Parr Center Huddle How To’s
Each huddle room is equipped with a sensor that detects motion in the room. When you first enter a room, the display will automatically turn on. On the display, you will see directions for connecting to the wireless presentation device in the room, the Mersive Solstice Pod. The Solstice Pod will allow you to connect wirelessly to the display for showing content. This is compatible with laptops (PC and Mac), Chromebooks, and mobile devices (Apple/Android phones and tablets).
For Huddle Spaces with Tables:
Each room with a table has a box built into the table that contains 2 power plugs, 1 HDMI cable, and in rooms that have built-in cameras, a USB cable. In addition to wirelessly showing content on the display, you may use the retractable HDMI cable to plug your device directly to the display. The cable is plug-and-play, so when you connect it to your device, your device will mirror to the display.
Three buttons are located on the top of the table box. Each button will light up when pressed.
Button 1 (far left when standing in front of the display): This button will manually turn the display in the room on and off. This is useful if you do not need to use the display.
Button 2 (center button): This button will take you back to the Solstice start-up screen if you have connected a device using the HDMI cable and need to go back to sharing content wirelessly.
Button 3 (far right button) currently does not perform any function.
When you leave the room, the room lights will turn off after a few minutes. They will remain off until someone else enters the room.
For more information on connecting to the Solstice Pod, please visit http://tiny.cc/anycast.
For Huddle Spaces with Credenzas:
In Credenza rooms, there is not a box on the credenza or table for cables. To connect to the display, use the Solstice Pod. The instructions will be on the screen.
For more information on connecting to the Solstice Pod, please visit http://tiny.cc/anycast.
How to use the Solstice Pod:
Full instructions on how to use the Solstice Pod can be found on the Mersive website at: https://documentation.mersive.com/content/pages/using-solstice.htm
YouTube Video: How to Use Solstice
The Solstice Pod is a wireless collaboration device that allows multiple users to connect to a display to show content. There are a couple of ways that you can wirelessly display content to the display, either by using the Solstice app for your device or by using a web browser.
Downloading the Solstice App:
In order to use the Solstice app, you will first need to download and install the app on your device. This is a one-time download and installation.
- First, go to a room that has a Solstice Pod installed. On the display, the device will be named “AnycastSP-[RoomNumber]”. The SP indicates the device is a Solstice Pod.
- Open up a web browser and enter the IP address of the device which is showing on the display.
- If you are on an Android or iOS device, you will be forwarded to your device’s app store to download and install the app. If you are on a PC or Mac, you will be sent to a page to download the app.
- On PC/Mac, once the download is complete, install the app on your computer.
Connecting to the Solstice Pod Using the App:
- Open up the Solstice app on your device. A list of Solstice displays you have previously connected to or that are available via display discovery will appear.
- Click the name of the desired Solstice display to connect. If you do not see the display you want to connect to, you can enter the IP address of the device in the top box.
- When prompted, enter the screen key that appears on the display.
- By default, the user app joins the collaboration session with full media posting and control rights.
Sharing Content Using the App on a Laptop:
On the Share tab of the Solstice desktop app, you can wirelessly share an unlimited amount of content to the Solstice display using any of the following options. Note that the content shared to Solstice will never leave your device, only pixels will be streamed to the display.
- Desktop: Share a real-time view of your desktop mirrored to the display. The entire desktop, including any open application windows, will be shared in real-time.
- To stop sharing your desktop audio, click the speaker icon after the connected display name to appear with a red slash (off). If you are sharing desktop audio on a Mac, you may have additional setup to enable it.
- App Window: Share a real-time view of only the selected application window to the display. This sharing option allows you to maintain privacy by only sharing a single application instead of everything on your desktop.
- Media File: Share media files such as images and videos saved locally on your laptop device to the display. Solstice supports image and video files up to 4K resolution.
