CryptoVoxels Metaverse: Getting Started with ‘Free Spaces’
This is a short introduction to a super cool feature called “Free Space” offered by CryptoVoxels, a magical Metaverse on the Ethereum blockchain. The last section includes all the details of BlockBots’ Metaverse Voxel Hackathon!
I’ve decided to write this short Getting Started guide to help all the BlockBots HODLers onboard our metaverse exploration movement! 🍉
Before we start, here is a mini meta glossary:
- CryptoVoxels: it’s one of the OG blockchain Metaverses, and it’s a perfect match for our first BlockBots Hideout! It’s powered by the Ethereum blockchain and all the players can buy land and build stores, art galleries, homes, etc. The editing tools, avatars, and text chat are built-in. You can explore more here. We’ve acquired a plot there for our first BlockBots Hideout because of the flexibility they offer and the Free Space feature they have!
- Free Space: this is a unique feature offered by CryptoVoxels. It allows people that do not have a plot/land on CryptoVoxels to explore what can be done & build on CryptoVoxels. These Free Spaces are not in the Cryptovoxels world but you can build voxel scenes there and/or import voxel work you’ve created on voxel art editors such as MagicaVoxel, Goxel, etc. BlockBots will be exploring this feature with the whole BlockBots community to do some crowdsourced architectural designs, hackathons, contests, etc.
- Voxel Art: in the world of 3D, Voxel Art is a type of art form where 3D models are made by 3D cubes -> these cubes are called “voxels”. The famous “Minecraft” is a voxel-type world. In voxel-powered metaverses, such as CryptoVoxels and The SandBox, users can build scenes, items, buildings, and even games.
- Parcels: some Metaverses call them Lands or plots, but these are simply the land you can buy/sell on these various blockchain Metaverses. On CryptoVoxels, a parcel allows you to build your building/house inside the real CryptoVoxels metaverse, with neighbors, visitors, etc. For BlockBots, this will become a place where all of us can gather, chill, have BlockBots events, parties, airdrops, movie nights, etc. In other words, it’s our very own 3.0 hideout!
1. Create your “Free Space” on CryptoVoxels
Before we start, please make sure to use your PC, this will not work on your phone. You will also need to have a MetaMask wallet installed in your browser; use a completely new MetaMask “account”.
- Visit https://www.cryptovoxels.com/ & click on “Free Space”
- Select the MetaMask option & sign the transaction (this is completely free, no gas, no fee, no nothing)
- Give your new Free Space a name (#1 in screenshot)
- Pick the relevant dimensions of your Free Space (#2)
- Click “Create” once you’re ready (#3)
2. Start building in your Free Space
You can always go back and create new spaces with different names and dimensions. To do so, simply click on your free spaces account.
In the pic below you can see me with one of the big BlockBots! It’s an awkward family picture, I feel underdressed.
Anyway, back to building! Some quick tips to get started — while reading the tips, check the numbers in the screenshot below:
- To get started, click on these blocks (#1 in screenshot). This will open a menu and from there you’ll be able to start taking some concrete actions in your voxel-building adventure.
- From this menu, you have different options — one of these is to pick the material you want to use to “build” — it’s the texture of the blocks you’ll be using to build stuff (#2). See the choices under the word “voxels” and test them all out: glass, concrete, marble, etc. You also have the option to select the “tint”/”color” of the blocks you’ll be using.
- You can “build”, “Pain” and “Erase” blocks (#3). For example, you chose to build with blocks of concrete (from #2) and then decide to start building by clicking on the button “Build”. Later you decide to paint this in purple, so you pick a “tint” (from #2) and then put the cursor on the relevant blocks you want to paint. Same logic with erasing blocks, you click on erase and pick the blocks you want to remove from your space.
- You have a plethora of options on CryptoVoxels, check the “Features” (#4) to learn what else you can build in there, in your free space. You can for example click on “Megavox” and Upload your future BlockBot ‘.vox’ file!
3. Tips & tricks for beginners
- Visit the “Metaverse” channel on our BlockBots Discord Server & with members that have been exploring CryptoVoxels for a while now — community members such as BlockBot M’Art & 🤖 Bottess Hylia of Hyrule will be there helping us for sure. Other OG members as well, they’ve had the chance to play around with Free spaces in October 2021 already!
