AV - WSB - Web-Conference Capable Rooms - AMX
These instructions are pertinent for the following rooms in Grainger Hall:
4349, and 4580.
Grainger Hall's classroom AV setup is visually very different from the AV setups in other buildings around campus. The system is meant to be as simple as possible to make the user's experience more effective and reliable.
The following is detailed information on the use of the AV touch panel that controls the classrooms AV systems. This panel sits on top of the podium in each of the rooms listed above and allows you to switch video inputs for the projection system, and adjust the volume levels of the sound systems.
When the system is off, the touch panel will display a "Touch Here to Begin" screen. We do not use any passcodes or keys. When you touch the "Touch Here to Begin" button the system will begin to turn on, and after the warm up period of 10 to 20 seconds, you will be ready to make an input selection.
Input Selection Page:
Once you have turned the system on by tapping the "Touch Here to Begin" button, and the system has warmed up, you will see this input selection screen:
Inputs:
At this point, you have the capability to project information from a selection of devices. The podium computer, present in all of the listed classrooms, the document camera, an HDMI connection, or one of our wireless connection options. When an input is selected, it will be highlighted in yellow.
HDMI source provided by the HDMI cord on the podium. By connecting this to a laptop, you will have access to both the projector and the sound controlled throughout the room. | |
Podium computer allows for the projector to display content and sound through the computer already set up within the room. You can sign into the Podium Computer either with your Grainger Credentials if you have them, or with your NetID@wisc.edu for the username, and your NetID password. | |
Document Camera allows a user to project non-digital content onto the projector screen. | |
The Apple Wireless input allows you to use one Apple OS or IOS device to connect and display content onto the projector screen within the classroom. | |
The Windows wireless option allows a user to use one Windows or Android device to connect and display content onto the projector screen within the classroom. Please note that not all Android devices are supported by this option. |
At the center of the panel, there is a "Picture Mute" button. This button will allow a user to temporarily hide display of any input source that is connected to the podium on the screen. To hide display, press and hold the button, then the button will started to flash between yellow and red, indicating that picture mute is enabled. To disable the picture mute, a user and press and hold the button again, then the button will become red, indicating the picture mute is disabled.
Picture mute: Inactive | Picture Mute: Active |
Reset Wireless device connection:
In the case of a device not displaying properly through the wireless connection, use the Wireless Reset button. Press and hold it for a few seconds, it will begin flashing green and you'll hear a faint clicking sound from inside the podium. You may now let go of the button, the devices will reset themselves. Once the button is done flashing, you may attempt to reconnect.
Steps | Illustration | Explain |
1 | To enable this reset button, Press and Hold for 3 seconds. This "Pressing and Holding" operation will lead you to step 2 | |
2 | The button will begin to flash between the red and a green in the sequence shown on the left. At this stage, this "Wireless Reset" button will stop receiving any command whether you touch or press it | |
3 | After 10 seconds, you will hear a beep from the AMX Panel. This indicates that the reset is complete, and you can attempt to connect your device again. The reset button will retrieve its default display, as shown on the left |
Sound Controls:
On the right side of the AV touch panel, you will see your volume controls. This will allow you to raise or lower the audio volume coming from your selected input. To increase the volume, press and hold the “Up” button. To decrease the volume, press and hold the “Down” button. Tapping the buttons does not alter the levels significantly. Pressing the mute button will mute all audio from any sources, the mute button will flash yellow to remind you that it is active. Press the mute button again to unmute.
Web-Conferencing & Recording:
These three rooms are more web-conference friendly than the standard style of classroom in Grainger Hall. Each of these three rooms comes equipped with at least one wall mounted camera, as well as ceiling microphones.
Upon opening a Zoom call, or any other kind of web-conference, the user will be able to connect using these ceiling mics as well as the camera or cameras in the room. Each room has a back of room mounted camera, and 4580 additionally has a front of room camera as well that you can freely switch between. The back of room cameras in 3560 and 4580 are PTZ, there is a remote control for them that lives on the podium, simply use the remote to adjust the camera as you see fit. The camera in 4349, as well as the front of room camera in 4580, are not PTZ capable.
The ceiling mics offer full room wide coverage in each room. They will pick up the instructor at the front of the room, as well as anybody in the audience. It is important to note that these microphones can easily pick up on background chatter, so if people in the back of the room are having a quiet conversation, the instructor may not be able to hear it, but the microphones will. We recommend warning your students of this fact.
So, in your web-conferencing application of choice, simply open it up and connect to the web-conference, share out your screen, and the microphone and camera should be automatically selected when you connect. You'll now have your content, as well as a video feed of yourself, and room wide microphone coverage.
For recording, we recommend using Zoom's "Record to Cloud" feature. This way you get a cloud copy of your class recording with all the things previously mentioned and you can easily upload it to your canvas course for easy access by students if you wish to.
Turning off the AMX system:
To When finished in the room, please turn off the AMX system by finding the "System Off" button in the bottom right-hand corner of the AV Touch Panel. When you touch the button you'll be taken to a confirmation page. Select "Yes" on the confirmation page and you should see the image below. The system will now shut down.
NOTE: Pressing this button will not log off your computer automatically. A user must log out of the podium computer by clicking the "Log Off" button on the desktop of the computer.