Call from laptop using your Cisco device as a web camera- Webex

When you connect your device to your laptop, you will be able to utilize the device as a more advanced web camera so that you can use it when making calls from your laptop using meeting programs. That means, you are able to use the camera, microphone, and loudspeakers on the device, which results in the highest quality video and audio experience possible.

Because of the variety of devices and their varying capabilities, the configuration of this feature and how it is used can vary. Your gadget most likely falls into one of these categories:

• Full USB-C support: Desk, Desk Pro, Desk Mini, Board Pro, and Room Bar
• Room Kit Mini only supports USB-C to a limited extent.
• Codec Plus, Codec Pro, Room Kit, Room 55, Room 70 Single, and Room 70 G2 Single and Dual have no compatibility for USB-C.

Full USB-C support

The devices that fall under this category come equipped with a USB-C connector, which allows for the transfer of content between a laptop and the device via the USB-C connection. When used as an advanced web camera, Desk Hub supports video resolutions of up to 720p, whereas other devices support video resolutions of up to 1080p in this mode.

You should then select input sources after connecting your laptop.

• Use a cable with a USB-C connector to link the laptop to the device.
• (This is completely optional, and is only required for devices that have a touch controller.) Simply select “Call from laptop” on the touch controller, and the system will walk you through the next steps. If you choose to skip this step, the Call from laptop app will open on the device automatically after you have selected the device as the camera source in step 3.
• Establish a connection between your laptop and the device using the USB-C port.

Launch the meeting app on your laptop, and make sure the Webex device is selected as the source for the camera, microphone, and speaker.

You can now use your laptop to call into a meeting or to join an existing one.

In-call behavior

You will always have access to the option to mute your microphones within the laptop meeting app. The way in which your administrator has set up the device determines whether or not you will be able to mute from the device itself. The mute indicators on the device and the laptop are not synchronized with each other. Please go to the section labeled “For the administrator” for further information.

When you are participating in a video meeting via your laptop, the gadget enters a mode known as “Do not disturb.” When you are using this mode, you will not be able to take any more calls that may come into your smartphone. When entering an audio-only conference, the device will not be in the “do not disturb” mode.

From the user interface of the gadget, you have the ability to manage the camera, modify the volume, eliminate background noise, and improve the audio quality. When the camera is being used, the light that indicates its status turns on. The remainder of the meeting, including hanging up the call, is at the control of the application running on the laptop.

• In the interest of the administrator
  Turn off the sound coming from the device: The laptop meeting software provides users with the ability to permanently mute their microphones at any time. An administrator has the ability to decide whether or not individuals are permitted to silence themselves from the device itself, which may include a touch controller or microphones that are linked to the device. Change the configuration of the MuteButton found under Audio > Microphones > UsbPassthrough to:

• • • Inactive: Participants can only mute themselves through the laptop meeting software (this is the behavior that is standard for the Desk series).
    • People can mute themselves from the device as well as the meeting app on their laptops (this is the default practice for other products).
    • Because th
    • e mute indicators on the device and the meeting app are not synchronized, there are various adverse effects that can occur if you allow muting from the device, including the following:
    • The microphone LEDs on the device do not change color when the user mutes oneself using the laptop meeting app; rather, the mute color remains same.
    • If a person mutes themself using the gadget, the other individuals who are participating in the call will not be informed that they have been muted.
    • If users of the laptop meeting app neglect to pick the device they want to use as the microphone source for the app, the software will use the microphones on the laptops instead. In this scenario, the microphone LEDs of the device might be lit up in red (the color that indicates that the microphone is muted), even though the audio is not being muted.

Limited USB-C support

Even though the product in this category has a USB-C connector, you will not be able to transfer content from your laptop to the device via the USB-C connection. In order to enable the sharing of content, you will also need to connect an HDMI cable. When utilized as an advanced web camera, the gadget is capable of recording video in resolutions up to 1080p.

