How To

This guide provides a comprehensive overview of all major Dimdim features. For getting a meeting started quickly please see the Dimdim quickstart guide.

Dimdim is free, lightweight and easy to use. It is useful for hosting small group meetings and is equipped with several features including: whiteboard, document presentation, web tours, screen share and recording. Dimdim is adequate for small seminars and group meetings but is less versatile for larger conferences or classes. Additionally, it retains essential features for web conferencing but lacks the more robust features of other web conferencing solutions (i.e. Adobe Connect Pro).

CCS Limited Support Statement: Though we do provide you with a tutorial for its use, Dimdim is not formally supported by the CCS.

What You Will Need:

  • Internet Connection
  • Webcam
  • Microphone
  • Compatible Web Browser (Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Safari)
  • Adobe Flash Player Version 10 Software

Table of Contents

PART 1: Registration

Registration is necessary for hosting a Dimdim meeting but is not required for joining.

To Register a Dimdim ID:

NOTE: Your Dimdim ID is a unique identifier allowing you to host meetings without sharing your personal email account.

  1. Open a web browser and navigate to: http://www.dimdim.com
  2. Click Host Meeting.
  3. Click Create Account.
  4. Click Sign Up under the “Free” payment plan.
  5. Fill out your Dimdim ID, email address, and password.
  6. Confirm that you have read/understood the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
  7. Click Create Account.

NOTE: Once you have registered your Dimdim ID your account will be immediately activated. In addition, you will receive a confirmation email but no additional information/confirmation is necessary to complete the account creation. 

PART 2: Sign-in

Once you have properly registered with Dimdim you will want to Sign In to begin hosting your meeting.

To Sign-in to the Dimdim website:

  1. Open a web browser and navigate to: http://www.dimdim.com
  2. Click on Host Meeting.
  3. Under “Sign in to your account” fill out your Dimdim ID and password.
  4. Click on Sign In. 

PART 3: Hosting a Meeting

Once you have signed in and familiarized yourself with the various configuration modes and options you can begin hosting your meeting.
NOTE: For Scheduling Options and/or Meeting Key/Host Key Options see below.

To begin Hosting:

  1. Click on Host Meeting.
  2. Open the “General” menu tab in the Host Meeting window. (It should be open by default)
  3. Fill out the name of your meeting in the “Meeting Name” field provide.
  4. Open up the “Options” section in the General Menu tab.
  5. Fill out a description of your meeting in the “Agenda” field.
  6. Fill out a list of your participant’s emails in the “Invitees” field, separating each individual address with a semicolon.
  7. Click on the “Features” menu tab.
  8. Under the “A/V & Chat” options turn off Auto Microphone and Auto HandsFree.
  9. Under the “SynchroLive Resources” options set your Meeting Length (hours/minutes).
  10. Click on START.

TIP: By disabling Auto Microphone and Auto HandsFree you ensure that when new users join your meeting that they do not immediately begin broadcasting their audio. This allows you (the host) to control and assign microphone access as it is needed. 

PART 4: Start of Meeting

Once you have started the meeting you will need to activate (or disable) your webcam.

To activate the Webcam:

  • In the Adobe Flash Player dialog box click on “Allow.”

Once the webcam is active you will be prompted by the “Meeting Assistant” (“What would you like to do with Web Meeting today?”). The Meeting Assistant will give you the option of starting three different share activities: Computer Screen, Whiteboard and Presentation.

NOTE: These features are outlined in more detail in the section below.

Once you have selected a feature to activate the Assistant will be closed. The Assistant can be reactivated at any time during the meeting.

To reactivate the Meeting Assistant:

  1. Click on Tools.
  2. Click on Assistant. 

PART 5: Inviting Participants

There are several methods for inviting participants to a Dimdim meeting. Part 3 includes instructions for inviting participants before the meeting has begun. You can also invite participants during the meeting.

To invite participants to your meeting:

  1. Click on “Invite…” in the Participants window OR click on your username in the Participants window.
  2. Fill out a list of your participant’s emails in the first field, separating each individual address with a semicolon.
  3. Click on Dimdim email to send your invitations OR click on Local email to send your invitations via a locally installed email client. (i.e. Microsoft Outlook). You can also manually email your meeting URL to your participants. 

