Roles and Permissions

( View the tutorial .)
Every Attendee is assigned a role in an Adobe Connect meeting room. There are three different roles an Attendee can be assigned: Host, Presenter, and Participant. Each role has access to different menus and tools.

Understanding what Attendees are able to do in each of the different roles and assigning appropriate roles to Attendees in order to accomplish your goals is important to the success of your class or meeting. Each role is represented by a different icon in the Attendee List pod.

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Three Roles in a Meeting Room

Hosts, Presenters, and Participants all have access to different options and menus inside a meeting room as well as within the Adobe Connect Central Web Interface.

• The Host
  A Host has full control over the meeting room. Hosts can set up a meeting room, invite guests, manage attendees, add content, manage pods, and switch, add, or edit layouts.

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  Host View of a Meeting Room

  The Host view includes

  • five menus at the top of the screen,
  • the Talk button, Raise Hand button, layout selection bar, and the Presenter Preparation Area/Create Breakouts button at the bottom of the screen,
  • the Option menu icons in the lower right corner of each pod,
  • the “hide pod” and “maximize/minimize pod” icons in the upper right corner of each pod,
  • and the ability to rename pods by double-clicking the title bar and entering a new name

  A Host also has full control over the Presenter Preparation area and can move pods back and forth from the meeting room stage to the Preparation area and from the Preparation area to the meeting room stage.

• The Presenter

  A Presenter has moderate control over the meeting room. Presenters can broadcast live audio and video and share content from their computers.

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  Presenter View of a Meeting Room

  The Presenter view includes two menus at the top of the screen, but, unlike Hosts, Presenters only see the Raise Hand button and Talk button at the bottom of the screen. They cannot add pods to or delete pods from a layout, change an individual layout, or change from one layout to another.

  Although Presenters can see and interact with the Presenter Preparation area when displayed by a Host, they cannot move pods back and forth between the meeting room stage and the Presenter Preparation area like Hosts can.

  Presenters do have access to the option menu icons in the lower right corner of each pod placed on the meeting room stage or in the Presenter Preparation area except the Attendee List pod. Only Hosts have control of the Attendee List pod. On the meeting room stage, Presenters can access the maximize/minimize icon on the title bar but they are not able to rename, hide, or resize pods.

• The Participant
  In a meeting room, Participants are limited to what the Hosts allow them to do. Participants can view content and participate in interactive resources made available by Hosts, such as text chat and polls. Participants cannot broadcast audio or video, share content, or manage the meeting room in any way unless they are given permission to do so by a Host. A Participant cannot see the Presenter Preparation area and does not have access to any of the pod option menus.

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  Participant View of a Meeting Room

Note that within a meeting, promotions will last until the attendee quits her browser. This means that even if the Host demotes the attendee, the attendee can leave and re-enter the meeting with the highest permissions she was previously granted until she quits her browser.

Friends of Penn State accounts also have the same access to a meeting room as any other Host or Presenter. An Friend of Penn State account can be added to the Participant's List and promoted to be a Host or Presenter. Once added to the list, the Friend of Penn State account holder can enter the meeting room like any other Host or Presenter, upload content, change layouts, etc.

Setting Roles through the Adobe Connect Central Web Interface

Only the meeting room creator is able to edit the meeting room settings and Participant List by accessing them directly through the Adobe Connect Central Web interface.

Hosts are only able to access and edit the Participant List and other meeting room settings from within a meeting room by accessing the Web interface through the Manage Meeting Information option in the Meeting menu.

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Manage Meeting Information Option in the Meeting Menu

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Host View of the Connect Central Web Interface Accessed through the Meeting Menu

Note: Some users have problems accessing the Meeting Information page, usually when trying to access the list of recordings, even though they are designated as a Host in the meeting room via the Participant List. The cause of this problem is the browser or the browser in connection with Penn State's Web Access. For example, if you are running your meeting through Firefox but have a different browser set as your default browser, when you select "Manage Meeting Information" from the "Meeting" menu (from within a meeting room), the page will open in your default browser, not in Firefox. If you haven't logged in to another Penn State service using Web Access with your default browser, Connect will tell you that you aren't authorized to access the Meeting Information Web screen. Unfortunately, Connect doesn't know to ask you to log in. The solution is to make sure you are running your meeting from within your default browser.

See Editing Participants under Creating/Editing Meetings for more information about adding Attendees to the Participant List.

Adobe Connect Central Web Interface – Edit Participants Option (Hosts whose roles are assigned through the “Current Participants” List)

Only Attendees whose roles are set to Host through the Connect Central Web interface Participant List are able to access the “Manage Meeting Information” option in the Meeting menu from within a meeting room. Attendees who are promoted to Host using the “Set User Role” button in the Attendee List pod do not have access to the “Manage Meeting Information” option in the Meeting menu.

Adding Invitees to the Participant List in the Connect Central Web Interface without promoting them to Presenter or Host does not provide them with any additional access to menus or tools. An Invitee who is assigned the role of Presenter or Participant in the Participant List cannot modify the Participant List or any other meeting room settings.

To manage meeting participants from the Connect Central Web Interface accessed through the Meeting menu in the meeting room,

• Enter your meeting room and select “Manage Meeting Information” from the Meeting menu.
• If your list of meetings isn’t already displayed, click the “Meetings” tab in the upper-most menu bar.
• Click the name of the meeting room you want to edit.
• In the “Meeting Information” menu bar, click the “Edit Participants” link.
• To add a Participant to the Current Participants list, select the name
  from the list on the left and click the “Add” button.
• To remove a Participant from the Current Participants list, select the
  name from the list on the right and click the “Remove” button.
• To change the role of a Participant, select the name in Current Participants list and select the new role from the “Set User Role” menu at
  the bottom of the list.

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Edit Participants Link in the Host view of the Connect Central Web Interface

NOTE: If you are a meeting Host but don’t have a meeting creator license, DO NOT click the “Home” tab in the upper-most tool bar. Selecting this tab will take you to the Connect Central home screen from which you will NOT have access to the meeting room information.

Options for Setting Roles
There are two places where Attendee roles can be set: within the meeting room, and through the Adobe Connect Central Interface. Attendee roles that are set from within a meeting room are temporary and will be reset to their original level as soon as the Attendees leave the room and close their browsers. Roles that are assigned through the Meeting Manager Interface are permanent and not related to entering and leaving a meeting room.

• Within a Meeting Room
  In a meeting room, Hosts can change Attendees’ roles using options available through the Attendee List pod and by using the Auto Promote option available in the Meeting Menu. In addition, Hosts can change their own roles within a meeting room by using the choices in the "Present" menu. Hosts who demote themselves, either through the Attendee List or through the Present menu, can restore their Host status from the Present menu.

  Presenters are not able to change Attendee roles either from within the meeting room or through the Connect Central Web interface.

• Setting Roles through the Attendee List Pod
  There are three ways for Hosts to set user roles and grant permissions to various pods in the Attendee List Pod:
  • Using the “Set User Role” icon
  • Using “Change Enhanced Participant Rights” in the Option menu
  • Using the flyout menu associated with each Attendee’s name in the Attendee List pod.
• The “Set User Role” Icon in the Attendee List
  ( View the tutorial for using the Attendee List .)

  To change the user’s rights using the “Set User Roles” icon, select the name of the attendee whose role you would like to change. Click the “Set User Role” icon in the lower left corner and choose the role you want to assign to that user. Roles for groups of users can be set at once by selecting multiple names and then choosing the role from the “Set User Roles” list that you want to assign the group.

