Blizzard has updated the WoW Armory with some cool goodies that allow guild members to display character data into their websites, forums, myspace, twitter, facebook and anywhere they wish via Atom RSS Feeds. You can see to the side a feed of my own character which is not merely an image. You can actually interact with it.

Hover you over the character to enable the interface. You can move the camera left and right. Or move the character around the window. The area that says Idle allows you to browse through different animated poses: idle, dance, laugh, flex, chicken, crouch, talk, bow, wave, rude, kiss, cry, point, salute, yes, no, train, casting (targeted), casting (general), cast (targeted), melee (idle), melee (attack), special attack.

The first button (on the top right), allows you to enable full screen. There you have an extra option that allows you to change the background: Race (Starting location), Argent Tournament, Dalaran, Shattrath City, Shattrath City 2, Wintergrasp, Alterac Valley (Frostwolf) and Alterac Valley (Stormpike). Hopefully more are added over time.

The link icon (the second button on the top-right), allows you to copy the code to embed anywhere you wish.

You can play, stop, or move backward and forward each keyframe of the animations by interacting with the VCR-like controls. The circular icon allows you to toggle the following options: Helm, Cloak, Tabard; and to change the character quality from low, medium and high.

3D MODEL VIEWER

Every character profile now has a 3D model viewer that displays the character in his or her currently equipped gear, and accurately displays the character’s physical features, hairstyle, and helm/cloak display as they appear in-game. Mousing over the character model window brings up a control panel with the following controls (try it now with the character to the right!):

  • Camera controls: To rotate the camera around a character, click and hold the left mouse button while moving the mouse left and right, or click the arrow buttons in the top left of the window. To zoom in and out, use the mouse wheel while hovering over the character window, or click the zoom buttons in the top left of the window. To move the character within the frame, right-click and drag the character in the window (or on the small square in the bottom left corner of the window).
  • Animations: Each character has a selection of animations that they can perform. Use the arrows next to the animation’s name to cycle through them. The available animations are determined by the character’s class and currently equipped weapons.
  • Capture pose: If you are logged in, you can set the default pose of any character on your account. Use the camera and animation controls to create a pose, then click the save icon to set it as the default. All visitors to the character’s profile will then see the character in that pose.
  • Play controls: The rewind, pause, and fast forward buttons allow you to fine-tune a pose for a character.
  • Fullscreen mode: You can view the character in a fullscreen display against a selection of backgrounds. All controls will continue to function in fullscreen mode.
  • Embed: You can embed a standalone, interactive version of the character’s model viewer in a compatible website, such as a social networking site, guild website, or forum.
  • Options: Extra options include selecting a background in fullscreen mode and toggling the display of a character’s helm, cloak, or tabard.

Refer to the Character Sheet FAQ for more details.

Character and Calendar Feeds

You can export your character information and calendar events to other websites and applications using the Armory’s new customization tools. These features can be accessed through a logged-in character profile or through the Armory’s main navigation menu.

  • Character Activity Feeds: Each character’s activity feed shows the most recent in-game actions of the character that can be recorded by the Armory. These include achievements, boss kills, item acquisitions, and more. Character feeds can be customized using our customization tool, then exported as RSS feeds to your RSS reader of choice. Refer to the Character Feed FAQ for more details.
  • Player Calendar Feeds: Another new Armory tool allows you to export in-game player calendar data to online calendars such as Google Calendar. The tool can aggregate up to five characters on your account in a single feed, and is automatically synched with the characters’ in-game player calendars. Refer to the Calendar Feed FAQ for more details.