The Preferences dialog box contains startup and general settings for Virtual Places.

General:

Enter room automatically when I launch Virtual Places or navigate

When selected (default), it enters your presence into the room automatically as you navigate from room to room. If deselected, your presence is an observer; when you navigate to a new room, you must enter the room to participate. Note that if you are a passenger on a tour, you will enter the room even if this option is not selected. This prevents you from &quotfalling off" of the tour.

Display IMs when they first appear in the Chat Pane

When selected, Instant Messages, once answered by the recipient, are displayed in the Chat Pane, rather than in a standalone window.

Load Virtual Places graphics automatically

When selected (default), the avatars of people in the room are automatically loaded. If deselected, the avatars are not loaded from the Virtual Places Server, and you must select Retrieve Picture from the shortcut menu on someone else's presence.

Play gesture sounds

Determines whether you want to hear accompanying sounds for gestures. Sound is not available for default gestures.

Enable sending and accepting of files

Allows you to send and accept avatars, gestures, and other files.

Duration of Balloon Text

Determines how long the display of chat text is displayed in the Web browser window. The options are: Short, Medium, and Long, where Short is four seconds, Medium is six seconds, and Long is eight seconds.

Show me nnn observers in the People List 

Determines the number of observers displayed in the People Pane, where nnn is the number of observers. The maximum number of observers allowed is 200.

Ignore all IMs 

Select to ignore all IMs and send the response message defined in the Response Message field.

Response Message

Message sent in response to an IM received when Virtual Places is set to ignore all Ims. The default message is: Not accepting IM at this time.

Default Community Server

The name of your default community server (for example, vps1.arena1.aol.com). When you open Virtual Places, it automatically connects to this community server.

Default Place

Initial URL displayed by the Web browser when Virtual Places is launched and when selecting the Go, Home option.

Directories:

Browse

Browses your file system for your Web browser executable file. 

Stock Avatar Gallery

The directory containing the Virtual Places supplied graphics for your avatar. The graphics in this directory are displayed in the Avatar Gallery when you select stock when changing your avatar picture. The default is C:\VPlaces\Exts\Gallery. 

Personal Avatar Gallery

The directory containing graphics for your avatar which you have added. The graphics in this directory are displayed in the Avatar Gallery when you select personal when changing your avatar picture. The default is C:\VPlaces\Exts\Gallery. 

Tour Vehicle Gallery

The directory containing the graphics for your tour. The graphics in this directory are displayed in the Tour Garage when you change a tour graphic. The default is C:\VPlaces\Exts\Tours. Feel free to add GIFs of your own to this directory.

Gesture Gallery

The directory containing your animated gesture files.

Community File Pathname

Your Virtual Places community list file name. This file contains the information you enter when you configure your community servers in the Community Servers dialog box.

Browse

Browses your file system for your community list file. 

Favorite Places List File

Your Virtual Places list file name. This file contains a list of your favorite Virtual Places as defined in the Places Directory dialog box.

Browse

Browses your file system for your Favorite Places List file. 

Buttons:

OK

Exits the Preferences dialog box, saving any changes.

Cancel

Exits the Preferences dialog box without saving any changes.