Connect your laptop and select input sources

1. Establish a connection between your laptop and the device using the USB-C port.
2. Establish a connection between your laptop and the HDMI input on the device using the presentation cable.
3. Launch the meeting application on your laptop, and then choose it as the source for the camera, the microphone, and the loudspeaker.

The device gives the impression of having two different loudspeaker connections, one of which is an HDMI connection and the other of which is a USB-C connection.

You can now use your laptop to call into a meeting or to join an existing one.

In-call behavior

You will always have access to the option to mute your microphones within the laptop meeting app. The way in which your administrator has set up the device determines whether or not you will be able to mute from the device itself. The mute indicators on the device and the laptop are not synchronized with each other. Please go to the section labeled “For the administrator” for further information.

When you are participating in a meeting using your laptop, the device is always set to the “Do not disturb” mode. Because of this, you won’t get any more calls coming into your smartphone that are coming in.

From the user interface of the gadget, you have the ability to manage the camera, modify the volume, eliminate background noise, and improve the audio quality. When the camera is being used, the light that indicates its status turns on. The remainder of the meeting, including hanging up the call, is at the control of the application running on the laptop.

For the administrator

• Mute audio from the device: By default, individuals have the ability to mute their microphones from both the meeting app as well as from the device itself. In either scenario, the other participants will not receive any audio transmissions. On the other hand, because the mute indicators on the device and the meeting app are not synchronized, there are various unintended consequences:
  • The microphone LEDs on the device do not change color when the user mutes oneself using the laptop meeting app; rather, the mute color remains same.
  • If a person mutes themself using the gadget, the other individuals who are participating in the call will not be informed that they have been muted.
  • If users of the laptop meeting app neglect to pick the device they want to use as the microphone source for the app, the software will use the microphones on the laptops instead. In this scenario, the microphone LEDs of the device might be lit up in red (the color that indicates that the microphone is muted), even though the audio is not being muted.
  • If you want to stop the device from being able to mute itself, go to Audio > Microphones > UsbPassthrough > MuteButton and set this configuration to Inactive.
  • Registration with a call service: In order to use the device for laptop calling, it is not necessary to first register the device with a call service, regardless of whether the service is hosted in the cloud or on-premises. If you choose not to register the device during the initial setup process, you will still be able to register it with Cisco at a later time. Navigate to the Settings menu, then pick Device Activation from the menu.
• If the device is registered to a call service, you will automatically receive the entire user interface (UI). The user interface is altered appropriately in the event that the device has not been registered. If you wish to change the behavior, use the following configuration: UserInterface > WebcamOnlyMode.

No USB-C support

Due to the fact that the products in this category do not include a USB-C connector, it is necessary to connect an HDMI-to-USB converter to one of the HDMI outputs on the device. Plug a USB cable and an HDMI cable into the laptop simultaneously.

Because the Room 55 Dual, Room 70 Dual, Room 70 Panorama, and Room Panorama do not have an HDMI output that is readily available, these devices do not support the feature.

Connect your laptop and select input sources

1. To make a call from your laptop, tap Call on the device. graphical user interface for opening the Call from laptop software.
2. Establish a connection between your laptop and the USB port on the HDMI-to-USB adapter.
3. Establish a connection between your laptop and the HDMI input on the device using the presentation cable.
4. Launch the meeting app on your laptop, and make sure the HDMI-to-USB converter is selected as the source for both the camera and the microphone. Choose this device to act as the source for the speaker.

Note that the meeting app will make use of the laptop microphone if you do not choose the HDMI-to-USB converter as the microphone source. In this particular scenario, pressing the mute button on the device itself or using an external microphone will have no effect.

You can now use your laptop to call into a meeting or to join an existing one.

End the call

1. Bring the meeting to a close using your laptop.
2. In addition, you can terminate the Call from laptop app by selecting the Disconnect option on the device.

In the event that you do not exit the Call from laptop app, the device will remain in its abnormal state. It is impossible for the device to enter standby mode, it is unable to receive any calls, and it does not receive software updates while it is in the Do not disturb mode.

