EVE is a platform created to support 3d Networked Virtual Environments (NVEs). A user can enter a 3-dimensional virtual world, interact with the objects in the environment and communicate and cooperate with other users. The platform can be used to support Educational Virtual Environments and Educational Communities, Collaborative Design, as well as any other application related to multiuser virtual worlds.

Some of the features offered by the platform are:

• 3D user representation by articulated, human-like avatars
• Avatar gestures to express feelings and actions
• Manipulation of users:
• Groups and roles support
• Expel participants
• Breakout rooms
• Very easy and complete sharing of any object or behaviour in the virtual world
• Manipulation of shared objects: Lock/unlock a shared object
• 3D Spatial audio
• Text chat (with bubble representation in the virtual world)
• The classroom in the prototype offers a 3D Presentation table with the following functionality:
• 3D Whiteboard/slide Presenter
• Brainstorming board
• Streaming video presenter
• Drag and Drop educational content into presentation table
• Collaborative Design support that features:
• 2D Overview of the virtual world for object positioning
• Custom objects support

Collaborative Design Interface

This platform is constantly upgraded. Some of the already implemented features of the next version of the platform include:

• World partitioning and progressive downloading
• 3D data streaming
• 3D mesh compression
• Extensive level-of-detail support

You can explore EVE' s functionality in our demo video [35 Mb - DivX 5.1.1]. An older demo can be found here. In order to watch it, please download Real Player

At this time the first prototype of the EVE platform has been released. 

We have implemented a sample 3D training area for demonstration and testing reasons. 

Before visiting the prototype:

Before proceeding to the prototype please follow the following steps:

1. Make sure that you use Internet Explorer 6 or above, or Mozilla Firefox 2 or above
2. Make sure that Java Runtime Enviroment 6 (JRE 6). Download it here
3. Download and install xj3d


4. Copy the jar files that are in <xj3d_inst_dir>/jars to <java_inst_dir>/lib/ext where <xj3d_inst_dir> is the installation directory of xj3d (for example C:\Program Files\xj3d) and <java_inst_dir> in the installation directory of JRE 6 (for example C:\Program Files\java\jre 1.6.0)
5. Copy the dll files that are in <xj3d_inst_dir>/bin to <java_inst_dir>/bin
6. Make the site "http://ouranos.ceid.upatras.gr/vr" trusted [more info]
7. Enable Internet Explorer to run java applets on the trusted sites [more info]
8. Append this text to the end of <java_inst_dir> /lib/security/java.policy

»  Go to prototype I

For a detailed presentation of EVE platform, our work on Collaborative Virtual Environments and e-learning platforms, please see the publications available in the web site of Research Unit 6.

The members of our team are:

• Dr Christos Bouras (Associate Professor) [home page]
• Dr Thrasyvoulos Tsiatsos (PhD, M.Sc., R&D Computer Engineer) [home page]
• Eri Giannaka (M.Sc., R&D Computer Engineer, Postgraduate Student)
• Vassilios Triglianos (Postgraduate Student)

Old members

• Alexandros Panagopoulos 
• Dimitris Psaltoulis 
• Christos Psaroudis 

We are willing to get your feedback in order to improve our prototype and to implement more features.

Please contact: 

• Dr Christos Bouras  
• Dr Thrasyvoulos Tsiatsos