Table Of Contents
Working with the Conference Control Interface
Control Conference Interface Basics for the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU
Accessing the Conference Control Interface
Refreshing the Conference Control Interface
Viewing Online Help from the Conference Control Interface
Controlling Conference Settings with the 3500 MCU
Taking and Releasing Chair Control
Creating Conferences from the Conference Control Interface
Inviting an Operator to a Conference
Configuring T.120 Data Collaboration
Configuring Participant Settings with the 3500 MCU
Muting and Unmuting Participant Audio Connections
Reconnecting Participants
Blocking Conference Admission
Deleting Conference Participants
Changing the Volume
Changing Participant Views
Configuring Sub-Conferences
Blocking the Video Stream
Changing a Participant Name
Changing Video Quality Classification
Viewing Participant Call Information
Configuring Outgoing Bandwidth Settings
Viewing Conference Statistics with the 3500 MCU
Using Advanced Invitation Settings with the 3500 MCU
Using Quick Invites to Invite Conference Participants
Inviting Participants Using Advanced Settings
Cascading Conferences with the 3500 MCU
Inviting Participants to a Cascaded Conference
Viewing Participants in a Cascaded Conference
Defining Conference Views with the 3500 MCU
Enabling or Disabling Dynamic Layouts
Changing Conference Layouts
Displaying Participant Names in Frames
Enabling or Disabling Auto-Switch Mode
Terminating Conferences with the 3500 MCU
Signing Out of a Conference with the 3500 MCU
Working with the Conference Control Interface
This section describes the following topics:
•
Control Conference Interface Basics for the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU
•Controlling Conference Settings with the 3500 MCU
•Configuring Participant Settings with the 3500 MCU
•Viewing Conference Statistics with the 3500 MCU
•Using Advanced Invitation Settings with the 3500 MCU
•Cascading Conferences with the 3500 MCU
•Defining Conference Views with the 3500 MCU
•Terminating Conferences with the 3500 MCU
•Signing Out of a Conference with the 3500 MCU
Control Conference Interface Basics for the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU
The following sections describe the tasks that users with appropriate access levels can perform in the Conference Control interface:
•Accessing the Conference Control Interface
•Refreshing the Conference Control Interface
•Viewing Online Help from the Conference Control Interface
•Controlling Conference Settings with the 3500 MCU
•Creating Conferences from the Conference Control Interface
•Inviting an Operator to a Conference
•Configuring T.120 Data Collaboration
Accessing the Conference Control Interface
You can access the Conference Control interface from any Java-enabled web browser.
Procedure
Step 1 Access the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU interface.
Note The Conference Control interface is best viewed in full screen mode (1024 x 768 fps).
Step 2 Click Enter a conference.
The Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU Conference Control access window appears.
Step 3 Choose one of the following two methods.
–To access an existing conference:
•In the Conference ID field, enter the conference ID.
•In the Password field, enter the PIN, if applicable.
•Click Go.
-or-
–To create a new conference:
•Click Create Conference (button 9 in Figure 2-4 on page 2-7).
•The Create Conference window appears.
•Choose a service prefix from the list of pre-configured services.
•In the Unique Number field, enter a unique number for the conference.
Note You cannot use a number already in use by another conference.
•Click Create.
Refreshing the Conference Control Interface
By default, the Conference Control interface refreshes itself every 10 seconds to provide updated information. To refresh information instantly, click the tab in the interface that you are viewing. You can configure the refresh interval by using the Conference control Web refresh interval advanced command.
Note Do not click Refresh in your web browser. This exits the Conference Control interface and returns you to the access window.
For Microsoft Windows systems, if you have enabled the Start Navigation sound, and a continuous clicking sound is heard when the Conference Control interface automatically refreshes, disable this setting in the Sounds and Multimedia section of the Control Panel.
Viewing Online Help from the Conference Control Interface
You can view help information for a selected tab in the Conference Control interface.
Procedure
Step 1 In the Conference Control interface, click the tab you want to view help information for:
–Participant List (tab 20 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8)
–Statistics (tab 26 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8)
–Advanced Invitation (tab 29 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8).
Step 2 Click Help (button 18 in Figure 2-4 on page 2-7).
Controlling Conference Settings with the 3500 MCU
With Chair Control-level access, for conferences already in progress, you can control conference activity and initiate events such as inviting participants. When you obtain Chair Control, you can edit participant connections, create new conferences, and audio sub-conferences, and change video layout and the position of participant images. You can block conference admission, block audio and video streams, and terminate the conference. You can split the existing conference and transfer some participants to the new conference. Chair Control-level access also provides additional viewing and configuration options in the Conference Control interface.