In-call behavior

You will always have access to the option to mute your microphones within the laptop meeting app. Depending on how your administrator has set up the device, you may or may not be able to mute both the microphones on the device itself as well as any external microphones. The mute indicators on the device and the laptop are not synchronized with each other. Please refer to the section titled “For the Administrator and Installer” for further information.

From the user interface of the gadget, you have the ability to manage the camera, modify the volume, eliminate background noise, and improve the audio quality. When the camera is being used, the light that indicates its status turns on. The remainder is under the control of the meeting app on the laptop.

If the Call from laptop app is running on the device, even in a minimized state, the device will remain in the Do not disturb mode at all times. As a consequence of this, you won’t be able to take any incoming calls on your device when you’re using the laptop in a conference.

For the administrator and installer

• Add an HDMI-to-USB converter: Connect an HDMI-to-USB converter, also known as a capture device, to one of the device’s HDMI outputs (see diagram for further details). The Inogeni 4KX-PLUS converter is one that we have evaluated and found to be reliable; however, you are free to use whatever converter you like.
• Connect the camera, screens, and any other peripherals to the device as you normally would (shown by the yellow arrows) in the event that the device does not have an integrated camera or screens. In the usual fashion, add the touch controller as well as the other peripherals.
• Activate the feature by: Adjust your settings so that True is selected under Video > Output > HDMI > Passthrough > Allowed. The user interface will now have a button labeled “Call from laptop.” In order to use the feature, the device must be capable of running the RoomOS 11 UI experience.
• Turn off the sound coming from the device as well as any external microphones: People have the ability to silence their microphones using the meeting app, as well as the device itself and any external microphones they may be using. There will be no transmission of audio to the other participants in any scenario (assuming that the HDMI-to-USB converter is the source of the microphone). On the other hand, because the mute indicators on the device and the meeting app are not synchronized, there are various unintended consequences:
  • Even if a person mutes themselves from the laptop meeting app, the LEDs on the device’s microphone as well as any external microphones will not change color to indicate that they are muted.
  • If someone mutes themself using the device or an external microphone, the other individuals on the call won’t be informed that they have been muted.
• If individuals fail to pick the HDMI-to-USB converter as the microphone source, they can find themselves in a position in which the microphone LEDs of the device and any external microphones are lit up in red, which indicates that the audio is muted, even though it is not. This is due to the fact that the meeting software is using the microphones on the laptops.
• If you change this option such that it reads “Inactive,” the device and any external microphones it may have will no longer be muted. The MuteButton is located above the HDMI Passthrough and the Microphones.
• Adjust the HDMI output of the converter from HDMI to USB as follows: The HDMI output with the highest number is the one that the device is preconfigured to use for the HDMI-to-USB converter when it is first turned on. If you wish to switch to a different HDMI output, use this setup instead of the standard one: Video > Output > HDMI > Passthrough > OutputConnector. If this is the case, go to Video > Output > Connector[n] > MonitorRole and make sure the monitor roles are set correctly.
• Configure the number of monitors: If you have an HDMI-to-USB converter with an external power supply but no screen that is connected to it, you will need to manually configure the number of monitors that the device has by going to this configuration and selecting Video > Monitors. Having a mismatch causes problems with the layout when entering meetings from the device itself.
• You can decide whether the Call from laptop app will automatically close or not: After one hundred and twenty minutes have elapsed, the Call from laptop app will automatically close down. Changes to the following behaviors can be made by adjusting these configurations:
  • The menu will look something like this: Video > Output > HDMI > Passthrough > AutoDisconnect > Enabled: False if you want the window to remain open until it is manually closed, true otherwise.
  • Video > Output > HDMI > Passthrough > AutoDisconnect > Delay: The number of minutes until the device is disconnected automatically.
• Codec Pro and Room 70 G2 advanced audio systems include the following: It is strongly suggested that you keep the setup of Audio > Output > ConnectorSetup set to Auto. If the manual setting is required by the configuration of your room, you can set up microphone passthrough manually by using either the Audio Console (which is suggested) or API commands.