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Alice 3_1 FAQ

Page history last edited by Don Slater 8 years, 8 months ago

This page will continue to be updated. Any suggestions for questions to be included are welcome. Send your thoughts toSuggestions

  

 

 

Why an Alice Suite -- Alice 2.x and Alice 3.x?

 

When the development of Alice 3 was first begun, our thoughts were that Alice 3 would be a replacement for Alice 2. But that thinking has evolved as we have come to better recognize how and for what purposes people are using Alice. Like a Swiss army knife, Alice could be designed to do a lot of things, fairly well. However, a Swiss-army-knife-Alice would likely not do anything extremely well. As an analogy, MS Word could be used to generate acceptable presentations, but it would not serve this purpose as well as PowerPoint. They are different tools for different purposes. 

 

Most important to the Alice team, however, is that our user base requires the maintenance of both. The Alice Suite of tools supports at least two (in reality, many) uses and desired outcomes for the courses in which Alice is being used. At this time we see Alice 2.x and Alice 3.x as different tools for different audiences as defined by age groups, grade levels, and course outcomes/goals.

 

One of the greatest sustaining forces for maintaining an Alice Suite containing both Alice 2.x and Alice 3.x is the curricular resources that are available for Alice 2 while the curricular resources for Alice 3 are still "under construction." Alice 2 has multiple text books as well as instructor support materials at aliceprogramming.net . Also, a rich repository of K-12 instructional materials for Alice 2 have been created and stored at Duke University's Adventures with Alice site, maintained by Dr. Susan Rodger.  Other repositories of Alice 2 materials are also available. We do have some crossover work being done in model building. There has been a demand for new models for Alice 2, and the models being built there are being designed so that they can be brought into Alice 3.

 

Of course, the problem we now have is overcoming the common perception that software version numbering implies the second will supersede the first.  Perhaps it would be helpful to remember that Algebra 2 does not replace Algebra 1.

 

From a research and development perspective, Alice 2.x and Alice 3.x are supported by some of the same funding streams, but the Alice Project also different funding streams for both tools. Our responsibilities to those sources of funding require maintenance of both tools.In terms of our allocation of resources, we are devoting almost all of our resources to Alice 3.x. Alice 2 is primarily in support mode. We are supplying bug fixes, and providing limited feature development and implementation, responding primarily to strong demands from our user base. For example, our rapid growth around the world has spurred our work in developing a Spanish option of Alice 2.x. Incidentally, much of the labor-intensive work in developing the Spanish version, the relabeling of the gallery has been done on a volunteer basis, by our partners in Costa Rica and Argentina. Other languages will be forthcoming.

 

Alice 2.x will be with us for the foreseeable future. There may be a time when it is replaced by Alice 3. But realistically, when it is replaced, we image that there will be a preference setting that modifies the interface to better support the curricular goals of courses that use Aiice 2.

 

Is Alice 3 appropriate for younger learners?

 

  • We are still working on preference settings that allow Alice 3 to be used in an Alice 2 "mode." We are close, but we do not have it "nailed" yet, at least not to our satisfaction.
  • I implied above that Alice 3 could be used reasonably well in an Alice 2-style course. One important consideration, however, is that Alice 3 is aggressively object-oriented, where Alice 2 is object-based, which creates some user interface differences that are bit less friendly to younger learners. 
    • Particularly at the upper elementary and middle school levels, teacher's and students are more focused on introductory concepts than on object-oriented concepts.
    • Because Alice 2 is object-based, it can be used with much less attention to object-oriented concepts.
  • Alice 2 has a much richer and deeper collection of instructional resources than are currently available for Alice 3.1.

 

Can worlds / projects created in Alice 2.x or Alice 3.0 Beta  be imported into Alice 3.1 ff?

 

  • Alice 3.1 models are significantly restructured.
    • This restructuring includes a consistent internal skeletal and joint structure for each super class in the gallery (Biped, Quadruped, Flyer, Swimmer, Prop).  
    • The consistent internal structure allows for a class hierarchy needed for more faithful implementation of inheritance (an object-oriented concept) than does Alice 2. (Note that introductory students do not need this feature but more advanced student do.) 

 

  • The design of Alice 3 gallery models is joints-based (rather than subparts-based as used in Alice 2).
    • Creating animations using components of an object now involves manipulation of the joints of an object instead of the sub-parts of an object.
    • This may seem to be a subtle change, but it allows the use of a soft-skin for the models, creating more realistic animations when a component of a model is animated. For example, an object kicking its leg outward will no longer move outside its clothing, exposing a bare leg.  

 

  • This redesign of the gallery means that worlds created in Alice2.x, and worlds created in Alice 3.0 Beta , can not be imported into Alice 3.1.
  • The models are fundamentally different, and there is no conversion utility currently planned that would support such a conversion.

 

  • Part of this is also aesthetic. The Alice 3 environment models are richer and more complex than Alice 2 models. 

 

Can a user import their own 3D models (and if not is this feature in the works)?

