is applicable to Instant Palace. For more information please visit the
INSTANT PALACE USER's GUIDE.

OR

If you prefer to go straight to Studio Dust Palace, using
Instant Palace, please click on the button below.


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