Quick summary:

 

Owner features:

The bid board owner (and the choosen managers) are able to access a specific menu called “owner menu”, simply clicking on the bid board.

Chapter #1: First setup

The MD Bid Board initial setup is very quick and easy and can be performed within a minute. Please note: this step can be done only by the owner.

First of all, the bid board needs to be rezzed and once done, the board will look like this:

MD_Bid_Board_User_Manual_Owner_1_1

 

At this point, simply clicking on the bid board will make a dialog appear asking to grant the board the debit permission. This step is mandatory for the bid board setup and it’s required to activate the refund system. Clicking on “next” and granting the permission will lead to another dialog box, where the board # is asked. The board # is a number (1-999) which will be assigned to the board and used as identifier (ID). This step is fundamental because will allow the system to correctly identify each bid board enabling the direct interaction through the online services.

Please note: although the system is able to handle multiple boards with the same board # as long as they are rezzed in different regions, the best practice is to assign each board an unique board #, independently from the region where it’s rezzed.

Typing the a correct value for board #, will finish the intial setup and set the board ready to be rented, like shown below:

MD_Bid_Board_User_Manual_Owner_1_2

At this point, clicking again on the bid board will make a choice menu appear, asking which section to access among the owner, the tenant and the bidders one; this choice menu is visible only by the owner and managers. Picking the “owner menu” option will make the owner menu appear, divided in several sub menus.

Chapter #2: Rent Options

This sub menu groups together all the settings regarding the rental aspects of the bid board. The most important feature here is fixed rent vs. daily rent, which defines the payment method and the rental period the tenants are going to use.

2.1: Fixed Rent

clicking on this button enables the fixed rent mode. The system will ask for a rent fee in L$, which will be payed once from the tenants at the begin of the rental period. Please note: the fixed rent mode doesn’t set any time limit on the rental period; once the tenant has payed the rent fee, the board will be rented until the tenant quits the rent or the owner resets the bid board.

2.2: Daily Rent

clicking on this button enables or changes the daily rent mode. The system will ask for a rent fee in L$ which will be applied for each day which comprises the rental period. The tenant will be asked to pay only at the begin of rental period and the amount to pay will be proportional to the number of days picked as rental period. (i.e.: daily cost of 25L$ for a 4 days rental period means a total of 25*4 = 100L$).

2.3: Min Rent

defines the lower bound – in days – of the rental period, the minimum number of days the bid board can be rented; the default value for this setting is 1. Please note: this setting is used only when the daily rent is active, since no time limits on the rental period are applied when using the fixed fee rental mode.

2.4: Max Rent

defines the upper bound – in days – of the rental period, the maximum number of days the bid board can be rented; the default value for this setting is 7. Please note: this setting is used only when the daily rent is active, since no time limits on the rental period are applied when using the fixed fee rental mode.

2.5: Notify via IM

turns on/off the notifications for the bid board’s important events; the default value for this setting is enabled. The notifications are sent as instant message (IM) and includes:

  • When a rent fee is payed and the bid board becomes rented;
  • When a rental period is extended;
  • When a bid session is over;
  • When a rental period is over;

Chapter #3: Bid Options

This section groups together all the settings regarding the bid rules that are applied during a bid session.

3.1: Auto Bid

when this option is enabled bidders will have the chance to place an auto bid instead of normal bid. The auto bid works by typing the maximum amount disposed to offer and the system will automatically place new bids if any new competitors bid are made, trying to keep the bidder as top one, stopping only if the maximum amount declared is surpassed. The default value for this setting is enabled.

3.2: Min Start Bid

this value represents the minimum amount the bid board tenant must input when starting a new bid session. The default value for this setting is 100L$.

3.3: Next Bid Step

this value represents the minimum amount the bidders are asked to offer over the current bid, in order to declare it valid and accept it. Only the bid which amount is greater than the current bid and equal or multiple of the bid step are considered valid and accepted. The default value for this setting is 100L$. (i.e. if current bid is 500L$ and bid step is 100L$, the minimum accepted bid is  600L$, or any amount multiple by the bid step, such as 700, 800, 900, …)

Chapter #4: Managers

The MD Bid Board can handle up to 5 managers, to be added through the Managers section of the owner menu.

4.1: Add Manager

once clicked on this button, the user will be asked to input the UUID (avatar key) or the avatar name corresponding to the avatar to assingn as manager. If the value added is correct, the manager will be added to the managers list. Please note: when a manager is added, is stored also online as backup.