 

  • We are creating a pathway in which people will be able to create their own 3D models that have been created using 3D modeling software tools. (Alice is not a tool for creating 3D models.)
  • The 3D models to be imported into Alice will be required to use internal skeletal structure and guidelines that we will provide.
  • The internal skeletal structure will be needed, to provide for consistency within the gallery hierarchy used in Alice 3.

 

How do I add / import a sound to be a part of a NetBeans version of an Alice project? 

 

This is not a trivial process, and students should try and have all their sound and image resources added to their Alice projects before importing these projects into NetBeans, as the solution will involve working with the underlying operating system, and possibly adding a new class file to the existing project.  

 

However, more advanced students should be able to complete the following steps.

 

 

  • Find the NetBeans version of the project directory on your system (see the image below). 

 

 

 

  • Find the src directory, If the project already has other sound files, you will find a resources directory. If it is not there, you will need to create the directory. Add the sound or image file to this directory.
  • Update the Resources.java file in NetBeans, (or create this class file in NetBeans it if it is not there) … Here is a directory containing a Resources.java class file for your reference or to be copied into the project. The code is fairly well templated, and the statement(s) create final, static object(s) linked to the resource / sound file in the resources directory. Modify / edit this file as necessary for your sound file.
  • Add the playAudio command to your project… The syntax for that line looks like:


this.playAudio(new AudioSource(Resources.spooky_mp3));

 

replace spooky_mp3 with the object reference you create in Resources.java

 

Are more models being created for Alice 3?

 

  • Yes, as fast as we can (unfortunately creating models takes time)…

 

We would like to deploy Alice 3  to our Windows Lab. Is there a .msi package for Alice 3?

 

 

  • Alice 3 uses the install4j system. When we contacted ej-technologies, the company that produces the install4j system, this is the response we received...

 

Thank you for your interest in install4j. Because of the different concepts of install4j and MSI installers, we currently don't plan to support the direct creation of MSI packages. 

If you really need MSI packages, you can still make use of a lot of install4j features like launcher creation and auto-updaters by creating a ZIP archive and add the content to an MSI wrapper installer generated with the free MSI compiler. 

If you need more information about that, you can contact support@ej-technologies.com.

 

  • Another possible solution is to use PDQ Deploy (freeware) to deploy Alice through command line by executing:  Alice3_windows-x64_3_3_0.exe –q

 

PDQ Deploy is available at http://www.adminarsenal.com/download/

 

Eventually users will have the ability to export projects to YouTube, will this be limited to non-interactive projects, like previous versions of Alice?

  •  Movies and videos are by their nature non-interactive.
  • The problem we are interested in solving is how to create executable .jar files so that students can create shareable interactive projects.
  • An Alice project is a Java project, so there certainly is a path that leads to this, but we have not yet had the resources available to explore that path, though it is "on the list" of possible expansions.

 

Will Alice 3 run on Windows 10?

  • We have installed and are running Alice 3 on a Windows 10 machine (a Dell "All in One" with wireless mouse and keyboard. Also, it has a touch screen). It is "alive and well" and working just fine in Windows 10.

 

  •  When Windows 10 was first released, it was sometimes necessary necessary to upgrade the video drivers of the machine, as card manufacturers caught up with the upgrade. That seems to be less of an issue now, but it is something to be aware of. 

 

  • If you are experiencing difficulties 
    • You may first try this: 
      • Run the installer program in Windows 7 compatibility mode (right click on the .exe installer file to open the menu and select "properties").  (Thank you to Jiaqi Liu for this tip).  
      • If you still have problems, we have followed (and recommend) these steps: 
      • Download the zipped file the universal zip for 3.1 to the desktop. 
      • Unzip on the desktop. 
      • Move the unzipped folder (containing all of Alice) to the Program Files (X86) folder on the C:\ drive. 
      • Create a shortcut on the desktop to Alice3.bat (for Alice 3.1). 
      • Click the shortcut to start Alice.

 

By way of explanation: Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 all have a strong malware protection scheme that resists installing non-standard software directly on the hard drive. The best way we have found to work within this protection scheme is to unzip the Alice download on the desktop and then move it to the hard drive.

 

    • If you are experiencing difficulties manipulating the models when setting up a Scene, you may need to update the video drivers of your machine. Use the drivers from the manufacturer of your video card, not the more generic Windows Update drivers. See the following link:

 

Updating Video Drivers

 

    • On Windows machines, when trying to install Alice, some have experienced a "java not found" error message, even after installing the latest Java JDK… You may need to set the Java class path variable on your system.

 

See the following link:

 

http://bharatsoft.blogspot.com/2010/08/setting-path-and-classpath-in-javahow.html

 

There is a difference between the Java JDK, which you need for Alice, and the Java JRE. Make sure that you have installed the JDK.

 

 

Will Alice 3 run on Linux?

  • We have installed and are running Alice 3.1 on a Linux Ubuntu system. We have not been able to test it on every Linux system, however.