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  Set User Role Icon

  Please note: If a Host changes his/her own role using this menu, the Set User Role icon will disappear. Hosts can then reset their status from the "Present" menu on the top menu bar.

• Change Enhanced Participants Rights
  The “Change Enhanced Participants Rights…” option allows Hosts to set user rights on a pod by pod basis.

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  Options Icon in Attendee Pod

  • Select the name(s) of the desired attendee(s).
  • Click the Pod options and choose “Change Enhanced Participants Rights”
  • Check the box beside the name of the pod.
  • Click OK.

  By using this option, you are able to select the Attendees and the pods to which you want to assign Presenter permissions.

  Assigning Presenter rights using the “Change Enhanced Participants Rights…” option also gives the Host more control over who is able to see the Presenter Preparation area. Attendees who are promoted to Presenters using the “Set User Role” icon do have access to the Presenter Preparation area. Attendees who are given Presenter rights only to selected pods do not have access to the Presenter Preparation area.

  Note that there is a quirk with selected Presenter permissions. Even if attendees are granted Presenter permissions only for selected pod types, if they leave the meeting, don't quit their browser, and then re-enter the room, they will be given full Presenter permissions, not just Presenter permissions for the previously assigned pod(s).

• Attendee List Flyouts
  The flyout menu associated with each Attendee’s name in the Attendee List pod provides a quick, easy way to give each Attendee Presenter access to the Share pod and to the Talk button. To use this option, roll your cursor over the name of the Attendee to whom you want to give access, then select the icon representing the access you want to assign.
• Setting Roles Using Auto Promote
  ( View the tutorial .)
  Selecting the Auto-Promote Participants to Presenters option from the Meeting menu will do exactly what it says. All Attendees in the meeting room with the role of Participant will be promoted to Presenter roles. As additional Participants enter the room, they will also be promoted to Presenters automatically.
  • To turn on the Auto-Promote option, from the Meeting Menu, select “Auto-Promote Participants to Presenters” from the “Manage Access & Entry” flyout menu.
  • In the dialog box, click the “yes” button in response to the question.

  The Presenter icon and yellow pop-up box in the upper right corner of the screen provide a quick, visual cue that the Auto-Promote option is on as well as an alternate way of toggling it off.

  The Auto-Promote option is a toggle. Selecting it the first time turns it on. Selecting it again turns it off. Once promoted, Participants retain their Presenter status even though the Host may toggle off the option.

  To demote Presenters who were promoted with the Auto-Promote option, use the “Set User Role” icon in the lower left corner of the Attendee List pod.

• Setting Roles in the Present Menu
  The Make Me a Participant, Presenter or Host options in the Present menu allow Hosts to temporarily change their own roles during the meeting. The primary use of these options is to be able to view the meeting room from the perspectives of the different roles.

  For Attendees logged in as Hosts, the Present menu remains in the menu bar no matter which role has been selected, making it easy to toggle between roles.

Camera and Voice Pod: Broadcasting Audio and Video

Hosts and Presenters can broadcast live audio and video to all attendees using the Camera and Voice pod. To broadcast audio, the broadcaster’s computer must have a microphone connected to it. To broadcast video, the broadcaster’s computer must have a video or web camera connected to it.

Each time you enter a meeting room, make sure your headset and camera are properly configured, as outlined in Setting Up Audio and Video under Getting Started.

View Camera and Voice pod tutorial.
View Camera and Voice pod options tutorial.

To Begin Broadcasting Audio and Video
For participants to broadcast audio and video, they must be assigned either a Presenter or Host role. After running the Audio Setup Wizard, start broadcasting your audio and video by clicking the "Start My Camera and Voice" button in the lower left corner of the Camera and Voice pod.

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"Start My Camera and Voice" Button

You may see a window pop up on the screen asking you to allow your video to be broadcast -- click "Allow". This window appears only once during a meeting, no matter how many times you turn your camera or microphone on and off.

Camera and Voice Pod Controls
While broadcasting your audio and video, you have access to a number of controls in the pod:

• Stop my camera and voice button: Stops broadcasting your video and mutes your audio if the “hands-free” button was locked on. Your name, image, and media control buttons will disappear from all attendees' Camera and Voice pods. However, unless the Host has changed your meeting room permissions to “Participant,” you will still be able to use the Talk button to broadcast audio.

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  Stop My Camera and Voice Button

• Camera button: Controls the video broadcast by toggling between start and pause. When paused, the last image broadcast to attendees remains visible in the Camera and Voice pod. Click the button again to toggle back to live broadcasting.

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  Camera Pause/Resume Button

• Pod options: Allow Hosts and Presenters to change broadcasting settings for everyone in the meeting room

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  Camera and Voice Pod Options Button

Broadcasting Video
Having a number of people broadcasting audio and video at the same time can cause the system to run slowly and result in poor quality of both audio and video. To avoid this problem, meeting members should pause their video broadcast when they are not speaking.

Broadcasting Audio
To broadcast your voice, do one of the following:

• Hold down the Talk button to speak during a meeting. When you release the Talk button, you are no longer broadcasting audio.

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  Talk Button

• Alternatively, click the Hands-Free button (lock icon). After it is enabled, the Hands-Free button lets you speak at any time during the meeting.

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  Camera and Voice Pod Options Button

  A little microphone icon will appear in front of your name in the Camera and Voice pod (if you are also broadcasting video), a Speaker icon will appear beside your name in the Attendee List pod, and, when you speak, a green line under the talk button indicates your audio broadcast level.

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  Audio Indicators

  You will continue to broadcast audio until you click the Talk button again to release the hands-free feature -- the little microphone icon beside your name in the Camera and Voice pod will disappear as will the speaker icon beside your name in the Attendee List and the green bar under the Talk button.

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  Hands Free Lock Button

  Since sound levels of individual microphones can vary greatly, adjust the volume of your microphone by selecting High, Medium, or Low from the Talk button Options menu. Adjusting the volume is useful if others in the meeting or training session tell you your voice is too loud or that you cannot be heard.

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Talk Options Button

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Hands-Free Button

Clicking the Talk button only when you want to speak, instead of using the Hands-Free button, may reduce problems with echo and improve the quality of the sound in the meeting.

Audio Broadcast Options
Options for audio broadcasts are located in the dropdown menu of the Talk button. All Attendees who are able to broadcast audio and video are also able to turn audio broadcasting on and off for all attendees in the meeting room, and enable one or multiple attendees to speak at one time using the options in the dropdown menu.

• Selecting "Voice Off" turns off all audio broadcasting for
  everyone in the room.
• Selecting "Voice On - Multiple Speakers" turns on audio broadcasting and allows more than one person to broadcast audio at the same time.
• Selecting "Voice On - One Speaker" turns on audio broadcasting but only broadcasts one speaker at a time.

Selecting a volume option sets the audio broadcast of the person making the selection.

The Help Option
Finally, selecting the Help option at the bottom of the menu takes you to general help documentation at the Adobe Web site.

Audio Captioning for the Hearing Impaired
For information about audio captioning for the hearing impaired, see Setting Up Audio and Video under Getting Started.

Audio and Video Icons (Block/Unblock)
You can choose to block (mute) an individual's audio and/or video broadcast from the Camera and Voice pod. Blocking broadcasts from others on your own computer does not block them from other attendees in the meeting. Blocking video and audio is only a choice if video is being broadcast. If only audio is being broadcast, there is no way to block just selected Attendees.

