Need guidance on best practise sharing presentations on dual-screen setups in Webex Meetings

[DanEriksson]

We regularly host presentations where the presenter stands in front of a studio camera and microphone while taking attendees through a presentation. We use a dedicated laptop just for sharing the content. The presenter has a large 65" screen in front of him, where he is to see the speaker notes, while the actual presentation is shown on and shared from the same screen as the Webex application is running on.

This cause a lot of problems with grey boxes in the shared content/presentation, which are various Webex dialoge boxes. How can we get rid of these grey boxes? What is the best way to share the content? Do we need to have a three-screen setup, one being speaker notes, one being presentation and one being Webex window?

If the second screen was to be the presentation, it would be all fine, but we need speaker notes on screen to and hence end up with presentation on screen 1.

[Fritz_H · Accepted solution]

@DanEriksson 
"various Webex dialoge boxes" : do you need them? if not: close them.
If there is a moderator checking for raised hands, chat messages etc: I guess you may need a 3 Screen Setup:
(until Cisco fixes this since I remember that this issue was absent in an earlier version of Webex, still called Webex-Teams at that time.)

- a presenter Screen with all the notes, timer etc.

- "clean" presentation screen (which is shared via webex)

- a "Meeting-Manager"-Screen showing "various Webex dialoge boxes".

Every up2date notebook is able to handle 3 screens - perhaps not 3x 4K but at least 3x Full-HD.
You may need a Dockingstation for the Notebook. (Thunderbolt3 or 4, USB-C with "DisplayPort over USB-C" is sufficient if you use Notebook-Screen+2x Full-HD)

[BGR]

Hi,

You can get rid of the panels and notifications while sharing that cause the grey boxes by selecting Ctrl + Alt + Shift + H on your computer keyboard

https://help.webex.com/en-us/84har3/Webex-Meetings-and-Webex-Events-Accessibility-Features

[DanEriksson]

Thanks, will try this. We used 3 screens for the setup as work around last week. One for the presentation (shared in Webex), one for the speaker notes and the laptops screen for Webex Application. But if we can stay with two screens it's better.

[kndskelton]

What I'd like to see when using a dual monitor system.. the WebEx App to stay full-view on one monitor while sharing the other instead of the small video window popping up and having to click on the Orange or Shared Tab at top of the screen to open the floating participant and chat panels. This way you have more control.

[RedNectar]

Hi @DanEriksson ,

I guess telling you that swapping the laptop for a MacBook would fix the problem is of no use to you. But it is strange how Webex can do it  correctly on macOS, but not Windows.  Time for Cisco to fix that bug! 

But to be more constructive, I suggest you do this:

1. Make sure the screen that the presenter sees is the primary screen - i.e. the 65" screen. Run EVERYTHING from there, including (I assume) PowerPoint
2. Share the secondary screen - i.e. the laptop screen. And once it has been shared, NEVER STOP sharing it (otherwise Webex will screw all of your previous settings and placement of boxes
3. Make sure the presenter knows to keep the list of participants, chat etc on the 65" screen - NEVER move them to the laptop screen (unless you did actually swap the laptop for a macbook - then that wouldn't matter)
4. [Edit 2020.06.10] On the shared screen, move the mouse to the top of the screen until the floating panel appears. Click the handle and drag it ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHER  SCREEN - that stops the panel dropping down every time you try and access a menu on your shared screen.

[DanEriksson]

Intrersting you say this. I'm an Apple guy myself, and have both MBP and iMacs available for my work. But these sessions are hosted by "windowsians". 

Will do some test using the MBP. But this may explain why I have not been able to replicate the issue in my world.

//Dan

[RedNectar · Accepted solution]

@DanEriksson ,

<Cut-and-pasted from actual answer to make it easier to find 2021.06.15]>

I suggest you do this:

1. Make sure the screen that the presenter sees is the primary screen - i.e. the 65" screen. Run EVERYTHING from there, including (I assume) PowerPoint
2. Share the secondary screen - i.e. the laptop screen. And once it has been shared, NEVER STOP sharing it (otherwise Webex will screw all of your previous settings and placement of boxes
3. Make sure the presenter knows to keep the list of participants, chat etc on the 65" screen - NEVER move them to the laptop screen (unless you did actually swap the laptop for a macbook - then that wouldn't matter)
4. [Edit 2020.06.10] On the shared screen, move the mouse to the top of the screen until the floating panel appears. Click the handle and drag it ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHER  SCREEN - that stops the panel dropping down every time you try and access a menu on your shared screen.

</cut-and-paste>

Good luck.  I forgot to mention (but was reminded by @BGR 's mention of hiding all the controls) that the very annoying drop-down panel that appears on your shared screen whenever you move the mouse near the top of the shared screen, can not only be dragged left-to-right - but dragged completely to the next monitor (where I suggested you keep you other controls). I've edited my answer above to reflect this 4th suggestion [which BTW you can help others find if it solves your problem by marking as correct]

And FYI - if you DO want to hide all the controls, the amazingly stupid and and un-intuitive key combo on macOS is <Command+Option+Shift+H> - but that's not all. You actually have to confirm this action in a pop-up window that may appear hidden behind other windows on another screen.

[Tip: Vote for my suggestion at https://ciscocollabcustomer.ideas.aha.io/ideas/WXCUST-I-1320 ]

[Fritz_H · Accepted solution]

@DanEriksson 
"various Webex dialoge boxes" : do you need them? if not: close them.
If there is a moderator checking for raised hands, chat messages etc: I guess you may need a 3 Screen Setup:
(until Cisco fixes this since I remember that this issue was absent in an earlier version of Webex, still called Webex-Teams at that time.)

- a presenter Screen with all the notes, timer etc.

- "clean" presentation screen (which is shared via webex)

- a "Meeting-Manager"-Screen showing "various Webex dialoge boxes".

Every up2date notebook is able to handle 3 screens - perhaps not 3x 4K but at least 3x Full-HD.
You may need a Dockingstation for the Notebook. (Thunderbolt3 or 4, USB-C with "DisplayPort over USB-C" is sufficient if you use Notebook-Screen+2x Full-HD)