| ThingMaker Documentation Chapter 6) Publishing

| Publishing This series of tutorials takes you through publishing your Things on the Internet. Publishing is different with ThingMaker, because the program has copyright, credit and locking tools that let you protect your Things. By using them, you can determine what happens to your Things after you publish them. You can allow future use, but limit what anyone can change. You can stop others from altering and reusing them, and you can link all the Things you publish back to you. Before you use ThingMaker's special features, you will need to obtain a ThingWorld ID. We introduce you to this important step in the process in Tutorial 8, Getting a ThingWorld ID. Then, in Tutorial 9 we show you how to add the Lock, Copyright and ID/Credit Actions. Finally in Tutorial 10, Adding your Things to an HTML page, we take you through the steps you'll need to get your Scene ready for publication on the web.

You don't have to get a ThingWorld ID or lock your Things to publish them, but we strongly recommend it!

Tutorial 8: Getting a ThingWorld ID
Once an image, graphic, or design leaves your desktop for the web, it's available for copying by just about anyone who wants to use it. The Lock, Copyright, and ID/Credit Actions help you manage the distribution of your Things once you publish them. By using these tools, you can prevent people from taking your content without your permission, no matter where it lands. With ThingMaker's publishing protection tools, you get credit for what you create and you control how it is shared.

Getting an ID
Get a ThingWorld ID before you use the Lock and Copyright Actions. You can get your ID at the ThingWorld website in the ThingWorld People section. Your first step is to register. You'll find instructions at the site for getting this ID, but the process is also outlined below.

Getting Started
1. Launch your web browser.

2. Go to the ThingWorld web site: www.thingworld.com.

3. Go to the ThingWorld People section.

4. Go to the Get your ID section.

5. Choose whether you are registering as an individual or as an organization.

6. Click Continue.

Registration Information
This screen asks for basic information about you. Later, you can choose how much of this information will be displayed on your ThingWorld ID page, although some fields are required for both pages. For the purposes of registration, we need you to complete this form as is.

1. Enter your registration information.

2. Check whether you want to be added to our mailing list.

3. Click Continue.
The next screen provides two options: downloading the ID File for the page you have created and validating the page you have created. You must download the ID File to use it with ThingMaker. Do that step first.

4. Download the ID File.
The web server will prompt you to save the ID File. You can save it anywhere that you will be able to find it again, but we recommend saving it in the ID Files directory of the ThingMaker directory.

Once the ID File has been saved, you can load it into ThingMaker.

Validate your information and compose your personal ID page after you add your ID to ThingMaker. Otherwise your Things won't link back to your information at ThingWorld. The Validation process is explained in detail at www.thingworld. com and in the Reference manual in Chapter 9.

Adding IDs to ThingMaker
After registering at ThingWorld and downloading the ThingWorld ID File, you can load the ID File into your copy of the program and use it for the Lock, Copyright and ID/Credit Actions.

1. From the File menu, choose ThingWorld ID.
This opens the ThingWorld ID Dialog. This Dialog lets you add and remove ThingWorld IDs.

2. Click the Add Button.
This displays the Open Dialog that lets you choose a ThingWorld ID File.

3. Choose the ThingWorld ID File you want to add.

4. Enter the password for the ID.
The password is the same as the password you entered when adding the ThingWorld ID page.

The new ID now appears in the ThingWorld ID Dialog.

Finishing Up
You will now be able to choose the new ThingWorld ID when you add Lock, Copyright, and ID/Credit Actions.

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