Two icons let you control the ability to block video and/or audio from selected participants to your computer. To access the icons, move the cursor over the name of the Attendee located directly under their video broadcast. As you move the cursor over the name, a camera icon and a speaker icon will appear to the right of their name.

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Mute Audio and Block Video Icons

To block audio or video, click the speaker or camera icon next to the participant's name. A red line over the participant's icon indicates that broadcasts from that participant to your computer are blocked. To reactivate the broadcast, click the icon again. No line indicates that broadcasts from that participant have resumed.

To turn off an Attendee’s video broadcast for everyone in the meeting, click the “X” icon on the far right beside the Attendee’s name. Note that the Attendee can turn their broadcast back on by clicking the Camera icon in the Camera and Voice pod.

Camera and Voice Pod Options
All Attendees who are able to broadcast audio and video also have access to the Camera and Voice pod options in the lower right corner of the pod and to the Talk options in the dropdown menu of the Talk button. The options selected will be applied to everyone in the meeting room except for the volume choices which apply to each individual computer.

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Option Button

In the Camera and Voice pod options menu, there are two sets of pod options. Selection of these options applies to video broadcasts for everyone in the room.

Camera Off Option
Selecting the "Camera Off" option will stop video broadcasts for everyone in the meeting room. To turn all video broadcasts back on, select one of the other options from the menu, such as "Fast Images." Selecting lower-quality video options from this menu may improve the sound quality and performance of the meeting.

Using "Camera Off" to stop broadcasting VIDEO for everyone in the meeting does not affect the AUDIO broadcasts. Even if the microphone is in the video camera, audio broadcasts are still audible.

Image Options
The Slow Images option samples and transmits the camera image less frequently than other image settings. Images tend to be low-quality and can shift abruptly. Use this setting if most attendees have low-speed connections or if you are not concerned about image quality. A less distracting option for low-speed connections would be to pause your camera instead of using the Slow Images option.

Fast Images, the default setting, provides a clear but NOT high-quality image. Use this setting if attendees are connected at a variety of speeds.

High Quality Images provides very good quality images. Use this setting if all attendees are connected at high speeds.

High Bandwidth provides the highest-quality images. Like the High Quality option, this option is suitable for use with the highest connection speeds.

Video Display Options
The next section of options allows you to adjust the video images of everyone in the room to better fit the size and shape of the Camera and Voice pod in a given layout. When creating a layout, you will want to try each of the settings to see which one looks best.

Portrait displays video with a square aspect ratio.

Standard displays video with a width-to-height aspect ratio of approximately 4 to 3.

Landscape displays video with an aspect ratio of approximately 9 to 5.

Granting Audio Access through the Attendee List Pod (AKA Passing the Mic)
There are two additional ways to give Participants the ability to broadcast audio.

Use the Attendee List Pod Fly-out Menus
The first way is by using the Attendee List pod fly-out menu attached to each Attendee’s name. This feature is available only for meeting Hosts to use.

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Attendee List Pod Fly-out Menu

To grant audio broadcast permissions to a Participant, roll the cursor over the Participant’s name and select the microphone icon from the fly-out menu. To allow the Participant to also use the Share pod, select the Share pod icon from the fly-out. The icons on the fly-out menu are toggles. To remove permissions, roll over the Attendee’s name and select the appropriate icon. More than one Attendee can be given access to the microphone and/or Share pod at a time.

Use the “Revoke Microphone Rights From All” option in the Attendee List pod options menu to cancel everyone’s audio broadcast permissions at once. Since Presenters and Hosts permission to broadcast audio is based on their assigned roles in the meeting, selecting this option simply mutes their microphone. To actually revoke their broadcast rights, the Host will need to change their “Role” settings in the meeting room.

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Attendee List Pod Options Button

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Revoke Microphone Rights from All Option

Use the “Raised Hand” Emoticon
The second way to give Participants the ability to broadcast audio is for the Participant to use the “Raise Hand” emoticon either in the Attendee List pod or from the emoticon button in the lower left corner of the screen. Again, only a Host will see the request and be able to grant access to the microphone.

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Emoticon Button

The type of signal the Host sees indicating that an Attendee has raised their hand will depend on the role of the person raising their hand. A Presenter already has access to broadcast audio. The Host will see a popup in the lower right corner of the meeting room and only needs to verbally acknowledge the Presenter’s raised hand and ask him/her to go ahead and talk. A Participant doesn’talready have access to the microphone. The Host will see an icon of a raised hand and a popup in the upper right corner of the screen when a Participant uses the Raised Hand emoticon. By approving the Participant’s raised hand signal, the Host grants mic access to the Participant. Since Participants and Presenters don’t see the popup signals that the Host sees, they may not know that, rather than just indicating that they want to ask a question, they are actually indicating that they want to broadcast audio.

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Host View of Participant Raised Hand Signal and Presenter Raised Hand Signal

Improving Performance

Bandwidth and processor constraints affect audio reception, video reception, and latency when sharing. Users may experience audio dropouts, jerky video broadcasts, jerky played video on shared files, and slow performance of shared applications.

You can test your meeting connection by going to the Adobe Connect Connection Test: https://breeze.psu.edu/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm ( View the tutorial.)

For information on the different bandwidth explanations please see the Adobe Connect Live Bandwidth Calculation Information: http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.cfm?id=tn_19524

Setting Bandwidth
Selecting the proper bandwidth allows for clearer video and less choppy audio.

• Hosts can set the bandwidth for the meeting room. From the Meeting menu (from within a meeting room), select "Room Performance and Appearance”, then “Optimize Room Bandwidth." Choosing DSL/Cable (or even Modem) will reduce the meeting room bandwidth. For an audience with a wide variety of connections, the “DSL/Cable” setting is recommended.
• All users can individually set their own bandwidth appropriately for their connection. From the Meeting menu (from within a meeting room), select “Manage My Settings,” then "My Connection Speed" and choose the appropriate speed.

Other Recommendations
Other recommendations for improving performance:

• Close non-essential applications running on your machine -- especially programs like e-mail applications that automatically check for new mail at set intervals
• Don’t allow non-presenters to broadcast audio or video
• Use a telephone or conference call instead of Adobe Connect's audio
• Freeze your web cam image, or set it to "Slow Images," if video is absolutely necessary
• Record your meetings. Since Adobe Connect records events rather than screen shots, users can play the recording at whatever size they would like, and all the interactive SWF files that a typical participant would manipulate can be manipulated during playback. See Recording Meetings under Using Adobe Connect for details.

Audio Troubleshooting and Recommendations

Responsibility for audio quality belongs to both the person broadcasting and the person listening. Allow time before the meeting begins to correctly configure your audio.

As a listener,

• Do you have a functional USB headset or external speaker set to the appropriate volume?
  • (note that using a headset with a phono plug instead of a USB plug may cause the audio to be "choppy" under certain circumstances).
• Did you check your meeting connection speed by going to this test link: https://breeze.psu.edu/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm? Set your connection speed in the Meeting Menu.
• Did you quit all other applications and close all other browser windows?
• Did you run the Audio Setup Wizard and pass each test each time you enter a meeting room?

After you have completed the recommendations listed above and passed the tests, if you can't hear but others in the meeting room can, then try quitting the meeting room and re-entering.