To link your meeting URL:

  1. Click on Tools.
  2. Click on Meeting Info.
  3. Click on the Meeting URL field to copy the URL into your clipboard.
  4. Open your preferred email client and paste the URL into the email.
  5. Send your email to your participants.

OR

  1. Click on your Room Name to copy the URL into your clipboard.
  2. Open your preferred email client and paste the URL into the email.
  3. Send your email to your participants.

To link your meeting room name:

  1. Open your preferred email client and paste the room name into the email.
  2. Send your email to your participants.

Your participants can then go the Dimdim website and type in the provided room name to join your meeting. 

PART 6: Managing Participants

The Participants window is located on the left side of the Dimdim interface and will list all individuals attending the meeting (including the host). 

The meeting host can enable (or disable) several additional functions for participants during the meeting.

  • Assign Microphone (3) – The host can grant microphone access to up to 3 users simultaneously. Additional microphone support is unavailable in the free version of Dimdim.
  • Assign Camera (0) – Dimdim’s free software does not support the assignment of multiple cameras. Only the Host can broadcast video.
  • Make Presenter – The host can promote one participant into a “Presenter.” (See below)
  • Remove From Meeting – This allows the host to remove participants from the meeting.

Assigning Microphones

Hosts can assign microphones to participants during a Dimdim meeting. Only three users may be assigned a microphone during a meeting. 

NOTE: Hosts cannot assign a microphone to themselves as they default to sole A/V Broadcaster during meetings.

To assign a Microphone:
  1. Click on the username of the participant you wish to assign a microphone to.
  2. Click on “Assign Microphone”

The participant will then receive a prompt at which point they will have to allow microphone access to begin broadcasting audio.
The host can also disable a participant’s microphone broadcast at any point during the meeting.

To disable a Microphone:
  1. Click on the username of the participant you wish to assign a microphone to.
  2. Click on “Disable Audio”

NOTE: The participant will receive no prompt when their audio is disabled.

Presenters

When a participant is promoted by the host into a presenter they transfer control over feature sharing to that participant. However, the host maintains overall control as they can take back control at any point during the meeting. Additionally, host still retains the ability to assign microphones and remain the sole video broadcaster in the free Dimdim client. Consequently, a host cannot transfer video broadcast rights to an assigning a presenter.

To designate a Presenter:
  1. Click on the username of the participant you wish to promote.
  2. Click on “Make Presenter.”
To demote a Presenter:
  1. Click on your (the host) username.
  2. Click on “Take Control Back.” 

PART 7: Main Features

The various features of Dimdim pertain primarily to shared or collaborative materials. They are accessed via the Meeting Assistant or by a menu located to the left side of the Dimdim interface.

Computer Screen

This feature allows you to present your computer screen and show any active applications you may be using. Computer Screen sharing, like Dimdim’s other features, is accessed via the left side menu in the program interface.

NOTE: This feature is not interactive and participants will not be able to alter or utilize any of your computer applications remotely.

To begin sharing your Computer Screen:
  1. Select Computer Screen from the Meeting Assistant Window OR click on Computer Screen in the left side interface menu of Dimdim.
  2. Confirm Computer Screen sharing by clicking OK in the window prompt.

Whiteboard

This feature allows you and your participants to draw/write vector graphics. Whiteboard sharing, like Dimdim’s other features, is accessed via the left side menu in the program interface.

To start sharing a Whiteboard:
  1. Select Whiteboard from the Meeting Assistant Window OR click on Whiteboard in the left side interface menu of Dimdim.

Presentation

This feature allows you to open/share documents with your participants. Additionally, the document sharing features a Whiteboard overlay allowing you to easily highlight or edit information temporarily. Presentation sharing, like Dimdim’s other features, is accessed via the left side menu in the program interface.

NOTE: Dimdim only supports document sharing for ppt, pptx, and pdf file formats.

To start sharing a Presentation:
  1. Select Presentation from the Meeting Assistant Window OR click on Presentation in the left side interface menu of Dimdim.
  2. Browse or Type in your document name.
  3. Click on Share.

Web Tour

An additional feature available in Dimdim is the Web Tour. This allows you to actively share your browser as you surf the net. Web Tour, like Dimdim’s other share features, is accessed via the left side menu in the program interface.

