Using Pexip Connect for RealWear

The Pexip Connect for RealWear app works similarly to other installable Pexip Connect apps, allowing users to join meetings via a Pexip Infinity deployment. However, the Pexip Connect for RealWear app is designed specifically for use with a RealWear headset, so that the RealWear user can join an assisted reality (aR) video call that allows a remote participant or remote expert to see what the RealWear user is seeing, instead of seeing the user themselves. In turn, the remote participants can share relevant content with the RealWear user via the headset’s viewfinder screen.

In addition to the unique remote assistance use case that the Pexip Connect for RealWear app meets, the headset also allows the wearer to have a hands-free experience, using voice commands to navigate within the app and use meeting controls. As part of this, the Pexip Connect for RealWear app also has a streamlined join experience that enables users to simply scan a QR code for the meeting they need to join.

QR code generation for Pexip Infinity scheduled meeting will be supported in Pexip Infinity from v32. For deployments on earlier platforms, you can generate your own QR codes to use.

This guide provides information on how to install the Pexip Connect for RealWear app, as well as joining calls with the app, and how to use the available features.

Installing Pexip Connect for RealWear

The Pexip Connect for RealWear app is available for free from the RealWear App Marketplace at https://marketplace.realwear.com/app/com.pexip.connect.realwear. Follow the instructions to download and install the Connect app on your RealWear device.

Once you’ve installed the app, you can find it on your headset by navigating to My Programs. You should see the app listed there and labeled PEXIP CONNECT, with the Pexip Connect app icon shown here to the left.

Getting started

When you first open the Pexip Connect for RealWear app you’ll see the main menu page:

From this page you can join a call by either scanning a QR code or selecting a previously-called VMR from the Recents section.

If this is the first time you are using the Connect app, Recents will not yet list any VMRs.

You can also access the app's settings, where you can view information about the app and adjust the Quick join experience.

Allowing the Pexip Connect app to access your device

When you first use the Pexip Connect app to join a call, you are prompted to request permissions to use your device’s camera and microphone. Once you select Request permissions you’ll be asked to allow access to the following required permissions:

Permission/Description Use
Allow Pexip Connect to take pictures and record video? Access is required if you want to send video.
Allow Pexip Connect to record audio? Access is required if you want to send audio.

If you deny either of these requests, you can change the permissions at a later time by going to your device's permissions settings for the Pexip Connect app.

Settings

The following options are available from the menu:

Setting Description
Display name Shows the name of the wearable device, which will be used as the participant display name in calls.
Quick join

Allows you to select your preferred pre-meeting join experience.

When Quick join is disabled, before joining a call you will see a options to set the call bandwidth and toggle the camera and microphone on or off.

When Quick join is enabled, joining a call skips the pre-meeting join experience and uses the default app settings with bandwidth set to Auto, and the microphone and camera toggled on.

The default is Quick join disabled.

Pexip Connect

Shows the current version of the Pexip Connect app that is installed on your wearable device.

Joining a call

What How

Join a call using Scan QR code

  1. From the main menu select Scan QR code.
    • You see your camera image and an overlay of where to best position the QR code you’d like to scan.

    • Additionally, you see camera zoom controls that can be set from 1 to 5 to assist with scanning (depending on the size of the QR code and or distance from the wearable device):

  2. After the QR code is properly positioned and successfully scanned, your call joins the associated VMR.
    • If you have Quick join disabled, before your call proceeds you see the pre-meeting page where you can set your call bandwidth, and toggle the camera or microphone to on or off.
    • If you have Quick join enabled your call will proceed without seeing the pre-meeting page.

      • If the VMR you are joining has a PIN configured, you will then be prompted to enter a PIN before joining.

Join a call using Recents

If you’ve previously joined a call via Scan QR code you will see a history of your calls in the Recents section of the main menu page:

To join one of these VMRs, select it from the Recents list.

You can scroll through the list using your device's standard navigation commands.

  • If you have Quick join disabled, before your call proceeds you see the pre-meeting page where you can set your call bandwidth, and toggle the camera or microphone to on or off.
  • If you have Quick join enabled your call will proceed without seeing the pre-meeting page.

    • If the VMR you are joining has a PIN configured, you will then be prompted to enter a PIN before joining.
Pre-meeting call settings

If you have Quick join set to disabled (the default state), before you join the VMR you will see the pre-meeting page:

You see the name of the VMR you are joining, and a live preview of your camera image. From here you can set your call bandwidth, and toggle your device’s camera or microphone to on or off. Each of these settings can be reconfigured or toggled after joining the call as well.

To return to the main menu, use the standard device command Navigate (for example, if you selected the wrong VMR from the list).

