Overview

Collaboration is the soul of Breakroom—and that collaboration happens inside different types of voice zones. Voice zones are virtual objects that encompass the areas where audio and video sharing will take place. These objects are normally invisible to you and your users.

Each voice zone type behaves differently, giving you the ability to structure online work, conferences, and presentations in a number of ways. By adding breakout areas to a region, creating custom voice zones, and customizing the RoomFurniture component attached to Breakroom's Breakout Area and Voice Zone objects, you can streamline communication and remove potential pain points.

This page will serve as a brief introduction to the different voice zone types and how they can be used to foster different forms of user engagement. It is strongly recommended that you read and understand this information prior to customizing your first Breakroom region.

Voice zone types

Currently, Breakroom offers five different voice zone types.

Voice zone type information is stored in the Zone Type property, under the voice zone object's RoomFurniture component.

Voice zones in action

To visually illustrate how multiple voice zones could be set up in a region, let's take a closer look at one of the Breakroom region templates.

The image above is a flyover shot of the Breakroom Campus region. You can see that it consists of several lobbies, meeting rooms, and an amphitheater, as well as trees and gardens. Everything you see here is contained inside the global voice zone.

Here's a top-down view of the same region. Each of the highlighted areas above is a separate voice zone. Depending on each zone's type, these spaces offer different communication options.

• The circular amphitheater is a Presenter zone. Someone can give a video presentation here, and audience members will not be able to interrupt by sharing their own video streams. In order to present, users will have to sit on a presenter seat (normally located at the front of the auditorium). The audience can interact via voice chat to ask questions or participate in activities.

• The red, yellow, blue, and green offices are Meeting zones. Everyone can share video and speak on voice chat, just as they might expect to do in a physical conference room.

• Everywhere else falls within the global zone, which is a Voice zone. This means that users can voice chat with one another as they move between the offices, but they cannot share their webcams or screens.

Only users with avatars currently located inside a particular voice zone can hear, share, and communicate with other users in that zone. This design makes it possible for different meetings or events to be held concurrently in the same region without technical interference or audio competition. Likewise, when you are inside an isolated voice zone (such as an office), you will no longer hear voice chat taking place in the global zone.

When you approach the edge of a voice zone, a transparent blue boundary indicator will appear. This serves as a convenient reminder that you are leaving a voice zone, or that you need to enter a voice zone in order to speak with users located on the other side.

Information and helpful links

Many of Breakroom's region templates come pre-equipped with breakout areas and intuitive voice zones, all designed for plug-and-play functionality. However, you always have the power to customize your regions to meet your specific project needs. The links below contain information on setting up custom voice zones and adding additional breakout spaces to your regions.

If you need to troubleshoot an issue with audio or voice chat, our pages on voice chat and spatial sound and troubleshooting audio and video are full of helpful tips.

Overview

The and objects included with your Breakroom subscription are designed to set themselves up automatically. When , each object should assign itself a unique Zone ID and Zone Name. However, occasionally you may run into situations where two or more voice zones are assigned the same information.

In these situations, the Region Editor will display a warning panel in the lower middle portion of the screen. Depending on the type of information that has been duplicated, you may see a Duplicate Zone ID warning, a Duplicate Zone Name warning, or both.

Clicking on either warning will trigger beacons designed to help you locate the conflicting voice zones. You can then make any necessary changes.

Fixing duplicate Zone IDs

• A Zone ID identifies the breakout area or voice zone as a self-contained media point.

• If two voice zones are assigned the same Zone ID, then users located in those two zones can hear one another over voice chat, see each other over webcam, etc., even if the voice zones are located a good distance from each other. This may result in cross-chatter and confusion.

To change a breakout area or voice zone's Zone ID, follow these steps.

1. Log in to your Breakroom world and navigate your avatar to the region you would like to edit.

2. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

4. In the Objects window, locate the Breakroom Breakout Area or Breakroom Voice Zone object you want to edit. (Tip: You can use the search field at the top of the window to search for a specific object.) Click on the object name to launch the Inspector window.

5. In the Inspector window, locate the RoomFurniture component. Expand this component by clicking the > arrow located to the left of its name.

6. In the Zone ID field, enter the ID number you want to use.

7. Click the Save button to store your changes.

8. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

Fixing duplicate Zone Names

To change a breakout area or voice zone's Zone Name, follow these steps.

1. Log in to your Breakroom world and navigate your avatar to the region you would like to edit.

2. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

4. In the Objects window, locate the Breakroom Breakout Area or Breakroom Voice Zone object you want to edit. (Tip: You can use the search field at the top of the window to search for a specific object.) Click on the object name to launch the Inspector window.

5. In the Inspector window, locate the RoomFurniture component. Expand this component by clicking the > arrow located to the left of its name.

6. In the Zone Name field, enter the name you want to use.

7. Click the Save button to store your changes.

8. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

Overview

Breakroom offers world Owners and their users a variety of support resources, including:

• ,

• ,

• and documentation.

However, for large events you may want to designate a triage zone where attendees can access immediate technical assistance. By specifying a triage zone in the Start Here UI, you will add a button that attendees can click to teleport directly to your support area. Moderators can also send attendees to the triage area using the teleportation options built into the .

Assistance options

It is important to note that triage zones are merely quick-teleport destinations available through the Start Here UI. They have no special functionality. Instead, you will need to make key decisions about the way you use your triage area based on the needs of your audience.

If you have a large team, you may want to train several "triage leaders" who will actively staff the triage zone for the duration of your event. Triage leaders could be trained to:

• Communicate with users via text and voice chat.

