Virtual Sessions: Built-In Services Guide

Introduction

Conference Tracker now supports our own suite of built-in services that allow you to either live stream your presentation to your attendees, or upload a pre-recorded video file of your sessions. To find out more, please read below on how each of these services work.

Built-In Streaming using Zoom Introduction

If you have a licensed Zoom account (Zoom Pro or higher), you can use our built-in streaming services to stream your Zoom meeting to all of your attendees in Conference Tracker.

Step 1: Configure your Zoom Account

As the owner of the licensed Zoom account, you will need to update some settings on the Zoom Web Portal to enable the option to stream your Zoom meetings.

  1. Sign-in to your Zoom account at Zoom
  2. Click on My Account at the top right of the page.
  3. On the My Account page, click on Settings on the left-hand Navigation Menu
  4. Navigate to the In Meeting (Advanced Section), scroll down until you find the setting toggle labeled Allow live streaming meetings. Enable this setting and you will see some additional options. For Conference Tracker, you will only need to mark the Custom Live Streaming Service check box.
  5. You will see an additional text box appear, allowing instructions to be preset for anyone who will be using this live streaming service. Filling this out is optional, but could help if you have multiple speakers creating Zoom Meetings.
  6. Once you are finished, make sure to click on the Save button

Step 2: Create/Edit Session in Conference Tracker

Our next step is to create a session in Conference Tracker that will be linked to your Zoom meeting. Let's navigate over to Conference Tracker and sign in to your account. Once you are signed in, let's go over to the left-hand Navigation Menu and click on Conference → Sessions. Here, you will have two options. If you have not yet created your Session, click on the blue Create button. If you have a pre-existing session you would like to edit, simply click on this session's title and you will be taken to the Session Edit screen.

Once you are creating/editing your session, fill out the session information as you normally would with the session title, start/end times, credit information, and so on. Once you are finished, scroll towards the bottom of this screen and you will see a section labeled Attendance Mode. Here, we will need to pick either Online or Mixed. This will make this session available online, and offer an additional section of settings labeled Streaming.

In the Streaming settings, pick Built-In in the Service drop-down menu, and Live in the Mode drop-down menu.

Options available for "Built-In" in the Service drop-down menu, and "Live" in the Mode drop-down menu.
  1. Aspect ratio: This is the ratio of width and height of the screen.
  2. Presenter: If set, only this presenter will be able to start and stop the live streaming, otherwise all users set as this session's presenters will be able to do so.
  3. End streaming at session's end time: Enabling this option ensures attendees are removed from the session disregarding if they are still watching. If a streaming window is set users will be removed at the window's end time instead.
  4. Show 'Are you still watching?' dialog: Enabling this option will make the system show a dialog asking if users are still watching the streaming. Users who do not confirm in a timely fashion will be removed from the session.
  5. Still watching dialog wait period: # of minutes to wait until the dialog is shown
  6. Enable join message: Join message: If enabled, the following message will be shown when attendees join the streaming session.
  7. Join message: This is the message shown if the above feature is enabled, it will show in a small pop-up window.

Once you have made all other necessary changes to your session, click on the green Save Changes button at the bottom of the screen. You will then be taken back to the main Sessions page.

Now that your Conference Tracker session has been successfully configured, it's time to begin your Zoom Meeting.

