WorkAdventure 1.26 – Easier File Sharing and New Avatar Customization

We’re excited to announce that WorkAdventure 1.26 is now available for everyone! This update introduces a shiny new way to share files directly in your virtual worlds and a completely redesigned avatar (Woka) customization screen. On top of that, we’ve added many improvements and fixed numerous bugs to make your WorkAdventure experience smoother and more enjoyable. Let’s dive into the highlights of this release.

File Import: Drag-and-Drop Files into Your Map

Sharing documents and images in WorkAdventure is now a breeze. With the new file import feature, you can simply drag and drop a PDF or image file right into the map. The file will automatically upload to WorkAdventure’s map storage and appear in your map as a new interactive entity. No more fiddling with external hosting or configuring CORS just to share a file – it just works inside WorkAdventure.

Once uploaded, the file can be opened by any user in the map.

You can even attach a file to an area of your map, so that when a player’s avatar enters that area, the PDF or image pops up automatically. This is perfect for creating info kiosks, posters, or handouts in your virtual office or event space. For example, you might set up a reading corner where stepping in shows a PDF brochure, or a gallery area that opens images as users walk through.

This feature is available to anyone with access to the map editor. But what if you want only certain people to upload files in specific zones? You can configure edit rights on an area basis, thanks to a feature released in WorkAdventure 1.20: for instance, you could give each team member a personal desk area where they can upload files, while preventing file uploads in other parts of the map. You can also set up restricted areas that only allow file uploads for users with a particular tag or role. This flexibility ensures you maintain control over your map content while empowering your team to share information.

We would like to send our warm “thank you!” to the Université de Rennes for sponsoring this new feature.

New Woka Customization Scene: Revamped Avatar Designer

Customizing your avatar (or “Woka” as we call them in WorkAdventure) is now more intuitive and fun. WorkAdventure 1.26 introduces a completely redesigned Woka customization scene. The new interface gives you a clearer overview of all the available options, making it easier to browse through different outfits, hairstyles, accessories, and more.

Previously, finding the perfect look for your avatar could be a bit cumbersome as you could see only a limited number of options at once. The new design has an improved layout allowing you to see more options at once. Whether you’re changing your outfit for a virtual event or adding a fun accessory, the process is straightforward and visually engaging.

The responsive design of the customization menu means it works well on various screen sizes too. On smaller screens or mobile, the layout adapts so you can still easily select and preview Woka styles. Overall, this redesign helps every user put their best foot forward in the virtual world with minimal hassle.

Improved Language Support and Translations

We know WorkAdventure is used by a diverse, global community. In this release, we took steps to improve translations across the platform. Internally, we’ve introduced a new tool that detects missing translations in the interface. In combination with recent advances in AI translation, this will help us fill in gaps for languages that were previously incomplete.

What does this mean for you? Simply that WorkAdventure’s interface will be more consistently translated in various languages, even those that lacked community contributions before. Automated suggestions will cover the basics of translation, and our community can then refine them to ensure quality. Our goal is to make WorkAdventure comfortable to use in your language. We’ll monitor the results, and of course, if the quality isn’t up to our standards, we can adjust our approach. But so far, modern context-aware AI has shown promise in keeping translations accurate and natural.

In version 1.26.0, you’ll already find updates like completed Arabic translations and Brazilian Portuguese improvements. French, among other languages, also received some missing translations. This is an ongoing effort, so expect even more polished multi-language support in the near future.

UX Enhancements for Better Collaboration

We’ve added several user experience (UX) improvements to streamline how you interact and collaborate in WorkAdventure:

• Direct Messages from the Visit Card: When you click on another user’s avatar and open their “visit card” (profile popup), you’ll now find a handy “Send Message” button. This lets you send a Matrix chat message to that person right away, without needing to open the chat panel and search for them. It’s never been easier to reach out for a quick private chat or share a link during a conversation.

• Keyboard Shortcuts at a Glance: WorkAdventure has many useful keyboard shortcuts (for example, to open menus or toggle features), but not everyone discovers them. In 1.26, we’ve made keyboard shortcuts visible directly in the UI where relevant. You might notice tooltip hints or a new shortcuts menu listing all the available hotkeys. This change helps power users work more efficiently and newcomers learn the ropes faster.

• Improved Mobile Experience: We continue to polish how WorkAdventure works on smartphones and tablets. In this version, we’ve made the interface more responsive and fixed some mobile-specific UI issues. Buttons and menus are easier to tap, and the overall layout adapts more smoothly to smaller screens. Whether you’re checking in from your phone or hosting an event where attendees join via mobile, the experience will be more reliable and user-friendly.

• Polished Interface Design: Numerous small design tweaks make the app look and feel better. For example, the personal area editor (for configuring private desks or zones) has an improved design that’s clearer and more intuitive. Pop-up windows stack properly and have consistent z-index layering, so you won’t have modals hiding behind others. All these little changes add up to a more pleasant and coherent interface.

Calendar and To-Do List Improvements

If you’re using WorkAdventure’s built-in calendar and to-do list add-ins (via Google Calendar or Outlook integration) to organize your team, you’ll be happy to know they’ve gotten some attention too. We’ve improved the design and usability of these components in 1.26.0. The overall layout of the calendar and task list is cleaner and connection issues have been solved.

It’s all part of our effort to make WorkAdventure not just a place to meet, but a place to get things done collaboratively.

WorkAdventure 1.26.0 brings significant improvements for both everyday users and administrators. With easier file sharing, a friendlier avatar customization interface, and many quality-of-life enhancements, we hope this update makes your virtual office or event space even more engaging. As always, let us know what you think of the new features – and stay tuned for more exciting updates in the future. Happy adventuring!

Full Changelog: For those interested in every detail, you can check out the complete list of changes on GitHub.