# During meetings
# Conference window
The ongoing conference window consists of three main panels:
Go to:
List of participants
Layout settings
Full-screen mode
3. Meeting controls.
The Display the conference widget when the application window is minimized box is checked by default in the application settings. In this case the widget will be displayed in the upper right corner during a meeting if you take one of the following steps:
Go to any application section where the conference layout is not displayed (e.g., to the settings section)
Minimize main application window
Go to another program window (if this window covers more than 50% of the conference window).
The widget provides quick control buttons to manage your meeting and a hidden area to preview the selected video stream (speaker's video or your video).
Learn more about all capabilities available during the meetings below.
# Conference info
Click on the 
button on the information panel to view the conference information.
To copy the conference join link to the clipboard (e.g., to send it to your colleagues), use the button 
.
Click on the 
or 
button for more information about the system and your connection details.
The About system tab provides basic information about your hardware parameters.
Besides, all the above information is available in Settings → More → System info section.
# Changing the conference mode on the fly
A conference in Smart meeting mode can be switched to Moderated role-based mode on the go (no need to interrupt the conference). Similarly, a moderated role-based conference can be switched to a smart meeting on the fly. To do it, take these steps:
Click on the
button in the upper left corner of the video conference window.Click on
in the new window.
- Next, click on Switch. Your conference will be switched to a different mode (from a smart meeting to a moderated role-based conference or vice versa).
# System rating
The system rating indicates the maximum resolution for the following video streams: the video you send to a conference (s:, e.g., FullHD), incoming video (r:) and the maximum resolution of the video layout during a conference (rg: e.g., WQHD or 2560×1440).
# Notification center
Certain types of requests and notifications will be displayed in the notification centre. The button will have a counter indicating the total number of unread notifications: 
. Requests and notifications are sorted by their type and priority.
Notifications display in order of importance to the meeting moderator:
- Requests to join the conference
- Requests to take the podium
- Camera control requests
- Remote desktop control requests
- Recording requests
Notifications (unavailable users, rejected podium invitations, etc.)
Notifications display in order of importance to a meeting participant:
- Podium invitation
- Camera control requests
- Remote desktop control requests
- Recording request
Notifications (rejecting a call or podium request, etc.)
Within groups, notifications are sorted by the time of receipt.
In case of requests, earlier requests are shown at the top. In case of notifications, later notifications are shown at the top. Up to two notifications/requests are displayed in each group. If there are more alerts, then a drop-down list More requests or More notifications is shown under the first notification. You can click on this list to view the rest of alerts.
There are certain rules for hiding the request in the notification center.
Automatically:
In 100 seconds after the alert has been received
The request will be hidden if another moderator replies to it or if it is resolved automatically as a result of a counter request.
Manually:
If you have clicked the Accept or Decline buttons
If you have clicked the Accept all or Reject all buttons for a group of requests.
You can hide notifications only manually.
# Changing video layouts
You can adjust your video layout during a TrueConf meeting by changing the order of video windows on the screen.
To do it, click on the 
button in the upper meeting control panel. Here, you can select one of the options for displaying participants’ video windows.
If you select the Spotlighted video mode, Active speaker layout checkbox will become available. Check this option if you want to focus on a current presenter: the active speaker's pane will automatically be enlarged.
You can choose where to position the main window. Several options are available: overlap, corner, top and left. Choose the option you like in the drop-down list.
Check the Pin conference controls box to pin the top and bottom conference controls.
# Adjusting your video layout of the ongoing meeting
You can always adjust your view of the current meeting.
If you change your video layout during the meeting, the view of other participants (both native and browser-based) will not change.
To change the order of video windows:
Press and hold the left mouse button on the pane you would like to relocate.
Drag the selected pane to another place on the screen.
Release the mouse button to switch the participants' panes.
To select a priority window, which will be displayed as the largest in the layout:
Double-click the left mouse button on the image you want to move to the center of the layout and make it large. You can also click on the button
that will appear when you hover over the corresponding video window.Other windows will be displayed as thumbnails. Double-click again on the larger window to return the video layout to its original position.
It is equally easy to select a window that needs to be spotlighted (enlarged). Double-click on any small window and it will be automatically spotlighted. It is also possible to drag-and-drop video windows when one of the video windows is spotlighted.
# Changing video layout for other meeting participants
If you are the conference moderator , go to Real-time meeting management by clicking on the button 
in the conference controls.
The real-time meeting manager window opens. Here you can configure video layouts as shown in the personal area description of the TrueConf Server user manual.
You can also view detailed conference information by clicking the button at the top panel next to the conference name.
If you are not currently participating in an active conference, the link to real-time meeting manager may still be available in the [application scheduler] (../conference/#plan-conference) (or in the personal area). However, the following requirements have to be met:
You are the operator added to the list of invited conference participants.
You are the conference owner.
# Can meeting participants decline the locked video layout?
Yes, if the meeting owner selects Enable users to change layout in the real-time meeting manager.
In this case, the meeting participants will be notified that the global video layout is available and will be offered to change their view:
Even if the layout selected by the moderator was declined, a user can still enable this layout. The corresponding button will be available in the Layout settings section of the meeting control panel.