The following sections describe the tasks that users with appropriate access levels can perform to control conference activities in the Conference Control interface:
•Taking and Releasing Chair Control
•Creating Conferences from the Conference Control Interface
•Inviting an Operator to a Conference
•Configuring T.120 Data Collaboration
Taking and Releasing Chair Control
Chair Control access can be PIN-protected. Administrators and Operators can jointly hold Chair Control simultaneously.
Procedure
Step 1 In the Conference Control interface, click Take Control (button 17 in Figure 2-4 on page 2-7) to take control of that conference.
Step 2 A dialog box requesting a PIN might appear if chair control access is PIN-protected. Enter the PIN.
Step 3 To release control of the conference, click Release Control (button 17 in Figure 2-4 on page 2-7).
Creating Conferences from the Conference Control Interface
Chair Controls, Operators, and Administrators can create a new conference from the Conference Control interface.
Procedure
Step 1 In the Conference Control interface, click Create Conference (button 9 in Figure 2-4 on page 2-7).
Step 2 The Create Conference window appears.
Step 3 Follow the steps in the "Creating Conferences from the Create Conference Window" section on page 2-3.
Inviting an Operator to a Conference
Users with Chair Control-level access can invite an Operator to join a conference to answer questions and provide support. An Administrator pre-configures the Operator number.
Note If an Operator is not pre-configured by an Administrator, the call to the Operator does not connect.
Procedure
Step 1 Access the Conference Control interface.
Step 2 Click Operator (button 14 in Figure 2-4 on page 2-7).
The Operator appears in the Participant List.
Configuring T.120 Data Collaboration
From the Conference Control interface, users with Chair Control-level access can open a T.120 data sharing session in Microsoft NetMeeting or join a session if one already exists for the conference. T.120 data collaboration over the video conference connection enhances the conference by providing data-sharing tools. Participants in a T.120 data collaboration video conference can simultaneously view diagrams, graphic presentations, and slide lectures. In addition, private text chats, white board exchanges, or rapid file transfers can occur while the video conference proceeds.
Users with Chair Control-level access can set up a T.120 data conference in the Conference Control interface.
Procedure
Step 1 Access the Conference Control interface.
Step 2 Click Join Data Conference (button 16 in Figure 2-4 on page 2-7).
Configuring Participant Settings with the 3500 MCU
The Participant List tab in the Conference Control interface contains the following sections:
•Participant List section, which displays information about conference participants. Users with Chair Control-level access can view and edit media connections for each participant. Table 3-1 describes the information that appears in the Participants List section.
•Conference Views section, which displays information about the conference layout and view.
Table 3-1 lists the elements that appear in the Participants List section. The number after each element refers to the corresponding label in Figure 2-3 on page 2-7 to Figure 2-6 on page 2-8.
Table 3-1 Participants List Section Columns
Numbered Label
|
Column
|
Description
|
41
|
Status
|
Displays status icons for the connection status of each conference participant.
Disconnected participants remain in the Participant List for the duration of the conference, enabling you to reconnect participants without sending repeat invitations.
You can rearrange the list of participants in the Participant List by clicking the icon in the title of this column.
|
40
|
Name
|
The name of the conference participant.
This column can include:
•The dial out icon to indicate that the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU invited the specified participant.
•The current speaker indication icon that indicates that the specified participant is currently the active speaker.
•Video quality warning icons—medium or poor video quality—that indicate the current quality of the IP network video connection for the participant.
|
38
|
Number
|
Displays the endpoint numbers of the conference participants.
|
37
|
Change Participant View
|
Indicates the conference view that appears to the participant. When the conference is configured with more than one view, you can choose available views from a list.
|
36
|
Audio In
|
Indicates whether the voice of the selected participant is muted or enabled.
|
35
|
Audio Out
|
Indicates whether the conference audio connection is muted or enabled.
|
34
|
Video Display
|
Indicates whether the conference video display sent to the participant is blocked or unblocked. If the icon contains a star, then QualiVision is enabled for the video stream from the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU to the participant.
|
33
|
Video Image
|
Indicates whether the video stream that the participant is sending to the conference is blocked or unblocked.
|
32
|
Data Sharing
|
Indicates that the participant supports T.120 data sharing.
|
The following sections describe the tasks that users with appropriate access level can perform in the Participant List tab:
•Muting and Unmuting Participant Audio Connections
•Reconnecting Participants
•Blocking Conference Admission
•Deleting Conference Participants
•Changing the Volume
•Changing Participant Views
•Configuring Sub-Conferences
•Blocking the Video Stream
•Changing a Participant Name
•Changing Video Quality Classification
•Viewing Participant Call Information
•Configuring Outgoing Bandwidth Settings
Muting and Unmuting Participant Audio Connections
In the Participant List tab, users with Chair Control-level access can mute or enable the audio connection to the conference of all participants in the conference.