  1. Open your Zoom Client and begin your Zoom meeting. This can be a pre-scheduled meeting or a brand new one. Having it pre-scheduled would assist your organization during this process though! You can configure your meeting by inviting any additional participants, adding your webcam, enabling screen share, etc.
  2. Ensure that your Zoom meeting is good to go by testing video, audio, screen shares, etc.
  3. Once your Zoom meeting is ready, let's navigate over to Conference Tracker.
  4. On the left-hand Navigation Menu, click on Conference → Sessions.
  5. Locate the Session you would like to begin your stream for, click on the three-dots button at the far right of the session, and click on the Start Streaming option.
  6. On the next page, click on the green Setup Stream button and wait for Conference Tracker to initiate your streaming server. This can take up to two minutes.
  7. Once the streaming server has been initiated, you'll see some new information load on your page. It is very important that you do not close this window! If you close this window, your stream will end. If you need to use Conference Tracker while streaming, we suggest opening a new window and leaving this one open in the background.
  8. At the bottom of the Streaming Setup page, you'll see a drop-down menu labeled Zoom Integration. If you click on this drop-down menu, you'll be able to sign into your Zoom account and load your scheduled meetings, including the one that is currently happening.
  9. Once the sign-in process has completed, click on the drop-down menu again and find the meeting you would like to connect to. Make sure you choose the correct meeting if you have more than one meeting scheduled!
  10. After picking your meeting in the drop-down menu, click the blue Connect button and you'll see a green Success message stating that your Zoom meeting has been connected to your Conference Tracker session.
  11. The setup is now complete! But we're not live yet! Now that you've set everything up and are ready to stream, let's go over to Zoom to push the stream live.
  12. In the Zoom meeting window, navigate to your Zoom Toolbar. This toolbar could be in different locations depending on your Zoom Meeting setup, such as the top of your screen or under your webcam display. For reference, click here to display what the Zoom Toolbar looks like.
  13. Click on the More button at the right of your Toolbar, then click on Live on Custom Live Streaming Service.
  14. As soon as you click on Live on Custom Live Streaming Service, your meeting will begin being streamed! It may take a minute for the signal to reach your attendees, so don't fret if they can't see it right away, but they will not miss any content. You are free to begin your presentation as soon as you click Live on Custom Live Streaming Service.
    • NOTE: If you are still not connected make sure that the pop-up window that opens when you click on the live option is completed with the Streaming URL and Streaming Key from the Start Streaming screen in Conference Tracker that should still be open. And the last option, the Live Streaming page URL is really just the invite link from Zoom itself.
    • When you connect this properly on the Live on Custom Live Streaming Service, Zoom will take you to a webpage with a progress bar stating that it's connecting your meeting. Keep in mind that this is simply an animation and you are already streaming even if the loading bar hasn't finished.
  15. To end the stream, make sure to end your Zoom meeting AND the Conference Tracker streaming session using the Stop Channel button.

Built-In Streaming using OBS Introduction

Conference Tracker now supports a built-in service that is highly customizable to ensure that your online presentation's quality is the best it can be. Similar to Zoom or GoToMeeting, our built-in streaming service allows you to create a custom online presentation that fits your exact session's needs. This is accomplished by using Open Broadcaster Software, a free-to-use program compatible with any desktop or laptop computer. Below, we will go over all of the steps required to get your online presentation up and running!

Requirements:

  • A desktop or laptop computer
  • A stable internet connection
  • Microphone or headset
  • Webcam (optional)
  • Secondary Monitor (optional)

Step 1: Download and Configure Open Broadcaster Software

In order to begin streaming with Conference Tracker, we will need to download OBS, or Open Broadcaster Software, a free to use program that will help you set up your stream to your exact requirements. To download, please visit OBS Project and click on your platform of choice. The download should start automatically. Once you have downloaded the OBS setup, open the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to finish the installation.

In this guide, we will go over the necessary steps in OBS in order to get your presentation online through Conference Tracker, but for additional support please visit the OBS Support website.
  1. Upon installing, OBS should automatically open, and you will be greeted with the Auto-Configuration Wizard. You can close this for now since we will be setting our preferred settings manually.
  2. On the top toolbar, click on File → Settings in order to begin your initial OBS setup.
  3. Once the Settings window opens set the following on each section of the left-side menu:
    • Stream tab:
      • Service: Set to Custom.
        Note: Leave the two following fields (Server and Stream Key) blank for now as we will return and update these later.
    • Output tab:
      • Video Bitrate: Set to 2000 Kbps.
    • Video tab:
      • Base (Canvas) Resolution: Set to 1280 x 720
      • Output (Scaled) Resolution: Set to 1280 x 720
      • Common FPS Values: Set this to 30.
  4. Once you are finished, click on Apply then OK at the bottom of the Settings window to finalize your changes.

Step 2: Setting up your Presentation Layout

Now that OBS has been configured, you will be shown the main program screen:

Here is a brief introduction to the OBS display window:

  1. Canvas: The Canvas is where you will see what will be displayed in your presentation. You will be able to add, move, and resize all of your content here.
  2. Scenes: The Scenes section allows you to set up different layouts for your presentation in order to quickly change between them. For example, you can have one scene show your webcam only, and another scene will show a side-by-side view of your Powerpoint presentation and your webcam. Setting up multiple scenes is optional.
  3. Sources: The Sources section allows you to add and manage all of your sources. Your sources can include your webcam, microphone, monitor, application, images, etc.
  4. Audio Mixer: Here you can manage the audio that is being captured by your presentation.
  5. Controls: In the Controls section, you can begin and end your Stream and your Recording.

