How to Teleport and Navigate in Firestorm

Explore different regions in Alife Virtual World

Welcome to Alife Virtual World! This guide is your friendly introduction to getting around. We'll cover everything from your avatar's first steps to instantly teleporting across vast digital landscapes using the powerful Firestorm Viewer.

Prerequisites

Before we begin your journey, make sure you have the following ready. This will ensure a smooth and frustration-free experience.

• An Alife Virtual World Account: You'll need an avatar to explore with! If you haven't registered yet, you can sign up for free at alifevirtual.com.
• Firestorm Viewer Installed: Firestorm is the most popular and feature-rich viewer for OpenSim grids like Alife. Download it from the official site: www.firestormviewer.org.
• Alife Grid Configured: When you first open Firestorm, you need to tell it how to connect to Alife. At the login screen, select the Grid dropdown menu, click Grid Manager, and add a new grid with this address: grid.alifevirtual.com:8002. Then, select "Alife Virtual" from the grid list before logging in.
• Logged into Alife: For this guide, you should be logged in and standing in the Alife Welcome Hub or on your free island. New users can claim a FREE private island with 10,000 prims after registering by visiting their avatar page.

Mastering Movement: A Step-by-Step Guide

Getting around in a virtual world is a fundamental skill. We'll start with the basics of physical movement and then move on to the magic of teleportation.

Part 1: Basic Movement - Walking, Running, and Flying

These are your primary methods for moving around a single region or island.

1. Walking: The simplest way to move is using your keyboard.
   • Use the Arrow Keys (↑, ↓, ←, →) on your keyboard. ↑ moves you forward, ↓ moves you backward, and ←/→ turn your avatar left and right.
   • Alternatively, you can use the WASD keys, which is common for gamers. W (forward), S (backward), A (turn left), and D (turn right).
   Tip: Look at the bottom of your screen. You should see a small "Movement Controls" panel with arrow icons. You can also click these to move your avatar.
2. Running: To cover ground a bit faster, you can toggle running.
   • Press Ctrl+R on your keyboard to switch between walking and running.
   • You can also click the running man icon on the Movement Controls panel at the bottom of your screen to toggle running. You'll notice your avatar's animation changes to a jogging or running motion.
3. Flying: One of the best perks of a virtual world! Flying lets you soar over the landscape.
   • Start/Stop Flying: Press the Home key on your keyboard. You can also click the "Fly" button, which looks like a person with wings, on the Movement Controls panel.
   • Move Up/Down: While flying, use the Page Up (or E) key to gain altitude and the Page Down (or C) key to descend.
   • Use the standard arrow keys or WASD to fly forward, backward, and turn.
   Warning: Some landowners disable flying on their parcels to create a specific experience (like in a store or a maze). If you suddenly can't fly, this is likely the reason. You'll need to land and walk.

Part 2: Controlling Your Camera

Seeing where you're going is just as important as moving. Mastering the camera will give you a huge advantage.

• Orbit Camera: Hold down the Alt key, then click and drag your mouse. This will rotate your camera around your avatar (or whatever you last clicked on) without moving your avatar.
• Zoom Camera: Use your mouse's scroll wheel to zoom in and out. If you don't have one, hold Alt + Shift and use the ↑ and ↓ arrow keys.
• Pan Camera: Hold down Alt + Ctrl, then click and drag your mouse. This slides your camera view left, right, up, or down.
• Reset Camera: If you ever get your camera into a weird position and want to snap it back to the default view behind your avatar, just press the Esc key.

Part 3: Instant Travel - How to Teleport in Firestorm Viewer

Teleporting (often called "TP-ing") is how you travel instantly between different regions or islands. Here are the most common methods, from easiest to most advanced.

Method 1: Teleporting via the World Map

The World Map is your bird's-eye view of the entire Alife grid. It's perfect for exploring and finding new places.

1. Open the World Map: Click the "World Map" button on the bottom toolbar. It looks like a small globe. Alternatively, press the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+M.
2. Find Your Destination:
   • The map will open, showing regions as squares. Your current position is marked with a yellow arrow.
   • You can click and drag the map to pan around. Use your mouse scroll wheel to zoom in and out.
   • To find a specific region, type its name into the "Region Name" search box at the top of the map window and press Enter. For example, try searching for your own island's name or a public region like "Alife Welcome."
3. Initiate the Teleport:
   • Once you've found your destination on the map, simply double-click the exact spot on the land where you want to arrive.
   • Alternatively, you can single-click the location and then press the large "Teleport" button at the bottom of the map window.
4. Arrival: Your screen will briefly show a loading bar as the new location's assets are downloaded. After a few seconds, you will re-materialize at your destination!