As a broadcaster,

• Do you have Host or Presenter permissions?
• Are you using a wired Internet connection?
• Do you press and hold the talk button only when you want to talk if you don't have a headset?
• Did you make sure the connection speed for the entire meeting room is set correctly for the current conditions? Meeting room connection options are located in the "Meeting" menu.

Set-Up Recommendations

• Check your computer periodically to make sure you are running the most recent versions of Flash Player and the Adobe Connect add-in. This can be easily done by going to http://breeze.psu.edu/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm.
• Run the Audio Setup Wizard. Run the wizard (on the Meeting menu) with the mic and speakers you will actually be using, along with the background noise that will actually exist during the meeting. Be aware that the Wizard allows you to advance even if your computer has failed a test.
  • After running the Wizard, microphone volume can also be adjusted during the meeting by choosing "Select Camera" from the meeting menu, clicking the microphone icon, and adjusting the slider.
• Have participants test their mics. Having people test their mics one at a time as they join the meeting will help to isolate anyone who may be having a problem.

Audio and Video Options

• Push to talk. If there is a sound quality issue, everyone should press the talk button when they want to talk, instead of using the hands-free button. This helps eliminate excess noise and will also help in identifying if one person's mic is causing the audio problem.
• Pause the video. If the sound quality issues persist even with just one person speaking, then also try pausing the video or only have the person talking broadcast video.
• Change the quality. To free up more bandwidth for audio, you can also reduce the video quality. Click the "Option" button in the lower-right corner of the Camera and Voice pod and choose a lower video quality, such as "Slow Images." These settings affect everyone in the meeting.

Audio Quality Issues

• Audio breaking up. The sound will often break up if more than one person tries to talk at once. If it is important for a number of people to be able to speak at the same time, you may want to consider setting up a telephone conference call instead of using the VoIP built in to Adobe Connect.
• Connect Pro audio. If you are interested in utilizing VoIP on Adobe Connect, Adobe has some postings available at their Web site (Adobe.com) pertaining to the topic. We have also created a recorded "meeting" where a group of people are troubleshooting audio problems. At the beginning of the recording you can clearly hear audio problems. By the end of the recording, the audio problems have been resolved for the most part. In addition, the recording includes the steps taken to resolve the audio problems. You can view the recording at: https://breeze.psu.edu/p53374683/.
• Enhancing audio quality. The quality of the VoIP audio can be improved by using a high speed, wired connection and by closing other applications running in the background, including e-mail. Audio quality depends on the amount of bandwidth available and the processor’s speed and capacity. If other running applications are periodically checking the Internet for some reason, those other applications can take up bandwidth and processor resources. The set connection speed for the meeting room and each individual’s connection speed can also affect the audio quality of the meeting. These settings are located under the "Meeting" menu within each meeting room.
• Check microphone volume. If the speaker's voice is breaking up, try increasing the microphone volume. From the Meeting menu, select "Select Camera," click the microphone icon, and increase the volume by sliding the slider to the right.
• Reduce background noise as much as possible. If others notice that your mic is picking up breathing sounds, try moving the mic just a bit further away from your mouth and nose.
• Volume level changes. Unexpected changes in volume when someone jumps into the conversation after being quiet for a time are probably just normal intonations people use. People often speak a little louder when they are jumping into a conversation after a pause.
• Check the audio gain. If you have problems with the volume suddenly getting louder, try turning off the automatic gain control. Windows users, go through the Audio Setup Wizard (on the Meeting menu), select Advanced Settings at the end of the Wizard, and uncheck the Automatic Gain Control box. Note that there is no automatic gain control setting if you are using a Mac or a PC without the Adobe Connect Add-in installed (see Requirements under Getting Started) or a Mac.
• Skip the Camera/Voice pod. If you have problems with audio quality, try replacing the Camera and Voice pod with a Share pod displaying a .jpg file of yourself instead of broadcasting paused video. This works because you can have more than one instance of the Share pod on the screen at one time. Using an additional Share pod instead of the Camera and Voice pod reduces bandwidth usage, which, in turn, allows for better quality audio and faster meeting room performance.
• Other issues. If you have audio issues and you have been using the "pass the mic" feature, try going back to promoting attendees to Presenters or giving them enhanced rights to the Talk button instead and see if your audio quality improves.

Video Troubleshooting

Camera Unavailable
If the camera doesn't appear on the drop down list, make sure:

• The camera is connected to the computer and turned on
• You have the most current drivers installed. You may need to download a new driver from the camera manufacturer's Web site.
• The camera is "Flash compatible."

If the camera still doesn't show up in the drop down list, try using the camera with a different application to make sure it is working. Be sure to quit the application after you have checked the camera. Only one application at a time can access the camera. Adobe Connect won't be able to access your camera if it is already being used by another application.

Camera Not Broadcasting
If the camera does appear on drop down list but doesn't broadcast a picture in Adobe Connect, make sure:

• You have Host or Presenter permissions (see Roles and Permissions under Using Adobe Connect)
• There are no other applications running that are already using the camera.
• The Camera and Voice pod options are not set to "Camera Off." These options are accessible by clicking the Options button in the lower-right corner of the pod.

After completing the above steps, if the camera still doesn't work, try:

• Stopping the broadcast and starting again using the buttons at the bottom of the Camera and Voice pod
• Pausing the video and then un-pausing it using the buttons at the bottom of the Camera and Voice pod
• Quitting the meeting and coming back in and/or restarting the computer and coming back in to Adobe Connect.

Penn State Audio Bridge

The Penn State Audio Bridge is an optional alternative method of audio communication.

Consider using the Penn State Audio Bridge if video and audio interaction with meeting participants is critical to the success of your meeting but your remote participants will be attending the meeting over a variety of Internet connections.

If you will be using the Penn State Audio Bridge for audio instead of the VoIP built into the Adobe Connect meeting room, you need to make the necessary arrangements in advance (http://css.its.psu.edu/callcenter/audconf.html). When using the audio bridge, Adobe Connect participants will receive audio from the meeting by using telephones to call into the bridge. You will need a telephone connection in the physical meeting room as well as some sort of telephone microphone that will be able to broadcast to (and possibly from) the remote audience. At a minimum, the remote audience needs to be able to hear the presenter’s voice.

Share Pod: Sharing Files and Whiteboards

There are two pods in Adobe Connect for sharing files: the File Sharing pod and the Share pod.

The File Sharing pod allows Hosts and Presenters to upload files to a meeting and have attendees download a copy of the file to their computer. All file types can be uploaded to this pod. The actual file is never displayed in the meeting, only a link to download it. The documentation on this page does not cover this pod.

On the other hand, the Share pod will actually display the file that is uploaded, but is limited in the types of files it will accommodate. The documentation on this page is about the Share pod.

Share Pod
As a Host or Presenter, you can use the Share Pod to upload content from your computer to share with others in the meeting room. You must have the Adobe Connect Plug-In installed to gain full access to the Share Pod (see Requirements under Getting Started).

Friends of Penn State accounts also have the same access to a meeting room as any other Host or Presenter. An Friend of Penn State account can be added to the Participant's List and promoted to be a Host or Presenter. Once added to the list, the Friend of Penn State account holder can upload content to the Share Pod like any other Host or Presenter.

Activities that the Share pod can be used for include:

• Content display: The Share pod can display various kinds of media, including presentations, images, and documents.
• Whiteboard: Presenters and Hosts can annotate text and drawings collaboratively, in real time.
• Screen sharing and application sharing: See the next page, Share Pod: Sharing Screens and Applications under Using Adobe Connect.

