Extensions

Everything you want to know about extensions in Gather, which are available from the Mapmaker.

Doors

Are your knock-knock jokes falling flat in your Gather Space because you don't have a door to knock on? Want to stop random strangers from walking into your office or meeting room? Have we got a solution for you! We now offer doors that open and close when you interact with them, and doors that only open with a password. 

Enable Extensions

First, you need to enable the door extension in the Mapmaker. (Remember, you must have the Builder role to access the Mapmaker.) Open the Mapmaker. Select the hamburger menu, then choose Extension Settings

A view of the Mapmaker with the hamburger menu open. Extension Settings is the last option in the menu. From the Mapmaker, select the hamburger menu, then choose Extension Settings.

The Extensions window opens. A list of available extensions displays (a checkmark displays next to each extension that has been activated). Select Doors and/or Password Doors. Then choose Activate Extension, then Apply changes

The Extensions window is open, and the Password Doors option is selected in the Left Nav Menu. A red arrow points to the checkmark next to the Doors extension. A red box is drawn around the Activate Extension button and the Apply changes button.In the Extensions window, select Doors and/or Password Doors. Select Activate Extension, then Apply changes.

Close the Extensions window. From the Mapmaker, or from your Space, open the Object Picker.

Add the Door

If you don't already have a doorway, you may need to add one first, depending on the width of the area you wish to place the door. A door is two tiles wide, and the doorway spans four tiles, which is the standard entry in many of our templates.

From the Object Picker, enter "door" or "doorway" and select the doorway. (You can change the color to better match the walls if needed.)

Door is entered in the Search field of the Object Picker, and the Doorway (2-wide) is selected.From the Object Picker, select a Doorway in your desired color.

Click Select, and place the doorway in the Map.

The dark brown brick doorway has been placed in the fancy office template in the entry space of the lobby. A red outline is drawn around the doorway.Place the Doorway object on the Map in the entry point (here between the lobby and the rest of the office).

Next, open the Object Picker again, and in the category menu on the left, scroll down to the extensions, which show a puzzle piece icon next to them. Select Door if you want a door that just opens and closes, or select Password Door if you want a door that will only open when the correct password is entered.

From the Object Picker, scroll down through the categories on the left to find the extensions. Choose Doors or Password Doors, select the door object.

Click Select, and place the door in the doorway. Select Save in the Top Nav Menu.

Place the door in the doorway.

Add a Password

If you've placed a Password Door, as an Admin or Moderator, you can set or edit the door's password. In your Space (not the Mapmaker), walk up to the door and press "x" on your keyboard.  Select Edit on the modal that displays.

A modal displays that reads "This area is password protected" with a description "Welcome! This is a private area. Please enter the password below." If you are an Admin/Owner or Moderator, you will see an Edit and Submit button. The Edit button is outlined in red.As an Admin or Mod, walk up to the door and press "x" on your keyboard. Select Edit to change the password and create custom text.

An Admin Settings modal opens, where you can edit the heading and description of the modal that displays when a person approaches the Password Door. If you leave these fields blank, it will display the default heading: "This area is password protected" with the default description: "Welcome! This is a private area. Please enter the password below." You can also set or change the password. 

Note: There is currently no way to view the existing password on a door. To change it, simply enter a new password. You can also remove the password from Space Settings > Space Access.

The Admin Settings modal displays. The description text reads "Only Space moderators can see this menu. You can set the password and greeting text here. Be sure to double check the formatting looks alright!" With three text fields that read "Updated header," "Update paragraph," and "Update password."Enter the heading and description you wish to display, and enter a password. Select Save.

If you've entered custom text, the heading and/or description will be updated.  Anyone who approaches the door will see your custom text and must enter the password to go through the door.

The Password Door modal has a "Password Protected" heading with description that reads "Please enter the password to enter the office. If you don't know the password, please send a chat message to the person you're meeting, and they will come get you." A text field displays for the password, with a Submit button.Your custom text displays, and everyone must enter a password to pass through the door.

Warning: The impassable tiles, which prevent people from walking through the door without the password, will not be placed until the door has been opened and closed once.

Door Tips

  • Adding a door adds impassible tiles that become interactive. If you erase either type of door from the Space, the impassible tiles will remain until deleted in the Mapmaker. 
  • Extension functionality may take up to 30 seconds to fully load, so if something doesn't quite work the first time, wait a bit and refresh your Space!
  • To update the information for password-protected doors, you must interact with it while you are inside of your Space. If you are an Admin or Mod, you will see the option to edit the door's information.
  • If a guest is inside the password-protected area and closes Gather, if they return, they will respawn within the password-protected area.

Tip: Make sure you walk your guests out past the password door to make sure they cannot respawn within the protected area!