4.2: Del Manager

the user will be prompted to choose the avatar to remove among a list of the current managers. Once the selection is made, the corresponding manager will be removed from the managers list. Please note: when a manager is removed, is removed also from the online backup.

4.3: Restore

clicking on this button will automatically retrieve the managers list assigned to that specific bid board from the online backup and restore all the managers.

4.4: List Manager

this button prints on the private chat a list of all the managers assigned to that specific bid board.

A manager can operate on the bid board in the same way as the owner does, except for the following reserved features:

  1. Perform a total reset of the bid board
  2. Use the rezzer module to rez other bid boards
  3. Perform a “board delete” of the bid board
  4. Check for updates

Chapter #5: Appearance

The MD Bid Board is highly customizable, not only with working options but also with different appearance settings. It is infact possible to change the frame and the background texture, the text color and even resize the whole bid board.

5.1: Background

a menu is shown, offering 11 different texture to apply to the bid board background. Please note: you can always use your custom texture with a simple drag and drop on the bid board.

5.2: Frame

a menu is shown, offering 4 different texture to apply to the bid board frame. Please note: you can always use your custom texture with a simple drag and drop on the bid board.

5.3: Text color

a menu is shown, offering 11 different colors to use for the bid board text.

5.4: Resize

this button opens the resize tool, where you can edit your bid board’s dimension. Warning: extreme resizing of the bid board could lead into breaks.

Chapter #6: Board Tools

This last section of the owner menu groups together many additional features which makes the bid board even more flexible.

6.1: Rezzer

The rezzer module is very useful when it comes to rez multiple bid boards at a constant X-Y-Z offset. When you start the rezzer module, a menu will appear with the following buttons:

  • Board QTY: defines the number of bid boards to rez.
  • Rez Offset: defines – per each axis X,Y,Z – the space between the previously rezzed bid board and the current one. Please note: the default preset for this value is <0, 0, 0> which means the bid boards will be rezzed all over each others, overlapping.
  • Rez: starts the rezzing procedure. Please note: the rezzer will automatically assign the board # to the newly rezzed bid boards, using sequential values and starting from the next # of the board used to rez.

How to rez multiple boards within a few steps:

  1. Be sure to drop a copy of your bid board inside the board which will be used as rezzer.  In case the bid boards to rez should have a custom size and/or texture, the best practice is to edit one bid board to fit exactly the desired appearance and then drop it inside the board used as rezzer. In this way, all the rezzed bid boards will look like the one dropped. Please note: the drop step is mandatory, the rezzer will not work if a bid board isn’t found inside the rezzer inventory.
  2. Input the number of bid boards to rez through the “Board QTY” button.
  3. Define the rez offset on the 3 axis (X,Y,Z) through the “Rez Offset” button.
  4. Hit the “Rez” button.

6.2: Del Last Bid

This feature is very useful but should be used with caution. Owner and manager can infact delete the last bid placed on a bid board restoring – if present – the previous bid as top bid. This feature has been introduce to help owner and managers to fight griefers or – in the best scenario – to correct a bid mistake. When a bid is deleted an IM is sent to the bidder whom bid have been removed.

6.3: Board Unlock

Once a rent period is over, the bid board goes in a particular state, called “lock mode”. Once in this state, only the owner or the manager can interact with the bid board; the previous tenant and the bidders will not be able to perform any action while the bid board is locked. Owner and manager can access the tenant menu (“Choice menu” ->”Tenant menu”) and list all the bids of the last bid session performed on the board.

Please note: before the bid board can be rented again, it must be unlocked.

 

MD_Bid_Board_User_Manual_Owner_6_1

6.4: Board Reset

The board reset, also called “soft reset” wipes:

  • all the data regarding the current bid session;
  • all the data regarding the current rent period;

The board reset keeps:

  • all the rent settings;
  • all the bid settings;
  • the manager list;

The board is then set ready to be rented again.

6.5: Total Reset

The total reset, also called “hard reset” wipes:

  • all the data regarding the current bid session;
  • all the data regarding the current rent period;
  • all the rent settings;
  • all the bid settings;
  • the manager list;

The board is then set ready to be setup again, like if it’s the first rez.

6.6: Delete Board

This action is very dangerous because it deletes completely the bid board, removing also all the data stored online and accessible through the MD Labs Online Services website. The bid board will not be returned to inventory nor to the lost&found folder, but deleted completely making impossible the recovery.

