Camfrog Video Chat User Guide

What is Camfrog Video Chat?

Camfrog is a simple to use videoconferencing program. Camfrog not only allows a 1-on-1 videoconference but also allows group conferences when connected to a Camfrog Server video chat room. Camfrog Video Chat also has a live directory of users to video chat with, a contact list, a live video chat room directory, status notification, and instant messaging. Camfrog is free to use forever, but if you want advanced features you must upgrade to Camfrog Pro. Camfrog Pro has many more features including the ability to view multiple video windows, change your status to invisible, send files, and many more.

Camfrog Video Chat Features

Camfrog allows you to make video and audio communications with other Camfrog users all over the world. Camfrog runs on Microsoft Windows XP, 2000 and Vista, Windows Server 2003, and Mac OS X. No webcam is required to see or hear users on Camfrog. No webcam is required to see or hear users on Camfrog.
Camfrog has a live directory of users, a live directory of video chat rooms, a contact list, and instant messaging.

Before using overview

Before using Camfrog you need to set up a nickname and a password to logon to the Camfrog central server. After you have installed and launched Camfrog click on the "Register for Nickname/Password" hyperlink in the main application window. You will then be guided through a registration wizard.
A webcam is not required to see and hear other Camfrog users.

Registering for a nickname/password

Click on the "Register for a Nickname/Password" hyperlink in the main application window to register. Your profile information will be available on our Camfrog.com public website user directory. If you are already signed on under another nickname go to your contact list then choose the "file" menu and sign out to find the link to register another nickname.

General configurations

To see your general settings go under the "Actions" menu in the main "Camfrog Video Chat" contact list application window. Choose "settings" then you will see your general settings.

Video configurations

To set your video settings go under the "Actions" menu in the main "Camfrog Video Chat" application window. Choose "settings" then choose "video" on the left side and you will see your video settings. You can then choose your video capture device, your video stream quality, and the ability to flip and mirror your video stream.

Audio configurations

To set your audio settings go under the "Actions" menu in the main "Camfrog Video Chat" application window. Choose "settings" then choose "audio" on the left side and you will see your audio settings. You can then choose your audio playback and recording device.

Profile configurations

To change your profile, click the "Actions" menu in the main "Camfrog Video Chat" application window. Choose "settings" then choose "your profile" on the left side and you will see your profile. You can also access this by viewing your local video under the "video" menu in the main application window then clicking on "User profile". All of the information in your profile will be present in the public Camfrog directory. When you open your profile your local video window will also open.
Click on "comments" to leave comments about yourself in the public directory.

Starting a video chat overview

You can easily video chat with any Camfrog user. Of course a webcam is not required to see someone, but it is required to be seen. Many users may not want to video chat with someone who does not also have a webcam.

Starting a video chat

To start a video chat first send the person you want to video chat with an instant message. You can do this by going under the "Actions" menu in the main application window and choosing "send an instant message." If you do not know anyone to send a message to you can go to the user directory by clicking on "User directory" in the main application window. After you have sent the user a message indicating you would like to video chat you should click on "video chat" in the instant message window. If the other user agrees to video chat then you will begin to see and hear one another if you both have a webcam and microphone. You can tell if the other user is male/female, their status, and if they have a webcam or not by their icon in their instant messaging window, or in the user directory.

Accepting a video chat

When someone asks you to video chat you will be sent an instant message that says "nickname would like to video chat. Do you accept?" You then will click the hyperlink "yes" to accept and "no" if you do not accept.
If you are not sure if you want to video chat with another user click "profile" in the IM window to learn more about that user.
If a user behaves appropriately in a video chat you might want to leave them good karma. Click on the happy face in the IM window to leave the user good karma. If a user behaves inappropriately you can click the sad face next to "karma" to give them bad karma. You can view a users’ karma by viewing their profile. If a user has very negative karma you might want to avoid videoconferencing with them because they probably behave inappropriately. If you are given negative karma you will be unable to IM anyone for 15 minutes. To avoid negative karma be sure to only send polite messages to other users.

Ending a video chat

To end a video chat click the "stop video chat" hyperlink with the webcam icon in the top of the IM window, or close the IM window, or close your local video or the other users video window.

Configuring remote video access

Camfrog remote access is only available for Camfrog Pro users. To configure this option, go to the "Actions" menu, and select "Settings...". Under the "General" settings page find "Remote access" section. You can setup password to access your Camfrog client from another location. Go to another location and create a new nickname/password then send an IM to your pro client requesting a video chat. You will then be prompted for the password you made. Enter the password to start the remote video chat. Be sure the remote computer does not fall asleep or it might not accept this remote video chat. Go to the control panel to set its sleep settings up where the computer does not fall asleep.

Audio overview

Camfrog allows audio in a 1-on-1 video chat session or in a Camfrog Server Video Chat Room.

Audio in a one-on-one connection

Click the "hands free" check box to leave audio on all the time where the other user can constantly hear you. Click the "Talk" button to send audio only when holding down that button.

