Adobe Connect Community

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).

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.

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.

The Create Content Button

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

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.

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.

Show/Hide Presentation Sidebar (Sync On)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.
‹ Penn State Audio BridgeupShare Pod: Sharing Screens and Applications ›