Procedure
Step 1 Access the Conference Control interface.
Step 2 On the control bar, click Mute (button 21 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8) to mute all participants or Unmute (21) to enable the audio connection for all participants.
Users with Chair Control-level access can also mute or enable the audio connection of an individual participant in a conference.
Procedure
Step 1 In the Participants List section, select a participant.
Step 2 Right click and select Mute mic from the pop-up (pop-up 39 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8).
Reconnecting Participants
If participants are disconnected from a conference, users with Chair Control-level access can reconnect them in the Participant List tab.
Note When the Enable auto-reconnect option is configured in the conference service, then the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU automatically calls disconnected terminals to attempt a reconnection.
Procedure
Step 1 Access the Participant List tab.
Step 2 Click Disconnect (button 41 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8) icon to attempt a reconnection.
Blocking Conference Admission
Users with Chair Control-level access can block the admission of additional participants in a conference in the Conference Control interface.
Procedure
Step 1 Access the control bar.
Step 2 Click Conference Admission (button 12 in Figure 2-4 on page 2-7).
No further participants can join the conference. To readmit participants, click Conference Admission again.
Deleting Conference Participants
In the Participant List tab, users with Chair Control-level access can remove participants from conferences.
Procedure
Step 1 In the Participants List section, click the participant you want to remove.
Step 2 On the control bar, click Delete Participant (24 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8).
-or-
Step 3 In the Participants List section, select a participant.
Step 4 Right click and select View participant info from the pop-up (pop-up 39 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8).
Changing the Volume
In the Conference Control interface, users with Chair Control-level access can control the volume of participating endpoints (manual gain control) in a conference. For a regular conference, your setting only affects the location that is connected to a specific Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU port. In a cascaded conference, changing this setting affects all remote participants on other Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCUs. Once you change this setting, the new setting remains in effect until that endpoint leaves the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU.
Procedure
Step 1 In the Participant List tab, select the participant whose volume you want to change.
Step 2 Right click and select Change volume from the pop-up (pop-up 39 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8).
Step 3 The gain control scroll bar dialog box appears, with a gain span of -5 to +5.
Step 4 Drag the scroll bar to the right to increase the gain; drag the slide bar to the left to decrease the gain.
Step 5 Close the gain control slide bar dialog box.
Changing Participant Views
In the Participant List tab, if a conference supports multiple views, users with Chair Control-level access can change the conference view layout for an individual conference participant or all conference participants while the conference is in progress.
Procedure
Step 1 If you wish to change the conference view for specific conference participants only, select those participant(s) in the Participant List table.
Step 2 Click Change Participants View (button 21 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8).
The Change Participants View dialog box displays.
Step 3 Select Selected Participants to change the conference view layout for the conference participants you selected in 1,
-or-
Select All to change the conference view layout for all conference participants.
Step 4 Click OK.
Configuring Sub-Conferences
In the Participant List tab, users with Chair Control-level access can create a sub-conference within a conference. The Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU supports audio sub-conferences to which the Chair Control can divert selected participants in the existing conference to a private audio sub-conference session. The connection to the main conference remains active.
Note The Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU can support up to three sub-conferences per conference according to the service configuration.
The Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU hides sub-conference session participants from the other participants in the video layout. They can return to the conference at any time and reoccupy any previously held positions in the main conference video display. While in a sub-conference, participants can continue viewing and hearing the main conference.
Note This option is available only when a conference is configured to support sub-conferences
Procedure
Step 1 In the Participant List tab, select the required participant.
Step 2 Right click and select Move to sub-conference from the pop-up (pop-up 39 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8).
The Select sub-conference dialog box appears.
Step 3 From the list, select the required sub-conference.
Step 4 Click Ok.
A new Sub-conf column appears in the Participant List with a list of all available sub-conferences for that participant.
Step 5 In the Sub-conf column, select a sub-conference for that participant.
Step 6 To return the participant to the main conference, in the Sub-conf list, select Main.
When all participants return to the main conference and none remain in the sub-conference, the Sub-conf column disappears from the Participant List.
