ZEP Official Guide

Customize Your Map with Floor Effects.

Upload audio files from your computer to add background music to your map.

Upload an image from your computer to set as the map's background.

This will add a backdrop to the area where avatars move around.

Upload an image from your computer to set as the foreground.

This background is placed in front of avatars and can be used to create a sense of depth.

If the file size is too large, a black screen may appear.

  • Please reduce the size of the image file (using WebP format is recommended).

  • Ensure there are no issues in mobile environments as well.

Name

Description

Impassable

Apply an effect that prevents users from walking through a tile

Spawn

Define the location in which users will first appear when entering the map

  1. Click on Tile effects and Stamp in the top panel.

  2. Select Impassable from the right panel.

  3. Click on the tiles you want to make impassable. You can also left-click and drag on the map grid to make a series of tiles impassable.

Note that if you install impassable tiles diagonally, it still leaves a gap through which avatars can pass through. Please keep diagonal movement in mind when setting up the impassable tiles.

  1. Click on Tile effects and Stamp in the top panel.

  2. Select Spawn from the right panel.

  3. Click on the tiles you want to mark as spawn tiles. You can also left-click and drag on the map grid to make a series of tiles into spawn tiles.

When more than one spawn tile is placed, users will spawn at one of the spawn tiles randomly. If no spawn tile is placed, users will spawn in the center of the map.

Name

Description

Portal

You can place a portal that allows movement to another area, map, or Space.

Map Location

This sets a target area where an avatar moves to through a portal.

Three Types of Portals

  • Move to another map within this Space: This moves users from their current map to another map within the same Space.

  • Move to a designated area within the map: This moves users from the portal to a designated area within the same map. The Map Location function is used to designate areas.

  • Move to an outside Space: This moves users from the current Space to a different Space.

The Space ID appears in the Space URL like so: https://zep.us/SpaceID.

If the entire URL is entered instead of just the Space ID, the portal will not work.

spaceID is abcd1234

The Map Location function is used to designate areas for use in ZEP script. It also allows you to designate areas for use with portals.

Name

Description

Private Area

You can set an area for private conversations.

Spotlight

You can set a specific area or tile to broadcast any user’s video, audio, and chat messages to others when they are on that tile or in that area.

You designate and set up an area for private conversations.

  1. Click on Tile effects and Private Area in the top panel.

  2. Enter a number in the Area ID box.

  3. Click on the tiles you want to make into private area tiles. You can also left-click and drag on the map grid to make a series of tiles into a private area.

The area ID must be set. This allows areas with the same ID to function as a singular private area.

Please note that tiles with the same area ID will be able to converse with each other and do not need to be adjacent to each other to function.

*Refer to the screenshot below for a usage example.

  1. The tables are impassable, so users cannot go on top of the table. However, the non-private areas have a gray shadow layer applied, so the table will go dark if set like the example.

  2. The table has been set as a general private area. There are no issues with the table going dark, but users go on top of the table.

  3. The impassable private area function allows you to create a table that cannot be walked on top of and not be affected by the non-private area shadow layer.

Limited capacity private area

This limits the tile capacity to allow only 1 person per tile.

You cannot enter the private area.

View inside the private area.

You can designate and set up a specific area or tile to activate spotlight while a user is standing on it.

Users with spotlight broadcast their video, audio, and chat messages to all users in the map.

When you enter a spotlight area, a speaker icon will appear next to your nickname.

If there are too many spotlight tiles, and too many users end up standing on those tiles, it may cause some lag within the Space. We recommend using less than 30 spotlight tiles.

Name

Description

YouTube

Embed a YouTube video

Web Links

Embed websites into the Space

Ambient Sound

Embed sound files into the map

  1. Click on Tile effects in the top panel.

  2. Select YouTube from the right panel.

  3. Enter the link of the video you want to embed in the YouTube Link to Embed box.

  4. Enter a value in the Width and Height boxes. The value of width and height are measured in tiles and each tile is 32px x 32px.

    YouTube videos often have a screen ratio of 16:9, so maintaining that ratio is generally a good idea.

  5. Select the play method.

    1. Press play to start the video

    2. Play video immediately

Guidelines for embedding YouTube videos

  • Only one video should be set to play directly per map.

  • Place the video according to the top-left corner of the YouTube screen, using tile units for positioning.

  • The width and height of the video should be specified using tile units. (1 tile = 32x32 pixels)

  • YouTube videos typically use a 16:9 aspect ratio.

  1. Click on Tile effects in the top panel.

  2. Select Web Links from the right panel.

  3. Enter a link to open in the Website to Connect box.

  4. There are three options to embed a link. Choose one of the options.

    • Open in a new window: This option opens the website in a new window.

      • Arrange: Using this dropdown menu, you can select how and where you wish to display the pop-up.

    • Open in a new tab: This option opens the website in a new tab.

    • Embed in designated area: This option opens the website in a designated area within the map.

      • If you choose this option, you will need to enter a value in the Width and Height boxes. The value of width and height are measured in tiles and each tile is 32px x 32px.

  5. Enter a name in the Display Name (optional) box. This field allows you to display a name above the portal object for the web link.

  6. Set the trigger method.

  7. Press F: This option causes the portal to only trigger when a user presses F.

  8. Move automatically: This option causes the portal to trigger when a user steps on the tile.

  9. You can make the portal invisible by clicking the Hide portal object button.

open in a new window

open in a new tab

embed in designated area

Placing a link or opening a new window may not be possible in the following situations:

  • The URL link is an HTTP address.

  • The original site blocks embedding.

As many websites do not allow web embedding, we recommend using the "Open website in a new tab" function instead.

Click on Tile effects and Stamp in the top panel.

  1. Select Ambient Sound from the right panel.

  2. Click on the Select file (.mp3) button and upload an MP3 file saved on your computer.

  3. Set the Active Distance. This option allows you to define the radius in which the tile can be heard. If the active distance is set to 0, the sound can be heard only when on the tile. The active distance value is measured in tiles and each tile is 32px x32px.

  4. Select whether to play the music once or repeatedly by checking the corresponding checkbox.

    1. Play once

    2. Repeat

embedding background music tip

  • Try adding background music to specific areas or making it play when approaching certain objects. Experiment with different scenarios to enhance the experience.

  • The activation range for background music only expands in a square shape. The activation range is defined in tile units.