• Troubleshoot any issues that are preventing users from participating fully in the event.

If you have a small team, you may opt to offer passive assistance with or without a limited triage leader presence. This might look like:

Designating your triage zone

1. Log in to your Breakroom world and navigate your avatar to the region you would like to edit.

2. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

4. In the Objects window, locate the Start Here UI object. (Tip: You can use the search field at the top of the window to search for a specific object.) Click on the object name to launch the Inspector window.

5. In the Inspector window, locate the RoomFurniture component (highlighted above). Expand it by clicking the > arrow.

6. Locate the Triage Zone field. Into this field, enter the name of the zone you want to designate as the triage zone. (In the example above, we have named a custom voice zone Triage Zone, as highlighted in the Objects window.)

7. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

8. Click the Save button to store your changes. Click the Close button to exit the Region Editor.

9. Leave the region and return to activate the Get Help button in the Start Here UI.

Overview

Breakroom's prefab breakout, meeting, and workshop spaces (collectively referred to as the Breakroom Breakout Area objects, or breakout areas) come with voice zones and conference tools pre-installed. Each breakout area object you install in your region will automatically receive its own custom Zone ID, Zone Color, and a unique Zone Name that will be added to the . These options can be changed to suit the needs of your project.

Locating the breakout area objects

Adding breakout areas using the Region Editor

1. Log in to your Breakroom world and navigate your avatar to the region you would like to edit.

2. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

6. When you are satisfied, click the Save button to store your changes.

7. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

Understanding breakout area Display Names

To change an object's Display Name, follow these steps.

1. Log in to your Breakroom world and navigate your avatar to the region you would like to edit.

2. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

4. In the Objects window, locate the object you want to edit. (Tip: You can use the search field at the top of the window to search for a specific object.) Click on the object name to launch the Inspector window.

5. In the Inspector window, enter the desired display name into the Display Name field.

6. When you are satisfied, click the Save button to store your changes.

Editing breakout area details

As noted in the introduction to this page, breakout areas are designed to set themselves up automatically. However, you may run into situations where you need to change some breakout area details. To do this, you will need to locate and edit the RoomFurniture component.

The RoomFurniture component contains several properties that directly influence how a particular breakout area looks and behaves. To locate the RoomFurniture component, please follow the steps below.

1. Log in to your Breakroom world and navigate your avatar to the region you would like to edit.

2. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

4. In the Objects window, locate the Breakroom Breakout Area object you want to edit. (Tip: You can use the search field at the top of the window to search for a specific object.) Click on the object name to launch the Inspector window.

5. In the Inspector window, locate the RoomFurniture component. Expand this component by clicking the > arrow located to the left of its name.

For the purposes of quick region setup, this page will focus on the following properties:

• Zone ID: The ID number of the audio zone associated with the breakout area.

• Zone Name: The name/room number associated with the audio zone.

• Zone Color: The color of the breakout area and its corresponding teleport button.

There are certain situations where you may want to manually change the values in these property fields.

Zone ID

If two breakout areas or voice zones are assigned the same Zone ID, users in those areas will be considered to be within the same zone, even if they are separated by the entire length of a region. Such a setup may result in cross-talk and general confusion.

Alternatively, you may install several breakout areas using the Region Editor, each of which will automatically receive a Zone ID number. You may then find that you wish to re-order these—for example, to create consistent groupings for more efficient region management.

If you encounter a situation like this and want to resolve it, you can do so by following these steps.

1. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

3. Locate the Breakroom Breakout Area object you want to edit in the Objects window, and click on it. This will open the Inspector window for that object.

4. Expand the RoomFurniture component in the Inspector window by clicking the > icon located to the left.

5. Locate the Zone ID property. In the associated field, enter the ID number you wish to use for that breakout area.

6. Click the Save button to store your changes.

7. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

Zone Name

Each breakout area has a Zone Name in the format of "Breakout N," where N is a unique numeral. This name relays several important pieces of information to the Breakroom conferencing system. Most importantly, it indicates:

2. How many breakout areas there are, and which number identifies this particular breakout area.

You can edit the Zone Name by following the steps below.

1. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

3. Locate the Breakroom Breakout Area object you want to edit in the Objects window, and click on it. This will open the Inspector window for that object.

4. Expand the RoomFurniture component in the Inspector window by clicking the > icon located to the left.

5. Locate the Zone Name property. In the associated field, enter a new name for the breakout area. This name must be input as "Breakout N," where N is the new number.

6. Click the Save button to store your changes.

7. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

Zone Color

If you set down a new prefab breakout area, it will automatically assign itself a unique Zone Color. This color will be applied to the actual breakout space, and will also be used as the teleport button background color in the Breakout Rooms bar.

If you want to change a breakout area's color, you can do so by following these steps.

1. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

3. Locate the Breakroom Breakout Area object you want to edit in the Objects window, and click on it. This will open the Inspector window for that object.

4. Expand the RoomFurniture component in the Inspector window by clicking the > icon located to the left.

5. Locate the Zone Color property. In the associated field, enter any of the following colors:

   1. Blue

   2. Orange

   3. White

   4. Grey

   5. Magenta

   6. Teal

   7. Black

   8. Cyan

   9. Red

   10. Purple

   11. Pink

   12. Green

   13. Yellow

6. Click the Save button to store your changes.

7. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

Addressing duplicate zone errors

Editing breakout area cameras

In the image above, the user has clicked the Audience Camera button (highlighted in red). The camera has therefore snapped to an elevated third person position in order to show the whole of the audience space.

