DigitalSpace Traveler 2.03 FAQ (frequently asked questions)


Please note that this FAQ is a bit outdated but still contains some useful information. For more up-to-date information visit our pages on DigitalSpace Traveler 2.03 documentation

Installation / Startup
  1. Can I run the product on a fast 486 platform or on a Macintosh?

  2. What operating systems does Traveler 2.0 support?

  3. Will the new Traveler 2.0 VRML spaces support the .sds space format used in previous versions of Traveler?

  4. Why doesn't Traveler start?


  5. What do the red lips on the task bar mean? What does the DigitalSpace icon in a box on the task bar mean?

  6. I double click on the Traveler icon but nothing happens. There is an DigitalSpace icon in a box on my task bar though. What do I do?

  7. When I launch Traveler I don't see a choice of Avatar heads from which to choose. What am I doing wrong?

  8. At launch I get an error telling me the sound system failed to load. What should I do?

  9. I get errors connecting to Utopia like, "Cannot connect to community". Why?

  10. What version of the WINSOCK.DLL does Traveler support?

  11. How come everytime I launch Traveler, I get a message asking me what application I want to open the URL file with?

  12. When I start Traveler, I get a message about a missing file, OLSDK2.DLL. How can I get this file?

    13. Dial-Up / Network Settings

  13. My Internet connection is behind a firewall. Will the DigitalSpace Traveler work?

  14. I can connect with Traveler to your Utopia site using my PPP account. However, when I attempt to use my SLIP account, I am unsuccessful. What is happening?

  15. I have America Online (AOL) as my internet provider. Can I use that with Traveler?

  16. I have Prodigy as my internet provider. Can I use that with Traveler?

    17. Sound

  17. I can't hear anything. No one seems to hear me. What do I do?

  18. Sometimes I hear an echo. Is there anything I can do about this?

  19. Is there any way to improve the sound quality?

  20. Why do I hear lots of gaps in the sound when talking to other users? Why do other people hear break-up when I talk to them?

  21. How do I know I'm in Push-to-Talk mode?

  22. I can hear other avatars, but they seem to be having problems hearing me. What could be the problem?

  23. I am having various problems with the Traveler application including "invalid page fault" errors. What could be the problem?

  24. I have just launched Traveler and everything seems to be working fine, but I don't hear anything. What is the problem?

  25. I have an MWave sound card, and can't seem to get Traveler to work with it. Is it something that I am configuring incorrectly?

  26. I have an ESS1788 audio chip in my Compaq Presario. Does the Traveler application work with this audio chip?

  27. I can't seem to use Real Audio and Traveler at the same time. Why?

    28. Traveler

  28. What is the current version of Traveler?

  29. How can I tell what version of Traveler I have?

  30. Where are the Technical Support people? I need help, and they don't seem to be around.

  31. How does window size affect performance? (What size is good?)

  32. How do I invoke the Traveler application to send mail, using various mail clients?

  33. Will Traveler run while other applications are running? Sometimes, my PC seems to hang when I am using Eudora's automatic mail notification.

  34. Can I get an Avatar to look like me?

  35. I've been moving around a lot and now I can't get oriented. When I move, I no longer seem to go back and forth or right to left. What should I do?

  36. I'm still in a Space with other Avatars, but they all seem inanimate - I can't hear anyone and no one seems to be moving anymore. What happened?

  37. I tried to go to another space, but after several minutes I still have the black screen with the flying rectangles. What's happening? Is there something I can do to make the transitions go faster?

  38. When I switch between Traveler and another application, or go into the Customize your Avatar option, the colors become corrupted. Is there a way to fix this?

  39. I have quit the Traveler application, and verified that the DigitalSpace Services Access Manager icon (the DigitalSpace icon in a box) is no longer in the task bar. However, when I double-click on the Traveler shortcut on my desktop, I get a dialog box with the following error message:  "Traveler is already running." What should I do?

  40. How can I have a private conversation with someone?

  41. Does Traveler 2.0 let me send a text message to someone?

  42. I tried to join an existing user space, but I received an Error 1033 when I attempted to join. What am I doing wrong?

    43. Crashes

  43. Traveler crashed. What do I do?

Installation / Startup

  1. Can I run the product on a fast 486 platform or on a Macintosh?


    2. No. Our product architecture is platform specific and requires a Pentium class or better computer.
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  2. What operating systems does Traveler 2.0 support?

