How to Navigate Mozilla Hubs 

Welcome Exhibitors! 

We thank you for joining us for the Online Craft Lake City Holiday Market. 

To help you navigate the Virtual Meetups experience, we’ve prepared a quick guide to get you going in Mozilla Hubs. Here is a list of questions we will be addressing:

• What device should I use to access the Virtual Meetups?
• Which web browsers are supported? 
• Do I need to create an account to participate in the VR experience? 
• How do I enter my virtual world? 
• How do I make an avatar?
• How do I move around once inside the virtual world?
• Is there a navigation control cheat sheet?
• How can I locate a CLC Volunteers while in the virtual world? 
• Why am I getting stuck on a loading screen or having navigation issues?
• The audio sounds choppy, how can I fix this?   
• The audio isn’t choppy, but I am still having audio issues, what should I do? 
• It sounds like there is an echo in the room, is there a way to fix this? 
• Which VR Devices are supported?
• How can I go directly to another virtual world?
• Common Questions from exhibitors

What device should I use to access the Virtual Meetup?

While Hubs is cross-platform compatible, we strongly recommend that for optimal performance attendees use a laptop, desktop or VR Device, if possible. Tablet and mobile phone-use will likely present challenges in the VR-world.

Some of the challenges we have encountered in testing on mobile and tablet devices include, but are not limited to, unsupported links, unsupported internet browsers, sound issues (we recommend using headphones) and the inability to navigate freely from one virtual world to another. Craft Lake CIty’s testing has found that Google Pixel smartphones seem to work best on this platform.

Mozilla mentions, “Note that some features may be limited on low-powered devices such as mobile phones.”

Which web browsers are supported?

Mozilla states,  “Hubs works on most modern desktop browsers on Windows, Mac and Linux. It also works on most mobile browsers for Android, and Safari on iOS.”

Hubs requires specific features that aren’t supported by all browsers. Currently, Hubs works best on Chrome, but is also supported on the following browsers:

Which VR Devices are supported?

For Desktop VR (Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality, or HTC Vive), Hubs works when used with a WebVR compatible browser (e.g. Firefox). Users must also have either Oculus Desktop App (Oculus rift), or SteamVR installed (Windows Mixed Reality, HTC Vive).

For Standalone VR devices (Pico Neo 2, Oculus Quest and Oculus Go), use the Mozilla Firefox Reality Browser or the Oculus Browser.

Mobile phone powered VR systems, such as Samsung Gear and Google Cardboard, work using Google Chrome browser.

Do I need to create an account to participate as an exhibitor in the VR experience?

No, you will not need to create a Hubs by Mozilla account to participate in the virtual meetups. However, if you do create a hubs account, you will be able to save your avatar for when you enter/exit virtual worlds. 

How do I enter my Virtual World?

Entering a virtual world can be a bit different for each avatar, depending on the type of device you are using. 

On a desktop computer, mobile device or tablet?

• Click “Enter Room” and follow the prompts to select a name/avatar. If you are using the custom selfie avatar, be sure to paste that unique URL into the avatar link option. 

On a VR headset?

• Choose “Enter on Standalone VR” to create a code that makes it easy to open on your standalone headset (i.e. Oculus Quest, Oculus Go, Samsung Gear)
• Open the browser in your VR headset, navigate to hubs.link and enter the code
• Take a look at the instructions in the Hubs documentation for additional setup information

On a Wired-in VR Headset? 

• On your computer, click “Enter Room” and follow the prompts to select a username/avatar and set up the mic. On the final prompt before entering you should see an option to select Connected VR Headset 
• For additional information on VR navigation, visit https://hubs.mozilla.com/docs/hubs-controls.html 

How do I create my exhibitor avatar?

One fun aspect of the Mozilla Hubs platform is creating an avatar! We may not be together in person, but this comes pretty close! Using a service called ReadyPlayerMe, you can easily create a custom avatar from a selfie. Everyone in our virtual winter wonderland will get to see a virtual version of you! Head over to https://readyplayer.me/ to create your avatar, and follow the short instructions for copying your own avatar URL to use in the Mozilla Hubs platform.

Once you’ve entered a room, you will be prompted to the next step of selecting your avatar. Follow the instructions to paste your unique avatar URL. If you’ve created a Hubs account, you will be able to save your avatar, which means when you enter other virtual spaces, you will not be required to select a new avatar each time. 

Next, add your name.

Make sure to change the name of the avatar in the space above the avatar! We want to make sure that participants know who you are, so please add your name to your avatar! 

How do I move around once inside the virtual space?

First, take a look around. Navigation hints will appear at the bottom of the screen when you enter a virtual space. They do disappear quickly, so just remember WASD. 

