Best Practices
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      Can I use Avatour with Teams, Zoom, or another standard videoconferencing platform?

      In some circumstances, notably to comply with FDA or other third-party requirements, it may be useful to share an Avatour session into a standard videoconference. Here's how.

      Sharing an Avatour Session into a Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or other videoconference meeting is easy. An Avatour remote user can employ the screen-sharing feature on their videoconference software to share their own Avatour Guest experience into the video call, allowing videoconference guests to follow along with the Avatour Guest user's viewpoint changes. With certain videoconference platforms, remote desktop control may be enabled, to allow videoconference guests to control the Avatour viewpoint orientation. Full instructions are below.

      Basic setup:

      Avatour Hardware Operator (on-site)

      • Begin Avatour session.

      Site Inspection Lead (on- or off-site)

      • Join the Avatour session from a supported web browser as a guest.

      • Join the videoconference meeting as a guest. If possible, use a browser-based client rather than any standalone app. This allows the user's webcam to function in both platforms.

      • Choose the "present" or "share" option in the videoconference to share the Avatour session's browser window or tab.

      Audio and Control Options

      Depending on your videoconference platform's capabilities and your needs, you have different options for audio and viewpoint control. These options are explained below.

      Audio Options

      Option 1: Videoconference Audio Only

      • Avatour Hardware Operator 
        • Mute themselves and participants in the Avatour session.
        • If videoconference audio is needed, then use a separate device to join the videoconference for Audio only.
      • Site Inspection Lead
        • Mute the microphone in the Avatour session, and use videoconference audio to communicate with both on-site operator and remote videoconference guests.
      Option 2: Avatour Audio

       

      • Avatour Hardware Operator 

        • Enable audio in the Avatour session.

      • Site Inspection Lead

        • Enable microphone in BOTH the Avatour session and the videoconference.

        • Share the audio from the Avatour session into the videoconference. Most videoconferencing software support sharing audio from a browser tab or window.

        • If the videoconferencing platform does not support audio with screen sharing, another option is to use a secondary speaker connected to your computer. Set the system (and Avatour) audio to the secondary speaker, and configure the videoconference to use your main speaker and microphone. Your microphone will pick up the Avatour audio from the secondary speaker.

      View Control Options

      Option 1: Site Inspection Lead Controls the Avatour Viewpoint

        •  While Site Inspection Lead is sharing their Avatour session into the Microsoft Teams or Zoom meeting, they control the Avatour view for the videoconference users.
        • Site Inspection Lead will click, drag, and zoom around the full 360° field of view at the request of the videoconference users, who do not have direct access to the Avatour controls. 
      Option 2: Videoconference Guest Controls the Avatour Viewpoint
        • Some videoconference systems, notably Microsoft Teams and Zoom, permit remote desktop control (Teams; Zoom). When an Avatour session is being shared into the Microsoft Teams or Zoom meeting by the Site Inspection Lead, the creator of the Microsoft Teams or Zoom meeting may request Remote Desktop Control of the Site Inspection Lead.
        • If remote desktop control access is granted by Site Inspection Lead, the requestor can control their view of the Avatour session within the Microsoft Teams or Zoom meeting.
        • In this mode, the videoconference guest can click, drag, and zoom with a full 360° field of view.

         

        If you have questions about this procedure or would like to conduct testing, please don't hesitate to reach out to your Avatour account manager, or to our support team using the link at the top of this page.