    Traveler works with both Windows 9x and Windows NT 4.0.
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  3. Will the new Traveler 2.0 VRML spaces support the .sds space format used in previous versions of Traveler?

    Yes, you can use Traveler 2.0 to move between the new VRML 1.0 supported spaces, as well as the old .sds spaces. Users of Traveler 1.01 will not be able to move into the VRML 1.0 spaces, however, until they install the new Traveler 2.0.
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  4. Why doesn't Traveler start?

    Make sure you are connected to the Internet before running Traveler. First, make sure Traveler is completely shut down by clicking with your right mouse button on the Traveler icon in the task bar and selecting "Close". Then, after connecting to the Internet, double click the Traveler icon (shortcut) on the desktop. This should bring up your default browser and the 3D Traveler 2.0 Sites HTML Page. Pick a 3D site to join. Next, the "Go DigitalSpace" window showing your avatar will come up. Single click the "Go DigitalSpace" button to bring up the Traveler window. Double check Connection type in Options under the View menu. It should be set to your connection type. If you change the setting, you will have to shut down the Traveler application completely and restart the computer.
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  5. What do the red lips on the task bar mean? What does the DigitalSpace icon in a box on the task bar mean?

    The red lips on the task bar indicate you are talking. The lips should not appear on the task bar when you are not speaking; instead you will see a speaker icon indicating the Traveler is up and running. If you see an DigitalSpace icon in a box in the task bar, this means the DigitalSpace Services Access Manager portion of Traveler is up and running but you are not connected to an DigitalSpace site.
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  6. I double click on the Traveler icon but nothing happens. There is an DigitalSpace icon in a box on my task bar though. What do I do?

    Use Ctrl-Atl-Delete to view all of the programs currently loaded on your workstation. Individually, highlight each occasion of the Traveler and click on the "End Task" button. As well, highlight the Olsrvc program (which is represented by the DigitalSpace icon in your task bar) and click on the "End Task" button. Close the "Close Program" window and double-click on your DigitalSpace Traveler shortcut located on your desktop. If Traveler continues to fail, close all open applications and reboot your system.
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  7. When I launch Traveler I don't see a choice of Avatar heads from which to choose. What am I doing wrong?

    If you do not see a rotating Avatar head when you first launch Traveler, this probably means you are not connected to an DigitalSpace site. If you are using a modem and dialing to your local ISP, verify the connection is still active. If you are on a LAN, verify that you are not behind a firewall with your IS department.
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  8. At launch I get an error telling me that the sound system failed to load. What should I do?

    This error message can appear for many reasons. Try the following steps, in order, until you are successful at launching Traveler:

    • Connect to your Internet Service Provider prior to launching Traveler.

    • Launch the DigitalSpace Services Access Manager, which by default, has the following path:
      C:\Windows\System\Olsrvc.exe

    • Once Olsrvc.exe is loaded, double-click on your DigitalSpace Traveler shortcut located on your desktop or from the Traveler.exe file.

    • Close all open applications and reboot your system. You may need to reboot twice, without attempting to launch the Traveler application, to clean up the sound system problem completely.
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  9. I get errors connecting like, "Cannot connect to community." Why?

    You may be experiencing some Internet problems.

    If you experience continual packet loss and other connection problems, it may be a good idea to contact your Internet Service Provider for more information.

    Another possible problem could be that the community is down. We occasionally need to bring the servers down for short periods of time. If you try to connect while our server is down, you will get this error. Please wait a few minutes and try again.
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  10. What version of the WINSOCK.DLL does Traveler support?

    The WINSOCK.DLL provides the necessary TCP/IP networking environment under Windows. TCP/IP, (Tranmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), is the data transfer method used by the World Wide Web and the Internet.

    There are many different versions of WINSOCK.DLL. Even though they all follow the same TCP/IP standard, they each have different features. Although the Traveler may work with several of these different versions, the only versions that are currently supported is Microsoft's standard WINSOCK.DLL for Windows 9x or Windows NT. Users need to install the Microsoft WINSOCK.DLL that came with their operating system.
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  11. How come everytime I launch Traveler, I get a message asking me what application I want to open the URL file with?

    If you don't have a default browser setup in your system, this message will appear. Traveler is trying to launch the DigitalSpace Traveler Sites web page so you can specify which community you want to join. Select a browser application (eg. Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer) to open the HTML page. On the page, you will see a list of the active Communities and the current users in them.
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  12. When I start Traveler, I get a message about a missing file, OLSDK2.DLL. How can I get this file?

