Role-based conferences

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.

In smart meeting mode, there can be at least 4 spots for speakers on the podium.

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

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.

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.