SX80 edit layout for Local and Remote presenter room modes

[Sadaseeven Saminaden]

Hello.

We have an SX80 codec with triple display, SpeakerTrack60 and PresenterTrack60.

We have set up the room type to Briefing room.

SpeakerTrack dual P60 are mounted in the front center of the room with monitor 1 on the left and monitor 2 on the right.

PresenterTrack P60 is mounted opposite to the SpeakerTrack at the back of the room and monitor 3(via DVI) on it's right.

When in discussion layout, we see the remote party on monitor 1 and 3 and presentation(local/remote) on monitor 2 and that's perfect. 

However SpeakerTrack and PresenterTrack does not switch automatically in this mode and the remote party sees our feed split in 2 with the front and back cameras side by side. 

When we choose LocalPresenter or RemotePresenter, with "PresenterTrack Enabled Status" on the switching is done automatically.

However, each time the switching occurs, we see one of the monitors stop displaying, eg for LocalPresenter mode, the remote feed appears on monitor 3 and monitor 1 stays blank.

When RemotePresenter is enabled, mon 3 goes blank and mon 1 displays. This is very distracting for the presenter as they have to look back and forth. 

we would appreciate to have the automatic switching but with a behavior that displays the remote feed on mon 1 and 3 at all times, similar to discussion mode.

Any help is much appreciated.

[Patrick Sparkman]

I don't think it's possible to get the layouts to do what you want while using briefing room mode, at least easy if at all possible.  With briefing room mode in use, it configures the codec, displays, and cameras based on the room mode you've selected.  If you would like for the audience camera and presenter camera to be able to automatically switch or function together while in the discussion mode, suggest you contact your Account Manager and submit a feature request.

[Sadaseeven Saminaden]

Hello Patrick.

Many thanks for your answer.

Actually was guessing so too.

Though I know with TC console it seem it was possible with the TC7x and lower versions. We are running CE8.3.2 and unfortunately CE console only allows us to modify audio routing and not  layouts.

Do you have any suggestion of a.good workaround to ease the.communication?

Or any other hint/recommendation that you are using in real life?

Regards

Davi

[Patrick Sparkman]

Unfortunately I don't, briefing room mode is one feature I haven't spent any time with.

[Enrico Conedera]

Briefing Room mode has specific behaviors and requirements that are outlined in the Admin Guides as well as in the attached presentation.  Screen 1 will *always* be blank when PresenterTrack is enabled, because far end people on the screen could be confused with a local presenter.  This is by design.  In any case, the attached along with the Admin Guides should help you.

[Sadaseeven Saminaden]

Hello Enrico.

Thanks for your answer.

In that case, could we use normal mode and create a custom layout that could do as per our requirements?

Our actual set up is a classroom with the presenter facing the class at all times and students spread around the room around 8-person tables. Some look at the front monitors and others look at the rear monitors whichever is preferable..

I shall email you a picture of the setup now.

[Enrico Conedera]

The answer is probably No.

When we moved from TC7 to CE8 software, the video compositing API was lost because of Multistream (which is now being deprecated, go figure).  So the ability to have custom layouts using TC Console disappeared in CE8.

What we do have is the ability to use xCommand Video Matrix to assign any local sources to any screen.  This may help, but I'm not sure it will meet your needs.  Please look at the CE9 API documentation for the SX80 on cisco.com/go/telepresence.

[Sadaseeven Saminaden]

Is it advisable to roll back to 7.3 in that case?

If you checked out the pics in the email, you will see that the cables have been trunked properly and customer will be displeased to have to change the room set up to normal briefing room style.

Let's say that if it works the way we are expecting it to, then we are looking at a potential sales of about a dozen in the next 2 years.

That being said, I'll have a go at the API first 

[Enrico Conedera]

Actually I should mention that in CE9.2, which is due in October or November, we can run macros directly on the codec, which will allow customers to change screen behaviors as desired, without needing an external control system to instruct the codec.  So there may be a solution coming that would work for your situation. 

We don't have documentation on CE Macros yet, because we don't release documentation until FCS of the software.

[Wayne DeNardi]

Wow!  It's not often you get a Cisco Employee posting Roadmap information like this in a public forum.  Especially when there are many people who have signed NDAs about this kind of thing who are unable to comment until the software has been released.

[MARTIN DELANEY]

Hello Sadaseeven, have you any positive resutls using "xCommand Video Matrix" to assign any local sources to any screen? I would appreciate your feedback

thanks.

P.S. I once thought TC Console was unpleasant to use..ha

[Sadaseeven Saminaden]

Hello Martin.

Unfortunately I have not spent any more time on this project as it went live and users have had to deal with what was offerred. 

I will check if the new CE version offers any solution and revert back on this forum

regards

[Patrick Sparkman · Accepted solution]

CE9.2.1, which released Nov 2017, supports source compositing via the API.
CE9 Release Notes

[Sadaseeven Saminaden]

Hello Patrick.

Firmware downloaded, appointment scheduled with client for next week. Let's see how it goes.

I noticed from the release notes mentionned that some macros would be made available later as general template or guidelines. Any idea where we can download them or if they are already available for sharing to the customers in the first place?

Thx

[Patrick Sparkman · Accepted solution]

The macro editor contains a tutorial with examples that you can load onto the codec that includes associated In-Room Control Panels, though I don’t recal if they included any for video compositing.

There are some example macros in the CE9.2.1 Macro Framework discussions, where customers have provided some macros of their own, there are even some provided by Cisco in response the customer query’s on how to use macros for certain tasks, also check the Room Devices DevNet for more examples. 

Recommend you also check the DX, MX, SX, and Room Series Customization Guide (CE9.2).