Content Display: Sharing Files from Your Computer
The Share pod can display the following kinds of media:

• Microsoft PowerPoint presentations (.PPT)
• Images (.JPG)
• Flash files (.SWF)
• Flash Video files (.FLV)
• Audio Files (.MP3)
• Presenter Files (.zip)

Note: The graphic and video files embedded in the PowerPoint files must be one of the file types listed above; otherwise, the files will be not be able to be uploaded to the meeting space.

All other file types must be converted to Flash prior to uploading. The FlashPaper utility will allow you to convert files to Flash (see Requirements under Getting Started).

To load content from your computer into the Share pod:

1. Click the Documents button in the middle of a blank Share pod.
2. Click “Select From My Computer” on the drop-down menu. A Browser Content window appears.
3. Navigate to and select the local file to display.
4. Click the “Open” button.

[inline:ShareBlank.jpg]
A Blank Share Pod

An alternative way to load content from your computer into the Share pod:

1. Go to the Pods menu, which is located at the top of the meeting room.
2. Select Share > Select from My Computer

Note: The same window as described above will open.

The file is uploaded to the server and is converted to an Adobe Connect file (Flash). The added content appears in the Share pod.

To share files already uploaded to a meeting, click the Documents button in the middle of a blank Share pod and select the file from the list.

Using Content Stored in the My Content Folder
Adobe Connect users who have a "Meeting Creator license" are also able to upload content to their Content folder and then move that content into their meeting rooms.

To place content into your Content folder, go to http://breeze.psu.edu and click the Content button in the "Create New:" menu bar.

[inline:MyContent.gif]
The Create Content Button

Give the new content a name and custom URL (if desired) and upload it to your folder.

[inline:AddContent.gif]
Add Content to your My Content Folder

To place content from your content space into a meeting room you have to enter your meeting room, then

1. select a Share pod and click the "Documents" button in the middle of the pod.
2. Select "Select from Content Library..." from the bottom of the list. A dialog box will appear with several optional to choose from, including "My Content".
3. Click the "My Content" button and select the file you want to move to the Share pod.
4. Click the "Open" button at the bottom of the window.

Another way to do the same thing is from the Pods menu at the top of the meeting room, select Share>Select from Content Library. The same window as described above will open.

Please note that only a few file types are supported. The file should be one of the following formats: *.ppt, *.flv, *.swf, *.jpg, *.mp3, FlashPaper (*.swf), or *.zip (Presenter files only).

Synchronizing Your Presentation
By default, Adobe Connect synchronizes display of PowerPoint presentations (and other "multiframe" documents) so that attendees see the frame that the presenter sees. A Host or Presenter can turn off synchronization so that viewers can move through presentations at their own pace (see below).

With synchronization on, the presenter has control over the presentation. The arrow buttons in the bottom bar of the Share pod allow the presenter to move to the previous or next frame.

[inline:prevnext.jpg]
Previous and Next Buttons (Sync On)

Additionally, with synchronization on, the presenter can bring up the presentation sidebar. The sidebar shows the outline and notes of a presentation, as well as providing a search function. To bring up the presentation sidebar, click on the "Show/Hide Sidebar" icon in the bottom bar of the Share pod.

[inline:showsidebar.jpg]
Show/Hide Presentation Sidebar (Sync On)

[inline:sidebar.jpg]
Presentation Sidebar

Turning Off Synchronization
To turn off synchronization, click the Sync button (which is on by default) in the bottom bar of the Share pod. Note that the Sync button appears only when you have multiframe content loaded in the Share pod.

[inline:sync.jpg]
Sync Button

With synchronization off, controls for presentation playback appear at the right of the Share pod. The presenter and all attendees can use these controls to move through presentations at their own pace.

[inline:playback.jpg]
Presentation Playback Controls (Sync Off)

Click the Sync button again to turn on synchronization so that attendees see the same frame that the presenter sees.

Whiteboard: Annotating and Drawing
A whiteboard allows you to create text, lines, circles, squares, and other free-hand drawings in real time during a meeting. All Presenters and Hosts can use a created whiteboard, and multiple whiteboards can be used per meeting. Whiteboard content remains between meeting sessions. There are two methods for using a whiteboard:

• You can use a stand-alone whiteboard to create new content.
• You can use a whiteboard overlay to add annotations and drawings to your existing shared file(s).

To create a new stand-alone whiteboard in a blank Share pod:

1. Click the "Whiteboards" button in the middle of a blank Share pod.
2. Select "New Whiteboard" in the pop-up menu. A blank whiteboard appears in the pod.
3. Click the whiteboard tools icon (see image below) to bring up the whiteboard tools.
4. Select a text or drawing tool
5. Click in the whiteboard area to start writing or drawing.

[inline:WhiteboardTools.jpg]
Whiteboard Tools Icon

To add a whiteboard over a shared file in a Share pod:

1. Click the Whiteboard Overlay button in the bottom bar of the Share Pod (see image below). The whiteboard toolbar appears in the lower-right corner.
2. Select a text or drawing tool.
3. Click in the whiteboard area to start writing or drawing.

[inline:controlstrip1.jpg]
Whiteboard Overlay Button in the Share Pod

Whiteboard: Saving and Printing
Whiteboards are just one of the special Share pods available in Adobe Connect. If you are interested in saving whiteboard material for future use, you can simply hide the whiteboard. To display the hidden whiteboard, select it from the list in the “Pods” menu.
To print a whiteboard:

1. Select the print tool from the bottom of the toolbar.

Note: Sometimes the print function is hidden if the Share Pod is smaller than the expanse of the toolbar. If you increase the size of the Share Pod, you will be able see the printer icon close to the bottom of the toolbar.

2. Once you select the printer icon, you will see a list of available printers. In addition to printing the whiteboard, options could also include saving the document as an Adobe PDF, Microsoft Office, Document Image Writer, or even as a Macromedia FlashPaper document. The selection of formats will vary depending on which drivers have been installed on your computer.

Share Pod: Sharing Screens and Applications

As a Host or Presenter, you can use the Share Pod to share your screen, and even let other Hosts and Presenters take control of your applications. You must have the Adobe Connect Plug-In installed (see Requirements under Getting Started) to gain full access to the Share Pod.

Activities that the Share Pod can be used for include:

• Content display and whiteboard: See the previous page, Share Pod: Sharing Files and Whiteboards under Using Adobe Connect.
• Screen sharing: In real-time, the Share Pod can display a desktop, window, or application that is open on the Host or Presenter's computer.
• Application sharing: Hosts and Presenters can allow another Host or Presenter to take control of their desktop, window, or open application.

Screen Sharing: Displaying a Desktop, Window, or Application
From a Share pod, Hosts and Presenters can broadcast a desktop, window, or application to all Attendees in a meeting room. For meeting Attendees to see the shared item, it must be in full view on the Host or Presenter's screen. Any changes that the sharing Host or Presenter makes to the application are visible to the Attendees, including related windows such as dialog boxes. Overlapping windows from applications not selected for sharing appear as a blue cross-hatch pattern.

Note that screen sharing requires a very high amount of bandwidth and should be used cautiously. Even users with high-speed, wired internet connects may have trouble viewing a shared screen in real-time.

To start sharing a screen:

1. Click the “My Computer Screen…” button in the middle of a blank Share pod. The Screen Sharing Window appears.
2. Select whether you want to share a desktop, window, or application. If your computer system has two monitors, select the display you want to share. (We have found that it works best to share your Main Display and move your Adobe Connect meeting window to your second monitor.)
3. Select the item(s) you want to share and click the “Share” button.

