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Video Chat

How Conversations Start

This article explains how you can connect over video chat inside a SchoolSpace world and how to change your camera or microphone settings. 

SchoolSpace brings video chat to life with proximity-based interactions. When you walk up to someone in a SchoolSpace world, you will automatically connect over video chat. When you walk away, the connection fades and their video disappears. It feels more like interactions in real life!

Keep reading to learn how to:

circleCheckStart a Conversation

circleCheckFind People in the World

circleCheckStay Connected to a Group while Moving

circleCheckMute or Unmute your Microphone

circleCheckTurn your Camera On or Off

circleCheckChange your Video Settings

 

Silent Mode: If you enter a world in Silent Mode, both video chat and text chat features will be turned off. You’ll see a message letting you know that these features will unlock once an admin joins the world.

Audio-Only Worlds: Some SchoolSpace worlds are set up to allow audio only. In these spaces, you can still talk to people by walking up to them, but the option to turn on your camera will be hidden.

 


 

WalkToStart a Conversation by Walking up to Someone

In SchoolSpace, just move your avatar near another avatar to connect via audio and video chat. As you get close to someone, their video and audio will fade in. You can connect with up to 9 other people at the same time. When you're ready, walk away to leave the conversation.

  1. To move your avatar close to someone:
    • Click with your mouse
    • Use your keyboard arrows or WASD keys
  2. When you get close, you will connect over video chat

Are you having a great conversation with someone and want to stay connected? Send them a friend request!

 

connectionsFind People to Start a Conversation

To Find other People in the World:

  1. Click Social Hub connections in the left sidebar
  2. Under Current Users you'll see a list of everyone in the world
  3. Click teleport Teleport to move your avatar directly to their location

If other users are in the world but outside your view, an arrow matching their avatar's color will indicate their direction.

 

followStay Connected to a Group while Moving

Need to lead a group? Use the Follow feature:

  1. Hover over your own video and click ellipsis Additional Options
  2. From the dropdown, select follow Send Invite to Follow 
  3. Anyone you are connected to over video chat will see an option to Start Following under your video tile. 

Video tile with a purple avatar and several icons visible. A dropdown menu is open showing three options: Raise Hand, Send Invite to Follow, and Mute All. ‘Send Invite to Follow’ is highlighted, indicating the user is about to select it.

Anyone who joins will automatically move with you around the world until they click away, click to Stop Follow, or you End the Follow.

 


 

micOnMute or Unmute your Microphone

To mute or unmute yourself, click the micOn microphone icon on your video tile.

If this is your first time in SchoolSpace, you will be prompted to grant permission to your microphone from the browser.

micOn micOff
When your mic is on (unmuted), the mic icon will look like this. When your mic is off (muted), the mic icon will look like this.

 

videoOnTurn Your Camera On or Off

To turn your camera on or off, hover over your own video tile and click the videoOn video icon.

If this is your first time in SchoolSpace, you will be prompted to grant permission to your camera from the browser.

videoOn videoOff
When your camera is on, the video icon will look like this. When your camera is off, the video icon will look like this.

If you accidentally declined browser permission to your camera or microphone, you can grant permission by clicking the settings icon in the URL bar and toggling on the camera and microphone permission. Icon with two horizontal sliders and round toggles, representing browser settings. Used to indicate where users can manage microphone and camera permissions in the URL bar.

 


 

videoSettingsUpdate your Video or Audio Settings

You can find all of the video and audio settings inside Video Settings. To access these settings, click the Video Settings videoSettings icon in the left sidebar. 

Sidebar - Video Settings Drawer - Frame-2

In Video Settings, you can:

circleCheckChange Video Mode

circleCheckChange Video Tile Position

circleCheckMake all Video Tiles larger or smaller

circleCheckChange your Video or Audio Input

circleCheckChange your Video Background

Reminder, if Silent Mode is currently on, the Video Settings icon will not be accessible.

 

Change Video Mode

SchoolSpace offers several video display modes that can be changed at any time.

  1. Click Video Settings videoSettings in the left sidebar
  2. Under Mode, choose between Default, Presentation, Audio, and Low Bandwidth
Default Mode Presentation Mode
Default Presentation
See up to 10 video tiles - 5 at the top, 5 at the bottom. You can change the position of your video tile or size of all video tiles. Great for casual chats. One person’s video is large in the center and all other videos are smaller at the bottom of the screen. Great for viewing a screenshare or a lecture.
Audio Mode Audio Mode
Audio Low Bandwidth
Hides the video of others. You’ll still hear their audio and your video can still be on. Great for exploring and seeing more of the world. Audio-only mode, with your video off. When you are in this mode, it will use less of your internet bandwidth. Perfect if your internet connection is slow.

 

Change Video Tile Position

In Default Mode, your video will initially be shown in the top middle of your screen. You can change the position of your video tile while in Default Mode.

  1. Click Video Settings videoSettings in the left sidebar
  2. Under My Video Position, select an an option from the dropdown

Dropdown menu labeled ‘My Video Position’ with the option ‘Top Center’ selected. The dropdown list includes ‘Top Left,’ ‘Top Center,’ and ‘Top Right,’ allowing users to choose where their own video appears on screen.

             
  Top Left   Top Center   Top Right  
             
  Bottom Left   Bottom Center   Bottom Right  
             

 

While in any video mode, you can make another person's video tile larger and centered in your screen by using Pin Video. This is helpful if someone is screensharing or giving a presentation.

To Pin a Video:
  1. Click pin Pin Video on the other person's video tile
  2. Their video will be made larger and be shown in the center of your screen, similar to Presentation Mode.
    • If the person is screensharing, you can double click the pinned video to make it full screen.
  3. To close the pinned video:
    • Click x in the upper right corner of the pinned video

      OR
    • Press the ESC key on your keyboard

 

Make All Video Tiles Larger or Smaller

While in Default Mode, you can change the size of all the video tiles around your screen to see more of the world or focus on faces.

  1. Click Video Settings videoSettings in the left sidebar
  2. Under Video Scale, use the slider, arrows, or number field to increase or decrease the size of all video tiles

Video Scale setting with a horizontal slider and a numeric input field displaying 0.85. Users can adjust video size using the slider or the up/down arrows beside the number.

The actual video size may not change depending on your screen dimensions.

 

Change your Video or Audio Input

You can select a different camera or microphone as needed.

  1. Click Video Settings videoSettings in the left sidebar
  2. In the Video Input or Audio Input dropdown, selected your preferred camera or microphone

Settings panel showing dropdown menus for selecting video and audio input. The video input is set to FaceTime HD Camera, and the audio input dropdown is expanded with options including the built-in MacBook Pro Microphone and Display Audio devices.

 

Change Video Background

By default, there will be no background selected. Choose from a selection of background images or blur your background from here or before you enter the world.

  1. Click Video Settings videoSettings in the left sidebar
  2. Choose Blur, a background image, or None

Nine video background options under the heading ‘Video Background.’ Options include: None, Blur, and seven illustrated scenes such as a space station, underwater world, cozy library, magic study, museum, nature deck, and rooftop café. The cozy library background is currently selected.

 


 

Keep Learning!

circleCheckInside SchoolSpace

circleCheckUnderstanding the SchoolSpace Sidebar