- Solstice supports sharing a broad range of video types, but not all video files are supported. If a video file is not supported, you can use the Desktop sharing option to stream the video to the display.
- When sharing your desktop, the Solstice app window will be hidden by default. Click the Sharing Desktop bar that appears at the top of your screen to show it. You can also click Stop Sharing to quickly stop sharing your desktop.
Sharing Content Using the App on a Mobile Device:
On the Share tab of the Solstice mobile app, you can wirelessly share an unlimited amount of content to the Solstice display using any of the following options. Note that the content shared to Solstice will never leave your device, only pixels will be streamed to the display.
- Mirror Screen: Share a real-time view of your mobile device screen. Tap the speaker icon after the connected Solstice display name to capture audio along with screen mirroring.
- The Solstice app for Android versions 5.4 and higher support audio capture with screen mirroring on Android devices running Android 10 and up. Other apps may block audio capture, preventing the Solstice app from streaming their audio.
- Media File: Share media files such as images and videos from the device’s media library.
- Camera: Take a picture with your mobile device and share it to the display.
- Take Video: Take a video with your mobile device and share it to the display.
- To share media files, pictures, and videos be sure to grant permission for the Solstice mobile app to access your mobile device's media files, camera, and microphone.
How to Disconnect from Solstice:
When you are ready to finish your collaboration session, disconnect from Solstice. There are a number of ways to disconnect from a Solstice display:
- Click the Disconnect button at the top of the app window. You will be prompted to confirm that you want to disconnect from the display.
- Close the Solstice app window:
- On a laptop, click the Close 'X' icon. Solstice will ask if you wish to disconnect from the display and stop sharing all content. If yes, click Disconnect.
- On a mobile device, close the app window and Solstice will automatically disconnect the device from the display.
- Using the auto-disconnect feature. After learning the location of a Solstice Pod, the Solstice app can detect you have left the meeting area while still connected to the Pod and may prompt you to disconnect (currently supported on Windows, macOS, and Android). When the auto-disconnect prompt appears, you may do one of the following:
- Click Disconnect to immediately disconnect from the Solstice Pod.
- Click Cancel to dismiss the auto-disconnect prompt. You will not be prompted to disconnect again for that connection.
- Allow the 10-second countdown to complete to let the Solstice app automatically disconnect you.
When using Solstice Conference (covered later in this document), remember to also end your video conference in your conferencing app.
App-Free Sharing to a Solstice Display:
Solstice supports multiple app-free sharing options so that users can share their device screen to the Solstice display without needing the Solstice App. Solstice supports app-free sharing using AirPlay and browser-based sharing.
How to Mirror Your iOS Device Screen Using AirPlay:
Solstice supports full mirroring of iOS devices (Apple iPhones and iPads) that feature Apple’s AirPlay functionality. AirPlay mirroring is accomplished through the device’s native AirPlay feature, using a similar process as connecting to an Apple TV.
Ensure the iOS device is connected to the CPCC or CPCCStudent WiFi network to connect to the Solstice display.
- Open the iOS Control Center:
- On an iPhone X or later, or an iPad with iPadOS 13 or later, swipe down from the upper-right corner of the screen.
- On an iPhone 8 or earlier or iOS 11 or earlier, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
- Tap the Screen Mirroring icon and select the desired Solstice display from the list that appears.
- If the desired Solstice display does not appear in the AirPlay menu of your device, open the Solstice App and connect to the desired display, then repeat steps 2 and 3.
- Enter the screen key visible on the Solstice display as the AirPlay code. Your device will connect wirelessly to the display and your screen will be streamed in real-time.
To stop mirroring your screen to the display, open the iOS Control Center again, tap the Screen Mirroring icon for the connected Pod, then tap Stop Mirroring.
How to Mirror Your macOS Device Screen Using AirPlay:
Users without the Solstice user app can connect and share their screen to the display using AirPlay capabilities on macOS devices (High Sierra and later). AirPlay mirroring is accomplished through a device’s native AirPlay feature, using a process similar to connecting to an Apple TV.