[inline:StartScreenShare.gif]
Screen Sharing Window

After sharing your screen, the following actions occur:

• If you are sharing an application or window, it comes to the front of your desktop. If you are sharing a desktop, Adobe Connect is minimized.
• The Macromedia Adobe Connect icon appears on the application task bar tray in Windows or on the icon bar on the Macintosh.
• The shared screen appears in the Attendees' Share pods in the meeting room.

To stop sharing, click the Stop Sharing button in the bottom bar of the Share Pod.

Bandwidth Considerations
Screen sharing requires a very high amount of bandwidth (requiring a connection speed of at least 350 Kbps) and should be used cautiously. Even users with high-speed, wired internet connections may have trouble viewing a shared screen in real-time. Suggestions for screen sharing include:

• Reducing the shared screen to the smallest reasonable resolution
• Allowing users to view content locally on their computers. For instance, instead of screen sharing to browse websites together, use the Web Links pod to open them in the participant’s browser; then tell the participants to look at the sites

Previewing your Shared Screen
When sharing a desktop, window, or application, you can select the Preview option to show the same view that Attendees see in their Share Pod. Click the Preview Icon (a pair of glasses) in the bottom bar of the Share Pod.

[inline:PreviewIcon.gif]
Preview Icon

With the Preview option, you can share an application and preview it at the same time. If you are using a single monitor, you will need to resize your windows so that the shared application and the Preview Pod do not overlap. Otherwise the covered areas of the shared item appear as a blue cross-hatch pattern on the other attendees' screens.

[inline:HashMarks.gif]
Blue Hash Marks

Application Sharing: Passing Control to Another Host or Presenter
While screen sharing, you can pass control of the shared desktop, window, or application to another Host or Presenter. The controlling Host or Presenter can now use the shared desktop, window, or application as if it were on their own computer.

To pass control of a shared screen to another Host or Presenter:

1. Start sharing the desired desktop, window, or application
2. Wait for the Host or Presenter to request control. When the message box appears, click Accept.

To take control of a shared screen, a Host or Presenter must first request control. To request control, click on the Request Control button at the bottom of the Share Pod.

[inline:RequestControlSm.gif]
Request Control Button

As the sharing Host or Presenter, when someone requests control from you, you will see a message in the lower-right corner of your main screen, asking if you want to decline or accept the request for control. If you grant control to another Host or Presenter, a "Stop Sharing" button appears at the top of the desktop, window, or application. To take back control of your shared screen, click the Stop Sharing button.

[inline:StopSharingPCZoom.jpg]
Stop Sharing button in Windows

Alternatively, you can stop sharing by clicking the Adobe Connect task tray icon in Windows and selecting "Stop Sharing."

[inline:stopsharingtasktray.jpg]
Stop Sharing Task Tray Icon in Windows

As the requesting Host or Presenter, if your request is accepted a message informs you that you have been granted control of the screen. In the bottom bar of the Share Pod, the "Request Control" button will then become a "Release Control" button. To release control of the shared screen, click the Release Control button.

Annotating a Screen Capture
While sharing a screen or application on a computer running Windows, a Host or Presenter can take a "snapshot" or screen capture of the shared window. This screenshot is then placed on a whiteboard for annotation (for details on whiteboards, see Share Pod: Sharing Files and Whiteboards under Using Adobe Connect).

To create a screen capture of your shared window, make sure the window you want to capture is visible, then choose one of the following methods:

• Click the pull-down menu next to the "Stop Sharing" button of the shared window. Select "Pause And Annotate." (Note: this method is not available when sharing the entire desktop.)
  [inline:pause1.jpg]
  "Stop Sharing" Pull-Down Menu Pause
• Alternatively, in Windows, click on the Adobe Connect icon in the task tray. Select "Pause and Annotate."
  [inline:pause2.jpg]
  Adobe Connect Task Tray Pause

After a few seconds, a snapshot of the window will appear on the whiteboard, to be annotated as desired.

When finished annotating, click "Resume" in the control strip at the bottom of the Share Pod. Note that the whiteboard will disappear when "Resume" is clicked.

Managing Content in the Share Pod

Although you may think of files that have been uploaded to the Share pod as files, Adobe Connect doesn't. To Adobe Connect, each file that is uploaded is a new Share pod. To manage files that have been uploaded to the Share pod, you will need to have Host permissions and use the "Pods" menu located in the menu bar at the top of the screen.

[inline:PodsMenu.gif]
Pods Menu

To delete files,

1. From the "Pods" menu, select "Organize Pods."
2. Select the pod (file) you want to delete.
3. Click the "Delete" button at the top of the column to the right of the list of pods.
4. Click the "Done" button when you have finished deleting pods (files).

To rename files,

1. From the "Pods" menu, select "Organize Pods."
2. Select the pod (file) you want to rename.
3. Click the "Rename" button near the top of the column to the right of the list of pods.
4. Click the "Done" button when you have finished renaming pods (files).

Creating Breakout Rooms

One of Adobe Connect Pro 7 newest features is the ease in which you can easily create and manage Breakout Rooms. Please refer to page 42-46 of the "Adobe Connect Pro User Guide - Complete Help" at
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/AcrobatConnectPro/7.0/connectpro_7_help.pdf for more information.

Adobe has also posted a video tutorial for breakout rooms at https://admin.adobe.acrobat.com/_a227210/breakoutroomintro/.

Customizing Layouts

( View the tutorial .)
Each of the little windows in an Adobe Connect meeting room is called a pod. The Pods are arranged on the meeting room stage to create a layout. Layouts define which pods are available in a meeting room and how they are oriented. Hosts are able to arrange, re-arrange, and resize pods in a layout to best fit the needs of the meeting.

Adobe Connect provides three default layouts for meeting rooms: Sharing, Discussion, and Collaboration. These three default layouts reflect Adobe’s best guess as to what you will need for your meeting and are created when the room is created. However, rooms are not limited to just these three layouts. Nor are they limited to just this default template. Any number of customized layouts can be added to a single meeting room. And any meeting room can be used as a template to create additional, duplicate rooms.

Switching Between Layouts
Hosts can switch between layouts during the meeting to better facilitate the meeting’s activities. For example, the Sharing layout is designed with the Share pod occupying much of the stage and is intended for displaying content, like PowerPoint presentations. On the other hand, the discussion layout has the Chat pod and the Camera and Voice pod placed more prominently on the stage and is designed to facilitate interactions between participants.

Planning customized layouts around anticipated meeting activities helps the meeting flow and proceed more smoothly.

Only Hosts can design layouts and switch between layouts during a meeting. Presenters and Participants have to work with what the Host has made available.

Switching Between Layouts Options
A Host has two options for switching between layouts:

• From the "Layout" menu at the top of the window, select the layout you want to use.
• Or, on the "Layout Selection bar" at the bottom of the window, click the button for the layout you want to switch to.

Moving and Resizing Pods
Within a layout, Hosts can move pods by clicking and dragging the pod’s title bar. Individual pods can be resized by clicking and dragging the edges of the pod.

To lock a layout to prevent pods from being moved and resized, click the “Turn off move and resize pods” button in the “layouts toolbar,” or check the “Move and Resize Pods” option in the “Pods” menu.

