Moderated role-based meetings and simultaneous interpretation

The following explains how video layouts operate specifically in moderated role-based conferences. For more details on the types of layouts and video windows, refer to the .

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 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 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 server version 5.3 or lower. In this case, please refer to the description below.

1. In a smart meeting, all podiums (windows of speakers in the video layout) are automatically set to the 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.

2. The participant leaves the podium in the following cases:

   • he/she mutes the microphone and stops sharing content

   • he remains silent longer than any other presenters in windows of type and someone else starts speaking or presenting content (this new speaker will then occupy the video window).

3. When manually configuring layouts, you can choose different types for each video window, but at least one slot must be of type .

4. The number of spots on the podium is limited and is set when a user creates a conference. If the default layout is used (with no layouts created before or during the conference in the real-time meeting management section), a can pin any participant on the podium so that this person is not automatically removed from the layout even if he/she is silent. To do it, right-click on the participant’s video window and select the option in the context menu.

5. If at any point during the conference all participants mute their microphones, the slots of the type will be filled with participants in the order they joined the conference (those who have not been displayed in other video layout windows so far).

You can also click the button, which appears when you hover over the speaker in the conference participant list. Similarly, you can unpin a participant using the button or through the context menu.

When a participant is pinned, he/she is automatically given the podium. This user's microphone will not be automatically unmuted.

When creating a smart meeting, the checkbox is checked by default. This ensures that a user does not accidentally take the floor due to microphone activity until they intentionally enable it. This setting does not disable microphones on the SIP/H.323 terminals' side.

SIP/H.323 terminals 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 without smart meeting support

If a participant joins a smart meeting using an application that does not support it (refer to the list of supported applications), it will function as a regular moderated role-based conference for them. To take the floor, they will need to press the button, which will send a request to the moderator. Once on the floor, the participant will be automatically pinned. The moderator can also pin the participant to the floor using the button, thereby making them a speaker. The speaker can leave the floor themselves by pressing the button, or the moderator can unpin them using the button.

How smart meeting works when the app is connected to server 5.3 or lower

When connecting from applications that support smart meeting

The general rules are the same as in the case when the app is connected to 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 without smart meeting support

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 5.4+ will apply.

Simultaneous Translation

Simultaneous interpretation mode and cannot be changed later when settings of this event are edited.

To learn how to save the recording of an event with simultaneous interpretation, read the .

User 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).

Translator Interface

A guest cannot be assigned the role of an interpreter in the conference, but it is possible to assign this role to a . 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 .

There is a dedicated control panel for the interpreter, which includes:

1. Microphone status indicator – shows whether the interpreter is currently on air or not.

2. Microphone activity timer. This timer shows how long the interpreter has been on air after the break.

3. Floor () - the original conference audio track. The volume level for this track is set when .

4. The buttons for selecting the languages for the inbound audio track: by clicking on the preferred language, the interpreter will select the audio track that he/she will receive. Relay translation is also possible.

Please note that each interpreter can work with only one language pair! However, more than one interpreter can be assigned to the same language pair so that another interpreter can assist or substitute the first one, if necessary.

5. Microphone volume indicator.

6. Microphone status toggle button – regardless of whether the microphone is on or off, users will not hear the interpreter until this button is pressed.

7. Microphone mute button. Functions the same as similar buttons for other attendees. Does not affect the activity timer reset.

8. Language selection buttons for the outgoing audio track – by pressing the preferred language, the interpreter selects which audio track will transmit his/her voice.

Relay interpreting

Sometimes, you may need to have more than one interpreted language, for example, when hosting a conference with speakers of four different languages.

In this case, you will need to organize a conference with relay translation.

To do it, take these steps:

1. Add interpreters to the conference.

2. When configuring language pairs, select the languages that interpreters will hear and transmit.

3. If necessary, interpreters will be able to change the incoming and outgoing languages during an ongoing conference.

In this way, you will have a conference where interpreters will hear the languages that they understand. The volume level of the original audio track can be set when creating the conference. For more details on how to do it, refer to the .

Capabilities in moderated role-based conference

How to make an audio remark

During a , you can make a brief audio remark without requesting a special permission. To do it, click and hold the 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 disable audio remarks for all participants in the moderated role-based conference.

When making an audio remark, the user will not transmit the video stream.

How to Speak and Leave the Podium

In the conference control panel, there is a button. After pressing it (or using the Ctrl + U shortcut), an appropriate request will be sent to the . If approved, you will be added to the podium as a . This action is available to any conference participant.

To end the presentation, click the button, which will replace the button during your presentation.

The users of video conferencing endpoints can also send DTMF commands from their devices right during a conference:

1 - request to take the podium

2 - leave the podium.

Granting the floor

The following notification will be displayed to a 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 control any participant's speech using the context menu options and , which appear when you right-click on a user in the participant list.