Blocking the Video Stream
In the Participant List tab, users with Chair Control-level access can block the video stream sent by a participant to a conference. For example, a participant video connection might affect conference processing and degrade performance. You can block the participant's video until problems at the participant's endpoint are resolved.
Procedure
Step 1 In the Participant List tab, select the participant that you want to block.
Step 2 Right click and select Block camera from the pop-up (pop-up 39 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8)
-or-
Click Video Image (icon 33 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8).
Changing a Participant Name
In the Participant List tab, users with Chair Control-level access can change the name of conference participants.
Procedure
Step 1 In the Participant List tab, select the participant whose name you want to change.
Step 2 Right click and select Change Name from the pop-up (pop-up 39 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8).
The Change Name dialog box appears.
Step 3 In the Change name field, enter the new name.
Step 4 Click OK.
Changing Video Quality Classification
In the Participant List tab, users with Chair Control-level access can change the video quality classification associated with a conference participant.
Procedure
Step 1 In the Participant List tab, select the required participant.
Step 2 Right click and select Change classification from the pop-up see pop-up (39 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8).
The Video Quality Classification dialog box appears.
Step 3 In the Change to class field, select the new video quality classification.
Step 4 Click OK.
Viewing Participant Call Information
Users with Chair Control-level access, can view a comprehensive set of participant call statistical information.
Procedure
Step 1 In the Participant List tab, select the required participant.
Step 2 Right click and select View participant info from the pop-up see pop-up (39 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8).
-or-
Step 3 Click the information icon in the Participants List section for the selected participant.
The Call Information dialog box for the specified participant appears.
Table 3-2 lists the statistics displayed.
Table 3-2 Participant Information Statistics
Group
|
Field
|
Description
|
Endpoint Information
|
Type
|
Participant endpoint type.
|
IP address
|
Participant endpoint IP address.
|
Description
|
Participant description (displays the endpoint vendor identifier, if available).
|
Connect time
|
Time at which the participant connected to the conference.
|
Basic Call Information
|
Audio
|
Audio Codec
|
Audio codecs sent to and received by the participant.
|
Audio rate
|
Total audio bandwidth sent and received by the participant.
|
Audio Packets loss count
|
Total lost audio packets sent to and received by the participant.
|
Audio Jitter (curr/min/max)
|
Accumulated audio packets sent to and received from the participant. Includes the current value and average values for the minimum and maximum number of packets sent to and received from the participant.
|
Video
|
Video codec
|
Video codecs sent to and received by the participant.
|
Video resolution
|
Picture size of video sent and received by the participant.
|
Video frame rate
|
Frame rate of video sent to and received by the participant.
|
Video rate
|
Total video bandwidth sent and received by the participant.
|
Video packets loss count
|
Total lost video packets sent to and received by the participant.
|
Video jitter (curr/min/max)
|
Accumulated video packets sent to and received from the participant. Includes the current value and average values for the minimum and maximum number of packets sent to and received from the participant.
|
2nd video codec
|
The second video codec sent to and received by the participant (if used).
|
Data
|
Data protocol
|
Indicates whether the protocol used if the participant is participating in data sharing.
|
Advanced Call Information
|
Audio
|
Audio out of order packets count
|
Total audio packets sent to and received from the participant out of sequence.
|
Audio packets count
|
Total audio packets sent and received by the participant.
|
Audio bytes count
|
Total audio bytes sent and received by the participant.
|
Audio IP address
|
IP address and port to which audio is sent to the participant.
|
Video
|
Video out of order packets count
|
Total video packets sent to and received from the participant out of sequence.
|
Video fast update requests count
|
Total Video Fast Update (VFU) requests sent and received by the participant.
|
Video packets count
|
Total video packets sent and received by the participant.
|
Video bytes count
|
Total video packets sent and received by the participant.
|
Video IP address
|
IP address and port to which video is sent to the participant.
|
Qualivision state
|
Encryption level used.
|
Data
|
Data IP address (Local/Remote)
|
IP address of the participant data sharing terminal.
|
FECC
|
Indicates whether Far End Camera Control is in use.
|
Configuring Outgoing Bandwidth Settings
Users with Chair Control-level access can also configure the bandwidth rate at which they invite other participants to the conference.
Procedure
Step 1 In the Participant List tab
–Enter the name of the participant being invited in the Invite field.
–Select the required bandwidth in the Rate(Kbps) field (field 27 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8).
–Click Invite (button 28 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8).
