Application sharing enables all conference participants to see and use any application, from a simple text editor to a spreadsheet, or complex design package. Application sharing uses an open, international standard (called T.128), which means that, for example, SunForum can view and control applications shared by other systems running Solaris, or systems running Windows (using Microsoft NetMeeting or PictureTel LiveShare Plus software).
When one person in the conference decides to share an application, all the other users in the conference see that application window on their system as if it were running locally. The window is "tagged" with the name of the user who shared the application.
Initially, only the person who shared the application can control it; everyone else can merely see the output in the shared window. If that person then collaborates, others are allowed to take control, although only one person can be in control at a time.
To take control of a shared application, move your mouse cursor over the application window.
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If the cursor is a simple "no-go" symbol, the person hosting the application has not collaborated, so you will not be able to take control of it. |
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If the cursor is a small "no-go" symbol overlaid with an arrow, you can request control by clicking on the application window. |
When you have control, you will be able to use the application with your mouse and keyboard as if it were running on your local system.
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Tip: You can also take control by clicking on the Collaborate button on the SunForum toolbar, or choosing Collaborate on the Tools menu. |
When an application is shared from a system with a larger desktop than yours, SunForum enables you to view the whole of the application by automatically scrolling shared windows when the mouse cursor nears the edge of the local desktop. This feature can be disabled by unchecking the "desktop scrolling enabled" field in the options.
Selecting Shared Desktop Viewer from the Tools menu of SunForum displays a window which shows the relative sizes and positions of the
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Desktops of everyone in the conference |
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Shared application windows |
You can select which of these are displayed (Desktops, Shared Windows, or both) by right-clicking with the mouse on the shared desktop viewer window, and selecting the appropriate option(s) from the popup menu.
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To share an application, click the Share button on the toolbar. The mouse cursor becomes a pointing hand. Click on the window you wish to share. When shared, local applications become "tagged" with your own name. |
Alternatively, you can select "Share Application" from the Tools menu. This leads to a list of currently-running applications on your system, with a check-mark next to those which are currently shared. Selecting an application which is currently not shared from the list causes that application to be shared.
Notes:
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You cannot share SunForum windows (such as the whiteboard), or the root (desktop) window. |
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This release of SunForum is optimized for the sharing of 2D X applications. Output drawn using certain X extensions (such as Sun SME) will not be shared. Sharing of output which is drawn directly to the graphics hardware (for example, 3D applications using OpenGL) is supported, but the level of responsiveness for such applications when controlled by remote users is currently limited compared with 2D applications, unless running on very fast hardware over a high-bandwith network. |
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You must be running SunForum on the same system as the X server on which it is being displayed in order to share applications to other users. |
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After installing SunForum, you must restart your X server to enable sharing of local applications. |
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Other conference participants cannot take control of applications that you have shared until you explicitly permit them to do so by collaborating. To do this, click on the Collaborate button on the SunForum toolbar, or choose the Collaborate command on the Tools menu. |
When another conference participant is in control, they effectively take over your mouse and keyboard (but can only provide input to shared applications), until you request control back by pressing a key or clicking with the mouse.
To stop collaborating,
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If you have control, press the collaborate button again |
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If someone else has control, press Escape. |
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To stop sharing an application, click the Unshare button on the toolbar. The mouse cursor becomes a pointing hand. Click on the window you wish to stop sharing. The window "tag" will disappear, indicating that the window is no longer shared. |
Alternatively, you can select "Share Application" from the Tools menu. This leads to a list of currently-running applications on your system, with a check-mark next to those which are currently shared. Selecting an application which is currently shared from the list causes that application to be unshared.