Select Bandwidth to select the maximum bandwidth used for the call. The options are Auto, Low, Medium, and High. The default is Auto.

Select Toggle camera to alternate between turning your camera off and on. The default is on. As you toggle, the button changes state to show a muted camera icon when it is off.

Select Toggle microphone to alternate between turning the microphone off or on. The default is on. As you toggle, the button changes state to show a muted microphone icon when it is off.

When your bandwidth is set, and you’ve toggled your camera and mic to your preferred states, select Join the call. If the VMR you are joining has a PIN configured, you will then be prompted to enter a PIN before joining the VMR. If not, you will join the VMR directly.

Entering the PIN

For some meetings, you may be offered the option (or be required) to enter a PIN:

If you are a Host, enter your Host PIN. If you are not a Host, the meeting organizer should have told you the PIN to use.

To enter a PIN, select the PIN field, use the device’s speech keyboard to enter the PIN, and then select Submit.

If you haven't been given a PIN, simply select Submit to join as a Guest, without entering a PIN.

When you’ve selected Submit you will join the VMR directly.

Using in-call controls

What How

Set the call bandwidth

Select Bandwidth to change the maximum bandwidth used for a call. The options are Auto, Low, Medium, and High.

The default is Auto.

Toggle your view between local camera and remote participants

 Select Toggle view to alternate between the wearable device’s camera view and the VMR view (where you can see the remote participants and/or any content they are sharing into the VMR). As you toggle, the button changes stage, showing you the option that will be applied when you next select the button.

Toggle the camera off and on

Select Toggle camera to alternate between turning the camera off or on. As you toggle, the button changes state to show a muted camera icon when it is off.

The default camera setting is on.

Toggle the microphone off and on

Select Toggle microphone to alternate between turning the microphone off or on. As you toggle, the button changes state to show a muted microphone icon when it is off.

The default microphone setting is on.

Leave the joined VMR

 Select Leave the call to exit the VMR and go to the post-call page.

Re-join the VMR or join a new call

On the post-call page you’ll be given the options to Re-join this callor Start another call:

If you select Re-join this call you’ll follow the same join flow as before, including, if applicable, the pre-meeting page and prompt to enter a PIN code.

If you select Start another call you’ll be taken back to the main menu page, where you can scan another QR code or select another VMR to join from your list of recent calls.

Creating QR codes

To join a Pexip Infinity VMR, Pexip Connect for RealWear users scan a QR code. From version 32 of Pexip Infinity, administrators will be able to configure their Microsoft Teams and VMR Scheduling for Exchange integrations to automatically generate QR codes that can be used to join meetings.

For deployments using Pexip Infinity versions prior to v32, you can easily create your own QR codes for any Pexip Infinity VMR. To do this, first compose the URL that the RealWear user will use to join the VMR, and then use a QR code generator to convert the URL into a QR code.

Composing the URL

The URL used by Pexip Connect for RealWear participants to join a VMR uses a subset of the variables used for other Connect apps. The format is:

pexip://<alias>?host=<domain>&name=<name>&pin=<PIN>&join=<join>

where:

<alias> is one of the aliases for the conference or service the user will join.
<domain> is the IP address or domain name of the Conferencing Node (or reverse proxy if, for example, it is being used to host a customized version of the web app) the client should connect to in order to place the call.
<name> is the name of the user who is joining the conference.
<PIN> is either the Host PIN or Guest PIN, if required (note the Security considerations if these are included).

<join>

is 1 if you want the participant to automatically join the conference, bypassing the option to check their devices.

The URL must always include pexip://<alias>; <alias> can include the domain (in the format <alias@domain>) in which case the host parameter is not required; otherwise you must also include host=<domain>. The remainder of the parameters are optional.

For example, the URL to join the "Daily Walkthrough" VMR which has a PIN of "1234" would be:
pexip://daily.walkthrough.vmr@pexample.com?pin=1234&join=1

Converting the URL to a QR code

Once you have created the URL, simply go to any online QR code generator and use it to convert the text of the URL into a QR code.

Ensure that the generator does not automatically prefix the URL text with https://

Download the resulting QR code and send it to the meeting participants.

Release notes

Change log

Version Released Changes
1.0.1 April 2023 WearHF is now responsive in all screens.
1.0 March 2023 Initial release.

Known limitations

Ref # Limitation
32830 A RealWear user who is admitted to a locked Pexip Infinity VMR by the meeting Host may experience media negotiation failure after joining. This will cause the other VMR users to neither see nor hear the RealWear user, and in turn the RealWear user will only be able see but not hear the other VMR participants. A fix is planned for a future release of Pexip Infinity.

Planned changes in future releases

The following features are planned for a future release:

  • In-call zoom
  • Flashlight control