-or-
Step 2 In the Advanced Invitation tab,
–Enter the name of the participant being invited in the Invite field.
–Select the required bandwidth in the Kbps field.
–Click Invite.
Viewing Conference Statistics with the 3500 MCU
Users with Chair Control-level access, can view a comprehensive set of statistical information in the Statistics tab. Statistics frequently update automatically and enable you to monitor conference performance.
Procedure
Step 1 In the Participants List section, click Statistics (26 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8) to view conference statistics.
Step 2 Click Update to refresh the information displayed.
Using Advanced Invitation Settings with the 3500 MCU
The following sections describe the tasks that users with appropriate access level can perform in the Advanced Invitation tab:
•Using Quick Invites to Invite Conference Participants
•Inviting Participants Using Advanced Settings
Using Quick Invites to Invite Conference Participants
In the Participant List tab of the Conference Control interface, all users can use the quick invite feature to send an invitation to participate in a conference.
Procedure
Step 1 In the Invite # field, enter the participant number you want to invite. You can invite multiple participants by separating them with the invite sign (**).
Step 2 (Optional) You can select a bandwidth rate lower than the current conference rate at which the invited participant joins the conference. You can thus invite individual participants with lower connection capabilities. In the Rate(kbps) field, choose a new bandwidth rate.
Step 3 Click Invite (button 28 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8).
Related Topics
•Inviting Participants Using Advanced Settings
Inviting Participants Using Advanced Settings
All users can invite multiple participants into a conference at the same time in the Advanced Invitation tab of the Conference Control interface. As each invite field can accommodate multiple participant numbers with separators, you can use this tab to invite a large number of participants at the same time. All users can also select a lower bandwidth rate with which to connect individual participants.
In the Advanced Invitation tab, all users can also drag and drop participant images into preferred positions in the layout of each conference view that the conference supports. All users can also set the layout which invited participants see when joining a conference.
In a cascaded conference, all users can choose which Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU actually invites the participant.
Procedure
Step 1 In the Conference Control interface, click Advanced Invitation (tab 29 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8).
Step 2 In the first Invite # field, enter the participant contact numbers. You can enter multiple numbers separated by the invite sign (**).
Step 3 In the Display Name field, enter the name you want to appear when the participant enters the conference.
Step 4 In the Kbps field, choose the bit rate that the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU uses when inviting a participant to a conference. Choose default for optimal bit rate performance.
Step 5 In the MCU field, choose a cascaded Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU conference to which invited participants connect.
Note This step is only for cascaded conferences.
Step 6 (Optional) To configure advanced features, follow these additional steps;
Additional control features appear in the Advanced Invitation tab (tab 29 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8).
–In the Participant Layout area click Change (button 34 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8).
A dialog box appears displaying a list of the current layouts available in the current conference.
–Drag and drop the Voice activated frame button (button 46 in Figure 2-6 on page 2-8) into the preferred position in the Layout display frame that appears in the Conference View section.
Note You can set a position for the participant image in all layouts that the conference currently supports.
–At the end of each participant row, choose from the list the number of the conference video layout you want to display to the participant upon entry into the conference. Choose L to display the local view of a slave conference.
A slave conference on an EMP-enabled Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU has two views:
•The local (slave Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU conference) CP view
•The view that the master Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU broadcasts.
An Operator of the slave conference should be able to switch the view for each participant in the slave conference so that the participant can see the view broadcasted by the master or the local view. This feature is useful in large cascaded conferences where each site has a local operator. Most participants at the local site see the view broadcasted by the master Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU, but the local operator can see the local view of local participants.
You can enable a local view of a slave conference in the Edit View dialog box.
Step 7 Repeat step 1 to step 6 for each Invite # field until you configure all required the participant invites.
Step 8 Click Invite (button 28 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8) to send the invitations.
Related Topics
•Using Quick Invites to Invite Conference Participants
Cascading Conferences with the 3500 MCU
Users with Chair Control-level access can increase Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU call capacity by cascading Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCUs. This option supports the bridging of several separate conferences to create very large conferences through IP connections (H.323 and SIP) and also through ISDN/PSTN connections (H.320) when operating in conjunction with a gateway.
In the Conference Control interface, cascading a conference works the same way as inviting a single participant into an existing conference. Once you create a cascaded conference, you can use the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU to set the conference to which invited participants are connected, providing precision control of resources. In a cascaded conference, you can view participants in a tree view that displays each participant according to the conference to which each is connected.
