Using the conference system
Breakroom's conference system is the foundation upon which virtual events are built. Learn how to access voice chat, screen share, emojis, and other important features.
Overview
Breakroom's conference system consists of several collaborative and interactive tools, as well as in-world seating options and breakout areas. This quick-start guide is intended for new event attendees, and explains:
Users with Moderator permissions can find more information about the moderator tools in our Running Your Event section. If you encounter any technical problems, you can also find more information on troubleshooting common audio and video issues.
World Owners and World Administrators can enable and disable parts of the UI via the Dashboard. You may not have access to every function described in this section.
Conference system controls
Upon entering a conference Region, you'll see the conference system control panel appear at the top of your screen. For most attendees, these tools fall into two categories—communication and navigation.
Communicating at an event
The conference system communication panel allows you to access voice chat, share your screen, react with emojis, collaborate with other users on web-based applications, and more. Here's a brief overview of the UI (read left to right, top row to bottom row).
| Button | Function |
|---|---|
Microphone Off / On | Toggles your microphone within voice-enabled zones. |
Video Off / On | Toggles your webcam within video-enabled zones. |
Screenshare Off / On | Toggles screen sharing within video-enabled zones. |
Device Options | Allows you to change your device settings and troubleshoot common audio and video issues. |
Screen Appearance ("See in World / See on Screen") | Allows you to control where video streamed by other users appears on your screen. |
Raise Hand | Causes a hand icon to appear over your head until dismissed. Useful for impromptu polls, audience questions, and more. |
Emoji | Opens the emoji menu, where you can choose from several animated emojis (such as clapping hands). These emojis will float over your avatar's head. |
Web Collab | Launches Breakroom Web Collab. |
Question | Allows you to submit a question for Moderator review. |
Voice chat
If voice chat is available in your current location, you will see the Microphone button appear at the top of your screen. To get started with voice chat, follow these steps.
Click the Microphone button. A pop-up will appear asking you to grant Breakroom permission to access your microphone. To continue, click the Enable button.
Once activated, the microphone icon will turn green and the button text will change to "Microphone On." This indicates that your microphone is live, and that other users can hear you in voice chat.
To mute your microphone, click the Microphone button again.
You can also control your microphone using the Settings toolbar located in the bottom right corner of your screen. Click the Microphone button to turn your microphone on, and you'll see a checkmark appear to indicate that your microphone is live. Click the button again to turn your microphone off.
Depending on the setup of your Breakroom World, you may have access to additional communication options, such as text chat and in-world email.
Webcam streaming
If you move your avatar into an area where you have permission to share your webcam, you'll see the Video button appear at the top of your screen. To start streaming video, follow these steps.
Click the Video button. A pop-up may appear asking you to grant Breakroom permission to access your camera. To continue, click the Accept button.
Once activated, the camera icon will turn green and the button text will change to "Video On." This indicates that your webcam is live, and that other users can see and hear you.
To turn off your webcam, click the Video button again.
Screen share
If you move your avatar into an area where you have permission to share your computer screen, you'll see the Screenshare button appear in the conference controls. To get started, follow these steps.
Click the Screenshare button. A pop-up may appear asking you to grant Breakroom permission to access your computer. To continue, click the Accept button.
The screenshare control panel will appear on your screen. Here you can choose a desktop or individual screen to share. You can also choose whether or not to share your computer audio by toggling the Share system audio option.
When you are satisfied with your choices, click the Share button. If you've elected to leave voice chat off, you may be asked to confirm this decision.
Once activated, the screen icon will turn green and the button text will change to "Screenshare On." This indicates that your screen is live, and that other users can see what is happening on your computer.
To stop sharing your screen, click the Screenshare button again.
Screen appearance
By default, when users share their webcam or computer screen the video will be displayed on an in-world screen. The Screen Appearance button allows you to "detach" streaming media from the in-world screen for better viewing. The button text will change based on the setting you select.
By toggling "See on Screen" mode, you can view streaming media in a separate window. You can expand this window by clicking the full screen toggle in the upper right corner.
If multiple presenters are streaming media at the same time, you will see multiple preview windows parked underneath the conference controls while in "See on Screen" mode. You can switch between webcam and screen share feeds by clicking on these windows.
Raise Hand and Emoji buttons
Clicking the Raise Hand button animates your avatar, allowing them to raise their hand. A colorful hand icon will also appear over your avatar's head, and remain there until you dismiss it by clicking the Raise Hand button again. Moderators can take note of who raises their hands, and may reach out to assist or collaborate with you.
Hovering your cursor over the Emoji button reveals a menu of various emojis. When one is clicked, the emoji will be displayed in an animated burst above your avatar's head.
Submitting questions
You can submit a question to the Moderator queue by clicking the Question button located at the top of the screen. Enter your question in the dialogue box that appears, and then click the Submit button.
Seats and gestures
When you enter an auditorium, breakout space, or any area that contains furniture designed to work with the Breakroom conference system, you will see blue tags hovering over the available seats. To sit down, click on a blue seat tag.
Once you are seated, two panels will appear on the left side of the screen. These panels allow you to emote via single-person gestures and adjust your current camera angle. The Free Look button releases your camera so that you can control it manually, using Breakroom's standard camera controls.
To stand up again, click the Stand Up button that appears at the bottom of your screen.
If the camera control buttons become unresponsive while you're seated in a chair, press the Esc key to exit fly camera mode.
Presenter seats
If you have been invited to make a presentation or participate in a roundtable discussion, you may be asked to stand or sit on a presenter seat. By using a presenter seat, you'll gain access to voice chat and media sharing functions within a particular voice zone, even if these functions are restricted for most visitors.
To take up a presenter seat, click on the blue seat tag indicated to you. Presenter seats are normally located in an obvious place, like on a stage or at the front of a breakout area. To leave the presenter seat, click the Stand Up button that appears at the bottom of your screen.
Breakout areas
Most Breakroom Regions contain multiple voice zones. Only users with avatars located inside a particular voice zone can use voice chat, webcam streaming, and screen share to 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.
When you approach the edge of a voice zone, a transparent blue boundary indicator will appear. This serves as a reminder that you are leaving your current voice zone and entering a new one.
Keep in mind that you may not be able to hear or speak with avatars located on the other side of a boundary indictor, even if you can see them. To use a breakout area, you will need to move your avatar inside.
Navigating an event
In addition to Breakroom's Region navigation tools, the conference system includes several panels designed to help you travel between important event spaces.
The General Navigation panel
The General Navigation panel contains quick teleport links to key areas in the event Region. If seats are available, you will be seated automatically upon arrival.
Button | Target location |
Auditorium | Teleports your avatar to the auditorium. |
Entrance | Teleports your avatar to the Region entrance or to a designated information booth. |
Networking | Teleports your avatar to the designated lounge or networking area. |
Floor | Teleports your avatar to the main "floor" of the event (e.g. vendor booths, game area). |
The General Navigation panel's appearance can vary. Based on the contents of a particular Region, you may not see all of the teleport links pictured above. You may also see different icons for each area type (e.g., a cocktail glass instead of a coffee cup).
The Breakout Rooms panel
The Breakout Rooms panel allows you to teleport your avatar directly to a numbered breakout area.
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 is not listed in either the General Navigation panel or Breakout Rooms panel.
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