    If this file did not get properly installed, please insert OLSDK2.DLL in your C:\windows\system directory, and restart Traveler.
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Dial-Up / Network Settings

  1. My Internet connection is behind a firewall. Will the DigitalSpace Traveler work?

    The DigitalSpace Traveler application requires a clear path for outgoing and incomming packets of TCP and UDP ports 3060 and 3061. Most firewalls are configured to allow this, although it is possible that your ISP or Network Administrator restricts these ports. If you are having problems connecting to an DigitalSpace server, contact your Network Administrator to find out if those ports are open.
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  2. I can connect with Traveler to your Utopia site using my PPP account. However, when I attempt to use my SLIP account, I am unsuccessful. What is happening?

    We only support PPP connections. SLIP is currently not a supported protocol.
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  3. I have America Online (AOL) as my Internet Provider. Can I use that with Traveler?

    Yes, you can as long as you are using the new version of AOL for the Win9x platform. If you already have the version 3.0 or better for Windows, all you need to do is download and install the Win95 version. Use the keyword "get95".
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  4. I have Prodigy as my Internet Provider. Can I use that with Traveler?

    Yes, you can as long as you are using Prodigy's new version, Prodigy Internet for Win9x and not Prodigy Classic.

    Please note however, that with some carriers, the sound quality may not be as high as with others.
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Sound

  1. I can't hear anything. No one seems to hear me. What do I do?

    There are several reasons why this may be happening.

    You may need to speak, before you can hear any sound. Sometimes, it is necessary to speak first in order to activate your speakers. If you are in push-to-talk mode, you will need to press the <Ctrl> key on your keyboard in order to speak. As well, if audio stops working within a Traveler session, try reactivating your microphone by holding down the <Ctrl> key again.

    Make sure that your workstations sound system is working. You can do this by running the Sound Recorder and recording/ playing back a recording when Traveler is not running.

    You might also try checking the "Use TCP/IP Networking" option in the Connection tab in Options under Traveler's view menu. Make sure to restart if you have to change this setting.

    Your Internet connection may be behind a firewall that restricts UDP packets.

    Choose Options from the Traveler's view menu to display the microphone and volume tabs. The easiest and most effective way to get these settings correct for your environment is to use the Microphone Training Wizard, under the microphone tab.
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  2. Sometimes I hear an echo. Is there anything I can do about this?

    An echo is created when other people in the space are using a full duplex sound driver, have an open microphone, and are using speakers rather than headphones. When you speak, the sound comes out of their speakers and back into their microphone, and therefore back into the Utopia space. Future releases of Traveler will include an echo cancellation feature to resolve this issue. To decrease the impact of this problem in this release, you have several options:

    • use a headset instead of speakers

    • use push to talk mode so the mic won't be open all the time

    • increase the Silence Threshold by selecting the Edit menu, then Options, then the Microphone tab and using the slider bar

    Other users in the space must be using one of these options to completely remove echo from the Utopia space.
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  3. Is there any way to improve the sound quality?

    Sound quality can be affected by how good your sound equipment is. Good speakers, microphone and headphones will improve your DigitalSpace experience as well as the experience of those you meet.

    You can also try increasing the number of sound buffers Traveler uses. To do this while in Traveler, click open the DigitalSpace Services Access Manager using the icon in the task bar. Increase the number of sound buffers to 500 and minimize the window. You may now return to your 3D community.
    [top]
  4. Why do I hear lots of gaps in the sound when talking to other users? Why do other people hear break-up when I talk to them?

    You or the person you are talking to may be connecting to a server over distant or poor communications lines. Even on high quality links some break-up should be expected.
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  5. How do I know I'm in Push-to-Talk mode?

    When you are in Push-to-Talk mode and not speaking, the Microphone Signal Level (VU) meter in the Traveler toolbar is grey. When the <Ctrl> key is held down, the Microphone Signal Level (VU) meter turns into a multi-colored meter and voice is transmitted; when the <Ctrl>key is up, the meter is greyed-out and you are in listen mode. To change this mode at anytime, select the Edit/Settings menu. Select the Microphone tab. Check or uncheck the "Push To Talk" check box.  Then, press the "OK" button.
    [top]
  6. I can hear other avatars, but they seem to be having problems hearing me. What could be the problem?

