# Moderated role-based meetings and simultaneous interpretation
Next, we explain how video layouts work specifically in moderated role-based conferences. For more details on the types of layouts and video windows used in them, refer to the user documentation of TrueConf Server.
# What is a smart meeting?
The main difference between a smart meeting and a regular moderated role-based conference is the automatic appearance on the virtual podium (in the video layout) based on voice activity or when screen sharing starts.
In smart meeting mode, the algorithm of selecting participants, who will be given the podium, takes into account the type of connection: browsers (via WebRTC), SIP/H.323/RTSP devices or TrueConf client applications. This factor determines the priority level of each participant. The type of connection will also lead to some differences in the work of smart meeting mode.
Smart meeting mode is fully supported in the following versions of TrueConf client applications: for desktops (Windows, macOS, Linux) 8.2.1+, for iOS/iPadOS 3.3.0+, for Android/Android TV 2.1+.
# How smart meeting works when the app is connected to the server 5.4+
If not all of the smart meeting features described in this section are available to you, it may be because you are connected to a conference using TrueConf Server server version 5.3 or lower. In this case, please refer to the description below.
In a smart meeting, all podiums (windows of speakers in the video layout) are automatically set to the Active speaker type. This window will display the participant who is speaking or sharing content. If several participants speak simultaneously, priority is given to the one who speaks louder.
The participant leaves the podium in the following cases:
he/she mutes the microphone and stops sharing content
he/she remains silent longer than other speakers in Active speaker windows, and someone else starts speaking or presenting content (the new speaker will then take the video window).
3. In smart meeting mode, there can be at least 4 spots for speakers on the podium.
4. When manually configuring video layouts, you will be able to choose different types for video windows, but at least 2 windows must be of the Active speaker type.
5. The number of vacant spots on the podium is limited and can be set when the conference is created. The moderator can pin any participant on the podium to make sure that this user is not replaced even when he/she is silent. To do it, right-click on this participant’s video window. Select Pin participant in the context menu.
- If at any point during the conference all participants mute their microphones, the Active speaker slots will be filled by participants in the order they joined the conference (as long as they have not yet appeared in the video layout).
It is also possible to click on the 
button displayed when hovering the mouse over a presenter in the list of conference participants. Similarly, you can unpin a participant with the 
button or via the context menu.
When a participant is pinned, he/she is automatically given the podium. This user's microphone will not be automatically unmuted.
Pinned participants cannot fill the entire podium; this restriction is supposed to make sure that speakers can be automatically rotated. The maximum number of pinned participants depends on the number of spots on the podium and can be determined in this way:
number of spots on the podium - 3
When a smart meeting is created, the Mute participants on entry box is checked by default. It is done to make sure that a participant cannot take the podium by accident until he/she intentionally unmutes the microphone. This setting does not mute microphones on the side of SIP/H.323 endpoints.
# SIP/H.323 endpoints and RTSP devices
The participants, who join a smart meeting from SIP/H.323 endpoints, and RTSP connections (for example, IP cameras) take the podium when they start speaking or if they are pinned in the layout just as client applications. If an endpoint with a muted microphone starts sharing content in the secondary stream, it will also be added to the layout.
# Browsers (via WebRTC)
The participants who join a smart meeting from a browser (via WebRTC) take the podium when they start speaking or when they are pinned in the layout by the moderator. Such participants can become presenters even with a muted microphone when they start content sharing.
# Client applications that do not support smart meeting mode
If a participant joins a smart meeting from an app that does not support this mode (check the list of supported applications), this meeting will work as a regular moderated role-based conference for this user. So, to take the podium, this participant will need to click the 
Take podium button, and the moderator will see the corresponding request. After taking the podium, such a participant will automatically be pinned in the layout. Besides, the moderator can pin this user to the podium by clicking the button which will give the presenter status to the participant. Such a presenter can leave the podium by clicking the Leave podium button, or if the moderator unpins him/her with the button.