The Behind Camera and Forward Camera are fixed relative to the user. However, the angle and location of the Speaker Camera, Screen Camera, and Audience Camera can be customized to support your individual needs.

If you want to change the angle of any of these cameras, you can do so by following the instructions below.

1. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

3. Locate the Breakroom Breakout Area object you want to edit in the Objects window. Click the V icon to the left of the object name to expand it.

4. Locate the Breakroom Voice Zone object, and click the V icon to the left of the object name to expand it.

5. Locate the Cameras object, and click the V icon to the left of the object name to expand it.

7. Leaving the static camera object selected, move your working camera into position. This angle and position will replace the current angle of the selected static camera.

8. Click the "Move Object to Camera" button located in the bottom toolbar. The static camera will snap into its new position.

9. Click the Save button to store your changes.

10. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system. To make sure your UI is refreshed, exit the breakout area or voice zone. When you return to that zone, your new camera angle will now be accessible.

Overview

When you select a or within Breakroom's , you will see a number of components listed in the Inspector window for that object.

These components contain properties that can be edited to customize various object factors and behaviors. For example, the Transform component contains information about a virtual object's position and size. You can edit these properties manually by entering new values into the fields.

When it comes to editing and customizing prefab breakout areas and voice zones, the RoomFurniture component is of key importance. In the sections that follow, we will explore the various object factors that the RoomFurniture component controls.

Accessing the RoomFurniture component

After you have added a Breakroom Breakout Area or Breakroom Voice Zone object to your region, follow the steps below to locate the RoomFurniture component and view its properties.

1. Log in to your Breakroom world and navigate your avatar to the region you would like to edit.

2. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

4. In the Objects window, locate the Breakroom Breakout Area or Breakroom Voice Zone object you want to edit. (Tip: You can use the search field at the top of the window to search for a specific object.) Click on the object name to launch the Inspector window.

5. In the Inspector window, locate the RoomFurniture component. Expand this component by clicking the > arrow located to the left of its name.

In the sections that follow, we will explain what each property does and demonstrate how it can be used to customize your Breakroom region setup.

Zone ID

When you add a breakout area or custom voice zone to your region, it is automatically assigned a unique Zone ID. This number identifies the zone as a self-contained media point.

To change the Zone ID:

2. In the Zone ID field, enter the ID number you want to use.

3. Click the Save button to store your changes.

4. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

If two breakout areas or voice zones are assigned the same Zone ID, users in those areas will be considered to be within the same voice zone, even if they are separated by the entire length of a region. This may be just the trick you need to create points of interest and interaction for your users— or it could result in cross-chatter and confusion.

Zone Name

You can rename a breakout space or voice zone at any time. Uses for this may include:

• Fixing issues caused by redundant prefab breakout area names, or manually reordering breakout areas.

To change the Zone Name:

2. In the Zone Name field, enter the name you want to use.

3. Click the Save button to store your changes.

4. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

Zone Type

• Presenter: Presenter zones restrict the use of screen and webcam sharing to only users standing in a designated presenter position. Voice chat is available to everyone.

• Audience: Audience zones go a step further than Presenter zones, restricting voice chat and media sharing to only users standing in a designated presenter position.

• Silent: In Silent zones, voice chat and media sharing are disabled for all users.

You can change a breakout area or voice zone's Zone Type at any time by following these steps.

2. In the Zone Type field, enter the type (presenter, audience, meeting, voice, silent) you want to use.

3. Click the Save button to store your changes.

4. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

Zone Voice

The Zone Voice property controls whether voice chat is enabled in a particular breakout area or voice zone.

To enable or disable voice chat:

2. In the Zone Voice field, enter the word yes or no.

3. Click the Save button to store your changes.

4. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

Zone Spatial

By entering 0 in the Zone Spatial field, you can turn off spatial audio entirely. This means that everyone in the voice zone will be heard at the same volume, with no spatial audio effects.

If you enter a 1 or above in the Zone Spatial field, you will enable spatial audio. The number represents the number of meters surrounding each avatar wherein their voice feed can be heard by others. 1 equals one meter, 5 equals five meters, etc.

To edit the Zone Spatial property:

2. In the Zone Spatial field, enter either a 0 or the number of meters you prefer.

3. Click the Save button to store your changes.

4. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

Zone Chat

The Zone Chat property controls whether a dedicated, zone-specific text channel is available to users.

To enable or disable text chat:

2. In the Zone Chat field, enter the word yes or no.

3. Click the Save button to store your changes.

4. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

Auto Configure

This field is for internal Breakroom use. You will not need to manually edit it.

Zone Priority

The Zone Priority property can be used to create "nested" voice zones, or voice zones located inside other voice zones. In the image above you will see multiple voice zones, some of which are overlapping:

• The cozy chat area (left side), located in its own cube-shaped voice zone.

• The concourse end (center), located in a spherical voice zone.

• The auditorium (back) and breakout areas (sides), each with its own associated voice zone.

• The global voice zone (not highlighted), which covers the entirety of the region.

Let us consider the voice zones represented by the cube and the sphere, specifically. By setting the large spherical voice zone as Priority 2 and the cube as Priority 3, we can specify that users seated within the cozy chat area should only participate in audio or video chat that takes place within the boundaries of the cube, even though their avatars are technically also located inside the sphere... which is located inside the global voice zone.

Creating nested voice zones may appear to be a simple matter stacking voice zones on top of one another. However, doing so may not achieve the effect you want—what matters is the Zone Priority number each voice zone has been assigned. The global voice zone is always Priority 1; the higher the number, the higher the zone priority.