 

  • To install Alice 3.1 for Linux:  
    • Download the Universal zip version of Alice 3.1,  by clicking on the Universal zip Installer link.
      • The Universal zip works on Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms.
      • The Universal zip automatically activates a download of the entire Alice 3.1 system. On broadband connections, this process typically takes 10 – 15 minutes, depending on the speed of the connection.
      • After the download has completed, install by unzipping the downloaded file using a compression software application such as WinZip or 7-zip. The Universal zip file should extract to a folder named Alice 3.
    • Open the unzipped Alice 3 folder to view a list of folders and files, as shown. Four start files are highlighted in the red box.

 

Start files in the Alice 3.1 Universal version

 

These start files are designed to start Alice 3.1 on the specific operating system (OS) as is appropriate. To start Alice 3.1, click on the appropriate start file for the OS installed on the computer system, as described here:

 

    • For Linux - NOTE: You will need to make these files executable on your system. You may be able to do this by right-clicking on the file. Otherwise, see your system administrator for information on how to do this on your system.
      • alice3.sh Starts Alice 3 for a Linux system, 32 bit
      • alice364bit.sh Starts Alice 3 for a Linux system, 64 bit
    • Alice3.bat Starts Alice 3 for a PC system (either 32 or 64 bit) 
    • Alice3Icon.ico Drag this icon to the dock. Then click the icon on the dock to start Alice 3 on a Mac OSX system (Leopard, Snow Leopard, Lion, or Mountain Lion). 

 

After we add objects to the scene, we can't click on the objects to access the rotation circles (or the translational arrows). We only can click on the ground, no matter where we click. 

 

You may need to update the video drivers of your machine. Use the drivers from the manufacturer of your video card, not the more generic Windows Update drivers. See the following link:

 

http://alice3.pbworks.com/w/page/54959364/Updating%20Video%20Drivers

 

You may be able to use modifier keys to manipulate the models <cntrl-click> to turn a model left and right, and <shift-click> to move an object up and down. Also the one-shot menu (right-click on an object and select procedures from the context menu) may also allow you to manipulate and set the object.

 

Some have found that after creating a new project, save it and close it. Re-open the project,  and everything can be moved and resized from then on.  

 

 

I have heard that there is a critical vulnerability in Java. What should I do?

 

On January 14, 2013, Microsoft released an out-of-band patch for a critical vulnerability in versions 6, 7, and 8 of Internet Explorer. Oracle has also released a patch for a critical vulnerability in Java. * All Windows PCs must be patched. *

    • To patch your PC:
      •  Click on the update icon on the taskbar. It is a globe or yellow shield with an exclamation point, depending on which version of Windows you're running.
      •  If you do not have such an icon, run Windows Update by going to the site:


http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com

 

      • After patching, you may need to reboot your PC in order for the patches to take effect.

 

    • Java update


NOTE: If you are using a web application or other software that requires a specific version of Java, you should NOT update the version of Java you are using.

 

    • If you do NOT need to use a specific version of Java, then you can visit:

 https://www.cmu.edu/iso/patch-check/

for information on updating your browser software. 

 

 

 

My students and I are running the same version of Alice 3.  I installed my in Oct and they installed it last month. Why are we seeing different available variable types: I have double and integer and they have wholenumber and decimal number?

 

It seems that you have different preference settings than your students…

 

It seems that your students have the Alice (default) language preference setting, and that you have the Java preference language setting…

Problem when trying to add/modify an event. Code keeps bombing with the “Please Submit Bug Report: Alice” screen popping up.


This appears to be a Java issue that is alleviated by dropping back to Java 6. Anyone having this issue need to not only uninstall Java you need to delete the Java folder as well prior to installing Java 6. But along with dropping back to Java 6 you also need to replace the JRE folder in the Alice3 folder with a copy of the Java 6 JRE folder.


 

Will Alice run on a Netbook?

 

  • On some, albeit very slowly and verging on the painful.  
  • We have taken strides to get Alice to run on netbooks, but the unfortunate fact is that the graphics capabilities are simply not up to snuff for delivering 3D content.  
  • With that said, as netbooks continue to improve and Alice gets more efficient, we expect performance to improve.

 

NOTE: The Intel Integrated chipset that is found on many notebook, netbook, and other machines has trouble trying to run Alice 3.x. Some higher-end Vista machines have also had difficulties. Decreasing hardware acceleration  or decreasing color resolution (from 32 bit to 16 bit) has sometimes been helpful. See the section on Video Requirements on the System Requirements page for video driver update information.

 

Will Alice run on my smartphone/tablet/portable device/gaming console?

 

No.

 

How much does Alice cost?

 

Alice is free.  You can download it, install it, teach with it, use it as part of a not-for-profit venture.  Just don't download it and sell it or redistribute it without proper acknowledgement and permission of Carnegie Mellon University.  If you want to read all the juicy fine print about what you can and can't do, check it out here.

 

Seriously, there must be a catch.

 

Nope.  It's free. Well, actually, development of Alice has been funded by our many generous sponsors.

 

 

Copyright

 

Go to Alice.org home page

 

 

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