Video stream layouts for Webex Video Conferencing devices

You can choose how video streams appear during a meeting by selecting one of the layout options. How the layout appears depends on your device and the number of screens in your setup. Layouts also change when someone shares content in a meeting.

This article describes how the layouts appear according to the number of screens in your setup, and whether there is content being shared or not.

When you call into a Webex meeting from a Cisco device, you'll see a Layout button on your touch controller or integrated touch screen. Tapping it opens a menu and you can select different layouts.

Below, you can find out how each layout will appear on single screen setups: with participants only, and with shared content. This applies to Board, Desk, and Room Series devices.

The same layouts are also available during Cisco Webex Video Integration for Microsoft Teams calls, on a single screen.

Single screen layouts - participants only

Grid

This layout shows a grid of up to 5x5 participants. Here's an example of the 4x4 Grid for a Room Kit:



The sort order of the participant thumbnails is based on speaker history. The most recent active speakers are visible.


If you're using Grid layout and you toggle on closed captions, your layout will automatically show a maximum of 9 participants in a 3x3 grid.

Stack

In this layout, up to 6 thumbnails of the participants appear above the active speaker. Here's an example of Stack for a Room Kit:

The active speaker changes dynamically.

Overlay

Overlay shows a full-screen video of the active speaker with up to 6 participants in thumbnails overlaid across the bottom. The active speaker changes dynamically.

Here's an example of Overlay on a Desk Pro:



Focus

Focus shows a full-screen video of the active speaker, and is used in meetings between two people. Here's an example of Focus for a Room Kit:

Prominent

Prominent shows the active speaker in the upper left part of the screen, with other participants ranged across the bottom and beside on the right.

Here's an example of Prominent for a Room Kit:

Single screen layouts - shared content

If someone starts to share content your device will automatically switch to Stack, which is the default layout for meetings with shared content. You can still switch to another layout, which will then show participants and content.


Once you've selected another content layout yourself, your device will automatically switch to that layout instead of Stack, the next time someone starts to share.

If you minimize content to a thumbnail, or content sharing stops, the participants go back to the last layout they were in.

Stack

In Stack layout, content appears on the main screen with up to 6 participants in thumbnails across the top. Here's an example of Stack for a Room Kit:



Side by Side

Side by Side layout is only available for selection in meetings where someone is sharing content. It shows content on the left side of your screen, and participants on the right. Depending on your device and the size of the meeting, the participants on the right may appear in the layout you were using before content sharing started.

Here's an example of Side by Side for a Room Kit:

Focus

Focus shows content only and no participants will appear on the screen. Here's an example of Focus for a Desk Pro:

Prominent

Depending on your device and the size of the meeting you're in, Prominent might also be available.Prominent shows the shared content in the upper left part of the screen, with participants ranged across the bottom and beside on the right.

Here's an example of Prominent for a Room Kit:

Below, you can find out how each layout will appear on Room series devices in a dual screen setup.

See the Third-party devices tab for information about layouts on external dual screen devices.

Prominent

In Prominent layout the active speaker appears on the left screen, and depending on your device, up to 25 other participants in a grid on the right screen. The active speaker changes dynamically. Prominent is the default layout for meetings on a dual screen Webex device, where no one is sharing content.


Prominent is the only layout available for dual screen Webex devices registered on-premises.



Grid

Grid layout on Webex dual screen devices shows a grid of up to 12 participants on each screen.




If you're using Grid layout and you toggle on closed captions, each screen will automatically show a maximum of 9 participants, in a 3x3 grid.

Focus

In the Focus layout on a dual screen Webex device, full-screen video of the two most active speakers is shown - one active speaker on each screen. Active speakers change dynamically.

Dual screen with shared content

When someone shares content in a meeting, dual screen Webex devices display the content on the right screen:



Participants will continue to appear on the left screen in the selected layout, as in a single screen setup.

Webex devices that support three screens always have one screen reserved for content. The participant layouts available on the other two screens are the same as described for dual screen setups. Any content that is shared is shown on the third screen; if no content is shared, the third screen will be blank.

Panoramic


The Panoramic layout is only available for Room Panorama and Room 70 Panorama devices.

In Panoramic mode two of the camera's telelenses are used simultaneously to create a wide camera view. This Panoramic layout is shown on the two main screens, and is the only layout available in meetings between two Room Panorama systems.



In any other meeting scenario, Panoramic layout is not supported and you can select a layout available for dual screen setups.

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Overlay

The Overlay layout displays a full-screen video of the most active speaker along with thumbnails of participants that are overlaid on the bottom of the active speaker window.

Generic third-party SIP and H.323 video conferencing systems calling in to a Webex meeting can take advantage of the same video stream layouts shared by Board, Desk, and Room Series devices. You can toggle layouts with DTMF 2 and 8.

See the Single screen tab for information about how each layout will appear on a third-party device.

When sharing content, third-party systems using two screens will display content on the second screen. Participant video will appear on the main screen, as in a single screen setup.

Two screens

If no content is being shared, participant video will appear on the main screen and the second screen will be blank.