# How smart meeting works when the app is connected to server 5.3 or lower
# When joining the conference from applications that support smart meeting mode
The general rules are the same as in the case when the app is connected to TrueConf Server 5.4+, but all video windows will be slots for active speakers. There are some other differences described below.
All video windows (slots) are of the "active speaker" type. A user will take the podium automatically, according to a specific algorithm: the person who is speaking or sharing content (even without voice activity) is displayed in the layout instead of another participant who is no longer talking. The first person to be replaced in the video layout is the user who has been silent longer than others or started sharing content earlier (if his/her microphone is muted).
# Client applications that do not support smart meeting mode
If a participant joins a smart meeting from the application that does not support this mode (check the list of supported applications), this meeting will work as a moderated role-based conference for this user. The same rules discussed above for TrueConf Server 5.4+ will apply.
# Simultaneous interpretation
# Attendee Interface
During a moderated role-based conference with simultaneous interpretation, you will have the additional option to select an audio track language during the conference. As an attendee, you can do this by pressing the language selection button (a) during the conference and then choosing the desired track from the context menu that appears (b).
# Interpreter Interface
A guest cannot be assigned the role of an interpreter in the conference, but it is possible to assign this role to a federated user. The interpreter cannot be brought to the podium and does not have access to the content sharing function in the conference. However, they will still appear in the participant list under a separate section labeled Interpreters.
There is a dedicated control panel for the interpreter, which includes:
Language selection buttons for incoming audio tracks – by pressing the preferred language, the interpreter will choose which audio track they will receive. This feature can be useful for conferences with relay interpretation. For example, in a conference with multiple language pairs, the translation process might occur as follows: Zh-En -> En-Es -> Es-Zh.
Floor (FL) – the original audio track of the conference. The volume level of this track is set during conference creation.
Language selection buttons for the outgoing audio track – by pressing the preferred language, the interpreter selects which audio track will transmit his/her voice.
Please note that each translator has access to only one language pair! However, more than one translator can be assigned to the same language pair so that a second translator can assist or substitute for the first one if necessary.
4. Microphone status toggle button – regardless of whether the microphone is on or off, users will not hear the interpreter until this button is pressed.
- Microphone activity timer. The timer starts when the microphone status button is turned on and resets when it is turned off. In other words, it shows the operating time after a break.
6. Microphone status indicator – shows whether the interpreter is currently on air or not.
- Microphone mute button. Functions the same as similar buttons for other attendees. Does not affect the activity timer reset.
8. Microphone volume indicator.
# Features in a moderated role-based conference
# How to make an audio remark
During a moderated role-based conference, you can make a brief audio remark without requesting a special permission. To do it, click and hold the Push to talk button on the conference control panel and speak while the button is held (you can also use the hotkeys CTRL + T or Space). When a click in the GUI is made or after a brief one-time press on a keyboard button, your sound will be streamed into the conference for three more seconds (the button will display a countdown). At the same time, if your comment takes more than three seconds, you can hold the keys until you finish your sentence. In case it lasts longer than three seconds, then after you release the button/hotkey, your comment will end without any additional countdown.
Please note that the owner can enable a restriction on audio remarks for all participants in the moderated role-based conference.
When making an audio remark, the user will not transmit the video stream.
# Taking and leaving the podium
In the conference control panel you can see the Take podium button. Click it (or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + U) to send the moderator a corresponding request. If confirmed, you will take the podium as a speaker. Any conference participant can send podium requests.
If you no longer need to speak during a meeting, you can click on the Leave podium button which is displayed instead of the Take podium button.
Endpoint users can also send DTMF commands from their device during a conference:
1 - request to take the podium
2 - leave the podium.
# Permission to take the podium
The following notification will be displayed to a conference moderator if one of the attendees requests the podium:
During a moderated role-based conference, the moderator can invite a participant to the podium by selecting the user from the list of participants and clicking on the speaker icon.
The participant will be invited to become a speaker:
Similarly, you can remove a participant from the podium using the 
button. You can also change roles of any participant using the Invite to Podium and Remove from podium context menu items, which appear by right-clicking on a user in the list of meeting participants.
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