Note If a failure occurs in a cascaded conference, local Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU users can see this status in the Create Conference window or Conference Control interface. This status, however, only appears if it was the local EMP or MCU that was lost. If the EMP of a slave Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU is lost, then the user of the master Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU can view which participants are without audio/video in the Participant List tab. If the EMP of the master Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU is lost, then slave Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCUs do not receive any indication that there has been a failure.
Procedure
Step 1 Access the Participant List tab.
Step 2 Invite another conference on the host Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU or on another Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU by typing the number in the Invite # field and clicking Dial.
The invited conference and connected participants appear in the host conference participant list in the Participant List tab.
Inviting Participants to a Cascaded Conference
All users can invite participants to a cascaded conference in the Advanced Invitation tab of the Conference Control interface.
Procedure
Step 1 In the Conference Control interface, click Advanced Invitation (tab 29 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8).
Step 2 In the MCU column, choose the conference to which the invited participant connects upon acceptance of the conference invite.
Viewing Participants in a Cascaded Conference
In the Conference Control interface, you can view participants in a cascaded conference in a hierarchical display in one of the following two ways:
•Normal View—All conference participants appear in a single list. Cascaded participants appear without any indication of the cascaded Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU connection.
•Tree View—Conference participants appear in an expandable tree view showing cascaded Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU connections to the conference. Click the plus sign (+) next to the name of the cascaded Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU to expand the tree showing cascaded conference participant details.
Procedure
Step 1 Access the Participant List tab.
Step 2 Click Normal View to display cascaded conference participants in a single list.
Defining Conference Views with the 3500 MCU
The following sections describe the tasks that users with appropriate access level can perform in the Conference View section:
•Enabling or Disabling Dynamic Layouts
•Changing Conference Layouts
•Displaying Participant Names in Frames
•Enabling or Disabling Auto-Switch Mode
Enabling or Disabling Dynamic Layouts
Users with Chair Control-level access can enable or disable dynamic layouts for a conference. A dynamic layout seamlessly switches the conference video image between a wide range of layouts to correspond with the number of participants in attendance at any given time during the conference. The video image switches to a layout with frames equal to the number of participant images, to a maximum of 16. The layout changes accordingly as participants join or leave a conference.
A dynamic layout conserves bandwidth, eliminates the display of empty frames in the video image, and makes optimum use of the video image for displaying participant images. This type of layout switching is suitable for a conference with a high rate of participant traffic joining and leaving the conference or an adaptive service used for a variety of conference sizes.
Note This feature is available with EMP support.
Procedure
Step 1 Access the Conference View section of the Participant List tab.
Step 2 Click Change (button 47 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8).
A pop-up appears, displaying a list of currently available layouts for the current conference.
Step 3 Click Dynamic Layout to enable (if not selected) or disable (if already selected) dynamic layout for this conference.
Changing Conference Layouts
In the Conference View section, users with Chair Control-level access can change the layout for the current conference.
Procedure
Step 1 In the Conference View section of the Participant List tab, click Change (button 47 in Figure 2-5 on page 2-8).
A pop-up appears, displaying a list of currently available layouts for the current conference.
Step 2 Click the layout of your choice.
The conference adjusts to the new selection.
Displaying Participant Names in Frames
In the Conference View section, users with Chair Control-level access can choose to display the name of endpoints or participants in specific positions of the video layout frame.
Note This feature is visible only with EMP support and when you configure text overlay in the service.
Procedure
Step 1 Access the Conference View section of the Participant List tab.
Step 2 Click Display participant names in frame (button 44 in Figure 2-6 on page 2-8).
Enabling or Disabling Auto-Switch Mode
In the Conference View section, users with Chair Control-level access can enable the auto-switch mode for a conference. The auto-switch mode displays all the participants of a large conference in Continuous Presence (CP) mode display in the video layout on a rotating basis. Participant images can be replaced at preset intervals.
Procedure
Step 1 Access the Conference View section of the Participant List tab.
Step 2 Click Auto-switch (button 46 in Figure 2-6 on page 2-8) to enable (if not already selected) or disable (if already selected) auto-switch mode.
Terminating Conferences with the 3500 MCU
In the Conference Control interface, users with Chair Control-level access can terminate a conference, which ends that conference and disconnects the participants.
Procedure
Step 1 Access the control bar.
Step 2 Click Terminate Conference (button 11 in Figure 2-4 on page 2-7).
Signing Out of a Conference with the 3500 MCU
When you finish configuring or viewing details of the current conference, you can sign out.
Procedure
Step 1 Access the control bar.
Step 2 Click Sign out (button 19 in Figure 2-4 on page 2-7).
