Participating in a meeting (lecture, conference, hybrid event) - participant status

AVIEW 10-020

What you need to know

In this helpcard you will find an explanation of the following functions:

- Take a break
- Type a message in the group chat
- Change settings (app and browser)
- Change view
- Raise your hand

In most cases you will enter a room in alfaview as a participant of an event (lecture, meeting, conference, hybrid event). However, there are also moderator functions in alfaview. You will need these functions if you are moderating an event yourself.
In this case please use Helpcard Internal link opens in the same window:AVIEW 10-030 - "Leading a meeting (lecture, conference, hybrid event) - moderator status".

For a quick overview of the following functions:
- Switch to (sub)room or see who is attending the meeting
- Adjust volume
- Turn microphone and camera on / off
- Leave meeting room
please use Helpcard Internal link opens in the same window:AVIEW 10-018 - "Meeting participation - quick overview".

For the Share Screen function please use:
Helpcard Internal link opens in the same window:AVIEW 10-040 - "Share Content - Applications, Share Report, Screen", or
Helpcard Internal link opens in the same window:AVIEW 10-050 - "Share Content - Second Camera".

The starting point is an existing connection to an online lecture room or a central services room, i.e. you are in a room of your faculty or a room of a central university service.

What you have to do

  1. Functions

    Taking a break
    1. Click on the cup icon
      (1st icon from the right in the toolbar top centre).

      • If applicable, your camera and microphone will be deactivated and a mug with the message, "Taking a break" will appear in your person field.

      • The cup has a yellow background.

    2. Return to the meeting by clicking on the cup icon again or on the message, "You are currently on a break. Click here to rejoin the meeting".

    Restrict camera image
    1. Disable camera for all:

      • Click on the second icon (camera icon) in the top bar to open the camera menu.

      • Activate the "Camera off" option in the camera menu.

      • The camera image is disabled for all other participants.

    2. Send camera to VIPs only

      • Click on the second icon (camera icon) in the top bar to open the camera menu.

      • Activate the "Send camera to VIP only" option in the camera menu.

      • Before using this option, check whether you have VIP status yourself. If so, please deactivate it. This ensures that your camera image is only displayed to VIPs. If you also have VIP status and use the option "Send camera to VIP only", the camera image will still be sent to all participants.

      • TIP: Try to avoid using this setting if possible and only if it does not matter whether the camera image is shown or not. You have no visual control (without external feedback) as to whether your camera image is transmitted to the correct groups or not.

      • The camera image is now only transmitted to VIPs.

    Message to the group
    1. Send a message to the group

    2. Click on the "Chat" icon
      (2nd icon from the left in the toolbar at the top right).

      • The group chat will open.

    3. Type your message in the "Type a message" window.

    4. Click the send arrow to the right of the input field.

    5. Click the "Chat" icon again to deactivate the view.

    6. Eine Nachricht in die Gruppe schreiben

    Settings - basic: App
    1. Change alfaview settings in the app

    2. Click on the gear icon
      (2nd icon from the right in the toolbar on the top right).
      See fig. 4.1

      • The settings window opens.

      • Here you can change various settings.

    3. - Activate dark theme (default: light theme)
      The dark theme is suitable for dark backgrounds.
      - Echo cancellation off (default: On)
      - Noise cancellation off (default: On)
      - Voice activation level: adjust by clicking on the arrow, then set slider to desired percentage. (also possible under "Show all settings")
      - Speaker volume: adjust by clicking on the arrow, then set slider to desired percentage. (also possible under "Show all settings")
      - Blur surroundings: adjust by clicking on the arrow and selecting "Standard", "High" or "Pixelate" (default: Off)
      - Speaker: select by clicking on the arrow and selecting from the options displayed (also possible under "Show all settings")
      - Microphone: select by clicking on the arrow and selecting from the options displayed (also possible under "Show all settings")
      - Camera: select by clicking on the arrow and selecting from the options displayed (also possible under "Show all settings")
      - Second camera: select by clicking on the arrow and selecting from the options displayed  (also possible under "Show all settings")

    Settings - detailed: App
    1. Fine tune alfaview settings (in the app)

    2. Click on "Show all settings" below if you want to fine tune your settings (click on the "cogwheel icon" first).

      • The "Settings" window will open.