On a desktop/laptop, use your WASD or arrow keys to move around. You can also press your right mouse button to teleport to a different location. Rotate your view using the Q and E keys, or hold down your left mouse button and drag. 

On a smartphone or tablet? 

To move, just PINCH with two fingers to move around the gallery. 

Use a single-finger drag to rotate in the room

Tap the microphone button on the top of the screen to mute/unmute yourself. 

A full list of navigation controls is located below. 

Also, try practicing in our Navigation Training Hub, here! 

Is there a navigation control cheat sheet?

Moving around the virtual galleries will differ depending on the type of device you are using. Below is a quick controls reference. For additional information on moving around,  visit https://hubs.mozilla.com/docs/hubs-controls.html. 

Touchscreen Controls

Keyboard and Mouse Controls

Oculus Touch Controls

You can also use the keyboard keys listed above while using your Oculus Rift.

Vive Controls

You can also use the keyboard keys listed above while using your Vive.

Windows Mixed Reality Controls

You can also use the keyboard keys listed above while using your Windows Mixed Reality headset.

Oculus Go and Samsung Gear VR Controls

Gamepad Controls

For additional VR devices, visit https://hubs.mozilla.com/docs/hubs-controls.html 

How can I determine other Craft Lake City Staff or Volunteers while in the Virtual World?

Once you are inside the virtual reality setting, you’ll be able to locate Craft Lake City volunteers and staff members by their specific Craft Lake City avatars. 

Why am I getting stuck on the loading screen or having navigation issues?

Some virtual spaces may have complex 3d models or objects in them which can increase the loading time, particularly on less powerful devices (i.e. mobile phones and standalone VR headsets). If you are getting stuck on a loading screen when you are entering a space, try refreshing the page or loading the scene on another browser or device. 

If you are still having issues, try closing all other applications and opening up the website on another internet browser. We have found the latest version of Firefox or Chrome work best with the platform. If it doesn’t appear on other pages, try clearing your cache and cookies for that page.

The audio sounds choppy, how can I fix this?  

Choppy sounding audio could indicate that your device  and/or network is having trouble with the complexity of the room. This could be because of the complexity of objects in the scene, or the number of other room members present. If you are on a mobile phone, you may find audio quality and performance improves if you enter the room from a more powerful device, such as a computer. In general, mobile devices (phones, standalone headsets) may have performance challenges when there are more than 10 people in an individual room. Craft Lake City recommends using headphones with your device for the best audible experience. 

The audio isn’t choppy, but I am still having audio issues, what should I do?

Mozilla uses conditional sound. This means that the closer you are to an object producing sound (video, avatar, etc.) the louder the volume will become. If you are having a hard time hearing an attendee, please be aware that you need to move your avatar as close as possible to their avatar for optimal audio. Wear headphones and make sure to unmute yourself to talk to others! (See graphic below for location of mute button.)

Other audio issues may be caused by the removal of either a headset or earphones while in and before exiting a gallery room. This can affect your mic while also causing you to lose audio. If you do need to remove your headset/earphones at any time while in a gallery, just refresh your browser or exit and reenter the room to prevent audio loss.  

It sounds like there is an echo in the room, is there a way to fix this? 

An echo may occur if a participant is not wearing headphones. Please make sure to mute your microphone when you are not speaking to minimize any echos. It is also helpful to close all other programs to prevent outside audio from entering the gallery room.

To mute/unmute, click the microphone icon located in the toolbar at the top of the screen or type “M” if on a computer.

How can I fix my microphone if it’s not working properly?

If no sound is being picked up by your voice, check that your microphone is properly plugged-in and that you selected the correct microphone in the browser permissions. If it is still not working, you may need to look in the privacy and security settings on your computer to ensure that microphone permissions are not being blocked. If it still does not work, try entering the virtual space in another browser. Again, Hubs works best in Firefox and Chrome.

Is it possible to go from one Virtual Space to another?

Yes! We want you to go to as many galleries as possible! Due to browser limitations, you will need to exit out from one virtual world in order to enter a new one unless you open up a new “incognito” tab in your browser. 

When you open the new Hubs virtual gallery, you will have to go through the “enter room” process again of selecting an avatar and joining the room unless you are signed in to your free Mozilla account. 

To save time and avoid having to re-select an avatar each time you enter a new gallery, we advise creating a Hubs by Mozilla account.  CLC recommends doing this. 

How do we exit at the end of the meetup?

You can simply close your browser.

Can you private message people in the virtual world?

You can send a “chat message” to the entire room at once but not to specific individuals. The best way to chat privately with someone is to get their contact information through your online store.