Creating a Custom Layout
From within a meeting room, Hosts can create and customize new layouts. To create a new layout, click the "Layout" menu on the top menu bar and select "New Layout.” Or, click the “plus sign” on the Layout Selection Bar.

The New Layout window will appear.

• Select either to create a new blank layout or to duplicate an existing layout. For this example, we will duplicate an existing layout.
• Enter a name for your new layout. We are calling our new layout “Guest Speaker.”
• Click "OK."

After creating the new layout, continue customizing by adding additional pods, deleting existing pods and resizing and rearranging pods.

In this example we are deleting the Poll pod and adding a small Share pod.

To remove pods from the layout, click the “Hide Pod” icon in the upper right corner of each pod.

To add additional pods to the layout, from the "Pods" menu on the top menu bar, select the pods you want to include.

After selecting and arranging pods, if applicable, continue with the customization by uploading content. Adobe Connect characterizes uploaded files as pods, even though you may think of them as files.

Managing Layouts
If you use the same meeting room repeatedly for many different meetings, at some point, you will probably want to delete layouts that are no longer needed and reorganize to better suit your needs.

• To manage the layouts in your meeting room, select "Organize Layouts" from
  the "Layouts" menu.
• The Organize Layouts window contains options for deleting, renaming, and
  changing the order of layouts listed in the menu.
• To delete a layout, select the name of the layout from the list and click
  the delete button.
• To rename a layout, select the name of the layout from the list, click
  the "Rename" button, enter the new name, and click "OK." In
  this example we are changing the name of the Collaboration layout to "Group
  Discussions"
• To change the location of the name of a layout in the list, select the
  name and click the "Move Up" or "Move Down" button.

Changing the order of layouts in the “Layout Toolbar”
To change the order of layout buttons in the “Layout Toolbar,” press and hold the mouse button on the layout button you would like to move. Continue to hold the mouse button and drag the layout button to its new location.

Saving a Layout as a Template
Meeting creators (only) can save a customized layout as a template for future meeting rooms. For more information, see Creating Templates under Creating/Editing Meetings.

Creating Effective Layouts - Advanced
In addition to the basics about using layouts, you may be interested in the more advanced features covered in Adobe’s short tutorial listed at the Adobe Connect Pro Users Community site (Connectusers.com.) While targeted for people who are meeting hosts, it does cover a wide range of topics for best practices using layouts. To view the Adobe tutorial, please go the following URL: Creating Effective Layouts for Connect Meetings

Recording Meetings

You have to have Host permissions in order to access the Record Meeting option in the Meeting menu. Adobe Connect meetings can be recorded and saved for playback at any time. Adobe Connect records events rather than screen shots, which means that users can play the recording at whatever size they would like, and all the interactive SWF files that a typical participant would manipulate can be manipulated during playback.

Everything that happens in the room is recorded from the perspective of a Participant. Individual breakout rooms are not recorded, but materials from breakout rooms will be included in the recording if a Host brings them into the main meeting room.

Recordings can be edited in two different ways:

• online or
• offline

When editing online, rudimentary linear editing tools are provided. For offline editing, the recording is downloaded as a .FLV file.

Downloaded recordings can also be placed on a different server or on a CD for playback.

To Start Recording a Meeting

1. From within a meeting room, select "Record Meeting" from the “Meeting” menu.

   [inline:RecordMtg.gif]
   Record Meeting Option

2. In the Record Meeting dialog box, enter a name and summary for the meeting recording and click OK.

   [inline:RecordTitle.gif]
   Enter Title and Summary

A notifier and a red circle appear in the upper right hand corner of the top menu bar to indicate to everyone in the meeting room that the meeting is being recorded.

[inline:Recording.gif]
Recording Notifier

To Stop Recording a Meeting
To stop recording a meeting, do one of the following:

• Place the pointer over the red circle in the menu bar, and select the Stop Recording option from the pop-up menu, OR
• On the top menu bar, click "Meeting," then select the "Record Meeting" option to remove the check mark from the menu option.

  [inline:RecordStop.gif]
  Stop Recording

The meeting recording is saved and is available for viewing at any time.

Accessing Recorded Meetings - Hosts and Meeting Room Creators
Hosts and Meeting Room Creators can access recorded meetings through the Adobe Connect Central Web interface by selecting “Manage Meeting Information” from the “Meeting” menu in the meeting room. Follow these steps:

1. Enter the Meeting room from which the recording was made.
2. Under the "Meeting" menu select "Manage Meeting Information." This will open the Web interface in your browser.
3. Click the "Recordings" link at the end of the Meeting Information menu bar to view the list of recordings for the meeting room.

   [inline:RecordLink.gif]
   Recordings Link

4. Click the name of the recording to see the URL. Each recording has a unique URL. URLs for recordings that reside on the Adobe Connect server don’t change even if the recording is moved to another folder.

   [inline:RecordURL.gif]
   Recording URL

5. To allow others to view the recording, post or distribute the URL. Access to recordings residing on the Adobe Connect server can be set based on the meeting room settings or individually, based on the contents of each recording. For more information about setting permissions on recordings see Setting Access Permissions for Recordings.

   Note:

   • It appears that the access settings for a Content folder don't affect the access settings for the files in that folder. Therefore, the folder can be set to not allow public access, and the recording will still be accessible to the public if its access setting is FOR public access.
   • Some users have problems accessing the Meeting Information page, usually when trying to access the list of recordings, even though they are designated as a Host in the meeting room via the Participant List. The cause of this problem is the browser or the browser in connection with Penn State's Web Access. For example, if you are running your meeting through Firefox but have a different browser set as your default browser, when you select "Manage Meeting Information" from the "Meeting" menu (from within a meeting room), the page will open in your default browser, not in Firefox. If you haven't logged in to another Penn State service using Web Access with your default browser, Connect will tell you that you aren't authorized to access the Meeting Information Web screen. Unfortunately, Connect doesn't know to ask you to log in. The solution is to make sure you are running your meeting from within your default browser.

Delete a Meeting Recording

To delete a recording associated with a meeting, you must be the person who created the meeting room.

Follow these steps to delete a recording:

1. Click the "Meetings" tab in the uppermost gray menu bar on the Adobe Connect Central Web interface home page at http://breeze.psu.edu.

   [inline:MeetingTab.gif]
   Meetings Tab on Home Screen of Adobe Connect Central

2. Click the name of the meeting that has the recording you want to delete
3. Click the "Recordings" link on the Meeting Information menu bar on the Meeting Information page
4. Select the check box to the left of the recording(s) you want to delete on the Recording page
5. Click on the "Delete" button.

   [inline:RecordDelete.gif]
   Delete Recording

Adobe Presenter: Narrating Presentations

About Adobe Presenter

Adobe Presenter is an optional plug-in for Windows that provides an easy means of adding narration to PowerPoint presentations. Narrated PowerPoint files created with Presenter can be formatted to be smaller in size than presentations created using the MicroSoft narration tools. Presenter .zip files can be easily uploaded to ANGEL. The Presenter plugin works only with MicroSoft PowerPoint for Windows. A Macintosh version is NOT available.

Adobe Presenter also provides an easy way to embed Flash objects, such as Flash video, animations, and Captivate as well as various video file formats. Adobe Presenter is compatible with ANGEL’s (V.7.1) version of SCORM-compliant quizzing (V.1.2) (see the post at http://meeting.psu.edu/node/540 for more information).

