Acrobat Connect (WebMeeting): Getting started

Adobe's Acrobat Connect Professional (formerly known as Macromedia Breeze) is a platform for holding meetings and delivering presentations over the Web.   You'll hear it referred to as "Connect," "ACP," "Breeze" or , as we like to call it, "WebMeeting."  (Pick whichever name you like.)

WebMeeting is easy to use.  After a few minutes of practice you'll master its basic functions, particularly if you have had previous experience with tools such as AIM (AOL Instant Messenger), MSN Messenger, or Yahoo! Messenger.  

However, this application offers many more features than basic IM tools: real-time interaction for groups (not just two people), application sharing, live polling (real-time surveys), public and private chat, live or pre-recorded presentations, and virtual whiteboards.

We provide enough details here to get you started, but be warned that advanced use will be a lot easier if you take the time to read some of the documentation (rather than relying on trial and error).  And, just as with the audio/video technologies of physical meeting rooms, a bit of practice before hosting your first big meeting is strongly advised.

First steps

Before you begin using WebMeeting there are a few first steps that must be taken to prepare your computer and establish your WebMeeting account.

  • Go to the WebMeeting login page by clicking on the launch link -- http://webmeeting.med.miami.edu/.  
  • If you have not already done so, download and install the add-ins for Windows or Mac OS.  (Click on links to initiate download and installation. You can read more about add-ins here.)
  • If you like, you can test your computer's connection and hardware.
  • Log in with your Medical ID.  (All use of WebMeeting, other than attending a meeting as a guest, requires logging into the system with your Medical ID.) 
  • After logging in, you will be on your WebMeeting "home page" and ready to begin.

Setting up a meeting

A meeting in the physical world requires reserving a location for a given date and time, and then providing the other meeting participants with that information in an "invitation" conveyed by phone, email or conversation.  

Everything is the same for WebMeeting, except the location is a URL (hyperlink) to a particular virtual "meeting room" on the Web.  Meeting set-up is relatively simple.  You can watch a video presentation of how to do it, or read these step-by-step instructions.

Meeting room layout

When you enter the virtual meeting room, you will see that it is divided up into various spaces -- which, in the language of this application, are called "pods."  There may be pods for the host and/or presenter video, for chat, for a listing of persons currently "present," for a whiteboard or shared desktop, etc.

The host of a meeting can pick from a set of default "templates" for the arrangement of these pods, or create a customized one of his or her own.  Arranging pods is similar to setting up the tables and chairs for a physical meeting.  The "best" arrangement is a function of the type of meeting and personal taste.

Sometimes all attendees at a meeting have the same pod arrangement; other times, the host may choose to exclude certain windows from all displays except his/her own.

Meeting roles

The person that sets up a meeting is the "host," and persons invited to attend may be classified as participants, presenters, or hosts.   The privileges that attach to each role are different -- you can read the details here.  Basically, a host can do everything, while presenters have an intermediate level of privileges (including the ability to present audio/video and content).  Participants can mostly just show up, and are relegated to listening and watching.

Guests may also be allowed to attend on permission of the host (a permission window will appear on the host's screen when guests arrive), unless the meeting has been set to allow anyone with the meeting room URL to attend (in which case no permission is required).  Guests have the status of participant by default.

Hosts with democratic (small "d") inclinations can set the meeting to "auto-promote" all participants to presenters, including guests.

Managing meeting content

One of the most useful features of WebMeeting is the ability of the host and presenters to upload content from their computers to share with other meeting attendees.  Content can be any type of file. 

We are not currently enforcing any limits on the size of files you upload to share with other meeting participants.  However, the meeting space is intended for temporary storage only.  Accordingly, files may be removed as soon as seven (7) days after uploading. 

Meetings can also be recorded for later viewing.   Meetings are recorded in a special format that can only be viewed using WebMeeting.

As with shared files, we are currently not enforcing limits on recordings.  However, recordings can take up a great deal of space.  Just as with shared content, recordings may be removed as soon as seven (7) days after the recording is created. 

What's next?

You have enough background to participate in (or even host) a basic meeting.  But for use of features like content sharing, the whiteboard, audio and video broadcasting options, you need to do some more training,

For an introduction to functions such as these, using animated Flash presentations, see the Quick Start guide.  We also recommend you log into WebMeeting and practice.  Do a small meeting first, with friendly colleagues.

More information

See Adobe Connect (WebMeeting): Resources.