# Multi-window mode
During a conference, you can enable the multi-window mode. It will be useful if you work with multiple monitors: you manage your conference in the main window, while the video area switches to an additional window. There are two options to enable the multi-window mode:
Open conference controls, click on the button
and select Enable multi-window mode.The method described above can also be used to enable multi-window mode in the conference widget.
Once the above steps are complete, the application will split into several windows:
Main application window
Video layout window
Conference control widget.
You can disable the multi-window mode the same way you enabled it.
# Audio and video settings
During a conference, you can not only turn on/off the participant's camera or microphone but also select the AV peripherals from the list of user's available devices.
If you've muted your microphone, you can still send an audio remark at any time during a conference or a video call using the Push to talk button in the conference controls and CTRL + T or Space hotkeys as shown in the moderated role-based conference example.
To select a different camera, speakers or microphone during the meeting, click the button displayed next to each device icon and select the device. You can also click on the button and go to Audio and video settings.
You can select a different camera by clicking on the 
button available in the self-view window. To activate background blurring click 
.
If other participants cannot see or hear you during a conference, check whether your camera and microphone are on. In this case, you will see a corresponding message at the bottom of your conference window.
To turn on your camera or microphone, click on the corresponding buttons 
and 
at the bottom of the conference window.
# Noise cancellation
TrueConf client application uses AI-based noise-cancellation algorithms allowing meeting participants to stay focused on their discussion, rather than the surrounding noises. All external sounds of any volume (even the sounds of construction tools or air fan noises). To activate this feature click on the 
button which is next to the microphone icon in the meeting control panel. In the new menu, mark the Noise supression option. You can also enable this feature in the Settings → Audio and Video → Audio menu.
# Managing participants' AV devices
During a conference, you can not only turn on/off the participant's camera or microphone but also select the AV peripherals from the list of user's available devices and adjust the microphone sensitivity.
To do it, open the real-time meeting manager and follow the steps described in the TrueConf Server user guide.
The real-time meeting manager capabilities are described in our short video:
# Reactions and polling
During conferences you can ask participants to take and participate in polls using reactions:
Reactions and polling do not directly affect conferences. Instead, they serve only as an additional means of sharing information between participants. This mechanism can be used to express your opinion during a video conference without making audio reply.
You can set the reactions in the conference control panel. Click on the button , go to Reactions—and select the reaction you want. If required, the reaction can be changed (simply by choosing another one) or reset (using the button below).
Next to the reactions, you can see the Reacted counter that displays the number of participants who have already reacted or taken poll.
Please note that “Yes” and “No” statistics is calculated taking into account all conference participants (not only those who voted). For example, if one attendee votes “Yes” and other attendees do not vote, then “Yes” will still have only 20% in a conference for 5 users.
You can view reaction of each user separately. Their reactions are displayed both in the list of participants and right in the reaction menu.
The conference moderator can clear all the reactions posted by other participants. To do it, click Clear reactions displayed at the bottom of the reaction menu.
In this menu, the moderator can also save the reaction stats. To this end, click Share results → Copy text.
Uncheck the Anonymous results box to upload detailed stats showing user votes.
# How smart meeting works
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.
# When joining the conference from applications that support smart meeting mode
The algorithm that will be described below applies only to the cases when a user joins a video meeting from TrueConf client applications of these versions: 8.2.1+ for desktops (Windows, macOS, Linux), 3.3.0+ for iOS/iPadOS, and 2.1+ for Android/Android TV.
During a conference in Smart meeting mode, users will be able to see and hear only the participants who are currently on the podium. A participant can automatically take the podium according to the following rules: an attendee, who starts speaking or sharing content (even without any voice activity), is displayed in the layout instead of the presenter who is now silent. The first user to be removed from the layout is the participant who has been silent longer than other presenters or started content sharing earlier (if the microphone was muted).
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.
Pinned participants cannot fill the entire podium; this restriction is supposed to make sure that presenters can be automatically rotated. The maximum number of pinned presenters equals 25 percent of the number of spots on the podium (rounded up, 2 is the minimum). For example, if there are 4 spots on the podium, there may be 2 pinned presenters. If there are 16 spots, there may be 4.
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 an attendee is pinned on the podium, his/her microphone is automatically unmuted.
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.
# Other connection types
# 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 become a moderated role-based conference for this user. In other words, he/she will need to click on the 
Take podium button to take the podium and the moderator will see the corresponding join request. When this participant takes the podium, he/she will be automatically pinned. The moderator can also pin this participant on the podium by clicking on the button; in this way, this participant will become a presenter. To leave the podium, this user will need to click on Leave podium or the moderator can unpin him/her with the button.
# 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.
# Features in a moderated role-based conference
# How to make an audio remark
During a moderated role-based conference you can make a short audio reply without the moderator’s permission. To do it, click and hold the Push to talk button in the meeting control panel. You can speak until this button is pushed. It is also possible to use keyboard shortcuts: CTRL + T or Space to make an audio reply. If the button is no longer pushed, your audio will still be heard by other participants for 3 seconds (the button will display a countdown timer).
# 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.
# 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.