Creating custom voice zones

Overview

Voice zones give users the ability to connect through voice chat, webcam streaming, and screen sharing. Breakroom allows you to nest voice zones within one another, opening up a world of Region design possibilities. Through the use of customized voice zones, you can create a virtual 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. There are different types of voice zones, each designed to offer a unique media experience.

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

In the Region Editor, there are two specialized tools you'll 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've made. Clicking the Visibility button will toggle the transparent green boundary object highlighting on and off, which is useful when you need to maneuver your working camera inside a voice zone.

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 > Collaboration section of your Inventory.

Voice zone shapes

Breakroom Voice Zone

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.

Breakroom Voice Zone Round

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 > icon located to the left of the object name to expand it. If necessary, you can expand some individual components by clicking the relevant > icons.

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 conference system gesture and camera controls, and the location of each camera can be customized.

Voice zone furniture items

In order to take full advantage of the tools built into Breakroom's conference system, you will need to use furniture items that are designed to work with voice zones. There are several sets of conference-ready furniture included in the Breakroom Toolkit.

Voice zones do not need to contain seating or other furniture in order to function, and if you do not include seating in a custom voice zone, users will still be able to voice chat, turn on their webcams, and share their screens. However, seats let users access additional tools like gestures and camera options.

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.

This section is written for administrative clients who are already familiar with customizing the Breakroom platform. If you need help accessing the Region Editor, moving objects, or editing the RoomFurniture component, please consult the linked documentation before proceeding.

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 > icon located beside the Breakroom Add-on Stools object to expand it.

7. Click the > icon 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 > icon 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 in 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 part of the tutorial fresh. If you are interested in learning more about conference-ready voice zone furniture items, please review the preceding section. If you need a refresher on the different voice zone object components, you can find that information at the start of this page.

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 > icon 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'll 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 conference 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 > icon 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 > icon 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 entered a .75 value into the Scale field. This made the screen smaller overall, while preserving the default aspect ratio. Once we save our work and take a look at the voice zone, you can see that the screen 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 conference system cameras, 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 in our Running Your Event section.

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 > icon 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 > icon 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.

5. 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.

6. 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).

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

8. 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 > icon 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 > icon 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 visit our dedicated troubleshooting 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 panel, 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 visit our dedicated troubleshooting page.

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 panel 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 panel.

Enabling auto-sit on teleport

If you set up your custom voice zone using furniture designed to work with the Breakroom conference 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 > icon 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.