To edit an area's Zone Priority:

• In the Zone Priority field, enter the priority number you want to assign to to the voice zone.

• Click the Save button to store your changes.

• Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

Zone Color

To change the Zone Color:

2. In the Zone Color field, enter one of the following color keywords:

   1. Blue

   2. Orange

   3. White

   4. Grey

   5. Magenta

   6. Teal

   7. Black

   8. Cyan

   9. Red

   10. Purple

   11. Pink

   12. Green

   13. Yellow

3. Click the Save button to store your changes.

4. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

Changing the Zone Color presets

If you like, you can change the hexadecimal presets for each of the color keywords listed above. To do so, follow the steps below.

1. Log in to your Breakroom world and navigate your avatar to the region you would like to edit.

2. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

4. In the Objects window, locate the Breakroom Breakout Area or Breakroom Voice Zone object you want to edit. (Tip: You can use the search field at the top of the window to search for a specific object.) Expand that object by clicking the > arrow located to the left of the object name.

5. Locate the Breakroom Voice Zone component, and expand that object by clicking the > arrow next to its name.

6. Locate the Colors component and click on it. This will launch the Inspector window.

7. In the Inspector window, expand the ScriptingData component by clicking the > arrow next to its name.

9. Click the Save button to store your changes.

10. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

Zone Camera Default

By editing the Zone Camera Default property, you can change which camera angle users see when they first sit down in a breakout area or voice zone. Camera options include:

• Behind

• Forward

• Speaker

• Screen

• Audience

• Free

To change the default camera:

2. In the Zone Camera Default field, enter the name of the camera you would like to use (behind, forward, speaker, screen, audience, or free).

3. Click the Save button to store your changes.

4. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

Zone Camera List

• Behind

• Forward

• Speaker

• Screen

• Audience

• Free

By default, the Zone Camera List is blank, indicating that users have access to all of the cameras listed above. If you enter one or more specific camera names, users will be restricted to only those choices.

To edit the Zone Camera List:

2. In the Zone Camera List field, enter the camera names you want to make available, separated by commas. For example:

3. Click the Save button to store your changes.

4. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

Zone Visible

To add or remove a breakout area or custom voice zone from region navigation tools:

2. In the Zone Visible field, enter the word yes or no.

3. Click the Save button to store your changes.

4. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

Screen options (Width, Height, Scale)

The Width, Height, and Scale properties can be used to change the aspect ratio or size of the screen used to display user-driven media inside a breakout area or voice zone (such as webcam feeds and screen shares). By manually editing the Width and Height fields, you can create custom aspect ratios.

As a brief overview, to edit a voice zone screen's aspect ratio or size:

2. In the Width, Height, or Scale fields, enter the value(s) you prefer.

3. Click the Save button to store your changes.

4. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

Overview

Breakroom offers a variety of voice zone types, each with its own set of rules governing what kinds of media can be shared and by whom. Among these, Presenter and Audience zone types are unique, as both make use of special presenter seats.

By positioning their avatars in these seats, presenters can gain access to voice chat and media sharing functions within a particular voice zone, even if these functions are otherwise restricted. Users with access to the Breakroom moderator controls (hereafter referred to collectively as Moderators) can also grant access to voice chat or media sharing functions as needed.

Presenter and Audience zone functionality

Presenter and Audience zones are similar, in that both restrict media access to certain users. For reference, here is a comparison of the default settings for Presenter and Audience zones.

In the following sections, we will explain how presenters can access the media sharing functions they need, and how Moderators can enable or disable media streaming. Instructions are also provided so that world Owners and other users with access to the Region Editor can customize the number of available presenter seats in a given voice zone, or place limitations on who can use those presenter seats.

Using Presenter and Audience zones

Presenter seats are represented by the usual blue seat tag. Depending on which region template or Breakout area is being utilized, you may see these tags arranged on a stage, set in front of a main screen, or otherwise located in the logical spot for a presenter to occupy.

To take up a presenter spot, simply click on a blue presenter seat tag. This will position your avatar and give you access to voice chat and media streaming options. To leave the presenter seat, click the Stand Up button at the bottom of the screen.

Controlling audience voice chat and media access

Using the crowd control panel, Moderators can permit or restrict access to voice chat, webcam streaming, and screen sharing in Presenter and Audience zones.

To locate this panel, click the Moderator controls/Key button located on the right side of the screen, and then the Crowd control button (highlighted above). In order to moderate Presenter and Audience zones, you will use the buttons under the Zone Settings section.

In detail, the available zone settings are:

• Quiet Mode: When turned on, Quiet Mode will mute every user who is not currently seated on a presenter seat.

• Audience Mode: When turned on, Audience Mode grants users access to all enabled communication options in that voice zone (e.g. voice chat, webcam, and screen share). Audience Mode overrides Quiet Mode, if Quiet Mode is also turned on.

• Admin Mode: When turned on, Admin Mode permits Moderators to access all enabled communication options in that voice zone (e.g. voice chat, webcam, and screen share). Admin Mode overrides Quiet Mode.

To customize a voice zone's communication settings, follow the steps below.

1. Navigate your avatar to the appropriate region.

2. Position your avatar inside the voice zone that you want to customize.

3. Click the Moderator controls/Key button located on the right side of the screen.

4. Click the Crowd control button.

5. In the crowd control panel that appears, locate the Zone Settings section.

6. Click the relevant buttons to customize the voice zone.

   1. If a button says Quiet/Audience/Admin is On, then that communication setting is currently enabled. Click the button again to disable it.

   2. If the button says Quiet/Audience/Admin is Off, then that communication setting is currently disabled. Click the button again to enable it.

