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Vishesh Karwa

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Sep 2, 2020, 10:41:59 AM9/2/20
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Dear all,

I am new to this forum and I want to thank the developers for creating BigBlueButton as an open source application.

I am trying to explore different tools for a use case for our non-profit organization and I wanted to know if BigBlueButton will fit our requirements. I apologize before hand if this question seems naive, or has already been asked (I could not find this question during my search).

We are looking to develop a video conferencing platform where
1) The host and co-hosts can see all the video stream of all participants
2) The participants can only see the video feed of the host. They cannot see the video feed of other participants, and they cannot see the video feed of the co-hosts

Please let me know if this is a possibility using the customization of BigBlueButton framework.

Thank you very much in advance for your help!
Sincerely,
Vishesh 

S

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Sep 2, 2020, 10:50:42 AM9/2/20
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1st is not possible. 

2nd point in your email is possible 

Use API to say Web cam only for moderators. 

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S

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Sep 2, 2020, 10:55:01 AM9/2/20
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I forgot to add a disclaimer. Anything is possible....you can customise to do that. You will need to separate out the streams etc. The effort maybe large. 

Martin Thomas Schrott

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Sep 2, 2020, 11:08:13 AM9/2/20
to bigblueb...@googlegroups.com, Vishesh Karwa
Hi,


there already are others that are in the need for this setup. And if not
already, users will start working on it.

best would be to look in the issues what you can find, contact the
specific users and also try to ask here on the lists who may need this
and if someone already started working on it.


this scenario mostlikely will be needed for all kind of tests so any
school or university (us included) would need it.


If you could not find anything started yet, have a look at the code, how
it could be realiced and open e.g. a repo on github so others can help
you there to work on it.


this really should be implimented as soon as possible, the new semester
is coming closer and distance learning will stay ...


cheers

Martin


Vishesh Karwa

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Sep 2, 2020, 11:42:04 AM9/2/20
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  Thank you for your quick reply! Yes, the second point is possible, it's basically like a webinar. But the key is that we want to have both the features simultaneously. As you suggested, it may require a large effort!  

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Vishesh Karwa

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Sep 2, 2020, 11:44:20 AM9/2/20
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Hi Martin,

Thank you for your email. I agree with you that this is an important feature, especially for classrooms. Our use case is also a classroom setting. Do you know any users trying to work on this, and have a github page? We will also try to start working on it and if we make progress I will let you know.

Thanks,
Vishesh

Martin Thomas Schrott

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Sep 2, 2020, 12:06:30 PM9/2/20
to Vishesh Karwa, bigblueb...@googlegroups.com

> Do you know any users trying to work on this, and have a github page?
> We will also try to start working on it and if we make progress I will
> let you know.
>

no, I cannot remember who was talking about this, maybe you can find
something in the list archives / issues of bbb.

We also would like to work on it but have no time at the moment. But if
you start, we may find the time to assist / contribute something.


cheers

Martin


Paulo Lanzarin

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Sep 2, 2020, 5:48:12 PM9/2/20
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Hmm... I don't know if I got it right, but we kinda have both things you're talking about with a little caveat.
There's no concept of a co-host in BBB. You have to try and translate that to the user classes we have: presenter, moderators and viewers.
Presenter -> host
Moderators -> co-hosts
Viewers -> participants

1) The host and co-hosts can see all the video stream of all participants
That works out of the box if they're moderators. 

2) The participants can only see the video feed of the host. They cannot see the video feed of other participants, and they cannot see the video feed of the co-hosts
There's a lock setting for that called `See other viewers webcams`.  Viewers (ie participants) will only see moderators/presenter, but not other viewers.

The caveat I mentioned to your use case is that participants/viewers will also see the co-hosts (moderators). We'd have to implement a new lock setting which restricts
viewer webcam viewing to presenters only. We don't have that (and it's not in the short term roadmap AFAIK).

If you do need to block viewers from sharing webcams (which I didn't think so based on your description), then use the `Share webcam` lock setting (ie webcams for moderators/presenters only).

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Martin Thomas Schrott

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Sep 3, 2020, 11:13:17 AM9/3/20
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The caveat I mentioned to your use case is that participants/viewers will also see the co-hosts (moderators). We'd have to implement a new lock setting which restricts
viewer webcam viewing to presenters only. We don't have that (and it's not in the short term roadmap AFAIK).


thanks Paulo.

what also would be needed for tests in classrooms is the same for audio, so the users cannot talk to eachother / hear everyone but the moderators.

Not sure if this already was suggested / an issue was created for it. Anybody an idea?


cheers

Martin


Vishesh Karwa

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Sep 3, 2020, 1:21:57 PM9/3/20
to bigblueb...@googlegroups.com, Paulo Lanzarin
Thanks for your detailed reply, Paulo! 

The moderators in the class that we envision are for monitoring purposes,  so we wanted the students to not see their streams. 

And I agree with Martin, the same is needed for audio purposes as well.

Thanks again for your help!

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Martin Thomas Schrott

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Sep 3, 2020, 1:30:49 PM9/3/20
to bigblueb...@googlegroups.com, Vishesh Karwa, Paulo Lanzarin

Am 03.09.2020 um 19:21 schrieb Vishesh Karwa:
> Thanks for your detailed reply, Paulo!
>
> The moderators in the class that we envision are for
> monitoring purposes,  so we wanted the students to not see their streams.


they can switch of the webcam, then nobody will see them. I suppose the
other moderators also do not have to see them ;-)

then everything beside the audio problem should already be working?


cheers

Martin


Vishesh Karwa

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Sep 3, 2020, 1:43:31 PM9/3/20
to Martin Thomas Schrott, bigblueb...@googlegroups.com, Paulo Lanzarin
Ha ha that's a very clever and simple solution! I feel so silly that I could not think of it!
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