Cisco Cisco TelePresence MCU 4510 Maintenance Manual
Understanding how participants display in layout views
Cisco TelePresence MCU Version 4.2 Printable online help
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Participant pane selection
When choosing participants to display, the MCU considers the viewer last. This prevents the
participant who is the active speaker from seeing only themselves. In this case, while everyone else
will see the active speaker, the active speaker will see the previous active speaker in their biggest
view pane.
participant who is the active speaker from seeing only themselves. In this case, while everyone else
will see the active speaker, the active speaker will see the previous active speaker in their biggest
view pane.
View family layout selection
When the MCU is required to choose a layout from a view family, it does so based on the number of
video contributors to the conference. However, when calculating the number of video contributors for a
particular view, the MCU does not consider any video stream being received from the viewer.
video contributors to the conference. However, when calculating the number of video contributors for a
particular view, the MCU does not consider any video stream being received from the viewer.
Thus, with five participants in a conference and everyone seeing the standard equal-sized view family
(2x2, 3x3 or 4x4), each of the five contributing participants will always see the 2x2 view with
themselves excluded. However, streaming viewers will see the conference display using the 3x3 view
with five panes in use.
(2x2, 3x3 or 4x4), each of the five contributing participants will always see the 2x2 view with
themselves excluded. However, streaming viewers will see the conference display using the 3x3 view
with five panes in use.
You may configure the MCU never to show participants their own video stream in small panes (see
). If this is the case, then participants viewing layouts with some
panes larger than others will never see their own video stream in any of the small panes, even if there
are free slots. They may still appear in large panes, for example if the view focus is manually changed
to show their video.
are free slots. They may still appear in large panes, for example if the view focus is manually changed
to show their video.
Changing view focus
Using the tilt (up and down) Far End Camera Controls on a connected video endpoint causes the view
to change, cycling through the available families and then the conference-wide or per-participant
custom layouts (if enabled).
to change, cycling through the available families and then the conference-wide or per-participant
custom layouts (if enabled).
In addition, the pan (left and right) Far End Camera Controls on a connected video endpoint can be
used to focus the view on a particular participant, as opposed to the MCU allocating participants to
panes based solely on the volume of the audio being received from them.
used to focus the view on a particular participant, as opposed to the MCU allocating participants to
panes based solely on the volume of the audio being received from them.
To reduce the disruption of the view when cycling through conference participants, there is a short
delay after selecting a new focused participant before the rest of the view layout reverts to the
"correct" arrangement of participants in panes.
delay after selecting a new focused participant before the rest of the view layout reverts to the
"correct" arrangement of participants in panes.
"Important" participants
For each conference, one active participant can be set as "important". This means that the MCU
considers this participant first when deciding which contributors to show in which layout panes, rather
than their position in the list being set by how loudly they are speaking. See the
considers this participant first when deciding which contributors to show in which layout panes, rather
than their position in the list being set by how loudly they are speaking. See the
"Important" participants combined with view focus
Both "Changing view focus" and "Important participants" above involve a single specific participant
being shown in the biggest pane available, even if that participant is not currently the loudest speaker.
This causes a potential conflict, which is resolved dependant on the type of layout.
being shown in the biggest pane available, even if that participant is not currently the loudest speaker.
This causes a potential conflict, which is resolved dependant on the type of layout.
In this type of view (a layout in which all panes are of equal size), the focused participant is shown in
the first pane, the one at the top left. The important participant is shown in the "next" pane, normally
the one immediately to the right of the first pane.
the first pane, the one at the top left. The important participant is shown in the "next" pane, normally
the one immediately to the right of the first pane.