Video Walk-Through

Applause

There's nothing quite like a round of applause to really boost a speaker's morale. Now you can show your appreciation with our applause extension!

You'll need to enable extensions from the Mapmaker if you haven't done so already, then enable applause.

Enable Extensions

First, you need to enable the extension in the Mapmaker. Open the Mapmaker. Select the hamburger menu, then choose Extension Settings

A view of the Mapmaker with the hamburger menu open. Extension Settings is the last option in the menu. From the Mapmaker, select the hamburger menu, then choose Extension Settings

The Extensions window opens. A list of available extensions displays (a checkmark displays next to each extension that has been activated). Select Applause. Then choose Activate Extension, then Apply changes

The Extensions window is open, and a red box is drawn around Applause in the left menu, with an arrow pointing to the Activate Extension button.In the Extensions window, select Applause. Select Activate Extension, then Apply changes.

Close the Extensions window and return to your Space.

Any time a bunch of people start dancing (press "z" on the keyboard), shoot confetti (press "f" on the keyboard [currently not available in all Spaces]), or send emotes (1-6 on the keyboard), applause is triggered. The applause grows louder the more people dance, shoot confetti, or emote! 

Tip: If you want to disable applause in a specific Room in your Map, enter the Room name in the Disabled rooms field in the Extensions window. Separate Room names with a comma.

Friendly Plants

Looking to bring the outdoors inside your Gather Space? Try our friendly plants that grow when you water them.

You'll need to enable extensions from the Mapmaker if you haven't done so already, then add the friendly plant.

Enable Extensions

First, you need to enable the friendly plant extension in the Mapmaker. (Remember, you must have the Builder role to access the Mapmaker.) Open the Mapmaker. Select the hamburger menu, then choose Extension Settings

A view of the Mapmaker with the hamburger menu open. Extension Settings is the last option in the menu. From the Mapmaker, select the hamburger menu, then choose Extension Settings

The Extensions window opens. A list of available extensions displays (a checkmark displays next to each extension that has been activated). Select Friendly Plant. Then choose Activate Extension, then Apply changes.

The Extensions window is open and a red arrow points to Friendly Plant, which is active, with red boxes around the Activate Extension and Apply changes buttons.Select Friendly Plant in the list of Extensions, then select Activate Extension and Apply changes.

Add the Plant

To place the friendly plant, open the Object Picker. In the left panel of the Object Picker, scroll to the Extension objects (look for the puzzle piece), then select Friendly Plant. Choose the friendly plant object, then place the plant wherever you desire!

The Object Picker is open, with a red box around Friendly Plant in the left panel of the picker. The friendly plant object is selected. From the Object Picker, select Friendly Plant in the extensions in the left panel, then place the plant in your Space.

When you walk up to a friendly plant, just press "x" to water it. You can water it every hour! 

Walk up to a friendly plant and press "x" to water it. You can water your friendly plant once an hour!

Timed Objects

Article coming soon!

Deca Art

We've partnered with deca.art to give you interactive art to decorate your Space! Just walk up to the artwork, press "x," and see something new!

You'll need to enable extensions from the Mapmaker if you haven't done so already, then enable Deca Art.

Enable Extensions

First, you need to enable the extension in the Mapmaker. Open the Mapmaker. Select the hamburger menu, then choose Extension Settings

A view of the Mapmaker with the hamburger menu open. Extension Settings is the last option in the menu. From the Mapmaker, select the hamburger menu, then choose Extension Settings

The Extensions window opens. A list of available extensions displays (a checkmark displays next to each extension that has been activated). Select Deca Art. Then choose Activate Extension, then Apply changes

The Extensions window is open, and a red box is drawn around Deca Art in the left menu, with an arrow pointing to the Activate Extension button.In the Extensions window, select Applause. Select Activate Extension, then Apply changes.

Close the Extensions window and return to your Space.

Add the Art

From the Object Picker again, in the category menu on the left, scroll down to the extensions, which show a puzzle piece icon next to them. Select the Deca Art extension, then select the object.

From the Object Picker, pick the Deca Art extension, then choose the size of artwork you want. 

Click Select, and place the art object in your Space. Select Save in the Top Nav Menu.

A 2 by 2 tile art object is placed on the wall of an office next to the doorway. Place the art object in your Space, then select Save in the Top Nav Menu.

Enter your Space and walk up to the art object, then press "x" on your keyboard. A random new image will generate from deca.art! 

Vote With Your Feet

Been wanting a fun and dynamic way to vote on topics, get a pulse check, or see how many people are in each group when splitting into teams? Use the Vote with Your Feet extension! Just follow these steps to add the extension: 

  1. Enable Extension
  2. Create Private Areas
  3. Add the Vote with Your Feet Object
  4. Tally the Votes

Enable Extension

First, you need to enable the Vote With Your Feet extension in the Mapmaker. (Remember, you must have the Builder role to access the Mapmaker.) Open the Mapmaker. Select the hamburger menu, then choose Extension Settings.