6.7: Update

The system will check online for a new version of MD Bid Board and – if found – will send the update directly to the owner.

Chapter #7: MD Labs Online Services

MD Labs Online Services is a responsive website, accessible from any platform from mobile devices to desktop computers, which allow to interact with the products released by MD Labs. Here’s a quick overview of what the the MD Bid Board owner will be able to do:

  • check the status of each rezzed bid board;
  • filter the bid boards by region or status;
  • access the rent and bid settings of any rezzed bid board;
  • access the rent information of any rented bid board;
  • access the bid session information of any bid board;
  • unlock all the locked bid boards;
  • perform a board reset on any bid board;
  • delete any bid board from in-world;

Before accessing the website for the first time, the owner must register an account and activate the service. In order to do so, an Online Services HUD is provided inside the MD Bid Board pack.

MD Labs Online Services HUD

 

Once attached the HUD, there are 2 simple steps to follow:

  1. Click on the user icon register of the HUD, and type a password  for the Online Services login.
  2. Click on the check icon activateto activate the MD Bid Board for the Online Services.

At this point it’s possible to open the  MD Labs Online Services website and simply log in.

 


 

Tenants features:

When the bid board is setup correctly and available for renting, its status and rent cost are displayed as below:

MD_Bid_Board_User_Manual_Owner_1_2

 

At this point, a simple click will make the rent dialog appear, showing a quick recap of the rent mode (daily or fixed), cost and the rent minimum and maximum duration days  – if the rent mode is daily; clicking the “Rent” button will start the rent process.

If the rent mode is daily, the user will be prompted to select the desired number of days: the lower value is 1 day, while the upper value depends by the bid board setup; if the rent mode is fixed fee, this step will be automatically skipped. Please note: in case the owner is renting the bid board, submitting ‘0’ (zero) as rent duration days will rent the bid board for an unlimited period.

Either the bid board is in daily rental mode or in fixed fee, proceeding with the rental wizard the user will be asked to click and pay to finalize the operation. During this phase, the bid board will look like this:

MD_Bid_Board_User_Manual_Tenant_1_1

 

At this point, the bid board enters the pay mode, and the user can either left-click the bid board and pay the amount or right-click and select ‘pay’ from the drop down list. The bid board will be reserved to the current user for 60 seconds, waiting for the payment. If the user doesn’t pay and the timeout occurs, the bid board will be set available again for everyone to rent. If another avatar pays the bid board while reserved to another user, the refund system will trigger without interrupting the 60 seconds countdown.

Please note: in case the owner is renting the bid board, no payment is required and this step is skipped.

Please note: in case the owner is renting the bid board, will be asked if rent only the current board or all the bid boards rezzed in the region and available for renting (boards which are setup and not already rented). 

In addition to all this, when the bid board is available for rent accepts a quick payment through right-click and ‘pay’: the requested amount corresponds to 1 day of rental period if the board is in daily rental mode, or to the whole rental cost if the bid board is in fixed fee mode.

When the payment is done, the bid board is rented and the tenant can access the tenant menu, simply clicking on the bid board. If the notifications are enabled, an IM is sent to the owner, containing a brief recap of the rent process.

Chapter #1: Start Session Wizard

When the bid board is rented and no bid session are active it will look like in the image below:

MD_Bid_Board_User_Manual_Tenant_1_2
Click to enlarge

 

An hover text above the board is shown, displaying the board #, the tenant and the rent remaining time. The text color vary depending on the rent status:

  • Green: the remaining rent time is greater than 30%;
  • Orange: the remaining rent time is between 30% and 15%;
  • Red: the remaining rent time is below 15%;

In this way, it’s always possible to understand the rent status with a quick look.

In order to start a new bid session the tenant must click on the bid board and select “Start Session”: a easy and handy wizard will guide the tenant, asking for the required settings.