OBS Starter Profile

We have created a file that you can import into OBS that will help you get started in creating your presentation layout. This file gives you the ability to quickly add your presentation material, microphone/headset audio, and webcam display into OBS. Right click on the link below and chose Save Link As… to download the OBS starter profile:

OBS Starter Profile

  1. Once you have downloaded this file, go to the File menu in OBS, and click on Scene Collection → Import menu options.
  2. If asked by OBS to search for scene collections. You can click on No to skip this window.
  3. You should now see the Scene Collection Importer window. At the bottom of the window, click on Add and search for the OBS Starter Profile file downloaded (obs-profile.json). Double click the file to select it, then click Import on the Scene Collection Importer window.
  4. The Scene Collection Importer window will close, and you will be back to the main OBS screen.
  5. Click once again on Scene Collection at the top of the OBS file menu, and toward the bottom on the menu, you will see the Conference Tracker Profile listed. Click on this profile to use it and then you will see some new items under the Sources section at the bottom of your OBS window.

Now that this file has been imported, we need to simply assign your computer's equipment to be found by OBS. We will be mainly referencing the Sources section at the bottom of your OBS window for the next steps.

MICROPHONE/HEADSET Source

  1. Double-click on the MICROPHONE/HEADSET listed in the Sources section of OBS.
  2. A properties window should appear. On the drop-down menu, select the microphone you would like to use. If you are unsure of which to choose, you can leave it set to Default.
  3. Once finished, click OK. To make sure your Microphone is being picked up, take a look at the green bar under the Audio Mixer section at the bottom of OBS. Talk into your microphone and if this bar lights up, you're good to go!

PROGRAM DISPLAY & MONITOR DISPLAY Sources

The next two sources will be used differently depending on your available equipment and preferred presentation style.

  • If you would like to capture just one program window, such as a PowerPoint presentation or a PDF file (Recommended if you only have one monitor available in your computer setup):
    1. Make sure the program you would like to display on OBS is open in your computer.
    2. Double click on the PROGRAM DISPLAY source.
    3. A properties window should appear. In the drop down menu labeled Window, choose the corresponding program. For example, if you have a PowerPoint presentation open, find the PowerPoint option on this drop-down menu.
    4. To ensure you selected the correct program, the Properties window will show a preview of the chosen window.
    5. Once finished, click OK.
  • If you would like to capture an entire monitor (Recommended if you have a second monitor available in your computer setup):
    1. Double click on the MONITOR DISPLAY source.
    2. A properties window should appear. IN the drop down menu labeled Display, choose the corresponding Display.
    3. To ensure you selected the correct display, the Properties window will show a preview of the chosen monitor.
    4. Once finished, click OK.

WEBCAM Source (Optional)

  1. Double click on the second listed source in the Sources section of OBS, which should be WEBCAM.
  2. A properties window should appear. On the first drop-down menu labeled Device, choose the webcam you would like to use. To ensure this works, you should see a preview of your webcam's capture above the drop-down menu.
  3. Once finished, click OK.

Organizing and Resizing your Sources

You should now have all of your sources added to OBS! If any of these seem out of proportion or are being cropped:

  1. Click on the Source's name you would like to edit in the Sources section.
  2. You will see a red box surrounding the selected source in your OBS Canvas.
  3. You can now click and drag to reposition the source. You can also resize it by clicking and dragging the corners of the red box.

Step 3: Creating a Streaming Session in Conference Tracker

Our next step is to create a session in Conference Tracker that will be linked to your OBS presentation. Let's navigate over to Conference Tracker and sign in to your account. Once you are signed in, let's go over to the left-hand Navigation Menu and click on Conference → Sessions. Here, you will have two options. If you have not yet created your Session, click on the blue Create button. If you have a pre-existing session you would like to edit, simply click on this session's title and you will be taken to the Session Edit screen.