Audio in a video chat room

The video chat room only allows one user to send audio for 30 seconds so other users get a chance to send audio. Click the "hands free" check box to send audio hands free for 30 seconds.

Adjust audio settings

To set your audio settings go under the "Actions" menu in the main "Camfrog Video Chat" application window. Choose "settings" then choose "audio" on the left side and you will see your audio settings. You can then choose your audio playback and recording device. There is also a setting to override the default audio compression setting for higher or lower audio quality and bandwidth usage.

Video overview

You can see yourself by choosing "preview video" under the "video" menu in the main Camfrog Video Chat application window.

Local video window

To view your local video window click on the "video" menu in the main application window and choose "preview video". To pause your video in a one-on-one video chat, or in a video chat room click on your webcam icon in your local video window.

Adjust video settings

To set your video settings go under the "Actions" menu in the main "Camfrog Video Chat" application window. Choose "settings" then choose "video" on the left side and you will see your video settings. You can then choose your video capture device, your video stream quality, and the ability to flip and mirror your video stream.

Chat and IM overview

Camfrog is not only a videoconferencing application but it also has instant messaging, a contact list, and the ability to show your online status.

Send a message

To send a message to another Camfrog user go under the "Actions" menu in the main application window and choose "Send an instant message." Next type in the nickname of the person you want to message and press enter. If you don’t know anyone to video chat with try our user directory to find a live list of users. Click on "User directory" in the main application window.

Chat in a video chat room (Camfrog server)

To join a video chat room and chat click on "video chat rooms" in the main application window then click on one of the rooms under "Nicknames" to connect. You can then type text and enter it to communicate with the other users via text. To ignore a user right click on their name in the user list and choose "ignore". To unignore a user right click on their name again and choose "unignore".

Saving messages

To save a video chat room or instant message conversation go under the file menu and choose "save".

IM Catcher

To catch unwanted IM's from users who are not on your contact list go to your contact list and press "IM Catcher". Please note the IM Catcher is for Pro users only. Now the IM's will be stored in the IM Catcher so they will not fill up your taskbar. You can still respond to any new IM's you get by clicking their pop-up window when they appear.

Karma

If someone sends you a rude message press the sad face next to where it says "karma" in the IM window. If the user's karma level goes negative he will be unable to IM anyone for 15 minutes. Your karma will always go back to +3 and will change one point towards +3 every 15 minutes.

Snapshot

Click the "snapshot" button in the IM window to send a still webcam photo to another user. Do not accept snapshots from users you do not know.

Status

Camfrog free users can not change their status, but if they are away from their computer for more than 5 minutes their status will change to "away". Pro users can change their status by clicking on their status at the top of the main application window. If you change your status to invisible nobody can see you are online unless you add them to the visible list. To add them to the visible list then go to your contact list then actions/settings/visible list.

Contacts

To add a contact to your contact list go under the "Actions" menu in the main application window and choose "add a contact" then type in their nickname. To remove a contact right click on their name and choose "delete". You can also add Camfrog Video Chat Room servers to this list. Right click "online contacts" in your contact list window and choose "Add Video Chat Room".

Camfrog Video Chat Pro Features Summary

Camfrog Pro has many features that the free edition doesn't have including the ability to view several videos at once in a video chat room, the ability to set your user status, log video chat history, auto-accept video chat requests, and full access to the Camfrog.com website.

View unlimited video windows

To view several video windows first join a video chat room. Next click on the nickname of "visible users" in the user list to view their video window. You can now view unlimited video windows, or as many as you can fit on your screen.

Change your user status

To change your user status open the main Camfrog application window. At the top it says "your status". Click the black arrow to choose your status. If you choose "invisible" then you will appear as offline in other users contact lists.

Auto-accept video chat requests

To auto-accept video chat requests go under the "actions" menu and choose "settings" in the main application window. Under the "general" menu look at "incoming calls". There you can either choose to "auto accept" incoming video chat calls (not recommended) or to set a password for incoming calls. Now you can download a free Camfrog client, set up a new nickname and password and connect to your Pro client at home to have a remote webcam.

Video Chat History

To see your video chat history look under the "actions" menu in the main application window and choose "history window". It is easy to see the different users you have called and the different video chat rooms you have visited. To clear your history hit the "clear" button at the bottom left of the history window.
You can also save IM history by going to the "view" menu in the IM window and choosing "history".

IM Catcher

Keep IM's from filling up your taskbar. Click "IM Catcher" in your contact list to turn on this feature. You can only catch IM's of people not in your contact list by unchecking the box in the bottom of the IM Catcher window.

Text over Video

Add text over your local video. Right click your local video window and choose "text over video".

Send Files

Click "send file" to send a file to another Camfrog Pro user.

Transparent Windows

Go to your contact list then action/settings/transparency to make IM and chat windows transparent. This feature is useful if you want to see video windows behind your IM or chat windows.

Camfrog frequently asked questions

Camfrog frequently asked questions can be viewed on our website FAQ page in the help section.