A view of the Mapmaker with the hamburger menu open. Extension Settings is the last option in the menu. From the Mapmaker, select the hamburger menu, then choose Extension Settings.

The Extensions window opens. A list of available extensions displays (a checkmark displays next to each extension that has been activated). Select Doors and/or Password Doors. Then choose Activate Extension, then Apply changes

The Extensions window is open, and the Vote With Your Feet option is selected in the Left Nav Menu. with a red arrow pointing to it. A red box is drawn around the Activate Extension button and the Apply changes button.In the Extensions window, select Vote with Your Feet. Select Activate Extension, then Apply changes.

Close the Extensions window. 

Create Private Areas

Next, you need to add the private areas where people will stand to get their votes tallied. While not required, you may want to first add a rug and a label to each area to help people know where to stand to cast their vote. In this example, we're using "Vote Yes" on a blue checked rug and "Vote No" on a green diamond rug. 

An all-hands room with a blue rug labeled Vote Yes and a green rug labeled Vote No.Add rugs that are labeled to help people know where they'll need to stand to cast their vote. 

Note: See our Wayfinding article for more info on adding custom text to your Space. 

Next, make the rugs into private areas. Select Tile Effects in the Top Nav Menu, and choose Private Area in the Tile Effects panel. In the Area ID field, add a unique name for each private area. Use the Stamp tool to add the private area tiles to the rugs. 

The Tile Effects mode is active in the Mapmaker, with Private Area tiles selected. A red box outlines the Private Area tile effect with a red arrow pointing to the matching private area on the Map.For each voting area, add private area tiles with a unique Area ID. In the example above, we've added private area tiles with the area IDs of Yes and No.

When you're finished creating the private areas, select Save in the Top Nav Menu.

Add the Vote with Your Feet Object

Next, open the Object Picker. In the lefthand menu, select the Vote with Your Feet extension. With the object selected, enter the names of the private areas you just created in the Private tile IDs field. Separate each private area name with a comma, and do not add any spaces (e.g., "Yes,No" not "Yes, No").

The Object Picker is open, and the Vote with Your Feet extension is outlined in red in the menu and selected. A red outline also displays around the Private tile IDs field, which has Yes comma No entered in it.Open the Object Picker and select the Vote with Your Feet extension. Enter the names of the private areas in the Private tile ID field.

Place the Vote object on the Map. Select Save in the Top Nav Menu.

Advanced Options

  • Entire room gets results: Select this checkbox if you want the voting results to display to everyone in the Space in Chat. If you leave this checkbox unselected, only the person who interacts with the voting object will see the results.
  • Custom preview message: Customize the prompt message that displays when you approach the voting object. By default, this message is "Press "x" to tally votes."
  • Message format for each group: Customize the message that displays when votes are tallied. By default, the message is "$PLAYERCOUNT people voted for $PRIVATESPACE," where $PLAYERCOUNT is the total number of people in that private area, and $PRIVATESPACE is the Private Area ID (i.e., "2 people voted for Yes, 3 people voted for No").
  • Message format for winning group: Customize the message that displays for the winning vote. By default, the message is "$PRIVATESPACE had the most votes with $PLAYERCOUNT votes!," where $PLAYERCOUNT is the total number of winning votes and $PRIVATESPACE is the Area ID of the private area with the most votes (i.e., "No had the most votes with 3 votes!"). 

The Vote with your Feet object is selected in the Object Picker, and the Advanced Options fields are outlined in red. Custom text is partially visible in each field.You can customize the text that displays for voting results.

Tally the Votes

When you're ready to hold a vote, tell people where to stand to cast their vote. Announce the question from a Spotlight tile or via chat. Once people have moved to the private area that matches their vote, walk up to the voting object and press "x." The voting results will display in the Chat from "Anonymous." 

Frank and Sam are standing on the blue rug labeled Vote Yes. Riley is standing next to the voting object, and the object is outlined in red with the prompt text outlined in red, as well. The prompt reads Press x to tally votes. The Chat panel shows two sets of votes, the first with custom text and the second with default text.Press "x" to get a count of the votes. The first voting results show custom text, and the second results show the default text.

Pets

Pets are proven to reduce stress and bring joy to your life. Now you can boost your Space's mood with the pet extension, adding a loyal friend to your Space. 

Enable Extensions

First, you need to enable the pet extension in the Mapmaker. (Remember, you must have the Builder role to access the Mapmaker.) Open the Mapmaker. Select the hamburger menu, then choose Extension Settings

A view of the Mapmaker with the hamburger menu open. Extension Settings is the last option in the menu. From the Mapmaker, select the hamburger menu, then choose Extension Settings.