- Yep, some of our early BlockBot owners have been experimenting with the CryptoVoxels Metaverse and creating some great content before the community grew to 35k+ members. See some of their creations:
- By G.K Rolling
- By Deywar
- By Luis Macfie
- By Metagrapher, Márcio Barreiro & Otaku
- By Metagrapher - Follow CryptoVoxels on Twitter, they’re also retweeting some cool content created by their communities and various Voxel artists.
- You have the option to lower the quality of graphics, it might help if you’re PC is having issues supporting CryptoVoxels. 3 levels: low, medium, high.
- Tag the BlockBots team in our Metaverse on Discord, we’ll be there to answer or politely admit that we do not know the answer — this whole world is new to everyone, but having a community for sharing and discussing is what will make you discover the secrets of voxel Metaverses!
4. One of the very first Metaverse Hackathons, continue reading to find the details about our BlockBots contest!
Context
- This is organized exclusively for BlockBot owners (aka HODLers). Only HODLers are eligible to win one of the 8 prizes of this contest.
- This contest is to crowdsource the design of one part of our Metaverse Hideout — a house built for Blockbots, by BlockBots. It’s one of the many activities that will involve the community in shaping our Metaverse footprint!
- The virtual space allocated for this first contest has been kept small and is located on a second semi-floor of our hidden-for-the-moment BlockBots Hideout.
Eligibility
- You need to be a BlockBot HODLer —if you are not sure what this means, ping us on Discord :)
- You can acquire your very own BlockBot directly on OpenSea
How to participate
- Create a “scene” / “ design” limited to these dimensions: 4 blocks (Width), 4 blocks (Height), 10 blocks (Lenght)
- Submit your creation by 30 November 2021
- Your Hackathon submission:
🍉 1 tweet that includes a screenshot/screen recording of your creation with a text describing how this experience was for you + tagging BlockBots and CryptoVoxels :D
🍉 You will also be asked to share the tweet + the link to the free space on Discord (we’ll share more details next week with you on Discord) - Here are 2 screenshots to help you visualise the space allocated for this first contest: Image 1 (space in the actual Hideout); Image 2 (space replicated with exact dimensions in a Free Space)
Image 1
This is a screenshot from above/from the roof, the space allocated is inside the red circle. The Hideout v.1 is using white, glass/transparent, and purple textures. Your area can be of a different color if you deem that it fits the overall color palette. The wall will stay transparent. Note that the roof is also transparent — made out of glass :)
Image 2
This is a screenshot from replicating the space in terms of dimensions inside a free space, you can do the same to know what area you’ll be able to work on. Note that in the Hideout, the purple wall here on the right is transparent.
8 Metaverse Winners Prizes
- 5 winners will be selected by the HODLers
- 1 winner picked by the BB Primes
- 1 winner picked by the BB Team
- 1 winner will be selected based on likes & retweets received
All the Prizes are also listed in the #Announcement channel:
#1: The winner will receive 1 BlockBot and your design will be replicated in the BlockBots Hideout. Your scene will stay there until mid-January. Btw, your digital signature will be there as well (your creation, your credits). You can put your OS link, your Twitter account, whatever you want.
#2: Your BlockBot OpenSea info and details will be showcased on the main Wall of Fame of our Hideout. It’s the first thing any visitor will see, they can click and even buy it directly on spot. On top of that, you will receive 1 new wallpaper design (your BlockBots in a gaming scene).
#3: Your BlockBot OpenSea info and details will be showcased on the main Wall of Fame of our Hideout. It’s the first thing any visitor will see, they can click and even buy it directly on spot.
#4: You will receive 1 new wallpaper design created by our graphic designer — your BlockBot will be immersed in a cool gaming scene.
#5: (a) if you are not a BB Prime, congrats, you’ll automatically join a very exclusive club in the BotFam. (b) if you’re one of the BB Primes, a new design wallpaper awaits you.
#6: Twitter winner: Your BlockBot OpenSea info and details will be showcased on the main showcase wall of our Hideout. It’s the first thing any visitor will see, they can click and even buy it directly there.
#7: BB Primes favorite: they’ve voted, you’re now part of a very exclusive club in the BotFam.
#8: BB Team favorite: surprise prize… 🍉
(How many 🍉 did you spot in this article? The first HODLer to post in #generalhideout the correct number will receive extra XP from the Moderators...)