Ensure the macOS device is connected to the CPCC or CPCCStudent WiFi network to connect to the Solstice display.
- From the top menu bar, either select the AirPlay icon or open the Control Panel from the top bar and select Screen Mirroring. Then select the desired Solstice display.
- Enter the 4-digit screen key visible on the Solstice display as the AirPlay code. Your device will connect wirelessly to the display and your screen will be streamed in real-time.
To stop mirroring your screen to the display, select either the AirPlay icon or Control Panel > Screen Mirroring from the menu bar. This will show the active AirPlay connection. Select the name of the Solstice display to disconnect.
How to Share Your Desktop Using a Web Browser:
Guest users or users who aren't able to download the Solstice app can use an install-free sharing option to connect and share to Solstice using a web browser on a laptop device. This functionality is supported on Windows, macOS, Chromebook, and Linux laptops.
Note that available sharing options (e.g. desktop sharing, application window sharing) vary by browser.
- Connect your laptop device to a network listed on the Solstice display.
- Open a Chrome or Firefox web browser and go to the URL on the display.
- Click the link to share using your web browser.
- If you see a security warning in your browser, click Advanced, and then the option to proceed to the URL.
- Enter the screen key shown on the room display and your name, then click Launch.
- Select the sharing option you wish to use. For example, you may be presented with options to share your entire screen, an application window, or a browser tab, as well as whether to share audio.
- Click to Share or Allow to share the selected content to the Solstice display.
Note: If you are on the Catalina version or higher of macOS and are having trouble using browser-based sharing, you may need to enable permissions within your system's privacy settings for the browser to utilize screen recording.
How to Control Content with the Solstice App:
On the Layout tab, you have multiple ways that you can control the content and how it appears on the display. Any user connected to the session can control the content layout.
- Drag and drop posts around to change the order of the content, or to move content on and off the on-deck panel on the left side of the display. ExampleClosed
- Click and hold or right-click on a post to view options to make the post full screen, view post details, create a stack, or delete the post. Stacks can be made for a single user's posts.
- Click and hold or right-click on a post, then select to create a stack that acts as a virtual folder.
- Pinch to zoom posts on touch-enabled devices.
- Control videos posted to the display with the Solstice video player. The Solstice video player functions similarly to other video players, with play/pause buttons, volume control, and loop options. To view the video player controls, click the camera icon in the lower right corner of the video post.
- Click a participant icon to access the participant menu. This menu gives you options to show, hide, stack, or delete the participant’s posts, as well as disconnect the participant from the collaboration session.
- Click the vertical ellipsis icon to view the media placement menu. This menu allows you to align posts to a grid and quickly move all posts on or off the screen.
- If you have a USB mouse connected to the Solstice Pod or host laptop, or if you have a touch-screen display, you can interact with the display interface directly to control content.
Solstice Ink:
Solstice Ink is a tool that is available on the mobile version of the Solstice App (for iOS and Android devices). It allows users to highlight and temporarily mark up content on the Solstice display from anywhere in the room by pointing and drawing with their smartphones. Note: this feature is not supported on tablets.
Solstice Ink has three modes of use:
- Pointer: By default when you select Ink from the mobile app's menu bar, your mobile device will be in pointer mode. Simply move your device to move the pointer on the Solstice display.
- Ping: Press the Ping button to pulse the pointer. Slide your finger from the button toward the center red dot for a continuous pulse, and then press the Ping button again to stop the continuous pulse.
- Temporary markup: Press and hold the Draw button to draw a temporary markup on the Solstice display, then release the Draw button once you are done. Solstice will smooth out your markup after you have finished drawing it, and the markup will fade away after a short amount of time.
While in Ink mode, you can swipe left and right to toggle between Draw and Ping mode. To exit Ink mode, simply click on another option in the Solstice app menu bar.