Using camera modes and boundary framing in Zoom Rooms


Zoom Rooms offer multiple camera modes to help facilitate the best meeting experience. This article includes details on enablement and impact for each mode.

This article covers:

Prerequisites for using camera modes

General

Boundary framing

How to select camera modes

Set the default camera control mode

The default camera control mode will be used by Zoom Room at the start of every meeting. If users change the camera control mode during a meeting, the Zoom Room will automatically revert to the default when the next meeting begins.

  1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
  2. Click Room Management, then Zoom Rooms.
  3. You can use the Zoom Rooms location hierarchy to set this as default for the account, location, or room. For example, to set the default for all Zoom Rooms in the account click Account Settings.
  4. While viewing the Account Profile, click Devices, then in the Camera Control Mode section under Set default camera control mode select from the following modes:
    • Manual
      Use the Zoom Rooms controller to manually control the camera. If your Zoom Rooms camera supports presets, you may also check the box Use default preset position to cause the camera to automatically use the default preset.  You must save a preset and set it as the default from the Zoom Rooms Controller.
    • Speaker Focus
      The camera will automatically focus on the in-room active speaker.  This camera mode is only available on certain certified cameras.
    • Auto-Framing
      The camera will automatically frame the in-room participants as a group in one stream.
    • Multi-Focus Framing
      The camera will automatically frame the in-room participants as individuals in one stream. This camera mode is only available on certain certified cameras.
    • Speaker Switching
      The camera will automatically move between preset positions based on microphone activity.  This camera mode is only available on certain certified cameras in combination with certain certified microphones.
    • Multi-Stream (Smart Gallery)
      The camera will automatically frame the in-room participants as individuals across multiple streams. See details.   
    • Intelligent Director
      The cameras will select and display the best views of in-room participants as individuals across multiple streams. See details.
  5. Save your selection.

Note: If you select a camera control mode the Zoom Room’s hardware is not capable of using in the web-based administrator settings, the Zoom Room will use Manual mode.

Enable or disable specific camera control modes

By default, all camera control modes are enabled. This allows administrators to select a specific mode as the system default and allows users to change the current mode during a meeting.  However, an administrator may also selectively disable specific camera control modes to prevent users from using them during meetings.

  1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
  2. Click Room Management, then Zoom Rooms.
  3. You can use the Zoom Rooms location hierarchy to set this as default for the account, location, or room. For example, to set the default for all Zoom Rooms in the account click Account Settings.
  4. While viewing the Account Profile, click Devices, then in the Camera Control Mode section under Camera control mode, un-check the boxes for camera modes you wish to disable.

Note: You cannot disable Manual camera control mode. You cannot use a disabled camera control mode as the Default camera control mode. Selecting a default camera control mode not supported by the camera will default to Manual Mode.

Changing the camera control mode during a meeting

  1. Start or Join a meeting.
  2. Tap Camera Control on the Zoom Rooms controller or Zoom Rooms for Touch interface.
  3. Tap the icon of the desired camera mode to change the mode of the current camera. Note: Multi-Focus can be chosen by first selecting Auto-Framing .

How to use boundary framing

Zoom Rooms with cameras in Auto-framing or Smart Gallery may in some circumstances detect people outside the room, such as individuals behind a glass wall or door. Boundary framing allows a Zoom Rooms administrator to configure area(s) of the camera field of view to exclude/ignore when using Auto-framing or Smart Gallery, as well as the sensitivity of people detection. People present in the excluded/ignored area(s), or below the sensitivity threshold, will not be considered when the Zoom Rooms camera is in Auto-framing or Smart Gallery camera control modes.

Note: Boundary framing cannot be used in combination with Zoom Rooms certified cameras that support Auto-framing or Smart Gallery camera modes in hardware when using this hardware feature.

Enable boundary framing

  1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
  2. Click Room Management, then Zoom Rooms.
  3. You can use the Zoom Rooms location hierarchy to set this as default for the account, location, or room. For this example, click Account Settings.
  4. Click Devices, then click the toggle next to Allow Camera Boundary. 

Configure boundary framing

  1.  Tap Settings on your Zoom Rooms controller.
  2.  Tap Camera.
  3.  Tap Set Camera Boundary.
  4.  Tap Start. 
  5. Adjust your camera’s position to capture the area you want to cover, then tap Continue. The camera position you configure will be saved as Camera preset 2. 
  6. Tap Start to Move, then move slowly along the perimeter or area you want to include in the boundary. Tap Continue when you are done. 
  7. Adjust the left and right sliders to move the red exclusion area to the correct space.
  8. Adjust the sensitivity slider to set the camera boundary based on the size of the detected person on the screen, then tap Finish when you are done. 
  9. Verify your results by moving in and out of the boundary area. You should see a green bounding box when you are inside the area, and a red bounding box when you are outside. Tap Continue when you are done.
  10. Tap Done to complete the setup. 
  11.  (Optional): Repeat steps 1-2 and tap Reset Camera Boundary, to reconfigure the setting.