How to Obtain the Adobe Presenter Plug-In

Please Note: Adobe Presenter V7 and later only works with Microsoft Office 2007 or later. If you have an earlier version of Office (i.e. 2003) you will need to use Adobe Presenter version 6.2. Both Versions are compatible with Adobe Connect V 7.0 or later.

The Presenter plug-in is sold through the Penn State Computer Store: http://computerstore.psu.edu. Search on the key words “Adobe Presenter.” Orders are through departments only.

The Adobe Presenter Plug-In to PowerPoint is only available for the Windows platform, not Mac. For additional information on the system requirements for authoring with Presenter, see http://www.adobe.com/products/presenter/productinfo/systemreqs/.

New with V.9 of Adobe Acrobat, Adobe is including the Presenter V.7 Windows PowerPoint plugin as a separate installation. The plugin is available when you purchase the "Extended" version of Adobe Acrobat Pro V.9. Purchase of Adobe Acrobat is NOT limited to just departments -- anyone with an active Penn State Access Account is able to purchase it at the special Penn State rate.

Here's what you need to know when ordering Adobe Acrobat 9 Extended from the Penn State Computer Store:
SLWNSR047 Acrobat 9 Pro Extended Win License..........$81.00 (includes the V.7 Presenter plugin)

The Penn State price for Acrobat 9 is about the same as for the plugin by itself, so it's probably a better buy to purchase Acrobat 9 Pro Extended since you get a lot more for the money than when you purchase just the plugin.

You may also be interested in this one-page description of Adobe Connect and Adobe Presenter to attach to your departmental purchase order as justification for your purchase: AdobeConnectProDescription.pdf

Learning How to Use Presenter

Tim Plumer, the Sr. Solutions Engineer for Adobe Connect and Presenter, recently held a couple of sessions for us on how to use Presenter. You can watch the recording at:
Session 1: http://se.adobe.acrobat.com/p39213717
Session 2: http://se.adobe.acrobat.com/p24241827

Here are some recordings I found on YouTube that you might also find helpful:
YouTube Presenter V.7 Overview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Kqcfq7s2Js&feature=related

YouTube Presenter V.6.2 Overview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXBKFrfsAyk&feature=related

Documentation for several versions of Presenter is attached to this page and can be downloaded from the links at the bottom of the page.

Directions for uploading Presenter files into the Penn State ANGEL CMS are located in the Penn State ANGEL knowledgebase (http://angelkb.ais.psu.edu/). Search on the keywords "Adobe Presenter." We have included step-by-step descriptions (with pictures!) for publishing your presentation as a .zip file in both V.6.2 and V.7 and then uploading the .zip file into ANGEL.

If you have included a quiz in your Presenter presentation and are uploading the presentation to ANGEL, you can use SCORM to collect scores from the quiz in the ANGEL gradebook. For more information see the post at http://digitalcommons.psu.edu/node/4898.

User support for Presenter is provided through the Penn State Digital Commons (http://digitalcommons.psu.edu/). Documentation is posted in the tutorials section of the Digital Commons Community Web site (http://digitalcommons.psu.edu/tutorials/tutorialslibrary?filter0=965&fil...).

Where to go for help

Have a question or need a little one-on-one help? The following people have agreed to be available to answer questions from Penn State faculty and staff about using Adobe Presenter:

Qi Dunsworth .....................Behrend
Matthew Bodek ..................Delaware
Julie Meyer ........................Great Valley
Mary Lynn Brannon ...........Worthington/Scranton
Carol McQuiggan ................Harrisburg
Suzanne Shaffer ................York
Deborah Sillman .................New Kensington
Mary Ann Mengel ........................Berks
Robin Gill ............................DuBois
Jackie Ritzko .......................Hazleton
Linda Evans ........................Dickinson
Cheryl Tkacs .......................Fayette

At University Park:

Amy Garbrick .....................IST/UP
Mike Hofherr ......................Smeal/UP
Glenn Johnson ...................EMS/UP
Ann Luck ...........................EMS/UP
Suzanne Bienert .................Ag/UP
Tom Iwinski .......................Engineering/UP
David McNaughton..............Education/UP

Documentation available at the Digital Commons:

Getting Started: http://digitalcommons.psu.edu/node/4879
Adding and Managing Flash Files: http://digitalcommons.psu.edu/node/4880
Capturing and Editing Video: http://digitalcommons.psu.edu/node/4881
Recording and Editing Audio: http://digitalcommons.psu.edu/node/4882
Adding a Quiz to ANGEL: http://digitalcommons.psu.edu/node/4898
Optional SCORM Version Setup: http://digitalcommons.psu.edu/node/4899
Reporting Quiz Grades in ANGEL: http://digitalcommons.psu.edu/node/4900
Publishing Presentations: http://digitalcommons.psu.edu/node/4901
Sharing Presentations: http://digitalcommons.psu.edu/node/4902

Closing Meeting Rooms

An Adobe Connect meeting room lasts forever until the meeting creator deletes it (meeting creators: see Editing and Deleting Meetings under Creating/Editing Meetings for details). However, Hosts do have the ability to end a meeting, place it on hold, or block incoming attendees.

For all users, to exit a meeting without closing the meeting room, see Joining/Leaving a Meeting under Getting Started.

Ending a Meeting
Hosts can select to end a meeting, which removes everyone from the meeting room and locks the room until a Host re-enters. All users, including the Hosts, will be removed from the room.

To end a meeting, from inside the meeting room click the "Meeting" menu on the top menu bar and select "End Meeting." The Host can set the message that is posted to all Attendees when they are removed from the room. The Host can also set a URL to send the Attendees to in addition to setting an end-of-meeting message. The URL will open a browser window on all Attendees' computers, covering, and possibly obscuring, the end-of-meeting screen displayed by Adobe Connect.

To re-open the meeting, a Host must go into the meeting room and click the "Start Meeting" button. When re-starting a meeting, if the Host doesn't de-select the box to "Lock the meeting after starting," Attendees will have to wait for a Host to allow them to enter the room when they try to re-enter. Unchecking the box will allow Attendees to re-enter the room as usual, depending on the access setting for the room.

If a Host ends a meeting and then re-opens the room, Attendees who were removed from the room do not receive any notice that the room has re-opened.

Placing Participants on Hold
Hosts can temporarily place Participants on hold, which prevents Participants from seeing what is happening in the meeting room without actually removing them from the room. Hosts and Presenters continue to have standard access to the room that has been placed on hold.

To place a meeting on hold, from inside the meeting room click the "Meeting" menu on the top menu bar and select "Manage Access & Entry">"Place Participants on Hold."

To re-open the meeting room to Participants, a Host must de-select "Place Participants on Hold" from inside the meeting room. Participants who were locked out (but still kept the meeting window open) will automatically be let back into the room.

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Closing or Pausing a Meeting

Blocking Incoming Attendees
Hosts can block incoming attendees so that no new attendees can enter the meeting room. All incoming attendees, including those on the Current Participants list and those who leave and re-enter the room, will be blocked from entering.

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Block Incoming Attendees

While access to the room is blocked, Hosts can allow incoming attendees to request entry. When an incoming attendee requests entry, Hosts can allow or deny the request. Note that attendees who are denied entry can simply keep trying to re-enter the room and request entry again.

To stop blocking entry, de-select the option from the Meeting menu.

Although there is also an option in the Meeting Menu> Manage Access & Entry menu to block guest access, Penn State doesn't allow unregistered guests in meetings, so selecting this option will have no effect on meeting room access.