Virtual Casino

The casino application is an example using the behavior server, the NetIv viewer and parts of the 'Studierstube' project. It consists of some java classes which must be uploaded to the behavior server and some inventor files defining a roulette, a roulette table and other things.

The virtual casino is:

• a VR application using tracked HMDs, Pens, PIPs
• a distributed application using TCP, UDP and IP multicast
• a multi-user environment
• a system which provides online authoring

How to start the Virtual Casino

• Turn on the tracker server

• Login on knieriem and marille. Start the following script file either on knieriem or marille. Type in ~sainitz/joint/casino/start [options]. If no options are specified, NetIv starts in normal window mode. If the option '-0', '-1', '-2', '-3' or a combination is specified NetIv starts in HMD mode using the HMDs with the specified numbers.

 
• To create an other player, perform to following steps:
• Select the BShell window and double click on 'Player'. A dialog for typing in the parameters of the new instance will appear.
• Type in e.g. "Batman 0 0 1 1 3" and click on "OK". This will create a player with name Batman, color blue, pen station 1 and PIP station 3".
• Start the instance by double clicking on it.

How to start the Virtual Casino (Java running on NT)

• Turn on the tracker server

• Start the NetIv viewer (on SGI)
• The viewer can load scenes locally from the actual directory on request.

So type in cd ~sainitz/joint/classmodels.
• Start the viewer by typing ~sainitz/joint/netiv/netiv [options]. If no options are specified NetIv starts in normal window mode. If the option '-0', '-1', '-2', '-3' or a combination is specified NetIv starts in HMD mode using the HMDs with the specified numbers.
• The viewer is now listening for incoming UDP packets on port 3000 (can be changed with a command line option).

• Start the Behavior Server (on NT)
• Open a new shell.
• Map a network drive to the SGIs via 'Samba' e.g. type in net use s: \\knieriem\people.
• Make sure that the java CLASSPATH environment variable includes the behavior server packages. Type set CLASSPATH=s:\sainitz\joint;. where s is your mapped network drive connected to the SGIs. The dot at the end is important. Now the java packages 'behavior', 'iv', 'bshell' and 'common' are accessible.
• Start the behavior server by typing java behavior.Server 2000. The server is now listening for TCP connections on port 2000 .

• Upload and start the casino application (on NT)
• Open a new shell adn set the CLASSPATH as above.
• The easiest way to upload and start the application is to use the BShell. The BShell is a graphical client for the behavior server and it supports script files.
• The clients of the behavior server are using the directories defined in the CLASSPATH environment variable for searching for class files to upload. The dot in the CLASSPATH definition above indicates the current directory. So type in s: and cd \sainitz\joint\casino
• Edit the 'casino.bss' script file Make sure that the 'Server' node contains the host and port where the behavior server is listening. Make sure that the static class parameters of the iv.IvBehavior class contain the host and port where the NetIv viewer is listening.
• Start the BShell by typing java bshell.BShell casino.bss. Now the complete casino application will be uploaded, initialized and started. The script file creates one instance of the Player class with the following parameters: 'Bond 1 1 0 0 2'. This means the name of the player is Bond, the color of his jetons is yellow (rgb 1 1 0), the players pen uses tracker station 0 the players PIP uses tracker station 2. The PIP is used to show the jetons of the player.
 

Playing the Game

Use the pen to make your bets.

Use your pen to run the roulette.

Watch your bets, your PIP and the bank.

Try to blow up the bank. The bank is unfair because there is no house limit even when the bank has not enough money.

Overview

The 'TrakEngine' inventor object of the 'Studierstube' project is used to track the HMDs, Pens and PIPs (PIP means Personal Interaction Panel and is simply a board).

The positions and button states of the pens are needed by java classes at the behavior server. Therefore a java class called 'MulticastTracker' receives the multicast packets and provides the information to the other classes.

The virtual casino is implemented as a set of java classes:

Behavior Classes

RouletteTable

This class maintains the stakes, the bank and the profits. It can be treated as a server.

Roulette

Handles the roulette, simulates the ball, controls the table.

MulticastTracker

Receives IP multicast packets from the tracker server and provides the information to other classes.

Player

The Player handles the pen and the PIP, it can make bets, run the roulette and get profits. The class maintains references to the instances of RouletteTable, Roulette and MulticastTracker

iv.IvBehavior

The classes RouletteTable, Roulette and Player are derived from this class. It provides functionality for communicating with the NetIv viewer, it implements the necessary protocol and provides a high level interface for manipulation the inventor tree in NetIv.

Assistant Classes

Coord

Used to store a 3D position.

Stake

Represents a stake on the table. This includes the type e.g. rouge, the position, the owner and other things.

JetonStack

Represent a stack of jetons, used for the stacks on the table, the bank and the stacks on the PIP of the player.

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Related Topics

• Behavior Server
• BShell
• NetIv