  • Start Session Wizard / Step 1: starting bid: the first parameter to input is the starting bid (or opening bid), which is the minimum value the bidders are asked to bid over. The starting bid must be greater or equal than the minimum starting bid set by the bid board owner and multiple by the next bids step. If – for example – the minimum starting bid is set to 100L$ and the next bids step to 50L$, any starting bid greater or equal than 100L$ and multiple of 50L$ will be accepted, such as 100L$, 150L$, 200L$, 250L$ and so on.
  • Start Session Wizard / Step 2: bid session length: once picked a valid starting bid, the next value to input is the duration of the bid session. The value is espressed in hours and the smallest accepted value is 1 hour, while the longest corresponds to the rent remaining time rounded down to the nearest hour.
  • Start Session Wizard / Step 3: bid info: this step is optional and requires the tenant to write a short text about the bid session, such as bid ID and other useful infos. The text will be shown above the bid board once the bid session is started and cannot be changed. To skip this step the tenant can submit a blank text.
  • Start Session Wizard / Step 4: item info: this step is optional and requires the tenant to write a short description about the item object of the bid session, such as name, gender and so on, if the item is an animal. The text will be shown above the bid board once the bid session is started and cannot be changed. To skip this step the tenant can submit a blank text.

When all the required setting are submitted, the bid session will start automatically, and the bid board will look like this:

MD_Bid_Board_User_Manual_Tenant_1_3
Click to enlarge

 

The hover text above the board displays the board #, the tenant, the rent remaining time, the bid and item info (if present) and the bid session remaining time. As for the rent hover text, different colors are used depending on the bid session status:

  • Green: the remaining bid session time is greater than 30%;
  • Orange: the remaining bid session time is between 30% and 15%;
  • Red: the remaining bid session time is below 15%;

 

Please note: in case the owner is the bid board tenant, an additional 5th step is required where the owner is asked if start a new bid session only on the current board or all the bid boards available in the region. In order to be considered ‘available’ a bid board must:

  • belong to the owner;
  • being rented to the owner;
  • have no open bid session already;

The bid session is now started, the board’s text shows the starting bid and the bidders can click on the board and place a bid.

Please note: for fairness reasons, the tenant cannot self-bid on the bid boards rented to him/her.

Chapter #2: Open URL (public bid session page)

Everytime a bid session is started, a public web page at MD Labs Online Services is created and initialized with the chosen bid session parameters: starting bid, bid length, etc..

This web page is public and updated constantly as the bid session goes on, showing also the top 3 bidders; the tenant can access it anytime through the “Open URL” button and check in real time.

Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge

Chapter #3: End Session 

The bid session ends automatically once the remaining bid time becomes zero. However, a “End Session” button is present to force the bid session to close before time. This operation will close the active bid session and the bid board will stop accepting new bids. Once the bid session is terminated, if there’s a winning bidder, an IM is sent to both the tenant and the winner notifying them with a short summary containing the bid board #, the winner name, the bid amount and the SLURL for a direct teleport to the board.

Please note: in case the owner is also the bid board tenant, will be asked if end the bid session only on current board or on all the bid boards rezzed in the region and available  (boards which are rented by the same tenant and have a bid session running). 

Moreover, if the notifications option is active, the bid board owner will be notified via IM as well.

In addition to all this, if a winner is present, the bid board will display the winner information like shown below:

Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge

Chapter #4: List bids

During the whole bid session, when the bid session is over and even when the bid board is locked, it’s possible to use the “List bids” feature to receive a message in the local chat containing the full bid history in chronological order, reporting the bidder name and the bid amount made.

Chapter #5: Extend Rent

During the whole duration of the rental period, it is possible to extend this period up to the maximum rent length defined by the bid board owner. Once pressed the “Extend Rent” button, the tenant will be asked to input the number of days to add to the actual rent period; once submitted the value, the bid board automatically enters in pay mode for 60 seconds, waiting for the tenant to pay the rental extension fee. If the timeout is reached before the tenant has payed the board, the operation is aborted; moreover, the refund system triggers if someone else pays the board which is rented to another user.

Please note: the extend rent feature is available only when the bid board is configured in daily rental mode and not in fixed fee mode.

Chapter #6: Quit Rent

The rent period ends automatically once the rent countdown reaches the zero. However, the “Quit Rent” button allow the tenant to stop the rental period before time. Please note: using this feature to stop the rent period before time doesn’t give tenants the right to be refunded for the rental days payed and lost; the bid board don’t give any refund in this situation.

Quitting the rental process while a bid session is open will automatically end the bid session and – if a winner is present – send the proper IM as described in the “End Session” chapter. Once the rent is over, the bid board goes in “lock mode”, allowing the ex-tenant to only list the bids. At this point, owner or manager action is required to unlock the bid board and set it for rent again.

Please note: in case the owner is also the bid board tenant, will be asked if end the rental period only on current board or on all the bid boards rezzed in the region and available  (boards which are rented by the same tenant). 

 


 

Bidders features:

…coming soon….