Welcome to Spatial Explorer
Getting started
After installing the plug-in the bar can be turned on and of by selecting the spaceexplorer toolbar in the menu view/toolbar.
Step 1: Press the option button to check the options are okay and specify the properties of your new display.
Step 2: Press Start
This shows the number of displays currently available in the ensemble
This refreshes the system and removes old displays that are no longer available. You might also need to press refresh if you have changed the capabilities or name of your display.
This button allows you to send content to other displays. You can e.g. open a page on one or more displays.
Starts the SpaceExplorer plug-in. Please check your setting before starting. If you use tab browsing the space explorer is only started in the current selected tab. Closing the tab will close the SpaceExplorer application.
Allows you to configure the plug-in. You can specify the name of your display, its capabilities, change the port and address and start a mobile gateway. Please check that the port you specify is allowed for communication in your firewall or turn the firewall off when testing the plug-in.
Shows this help page
Collaborate
The easiest way to collaborate is to send web pages between the displays. Select the button [Collaborate] and type in the url to send and select one or more displays which should receive this web page. E.g. a presenter can send the currently showing web pages to all browsers for futher inspection or bookmarking.
Another way to collaborate is to hold down the [Ctrl] and [Alt] key and click on a link. A popup will show where you can select which display this link should open at.
Browsing multi-display web pages
Capabilities: Each display can specify a list of capabilities e.g. sound=30, display2=40 etc. There is currently no taxonomy and no max or min value.
The designer of a web page can specify that a web page should open on e.g. the display with the highest score on for instance video and sound. Or that when opening one web page additional content should be presented on the display with e.g. the highest score in the capabilities called display2.
If you want to change your capabilities you can do it in the option dialog and then you might need to press the refresh button.
The following demos are available. The demos uses 2-4 displays and the displays need to have the capabilities listed in the third row. E.g. for demo 1 you need one display to open the page and a display with the capability "display2=20" and a display with the capability "display3=30".
| Demo 1: Travel + Google Maps |
3 displays |
(cap:display2, display3) | Combines google maps with images, used cross-display javascript |
| Demo 2: Music + Myspace |
2 displays | (cap:sound) | Sends myspace pages to the devices with the best sound |
| Demo 3: SpaceExplorer Presentation |
2 displays | (cap:presentation) | Remote control a presentation |
| Demo 4: Travel on multiple displays |
3 displays | (cap:display2, display3) | Open additional travel photos on secondary displays |
| Demo 5: Open on multiple displays |
4 displays | (cap:display2, display3, display4) | Open pictures on multiple displays |
| Demo 6: RealEstate |
4 displays | (cap: presentation, display2, display3) | Shows images from a real esate company on multiple displays |
| Demo 7: SpaceFlickr |
3 displays | (cap: next, prev) | Collects your public Flickr pictures and shows them on several displays |
Creating multi-display web pages
It is really easy to create your own web pages using only css styles and javascript. Follow this guide or check the "view source" from the demos above.