To start a Web Tour:
  1. Click on Web Pages.
  2. In the “Upload URL” prompt type out the URL you wish to share. (i.e. www.uoguelph.ca)
  3. Click on Share.
  4. Your browser may ask you if you wish to navigate away from your current webpage when you start the Web Tour. Make sure to click on CANCEL if this window pops up. If you click OK it will end your Dimdim meeting session.

Chat/Private Chat

Dimdim supports public and private instant messaging as a means of communication for all meeting attendees. Public chat is open to all users whereas private chat is exclusively for the two parties involved. The Public chat window is accessed via the right margin of the Dimdim interface.

To access the public chat window:
  1. Click on Show Chat to open the chat interface.
  2. Once the chat window is open you can type your message in the field provided.
  3. To send your message press ENTER.
To open a private chat window:
  1. Click on the username of the individual you wish to privately chat with.
  2. Select “Chat Privately…”
  3. Once the private chat window opens you can type your message in the field provided.
  4. To send your message press ENTER.

Video Broadcaster

Dimdim (FREE) supports video broadcasting for only one camera. Only the host is given permission to broadcast and they must have a functional and available webcam to enable video broadcasting. If you did not activate your webcam at the start of the meeting you can do so by restarting the A/V Broadcaster feature.

To start the A/V Broadcaster:
  1. Locate your username in the Participant Window.
  2. Click on your username.
  3. Click on Restart A/V Broadcaster.
  4. In the Adobe Flash Player dialog box click on “Allow.”
Video Broadcaster Options:

The Video Broadcaster has several options which may be helpful when conducting your meetings.

  • Hands Free – When you activate this function it keeps your microphone active at all times. This can be turned off to stop the continuous broadcast of your microphone.
  • Talk – This is your “Push-to-Talk” button and is the alternative to a “Hands Free” microphone. Using “Push-to-Talk” means you can only broadcast from your microphone while you are pressing and holding down the Talk button. This can be useful for cutting down on continual background noise by only activating the microphone when you need it.

NOTE: Your microphone activity is indicated via a moving bar next to the microphone icon in the Video Broadcaster window. This bar will only be displayed when the microphone is active. The microphone bar will also modulate to reflect the relative volume of your microphone’s output.

  • Options – When you hover your mouse over the Video Broadcaster window a small Options menu will slide across the window allowing you access to several important controls:
    • Play – This allows you to pause or play your Video/Audio output. Click once to pause and click again to resume.
    • Freeze Video – This allows you to pause or play your Video output ONLY. You will continue to broadcast Audio. Click once to pause and click again to resume.
    • Mute Audio – This allows you to pause or play your Audio output ONLY. You will continue to broadcast Video. Click once to pause and click again to resume.
    • Settings – This controls various Video/Audio quality preferences.

Recording

Dimdim allows you to record your meetings. These recordings are exported and hosted on Dimdim’s website as Flash Video files (.flv) which can be played back in a variety of web based media players and free to download media players. The files can be downloaded after the meeting ends. Additionally, flash video can be uploaded or distributed via sites like Youtube.

There are some limitations to Dimdim’s recording capabilities. Dimdim will record your shared material if you are using the Presentation or Computer Screen share features. Conversely, Dimdim (FREE) cannot record Whiteboard collaboration or Web Tours. Also, Dimdim will not record anything outside your “Now Sharing” window. This means that Dimdim will not record your public or private chats nor will it record a list of meeting participants.

Audio recording in Dimdim is present regardless of what activity you choose to record. However, the source of the Video portion of your playback can vary based on a few key conditions. Consequently, when recording you must elect to either record your webcam’s outbound video, or to record the active content displayed in your “Now Sharing” window.

To record your outbound Webcam:
  1. Start the A/V Broadcaster.
  2. Ensure that you are not actively sharing your Computer Screen, Whiteboard, and Presentations.
  3. Ensure that you are not actively conducting a Web Tour.
  4. Locate the “Record” button near the top of the Dimdim interface.
  5. Click on “Record.”
  6. When prompted to begin the recording click on “Yes.”
To record your Computer Screen/Presentation shared activities:
  1. Start Computer Screen/Presentation sharing.
  2. Locate the “Record” button near the top of the Dimdim interface.
  3. Click on “Record.”
  4. When prompted to begin the recording click on “Yes.”

