RollDamage! Screen Sharing
To support our users we have been working on a screen sharing tool, where in a person can share their entire desktop or a selected application with others by directing them to a link.  It will reach a full cycle Alpha status this week and we would like to test it on some guinea pigs in the next two weeks.

So how is this tool intended to be used?
Our specific problem to solve was the reliance on web cameras used with Instant Messenger programs to share a view of the game board or map.  The image was of such low quality that it was very difficult for remote users to: either see the whole map, or make out any detail with a wider view.  The tool is intended to provide a good resolution image to remote users.  This image could be a power point slide, paint program, video image, or any other image shown on your desktop/application in windows.  Our system does not provide the real-time video feel that IM web cam service might provide, but it does provide a higher quality image for remote players then IM, albiet with a much lower refresh rate.

So whats this tool do:
 - One person acts as the server and runs the tool.  The tool takes screen captures of their desktop (or selected application) and uploads them to a web server.
 - Other persons can see the image by going to a web site.
 - The image is only an image, the viewers can not manipulate the shared desktop/application in any way.

Preliminary Server Requirements:
 - Windows XP (Sorry that may change)
 - Internet connection
 - RollDamage's Screen share tool

Viewer Requrements:
 - An internet connection
 - Browser with JavaScript enabled (Internet Explorer, FireFox or Safari)

Anyone interested in participating in a test let me know by responding to this thread or via PM.  Tests will likely be very short... about 15 minutes each.  Tests are going to be conducted from our test server which is not a public internet address and uses non standard port 82 for HTTP.  If you don't know what that means, don't worry, the link provided will take care of it for you.

Ben,
I'm in and interested.

As always, you can count on me!

Full cycle complete and working, here on out it is tweaks and features!

So, how does this help us?  Really, I'm not (intentionally) being a dork.  I guess we would still need a really good digital camera that could be, presumably, fed live into the on computer and looked at by the other person via desktop sharing.  Is this the idea?  Why would the camera have to update at a lower rate?  Is there a limit on the amount of information that can be shared via desktop sharing?  

By this logic -- and no I'm not making the suggestion -- we could have three computers?  One computer could look at the map and be shared with Steve via his desktop.  Steve's second computer would look at his and share with a second computer on out end.  I am really not making the suggestion; I just don't understand what technological advantage this would make.

This would not be a camera at all.  Re-read Ben's discription of what it is.

"This image could be a power point slide, paint program, video image, or any other image shown on your desktop/application in windows. Our system does not provide the real-time video feel that IM web cam service might provide, but it does provide a higher quality image for remote players then IM, albiet with a much lower refresh rate."

It's an E-map that would have to be updated everytime someone moved.  Bena, Alvaro and I plan to test it soon.  We will see how it goes.

On second thought, I don't know how it would go to take a digital photo of the map and upload it every time.  It's an interesting idea, but I think everything will be very clear (monsters, characters, ect) with a computerized map.  We'll test it and see!

Good questions Dan and Steve,

The short answer is yes it can show video, but updates less often with a higher resolution picture.  Indeed in my tests I have been using my lowly webcam (my webcam blows) but with this app it produces 3x the resolution that Instant Messenger ones do.  

Hence Steve could see more detail on the board when he is remote.

Think of it this way... if you can display it on your PC, the image can be shared.  Weather thats video or something else.

very cool.  It sounds like it will be very nice.

Kewl.  Let me know if you need another huckleberry for testing.

Just a quick update.  

Server:

I optimized the the AJAX handler and added a check for JavaScript in the viewer.  

Client:

I have the application snap shot working now, previously it only took screen captures.

I added an image quality manager.  Basically its really dumb, and tries to make the image 250kb or less.  The quality of the image will be degraded to reduce file size until it falls below 250kb.  

However later it will be smarter and try and keep the uploads in one minute below 1 MB, so lower refresh rate, higher image quality, higher refresh rate, lower quality.

client screen shot


Basically its ready for testing... all the rest is tweaks until bugs are found, and there will be bugs.

Steve, did the install work  for you?  It would have added winsock to your system.

I'll be on Skype tonight and we can give it a try!

I tried to dowload the installer twice yesterday and it failed both times.  Did the server go down?  I'll try again tonight and if it works, I should be able to participate in the test tonight.

yeah the server must have crashed, drat.

I downloaded it and it seems to work.  I don't know what to do now that I have the start up srceen up.  Sorry I wasn't available last night....I was up in Sacramento to support and defend the Pres with the Secret Service.