7. Repeat this process for every voice zone you want to customize.

The most common change Moderators will make is to toggle Quiet Mode on or off in Presenter zones. This will enable the audience to use voice chat—for example, during a Q&A session.

Setting up Presenter and Audience zones

If you have edit permissions in a region, you can customize Presenter and Audience zones by adding or removing presenter seats. You can also set limitations on who can use those seats. The following tutorials offer step-by-step instructions for specific use cases, but the same general principles can be used to create many different presenter configurations.

For more information about using the Region Editor to place objects within a region and edit them, please see our Region Editor documentation.

Adding presenter seats

For our first tutorial example, we will add some additional presenter seats to a Breakroom Helpdesk object. We will assume that the Breakroom Helpdesk object is already installed in a region, along with its single presenter seat.

The Breakroom Toolkit includes a variety of presenter seat objects that you can add to any presenter voice zone. Our goal is to place one additional standing presenter seat on either side of the desk.

To get started, follow these steps.

1. Log in to your Breakroom world and navigate your avatar to the region you would like to edit.

2. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

3. Click the Inventory Button to launch your Inventory window.

4. Locate the Breakroom Addon Presenters object. This object consists of nine standing presenter seats. To find it, use the search field at the top of the Inventory window to look for "presenters."

5. When you find the Breakroom Addon Presenters object, set it down in your region using your preferred method. Click the Save button.

Here we encounter our first challenge. There are too many standing presenter seats for our purposes. For our next step, we will make all but two seats invisible.

6. In the Objects window, click the > arrow located beside the Breakroom Addon Presenters object to expand it.

7. Click the > arrow located beside the Presenter Sits object to expand it.

8. Here you will find the nine individual seats that make up the linked presenter sit object. To make a seat invisible, click the eye icon located to the right of its name. Repeat this step for every seat you want to make invisible. Click the Save button.

Now we need to move the seat tags into position by placing one on either side of the desk.

9. Locate the first seat you want to edit under Breakroom Addon Presenters > Presenter Sits in the Objects window. Click on the seat name to highlight that individual seat.

10. Use the movement and rotation tools to position the seat tag in your region. You can also key position values into the tag's Transform component.

11. Once you have the seat tag in position, repeat this process for the remaining seat. Click the Save button.

Finally, we need to connect the new presenter seats to the Breakroom Helpdesk voice zone.

12. Click the Objects button to launch the Objects window. Locate the Breakroom Addon Presenters object. Click on the object name to launch the Inspector window.

13. In the Inspector window, click on the > arrow to the left of the RoomFurniture component to expand it.

14. You will see a property titled Zone Name. In this field, enter the Zone Name you want to attach the presenter seats to. (For example, my Helpdesk voice zone is named "Entrance," so I would type in "Entrance.")

15. Click the Save button to store your changes.

16. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system, and the Close button to exit the Region Editor.

Removing presenter seats

To remove presenter seats from a voice zone (for example, if you want two presenter spots instead of nine), you would follow the same instructions included in the example tutorial above.

1. Log in to your Breakroom world and navigate your avatar to the region you would like to edit.

2. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

3. In the Objects window, click the > arrow located beside the Breakroom Addon Presenters object to expand it.

4. Click the > arrow located beside the Presenter Sits object to expand it.

5. Here you will find the individual seats that make up the linked presenter sit object. To make a seat invisible, click the eye icon located to the right of its name. Repeat this step for every seat you want to make invisible.

6. Click the Save button to store your changes. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system, and the Close button to exit the Region Editor.

Restricting presenter seat access

It is possible to prevent unauthorized users from jumping on empty presenter seats by restricting access to VIPs or staff members only. To get started, follow these steps.

1. Log in to your Breakroom world and navigate your avatar to the region you would like to edit.

2. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

3. In the Objects window, click the > arrow located beside the Breakroom Addon Presenters object to expand it.

4. Click the > arrow located beside the Presenter Sits object to expand it.

5. Here you will find the individual seats that make up the linked presenter sit object. To edit a seat, click on it in the Objects window. Doing so will launch the Inspector window for that seat.

6. In the Inspector window, locate the ScriptingData component. Click the > arrow on the left to expand it.

7. Here you will see three properties and their associated fields. We are concerned only with the VIP and Staff fields. The Reserved field should not be edited.

   1. VIP field: To restrict presenter seat access to Region VIPs and above, as well as world-level Administrators and above, type yes into this field.

   2. Staff field: To restrict presenter seat access to Region Moderators and above, as well as world-level Administrators and above, type yes into this field.

8. Repeat these steps for every seat you want to restrict. When you are satisfied, click the Save button to store your changes. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system, and the Close button to exit the Region Editor.

Overview

Voice zones give users the ability to connect through voice chat, webcam streaming, and screen sharing. Breakroom allows region developers to nest voice zones within other voice zones, opening up a world of region design possibilities. Through the use of multiple voice zones, you can create a space full of offices, cozy coffee corners, and bustling auditoriums—all in the same region, with no audio cross-chatter or audio interference.

Elsewhere, we covered how you can set up the prefab breakout areas included in the Breakroom Toolkit. In this section, we'll explore how you can set up custom voice zones.

Introduction to the voice zone objects

Voice zones take the form of boundary objects that encompass the virtual areas where audio and video sharing will take place. These boundary objects are normally invisible to you and your users.

If you launch the Region Editor in an area that contains breakout areas or other voice zones, you will see these boundary objects highlighted in transparent green, as in the image above.