Once you are creating/editing your session, fill out the session information as you normally would with the session title, start/end times, credit information, and so on. Once you are finished, scroll towards the bottom of this screen and you will see a section labeled Attendance Mode. Here, we will need to pick either Online or Mixed. This will make this session available online, and offer an additional section of settings labeled Streaming.

In the Streaming settings, pick Built-In in the Service drop-down menu, and Live in the Mode drop-down menu. Once you have made all other necessary changes to your session, click on the green Save Changes button at the bottom of the screen. You will then be taken back to the main Sessions page.

Step 4: Linking your Session to OBS and Beginning your Stream

We are now ready to perform the final steps to begin your stream! In the main Sessions list screen (on the left-hand Navigation Menu, Conference → Sessions), find the session you have set to stream, click on the three dots button at the far right of the session, and click on the Start Streaming button .

On the next screen, you will once again see a button labeled Start Streaming. Don't worry, clicking on this button only begins the setup of the stream, and your presentation will not go live yet. Click on the button and give Conference Tracker a few minutes to initialize the setup. Once it is finished, the page will automatically refresh, providing you with the information needed to link your OBS presentation to Conference Tracker.

WARNING: DO NOT CLOSE THIS PAGE! Closing this page at any point will end your stream. If you need to use Conference Tracker while streaming, we advise opening a new window and visiting Conference Tracker that way.

In this page, we will need to important pieces of information: Server Address and Stream Key. We will be using these to link OBS to Conference Tracker.

  1. Open OBS, and at the top toolbar, click on File→Settings.
  2. Click on the Stream tab on the left-hand side of the Settings window.
  3. The Service drop-down menu should be set to Custom from our previous steps.
  4. Under Server, copy and paste the Server code you received from your Conference Tracker session.
  5. Under Stream Key, copy and paste the Stream Key code you received from your Conference Tracker session.
  6. Click Apply and OK at the bottom of the settings window and you are finished!
  7. Once you are ready, click on the Start Streaming button on the bottom right corner of OBS and your stream will begin.

Additional Resources

Below you can find additional resources to further your understanding of OBS and streaming:


Video Upload Introduction

Another great addition Conference Tracker now has is the ability to host your pre-recorded videos for your presentations. If you have the ability to create your presentation video ahead of time, you can use our easy to use uploading system to make your video available to all of your attendees.

Step 1: Ready your Video File

The first step is to ensure that your chosen video file for your presentation is readily available. Most regularly used video file formats are supported, such as MP4, MOV, and AVI. Be sure to remember the location of where this video file is saved in your computer, as we will be needing it momentarily.

Step 2: Create a Session in Conference Tracker

Our next step is to create a session in Conference Tracker that will include your pre-recorded video within Conference Tracker. Let's navigate over to Conference Tracker and sign in to your account. Once you are signed in, let's go over to the left-hand Navigation Menu and click on Conference → Sessions. Here, you will have two options. If you have not yet created your Session, click on the blue Create button. If you have a pre-existing session you would like to edit, simply click on this session's title and you will be taken to the Session Edit screen.

Once you are creating/editing your session, fill out the session information as you normally would with the session title, start/end times, credit information, and so on. Once you are finished, scroll towards the bottom of this screen and you will see a section labeled Attendance Mode. Here, we will need to pick either Online or Mixed. This will make this session available online, and offer an additional section of settings labeled Streaming.

In the Streaming settings, pick Built-In in the Service drop-down menu, and Recorded in the Mode menu. Once you have made all other necessary changes to your session, click on the green Save Changes button at the bottom of the screen. You will then be taken back to the main Sessions page.

Step 3: Uploading your Pre-Recorded Video

In the main Sessions list screen, find the session you have just created, click on the three dots button at the far right of the session, and click on the Upload Streaming button .

You will be taken to a page that will allow you to browse your computer files to find the video you would like to upload as your presentation. Click on the blue Upload Video button on this screen to open a file browser window. Find the video file you would like to upload and double click the file. You will be taken back to the Conference Tracker screen and you will see an upload progress bar alerting you of how long it will take for your video to upload. DO NOT LEAVE THIS PAGE UNTIL THE UPLOAD IS COMPLETE!!! Leaving this page before your video has been uploaded will result in a cancellation of your upload. Once your video finishes uploading, you will see a confirmation message. You may now exit this page.

Once your Session is scheduled to start, your Attendees will be able to view the video you uploaded for your session successfully!