NOTE: It often takes a few moments for the recording to begin and due to system lag the beginning of a recording can often have a few errors. This typically has no effect on the remainder of the recording.

To finish and save your recording:
  1. Locate the “Stop” button near the top of the Dimdim interface. This button will have replaced the “Record” button.
  2. Click on “Stop.”
  3. When prompted to finish the recording click on “Yes.”
  4. When prompted to save your recording click on “Yes.”

Once you have completed these steps Dimdim will inform you that your recording has been saved and will be emailed to you at the end of the meeting.

NOTE: Recordings will be sent to the email registered with your Dimdim ID.
When you have finished your meeting you will receive an email providing various links to your recording. You will be able to view the recording directly in your browser or you can download it directly to your local hard drive.  

PART 8: Sign-in Options

Once you have Signed in you will notice your screen is divided into several sections/functions.

These include:

  • Upcoming Meetings – This refreshes the center of the screen with a list of upcoming scheduled meetings.
  • Search Meetings – This refreshes the center of the screen with a list of recent/current meetings.
  • Host Meeting – Clicking this button allows you to Host a meeting.
  • Join Meeting – Clicking this button allows you to Join a meeting already in progress.
  • Actions – This tab lists several functions related to your Dimdim ID including:
    • Signout – Click this button to Signout of your Dimdim ID account.
    • Preferences – Opens a preferences window that allows you to set the default options for your hosted meeting. The window is separated into three additional menus called General, Features, and Dial-in:
      • General – Allows you to change your display name, email, time-zone and language choices.
      • Features – Allows you to configure A/V settings, options for shared features, and invitation controls.
      • Dial-in – Allows you to configure teleconferencing options
    • Change Password – Allows you to change your Dimdim ID password.
    • Upgrades – Controls the options to upgrade your payment options for Dimdim from Free to Pro, etc.
    • Account Info – Allows you to alter or update your user information (i.e. your name, address, etc.).
    • Refer a Friend – You can use this option to tell your friends about Dimdim!
  • Feedback – This tab allows you to communicate with the developers of Dimdim and also provides access to Help and Video Tutorials. 

PART 9: Hosting Features

When you start hosting a meeting there are various customizable options available. These options are separated into three categories: General, Features, and Dial-in.

Schedule

Dimdim allows you to set up a schedule for your meetings. In addition, scheduled meetings produce a Widget which can be used to promote your meeting.

To schedule your meeting:
  1. Click on Host Meeting
  2. Open the “General” tab. It should open by default when you begin hosting.
  3. Select the “Schedule” option. This will open up extended scheduling options and create a new tab in the Hosting window called “Widget.”
  4. Select your Repeat Option if applicable. This is the interval upon which your meeting is held. (i.e. once, daily, weekly, monthly)
  5. Select your Start Date.
  6. Select your End Date. This is only applicable if you have selected a Repeat Option. The “End Date” indicates the date at which your meeting will stop repeating.
  7. Select your Start Time and Timezone.
  8. Click on “Schedule.”

Once scheduled, your meeting will be listed under “Upcoming Meetings” in your Sign-in interface window. Additionally, Dimdim will generate a “Widget” which you can share on your blogs/websites allowing participants to easily register or sign-up for your meeting.

Keys/Protection

“Keys” are passwords that essentially help secure your meeting room. Without a properly defined Key your meeting rooms are public. Consequently, anyone who knows your meeting room’s name will be able to join via the Dimdim website.

There are two types of Keys in Dimdim: one which applies to the meeting room, and another which applies specifically to the host. The latter is useful if you are doing a series of meetings or intend to resume a meeting later and wish to guarantee that the host position is retained by one person.

To set Meeting/Host Keys:
  1. Click on Host Meeting.
  2. Open the “General” tab. It should be open by default when you begin hosting.
  3. Fill out your passwords in the “Meeting Key” and/or “Host Key” fields.
  4. Start Meeting. 

PART 10: Community and Support

There are several resources and communities available online for inquiries into troubleshooting support.