The Extensions window opens. A list of available extensions displays (a checkmark displays next to each extension that has been activated). Select Pets. Then choose Activate Extension, then Apply changes

The Extensions window is open, and the Pets option is selected in the Left Nav Menu. A red box is drawn around Pets with an arrow pointing to the Activate Extension button.In the Extensions window, select Pets. Select Activate Extension.

Close the Extensions window. From the Mapmaker, or from your Space, open the Object Picker.

Add the Pet Bed

From the Object Picker, in the category menu on the left, scroll down to the extensions, which show a puzzle piece icon next to them. Select the Pets extension, then select the pet bed.

The Object Picker is open and Pets is outlined in red in the Left Nav Menu. The pet bed object is also selected.From the Object Picker, select the Pets extension, then select the pet bed to add to your Space.

Click Select, and place the pet bed in the Map. Select Save in the Top Nav Menu.

An office in the Mapmaker with a tan pet bed placed in a seating area with blue couches. A red arrow points from the pet bed in the right pane to the bed placed in the Map.Place the pet bed object on the Map.

Note: A max of four pets will show up in your Space. If you add more than four pet beds, pets will not show up on the additional beds.  

Pet the Dog

Enter your Space and walk up to the pet bed, then press "x" on your keyboard. 

Riley is standing next to the seating area with blue couches. A brown and white dog is lying on the pet bed by the couches and a message reads press x to pet.When you walk up to the pet bed, press "x" to pet the dog.

The dog will now follow you around the office until you refresh Gather or until someone else walks up, presses "x" and steals the dog from you! 

A gif of Riley walking up to an office dog and pressing x to pet it. The dog then follows Riley around the office.

Add a Custom Pet

You can add a custom pet if you want to! You just need a sprite sheet, which is a set of images that combine to create moving characters, as well as an idle image in a .png (more below). To upload your sprite sheet, open the Object Picker and select the pet bed object. In the Object Details panel, select Advanced Options. Then upload your sprite sheet, as well as an idle image.

The Object Picker with a pet bed selected and the advanced options expanded and outlined in red. In Advanced options, select Choose File to upload your sprite sheet and idle image.

Sprite Sheet Specs

  • .png file
  • 128x160 pixels 
  • Custom sprite sheet: 5 rows with 4 frames per row: idle, walk east, walk south, walk west, walk north (see dog sprite sheet below)
  • Custom normal image: the sprite sheet (or single image) for when the pet is not actively following anyone. If you do not upload a custom normal image, the idle sprites from the Custom sprite sheet are used. 


Go Karts

Find your inner race car driver with the go-kart extension! To add go-karts to your Space, just activate the extension and place the go-kart station in your Space!

Enable Extensions

First, you need to enable the go-kart extension in the Mapmaker. (Remember, you must have the Builder role to access the Mapmaker.) Open the Mapmaker. Select the hamburger menu, then choose Extension Settings

A view of the Mapmaker with the hamburger menu open. Extension Settings is the last option in the menu. From the Mapmaker, select the hamburger menu, then choose Extension Settings.

The Extensions window opens. A list of available extensions displays (a checkmark displays next to each extension that has been activated). Select GoKarts. Then choose Activate Extension, then Apply changes

The Extensions window is open, and the Go Karts option is selected in the Left Nav Menu. A red box is drawn around Go-Karts with an arrow pointing to the Activate Extension button.In the Extensions window, select Pets. Select Activate Extension.

Close the Extensions window. From the Mapmaker, or from your Space, open the Object Picker.

Add the Go-Kart Station

From the Object Picker, in the category menu on the left, scroll down to the extensions, which show a puzzle piece icon next to them. Select the GoKart extension, then select the go-kart station. You can enter a custom number of go-karts to add; the default is 3.

The Object Picker is open and Go-Karts is outlined in red in the Left Nav Menu. The go-kart station object is also selected.From the Object Picker, select the Pets extension, then select the pet bed to add to your Space.

Click Select, and place the station in the Map. Select Save in the Top Nav Menu.

Warning: Make sure when you place the station object that you allow three tiles (or the number of karts you select) to the right to allow the go-karts to spawn. Also, you need to place the station at least one tile away from a wall/impassable tiles. 

A park in the Mapmaker with the go kart station placed between two benches on a sidewalk. A red arrow points from the station in the right pane to the station placed in the Map.Place the go-kart station object on the Map.

Drive the Kart

Enter your Space and walk up to the go-kart station, then press "x" on your keyboard to get on the kart. 

Riley is standing next to the go kart station and three go-karts appear. A message reads press x to drive.When you walk up to the pet bed, press "x" to pet the dog.

To get off the kart, just press "x." The kart will stay wherever you left it.