    3. Under "General" you can:
      - Select English as "Language" (default: German)
      - Turn off the notification sounds or set them to "normal" (default: discrete)
      - Change the update channel to "Beta" (Default: Release, i.e. update issued by alfaview)

    4. Under "Audio" you can:
      - Select a microphone
      - Adjust the voice activation level with a slider
      Hint:
      The grey dot marks the starting point of the recording level of the recorded and transmitted sounds and can be readjusted as needed to match the volume. When you speak, your blue deflection should be above the grey dot. Guideline values are values between 30 and 45.
      Quieter background noises fall below the set starting point of the recording level and are not transmitted.

      - Select the loudspeaker and adjust the speaker volume with the slider.

      Further selection options:

      - Enable Push-to-talk (default: deactivated)
      (See also Helpcard External link opens in a new window:AVIEW 10-025 - "Using the Push-to-talk function".)
      Note:
      Push-to-talk allows you to use the CRTL or CTRL key to turn your microphone on and off.

      - Noise cancellation (default: enabled)
      - Enable microphone on join (default: disabled)
      - Show speaker status (default: disabled)

    5. Under "Video" you can:
      - Select a camera
      - Set the screen share bandwidth usage to "reduced" (default: Normal)
      - Set the second camera quality to 480p or 1080p (default: 720p)

      Other choices:
      - Disable Mirror my video locally (default: enabled)
      - Disable Improve video quality (default: enabled)

    6. Under "Appearance" you can:
      - Choose between a light (default) and a dark theme (see also "settings basics: app" - 2)

    7. Under "Accessibility" you can:
      - Change the font size of the alfaview user interface from normal (default) to 120% or 150%
      - Change the chat font size from automatic (default) to 120%, 150% or 200%

    8. Under "Network" you can:
      - Change the proxy server configuration (only useful for administrators)

    9. Under "Help" you will get:
      - Help for your first steps in alfaview
      - Information about functions and settings of the software

    10. Under "About" you can see your version of alfaview as well as the address of alfaview Video Conferencing Systems GmbH & Co. KG

    11. With "Reset all settings" you can reset your changed settings to the default values and restart alfaview.

    12. Click "Close" to close the settings window.

    13. Click the gear icon again to close the settings.

    Settings: browser
    1. Change alfaview settings (in browser)

    2. In the browser version, the options for changing settings are limited.

      You can set the following:

    3.  Language (German/English)
      - Enable "Dark theme" (for dark backgrounds) (default: light theme)
      - Disable "Noise cancellation" (default: enabled)
      - Adjust "Speaker volume" (provided you have not "muted" audio output - see "more information and functions" - 5)
      - Disable "Mirror my video locally" (default: enabled)
      - Enable "Show spectators in user list" (default: disabled)
      (See also below under more information and functions toolbar bottom left)
      - Microphone, camera and secondary camera - select options

    > Information + Functions
    1. More information and functions in the toolbar at bottom left

    2. The 1st symbol on the left (figure icon) shows you how many participants are in the room at the moment.

    3. The 2nd icon from the left (the eye icon) opens the settings when you click on it. In the settings window at the bottom right you can activate the checkmark "Show spectators in user list" (default: deactivated). If this checkmark is enabled, you will see the spectators in the room (people who are not granted a camera and microphone).

    4. Switch from gallery view to speaker view

      Click the Speaker View icon (3rd icon from the left - nine dots) (default: Gallery view).

      • The speaker appears in large format.
        The icon changes to a square with three dots below it.

    5. In the default "Gallery view" the images of all participants are normally the same size.
      (Exception: If you have minimised your image yourself or as a moderator you have minimised the image of a participant(s) - by removing your VIP status or the VIP status of the participant(s) - by clicking on the star next to your name or the name of the participant(s), or if - in large events - the administrator controls the image size).

    6. Raise your hand

      Click on the "Raise hand" icon, 4th icon from the left.

      • You will briefly receive the message, "You are raising your hand."

      • The "Raise hand" icon appears next to your name in the camera window at the bottom left.
        In addition, a number appears next to the participant list icon (the 1st icon at the top right) or the number increases by "1".

        Clicking the "Raise hand" icon again deactivates your request to speak.

      • You will briefly receive the message: "You lowered your hand."

        The "Raise hand" icon next to your name disappears and "1" is subtracted from the number next to the participant list icon.

    7. Mute audio output (Browser version only)

      Click on the "Loudspeaker" icon (1st icon from the right).

      Clicking the "Loudspeaker" icon again will re-activate your audio output.

Problems or questions?