In the Region Editor UI, there are two specialized tools you will use while editing voice zones. Clicking the Reset Zones button will refresh all of the voice zones within the region, pushing forward any changes you have made. Clicking the Visibility button will toggle the transparent green boundary object highlighting on and off, which is useful when you are creating custom voice zones and need to maneuver your working camera in order to adjust objects or make other changes.

In addition to the prefab breakout areas included in the Breakroom Toolkit, you will receive two customizable voice zones with no additional building or seat components attached to them. These items are called Breakroom Voice Zone and Breakroom Voice Zone Round. You can find them in the Furniture section of your Inventory window.

Voice zone shapes

Here in the Region Editor, you can see that we've set out a copy of the Breakroom Voice Zone object. This voice zone is shaped like a cube, and the transparent green walls indicate its size and boundaries. It contains other components, such as a screen, cameras, and a landing pad.

Here we've set out the Breakroom Voice Zone Round object, which is shaped like a sphere. Again, the transparent green walls indicate its size and boundaries, and it contains additional components.

Voice zone components

In order to fully customize a Breakroom Voice Zone object, you will need to edit its individual components. After you have added a Breakroom Voice Zone object to your region, follow the steps below to locate these components.

1. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

2. Click the Objects Button to launch the Objects window.

3. In the Objects window, locate the Breakroom Voice Zone object you want to edit. (Tip: You can use the search field at the top of the window to search for "voice zone" if you like.)

4. Click the > arrow located to the left of the object name to expand it. If necessary, you can expand some individual components by clicking the relevant > arrows.

In the illustrated tutorial below, we will discuss how these components work together to create a cohesive voice zone and how you can edit them to achieve the level of function you desire. Before we leap into our tutorial example, however, let's start with a brief overview of each voice zone component.

1. The ZoneCollider component: The zone collider represents the size and boundaries of the voice zone itself. Its size, location, and rotation can be edited independently of the other components that make up the voice zone object.

2. The screen: The screen component indicates where the video feed will appear when users opt to share their webcams or screens, as well as the size and location of the screen. Like the zone collider, the screen component can be edited independently of the other voice zone objects.

3. The landing pad: This object indicates where avatars will "land" when they teleport directly into the voice zone. It can be edited independently of the other voice zone components, allowing you to place it wherever you like.

4. The cameras: Colored boxes indicate the default locations for the screen, audience, and speaker cameras. This information is critical for the correct functioning of the gesture and camera controls, and the camera locations can be changed.

Voice zone furniture items

Voice zones can be set up almost anywhere, and can offer users the option to voice chat, operate their cameras, share their screens, and more. However, in order to take full advantage of the tools built into Breakroom's conferencing system (such as gestures and adjustable camera angles), you will need to include furniture items that are designed to work with it. There are several sets of furniture included in the Breakroom Toolkit.

Setting up a voice zone

The following tutorial offers step-by-step instructions for setting up a custom voice zone in your region. For this example, we will be using a Breakroom Voice Zone round object and a set of Breakroom Add-on Stools to create a networking area where users can "grab a cup of coffee" and chat.

For more information about using the Region Editor to place objects within a region and edit them, please see our Region Editor documentation.

Editing voice zone furniture items

1. Log in to your Breakroom world and navigate your avatar to the region you would like to edit.

2. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

3. Click the Inventory Button to launch your Inventory window.

4. We want our voice zone to contain seating, so as a first step we will set out a conference-ready furniture item and edit it. For this tutorial, we will use the Breakroom Add-on Stools object. To find it, use the search field at the top of the Inventory window to look for "stools."

5. When you locate the Breakroom Add-on Stools object, set it down in your region using your preferred method. Click the Save button.

Here we encounter our first challenge. There are too many stools in this seating arrangement, and every user who sits down will be facing the same direction. For our next step, we will remove all but six stools from the Breakroom Add-on Stools object, leaving three matched pairs.

6. In the Objects window, click the > arrow located beside the Breakroom Add-on Stools object to expand it.

7. Click the > arrow located beside the Seating Arrangements Stools object to expand it.

8. Here you will find the individual stools that make up the linked stools object. To make a stool invisible, click the eye icon located to the right of its name. Click the Save button.

In the image above, you can see that we have reduced 14 stools to six. However, there's still a major issue.

All six stools are still facing the same way. We need to rotate three of the stools 180° so that two users sitting at the same table will face each other.

9. Locate the first stool you want to edit under Breakroom Add-on Stools > Seating Arrangements Stools in the Objects window. Click on the stool name to launch the Inspector window for that object.

10. In the Inspector window, locate the Transform component. Click the > arrow located to the left to expand it.

11. You will see three properties listed under the Transform component, each with three associated fields. Locate the Local Euler Angles property, and enter "180" into the Y-axis field.

12. Repeat this set of tasks for every stool you want to "turn around." When you are done, click the Save button.

The stools now face each other, so let's place them into position and dress the scene a little.

13. For the sake of convenience, we will move all six stools as a whole. Click on the Breakroom Add-on Stools object in the Objects window, and then use the movement and rotation tools to position it within your region.

14. Our networking area needs some tables and accessories. Click the Inventory button to open your Inventory window. When you find an item you like, feel free to add it to your scene. Use the movement, rotation and scaling tools to edit each item as you see fit. (Remember: You can use the Breakroom Shop to purchase additional furniture and decor items.)

15. When you are done, click the Save button.

Success! We've created a lovely networking area overlooking the water. Now, let's make it a voice zone.