Method 2: Teleporting via Search

The built-in Search function is great for discovering new places, events, and communities.

1. Open Search: Click the "Search" button (magnifying glass icon) on the bottom toolbar, or press Ctrl+F.
2. Search for Places: A new window will appear. Make sure the "Places" tab is selected on the left-hand side.
3. Enter Your Query: Type a keyword into the search bar, such as "beach," "club," "sandbox," or "shopping," and press the "Search" button.
4. Select and Teleport: Browse the list of results. When you find one that looks interesting, click on it to see more details. To go there, simply click the "Teleport" button.

Method 3: Teleporting with Landmarks (LMs)

A Landmark (LM) is like a browser bookmark for a virtual location. It's the best way to save your favorite spots.

1. Create a Landmark:
   • Stand at a location you want to save (like your free Alife island!).
   • Go to the top menu bar and select World > Create Landmark Here.
   • A new item will appear in the "Landmarks" folder of your inventory. You can rename it to something memorable.
2. Use a Landmark to Teleport:
   • Open your inventory by clicking the suitcase icon on the right-side toolbar or pressing Ctrl+I.
   • Find and open the "Landmarks" folder.
   • Double-click the landmark you wish to visit. A "Place Profile" window will pop up with information about the location.
   • Click the "Teleport" button in that window.

Method 4: Using "Hop" Links in Chat

People often share locations by pasting special links directly into the text chat. In OpenSim, these are often called "hop" links.

1. Find a Link: Someone might paste a link in chat that looks something like this: hop://grid.alifevirtual.com:8002/My%20Island/128/128/25.
2. Click the Link: In Firestorm, this text will automatically become a clickable link. Simply click on it.
3. Confirm Teleport: A small dialog box will appear asking if you want to teleport to the location. Click "Teleport" to confirm.

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

Sometimes things don't go as planned. Here are solutions to a few common navigation problems.

• "My teleport failed!"

  This usually means the region you are trying to visit is either offline, full of avatars, or set to private access. Try again in a few minutes. If it keeps failing, the region may be down for maintenance.

• "I'm stuck inside a wall or under the ground!"

  It happens! The easiest fix is to try flying straight up by holding the E or Page Up key. If that doesn't work, just teleport out. Use a landmark to your home or a public sandbox to escape.

• "My screen is blurry and nothing is loading after a teleport."

  This is often called "rez sickness" and means the viewer is struggling to download and display all the objects and textures. Be patient for 30-60 seconds. If you're still stuck, try teleporting home or relogging (quit Firestorm with Ctrl+Q and log back in).

• "I can't move at all!"

  You might be "frozen" by a security system or an object. Look for a "Release" or "Unfreeze" button on your screen. If you see nothing, the best solution is to teleport away to a safe location like your home island.

Tips & Best Practices for Smooth Navigation

• Set Your Home Location: Go to your favorite spot (we recommend your free Alife island!). In the top menu, navigate to World > Set Home to Here. Now, you can always get back instantly by selecting World > Teleport Home. This is your ultimate escape button!
• Organize Your Landmarks: As you collect landmarks, your folder can get messy. Inside your Inventory's Landmarks folder, you can create new sub-folders (right-click > New Folder) to organize them by category, like "Shopping," "Friends' Homes," and "Social Spots."
• Use the Mini-Map: Press Ctrl+Shift+M to toggle a small, radar-like map on your screen. It shows nearby avatars (green dots), your location, and the terrain around you. It's incredibly useful for seeing who is nearby without opening the full World Map.
• Faster Teleporting: You can set up Firestorm to teleport you instantly when you double-click the ground on the World Map. Go to Avatar > Preferences > Move & View, and on the Movement tab, check the box for "Double-click on land to teleport."

Conclusion: Your Journey Begins

Congratulations! You are now equipped with the essential skills to navigate the vast and exciting Alife Virtual World. You can walk, run, fly, and—most importantly—teleport anywhere you wish. This newfound freedom is the key to unlocking endless adventures.

Now that you know how to teleport in the Firestorm viewer, what's next?

• Explore the Alife Welcome Hub and other public regions to meet new people.
• Teleport to your free island and start thinking about what you want to build.
• Keep an eye out for our next guides, where we'll cover topics like customizing your avatar and the basics of building!