    You may be in Push-To-Talk mode.
    [top]
  7. I am having various problems with the Traveler application including "invalid page fault" errors. What could be the problem?

    Currently the Traveler application works best with Creative Labs SoundBlaster 16 and fully compatible boards. If you do not have one of these boards, please verify with the vendor of your sound board that it is a 16 bit board and you have installed the Win9x drivers. If you must install a new driver (or new sound board) be sure to run the "Add New Hardware" program from within the Control Panel of Win9x.

    If your sound board is not a SoundBlaster 16 or AWE32, it may still work in half duplex mode. This means you will be running in "push to talk" mode and will not be able to hear other avatars speak when you are speaking.

    The Traveler application will not work with 8 bit sound boards.
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  8. I have just launched Traveler and everything seems to be working fine, but I don't hear anything. What is the problem?

    Some sound boards and drivers that only support half-duplex will start the Traveler application in "Push to Listen" mode. This means that you are not hearing any sound because your mic is open and you need to press the <Ctrl> key to hear sound. This can be reversed by selecting the Edit/Options menu. Check the "Push To Talk" check box.  Then, press the "OK" button. You will then be in "Push to Talk" mode. This means that you will hear sound, but you will have to press the <Ctrl> key to talk. If you have a Sound Blaster 16 or AWE32 card, you can run in full duplex by installing the latest drivers from Creative Labs.
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  9. I have an MWave sound card, and can't seem to get Traveler to work with it. Is it something that I am configuring incorrectly?

    We currently do not support the MWAVE sound card. We hope to have support for this in a future release.
    [top]

  10. I have an ESS1788 audio chip in my Compaq Presario. Does the Traveler application work with this audio chip?

    Yes, it does work with the Traveler application. It may be necessary to adjust your settings to match the following Multimedia Control Panel settings and the Compaq Advanced Audio Control Panel, respectively:

    [Multimedia Control Panel Settings]

    [Compaq Advanced Audio Control]

    As well, it is recommended that you edit the SYSTEM.INI file, which is located in your Windows directory. You need to comment out a line. (By making this change to the SYSTEM.INI file, the Compaq telephone system will be disabled. You will need to revert to the original configuration in order to re-enable this function.) To make this change, edit the line that reads:

    wave1=c:\windows\mediaplt\tamaudio.drv

    to be:

    ;wave1=c:\windows\mediaplt\tamaudio.drv

    Please note that this configuration does not support Full Duplex mode with the Traveler application.
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  11. I can't seem to use Real Audio and Traveler at the same time. Why?

    Real Audio and Traveler cannot share the sound card. You must not use the two applications at the same time, and you will need to cleanly shut down one before using the other.
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Traveler
  1. What is the current version of Traveler?

    The current version of Traveler is 2.02.
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  2. How can I tell what version of Traveler I have?

    You can see what version of Traveler you are running by choosing "About Traveler" from the Help menu.
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  3. Where are the Technical Support people? I need help, and they don't seem to be around.

    Technical support can be reached via this DigitalSpace form.
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  4. How does window size effect performance? (What size is good?)

    Larger windows take more processing time to draw or refresh images. Smaller windows will produce smoother graphics. In general, slower computers will require smaller windows. Experiment with different windows sizes until you find an optimal size for your hardware setup. You can see how fast your rendering speed is by looking at the frames per second (FPS) in the bottom right corner of the Traveler window. 12-15 FPS is average.
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  5. How do I invoke the Traveler application to send mail, using various mail clients?

    When the DigitalSpace Traveler makes a mail request, it sends that request to the Windows Explorer. Windows Explorer then decides how to handle the request by looking at what program it has registered for the File Type of URL:MailTo Protocol. Some mail applications, such as Microsoft Exchange and the newer versions of Eudora, automatically register themselves. However, it may sometimes be necessary to manually register a mail client that you would like to use.

    Following are the necessary steps to register a mail program:

    • Double-click on My Computer.

    • Click on View, Options, then the File Types tab.

    • Scroll down until you reach URL:MailTo Protocol, and select it.

    • Click on Edit, and then Edit again.

    • In the "Application Used to Perform" dialog box, you will need to replace (or add) the appropriate command line listed below. Unless otherwise stated, all command lines are case-sensitive. The paths used in these examples are the default paths, so they may need to be modified to match your machine's configuration.