Editing voice zone objects

In order to accommodate users at different points in their Breakroom tech journey, we will begin this section of the tutorial fresh. If you are interested in learning more about conference-ready voice zone furniture items, please review the section above. If you need a refresher on the different voice zone components, you will find that information here.

1. Log in to your Breakroom world and navigate your avatar to the region you would like to edit.

2. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

3. Click the Inventory Button to launch your Inventory window.

4. Locate the Breakroom Voice Zone object you want to use. (For this tutorial, we are using the Breakroom Voice Zone Round object.) Add it to your region using your preferred method.

5. The Breakroom Voice Zone Round object will default to its standard size. In the example image above, you can see that there are several issues:

   1. The zone collider is too large.

   2. The screen is placed in an inconvenient location.

   3. The landing pad is right on top of the seating area.

6. To begin tackling these issues, select the top-level Breakroom Voice Zone Round object in the Objects window. Then, using the Region Editor tools, move and rotate the entire voice zone until the screen component appears where you want it to be. By moving the entire voice zone as a linked set, you will preserve the existing camera angles.

7. Next, we will reposition the landing pad. In the Objects window, click the > arrow to the left of the Breakroom Voice Zone Round object name to expand it. Then click on the Landing component to highlight it.

8. Using the Region Editor tools, move, rotate, and resize the landing pad to meet your specifications.

9. Finally, we will customize the size of the voice zone boundary object itself. In the Objects window, click the > arrow to the left of the Breakroom Voice Zone Round object name to expand it. Then click on the ZoneCollider component to highlight it.

10. Using the Region Editor tools, move, rotate, and resize the zone collider to meet your specifications.

11. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

12. When you are satisfied, click the Save button to store your changes.

Special instructions for screens

After resizing the voice zone collider, you may find that the default screen size is too large or small for your intended purpose. By editing the ScriptingData component attached to the screen object, you can customize how the screen appears.

To locate the ScriptingData component and edit it, follow these steps.

1. Log in to your Breakroom world and navigate your avatar to the region you would like to edit.

2. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

3. Click the Objects button to launch the Objects window. Locate the Breakroom Voice Zone object, and click the > arrow to the left of the object name to expand it. Then click on the Screen component to highlight it.

4. In the Inspector window that opens, click on the > arrow to the left of the ScriptingData component to expand it. You will see three properties, each with an associated field.

5. If you want to change the aspect ratio of the screen, you can enter independent values into the Width and Height fields. For instance, you may wish to create a narrow, long screen to accommodate the webcams of several different speakers.

6. If you want to change the size of the screen while preserving the current aspect ratio, you can enter a value in the Scale field, which is normally set at 1. Because this is a multiplier field, you can enter 0.5 to reduce the screen size by half, 2 to double the screen size, etc.

7. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

8. When you are satisfied, click the Save button to store your changes.

For this tutorial, we have entered a .75 value into the Scale field. This will make the screen smaller overall, while preserving the default aspect ratio.

Once the screen is scaled properly, you can see that it appears at a much more manageable size.

Special instructions for cameras

If you create a custom voice zone that contains furniture items designed to work with Breakroom's camera control system, you may find that you want to change the camera focus points. (For example, if you move the screen out of range of the Screen Camera.) You can edit the voice zone cameras by using the "Move Object to Camera" button in the Region Editor. Detailed instructions are available here.

Special instructions for landing pads

When installing a Breakroom Voice Zone object, you can choose between default landing and clustered landing effects for users who teleport straight into the voice zone. You can also randomize the direction your users will face upon arrival.

Default landing

The default landing pattern is automatically enabled upon voice zone installation. Under the default landing pattern, users will arrive at random points within the boundary designated by the landing pad object.

Clustered landing

By enabling the clustered landing option, you can arrange for users to arrive in groups within the zone designated by the landing pad object. This can help foster an atmosphere of socialization and camaraderie.

To enable and manage clustered landing, follow the steps below.

1. Log in to your Breakroom world and navigate your avatar to the region you would like to edit.

2. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

3. Click the Objects button to launch the Objects window. Locate the Breakroom Voice Zone object you want to edit, and click the > arrow to the left of the object name to expand it. Then click on the Landing component to highlight it.

4. In the Inspector window that opens, click on the > arrow to the left of both the Transform and ScriptingData components to expand them.

At this point, it is useful to explain what a few of these component properties do, as well as some of the math involved in creating clustered landing areas. The key properties to consider are:

• Transform component > Local Scale. This property controls the size of the landing pad object. In the example image above, you can see that the object is 6x1x12 meters, or 6x12 along the axes that "count."

• ScriptingData component > Clustered Landing. This property controls whether clustered landing is enabled or disabled. If clustered landing is turned off, users will arrive in the default/randomized landing style.

• ScriptingData component > Cluster Size. This property controls the size of the clustered landing areas within the landing pad object.

• ScriptingData component > Random Orientation. This property controls whether users will arrive in a group facing each other (i.e. oriented toward the center of the cluster), or facing in random directions.

The most important property to consider is the Cluster Size. This value must be entered as a number. If you enter the numeral N, we might summarize the instructions relayed to the system as "create as many clustered landing areas of NxN meters as will fit within the scale values of the landing pad object."

In the example image above, you can see that the landing pad object is 6x12 meters in size. Under the ScriptingData component, you can see that the Cluster Size property has been set to 6. This will result in the creation of two 6x6 meter clustered landing areas within the boundary designated by the landing pad object.

With this explained, let's return to the instructions.

1. Make sure the landing pad object is the size you need by changing the local scale values listed under its Transform component, or by using the scale tool in the Region Editor.

2. Under the ScriptingData component, enable or customize the following properties:

   1. Random Orientation:

      1. If you want users to arrive in a cluster facing each other, enter no into the field.

      2. If you want users to arrive in a cluster facing in random directions, enter yes.

   2. Clustered Landing: Enter yes into the field.

   3. Cluster Size: Enter the size of your clustered landing points into the field (e.g. 3 to create 3x3 clustered landing points).

3. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

4. When you are satisfied, click the Save button to store your changes.

Random Orientation

Whether you choose to implement default landing or clustered landing for your teleport points, you can randomize the direction that your users will face when they arrive. To do so, follow these steps.

1. Log in to your Breakroom world and navigate your avatar to the region you would like to edit.

2. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

3. Click the Objects button to launch the Objects window. Locate the Breakroom Voice Zone object you want to edit, and click the > arrow to the left of the object name to expand it. Then click on the Landing component to highlight it.

4. In the Inspector window that opens, click on the > arrow to the left of the ScriptingData component to expand it.

5. In the Random Orientation field, enter yes.

6. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

7. When you are satisfied, click the Save button to store your changes.

To return a landing pad to standard orientation, repeat steps 1-4 above and enter no into the Random Orientation field. Click the Reset Zones button, followed by the Save button.

Assigning a Zone ID

In order to identify your custom voice zone as a standalone media point, your custom voice zone needs a unique Zone ID. This number should be automatically assigned when you place the voice zone object down. To change a voice zone's Zone ID, follow these steps.

1. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

2. Make sure the Objects window is open by clicking the Objects button located on the bottom right.

3. Locate the Breakroom Voice Zone object you want to edit in the Objects window, and click on it. This will open the Inspector window for that object.

4. Expand the RoomFurniture component in the Inspector window by clicking the > icon located to the left.

5. Locate the Zone ID property. In the associated field, enter a new ID number for the voice zone.

6. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

7. Click the Save button to store your changes.

If you need help resolving duplicate zone errors, please see this page.

Assigning a Zone Name

It is best practice to assign your custom voice zone a unique Zone Name. To do so, follow these steps.

1. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

2. Make sure the Objects window is open by clicking the Objects button located on the bottom right.

3. Locate the Breakroom Voice Zone object you want to edit in the Objects window, and click on it. This will open the Inspector window for that object.

4. Expand the RoomFurniture component in the Inspector window by clicking the > icon located to the left.

5. Locate the Zone Name property. In the associated field, enter a new name for the voice zone. (Tip: If you want to add the voice zone to the Breakout Rooms bar, you can input the name as "Breakout N," where N is a unique number.)

6. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

7. Click the Save button to store your changes.

If you need help resolving duplicate zone errors, please see this page.

Editing voice zone Display Names

If you add multiple copies of any item to your region, you will quickly notice that every copy is identified by the same name. To facilitate region setup and management, you may want to rename these items so that you can find them more easily in the Objects window. You can do this by editing the item's Display Name.

To locate and edit an object's Display Name field, follow the steps below.

1. Log in to your Breakroom world and navigate your avatar to the region you would like to edit.

2. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

3. Click the Objects Button to launch the Objects window.

4. In the Objects window, locate the Breakroom Voice Zone object you want to edit. (Tip: You can use the search field at the top of the window to search for a specific object.) Click on the object name to launch the Inspector window.

5. In the Inspector window, locate the Display Name field (highlighted above). Enter the display name you would like to use.

6. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

7. Click the Save button to store your changes.

Adding voice zones to navigation tools

When you add a custom voice zone to your region, you may see it appear in the Areas of Interest panel. This panel is visible on the right side of the screen when activated, and can be set up to offer direct teleport links to any voice zone that has the "Zone Visible" option enabled in its RoomFurniture component.

Zones already linked in the General Navigation or Breakout Rooms bar will be ignored by the Areas of Interest panel. This makes it a flexible solution for offering additional teleport options to your users.

You can enable, disable, or rename individual links within the Areas of Interest panel. If you disable all of your custom voice zones from appearing within the Areas of Interest panel, the panel will not be displayed on your screen. You can also add a custom voice zone to the Breakout Rooms bar by following the steps outlined on this page.

Enabling auto-sit on teleport

If you set up your custom voice zone using furniture designed to work with the Breakroom conferencing system, you can enable the auto-sit feature. This means that when users teleport into the voice zone, they will be automatically seated in an available chair.

To enable the auto-sit feature, please follow these steps.

1. Log in to your Breakroom world and navigate your avatar to the region you would like to edit.

2. Open the Region Editor by clicking the Edit Region button at the bottom of your screen.

3. Click the Objects button to launch the Objects window. Locate the furniture item you want to edit. Click on the object name to launch the Inspector window.

4. In the Inspector window, click on the > arrow to the left of the RoomFurniture component to expand it.

5. You will see a single property titled Zone Name. In this field, enter the same exact Zone Name you used for the associated Breakroom Voice Zone object. (For example, if your voice zone is named "Coffee Bar," then the Zone Name for the stools should also be "Coffee Bar.")

6. Click the Reset Zones button to reset the conferencing system.

7. Click the Save button to store your changes.

The RoomFurniture component

The RoomFurniture component attached to the Breakroom Voice Zone objects contains several fields that can be manually edited. By doing so, you can:

• Change the voice zone type,

• Disable or enable voice and text chat,

• Adjust the voice zone's spatial settings,

• Edit voice zone priority and "nest" voice zones,

• Enable or disable audience cameras, and more.

These are advanced settings that region designers can use to create wholly customized points of interactivity. Please see our RoomFurniture component documentation for more information.