      • Eudora Pro: c:\eudora~1\eudora.exe /m

      • Eudora Light: c:\eudora\eudora.exe /m

      • Microsoft Exchange: rundll32.exe url.dll, MailToProtocolHandler

      • Netscape: c:\progra~1\netscape\naviga~1\program\netscape.exe

      • 16-bit Pegasus Mail (must be used with a version newer than v2.42a): c:\pmail\winpmail.exe -t

      • 32-bit Pegasus Mail (must be used with a version newer than v2.42a): c:\pmail\winpm-32.exe -t

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  6. Will Traveler run while other applications are running? Sometimes my machines seems to hang when I am using Eudora's automatic mail notification.

    Traveler is best used with a minimal number of other applications running. For stable performance, it is best to only use Traveler and your web browser.
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  7. Can I get an Avatar to look like me?

    It is possible, but DigitalSpace Technologies is unable to support that effort at this time.
    [top]
  8. I've been moving around a lot and now I can't get oriented. When I move, I no longer seem to go back and forth or right to left. What should I do?

    Pressing the "Home" key on your keyboard reorients you to a center position (0,0,0) from which you can navigate all axes.

    Pressing the "End" key on your keyboard reorients your horizontal axis.
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  9. I'm still in a Space with other Avatars, but they all seem inanimate - I can't hear anyone and no one seems to be moving anymore. What happened?

    Traveler may have been disconnected. Use the "Where are people in the community" option to see if any rooms and users are listed. If not, you have been disconnected. You must exit Traveler and restart. (See "Why doesn't Traveler start?" heading at the top of the page.)
    [top]
  10. I tried to go to another space, but after several minutes I still have the black screen with the flying rectangles. What's happening? Is there something I can do to make the transitions go faster?

    When you transition to a new space, your system needs to be updated with new art, music, sound effects, and so forth. Normally, these files are in your Cache. If the Traveler detects changes between what is on the server and what is in Cache (i.e., some files have been updated at the site), it downloads the new files. This process may take several minutes depending on the size and complexity of the files being downloaded and the speed of your connection.
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  11. When I switch between Traveler and another application, or go into the Customize your Avatar option, the colors become corrupted. Is there a way to fix this?

    This is a "side-effect" of the version of Reality Lab rendering technology that we are currently using. The distorted colors are the effect of two different applications trying to control the single set of colors that the video card will display. When you experience this problem, redrawing the screen you are viewing will usually resolve it. If you are in the Traveler window, shrink the window down and then reopen it to get the screen to refresh. If you are in the Customize your Avatar screen use the slide bars to complete rotate the head to refresh the screen.
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  12. I have quit the Traveler application, and verified that the DigitalSpace Services Access Manager icon (the DigitalSpace icon in a box) is no longer in the task bar. However, when I double-click on the Traveler shortcut on my desktop, I get a dialog box with the following error message:  "Traveler is already running." What should I do?

    Even though the Traveler application and the DigitalSpace Services Access Manager have both been ended correctly, it may take anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute for the applications to really shut down all of their processes. Either wait 30 seconds to a minute and try again, or press the Ctrl-Alt-Del keys to bring up the "Close Program" dialog box. From that dialog box, highlight any occasion of Traveler or Olsrvc and click on the "End Task" button.
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  13. How can I have a private conversation with someone?

    If you would like to have a private conversation with someone, you can create a private user space. To make a user space private, create the space like you normally would, but check the "Require a password to enter this space" option. (See "What Are User Spaces?" in the Traveler 2.0 User Guide) Make sure to tell the person or persons the password to your space. You can accomplish this by sending a text message to them.
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  14. Does Traveler 2.0 let me send a text message to someone?

    Yes, you can send a short text message to someone else who is in the same room as you. These messages are private and only between the two people who are sending and receiving them. (See "Text Message Button" in the Traveler 2.0 User Guide)
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  15. I tried to join an existing user space, but I received an Error 1033 when I attempted to join. What am I doing wrong?

    In order to join a user space that is already created, make sure that you type in the name with the correct case. As an example, if you would like to join a space called "My Room", typing in "my room" would cause the Error 1033 to occur - while typing in "My Room" would cause a successful join.
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Crashes

  1. Traveler crashed. What do I do?

    Contact technical support via this DigitalSpace form and let us know the error message that was reported and we will follow up from there.
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