Camfrog Video Chat User Guide

Camfrog is a simple to use videoconferencing program. Camfrog not only allows a one-on-one 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. There is a freeware version of Camfrog and a pay version called Camfrog Pro. Camfrog Pro has many more useful features including the ability to view several videos at once in a video chat room, locate other users, use text over video and many others.

Camfrog makes it easy to find new users to video chat with and allows any user to set up a video chat room if a broadband Internet connection is available.

Camfrog allows you to make video and audio communications with other Camfrog users all over the world. Camfrog works with Windows XP and later, or Mac OS X. 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 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 New Nickname" 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.

Click on the "Register New Nickname" hyperlink in the main application window to register. Your profile information will be available on our Camfrog.com public website user directory. Camfrog makes it easy to meet new people to video chat with.

To see your general settings, go under the "Camfrog" menu in the main application window. Choose "Settings" and you will see your general settings followed by additional tabs.

To set your video settings, choose the "Settings" option under the "Camfrog" menu in the main application window. Open the "Video&Audio" tab and you will see your video settings. You can then choose your video capture device and your video stream quality. There is also the "Source " window that allows you to adjust the vendor-provided settings of your video device.

To set your audio settings, choose the "Settings" option under the "Camfrog" menu in the main application window. Open the "Video&Audio" tab and you will see your audio settings. You can then choose your audio playback and recording device.

To change your profile, go http://profiles.camfrog.com/nickname where "nickname" is your Camfrog nickname. You can also access your profile by clicking on the link in the Your Profile section of the General tab of the Settings window under the main Camfrog menu.

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.

To start a video chat, first send the person you want to video chat with an instant message. You can do this by right clicking on his or her nickname and choosing the IM User option. If you do not know anyone to send a message to, you can go to the user directory by clicking on the "Search for Camfrog Users" icon in the main application window. After you have sent the user a message indicating you would like to video chat, you should click on the "Call" icon 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.

When someone asks you to video chat, you will be sent an instant message that says "Nickname is requesting a private call. Would you like to 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 the "profile" icon in the IM window or right click on his or her nickname and choose "View Profile" to learn more about that user. If a user sends you a rude IM, you can block them by clicking "Block" in the IM window and then give them bad feedback by clicking the sad face next to where it says "Give Bad Feedback". If this user gets three bad feedbacks from different users, he won’t be able to IM anyone for a few minutes.

To end a video chat, click on the "Hang up" webcam icon in the top of the IM window, or close the IM window, or close your local video or the other user’s video window.

To configure this option, go to "Settings" under the "Camfrog" menu and choose the "IM&Chat" tab. Open the "Private call&File Transfer" tab and choose to "Auto answer" (not recommended) incoming video calls or to set a password for incoming calls. Now you can connect to your client at home from another location to have a remote webcam.

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

Click the "Hands free" check box to send audio during all the time so that the other user could constantly hear you. Alternatively, click the "Push to talk" check box to send audio only when holding down the "Talk" button.

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

To set your audio settings, choose the "Settings" option under the "Camfrog" menu in the main application window. Open the "Video&Audio" tab and you will see your audio settings. You can then choose your audio playback and recording device.

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

To view your local video window, click on the "Video" option under the "Camfrog" 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 the "Pause video" icon in your local video window.

To set your video settings, choose the "Settings" option under the "Camfrog" menu in the main application window. Open the "Video&Audio" tab and you will see your video settings. You can then choose your video capture device and your video stream quality. There is also the Source window that allows you to adjust the vendor-provided settings of your video device.

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

To send a message to another Camfrog user, click the "Send an instant message" icon at the bottom of the main application window. 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 the "Search for Camfrog Users" in the main application window.

To join a video chat room and chat, click on the "Video Chat Rooms" icon at the bottom of the main application window and then click on one of the rooms 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 User". To unignore a user, right click on their name again and choose "Cancel Ignore User".

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

All Camfrog users can change their status by clicking on their current status at the top of the main application window and changing it to a different one. If you choose "invisible" then you will appear as offline in other users contact lists. You can also set your custom status in the "What's hopping" field, and other users will see it next to your nickname in their contact lists.

To add a contact to your contact list, click on the "Add user to Contact list" icon in the main application window and type in their nickname. To remove a contact, right click on their name and choose "Delete".

To see your video chat history, look under the "Camfrog" 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 view your IM history, right click on the user's name and choose the "History" option or find it in the Camfrog menu of the IM window. To clear your history hit the "Clear" or "Delete all" buttons at the bottom left of the history windows.

You can also easily import and export your IM history by going to "Camfrog">"Settings">"Privacy">"History" and choosing the corresponding option. Please note that you can use this option only for the currently logged-in user account.

Click on the "Video Chat Rooms" icon in the main application window to see the list of rooms you can join to meet other Camfrog users.

There is also a special type of a room called "pond" for those who would like to communicate in a more private environment. This is a personal type of room that is created for you and that stays online until you leave it. There are two types of ponds: private and public. You can control the default pond type in "Camfrog">"Settings">"IM&Chat">"Pond options".

To create a pond, choose "Create pond" in the main "Camfrog" menu or "Pond" in your status menu. Depending on your settings, either a private or public pond will be created as a new room tab named after your nickname. If you create a private pond, it can be joined only by the people you have invited. You can send invites to other users to join you by right clicking their nicknames and choosing "Invite to pond". You’ll be prompted to confirm the invites if the option "Invites to pond" is checked under "Camfrog">"Settings">"Confirmations">"Invites to Pond". You can also create a private pond by choosing one or several users in your contact list and choosing "Invite to pond" or choosing the same option in their IM windows (under "Camfrog" menu or in the tab pop-up menu). In all cases the user will receive your invite in their IM window. If you create a public pond, it will be accessible for all of your mutual friends. They just need to click the pond icon which will appear in their contact list next to your nickname. You can still invite other users just as you would do in a private pond.

Please note that you can only be in one room or pond at a time. The maximum number of users in a pond is 3 for the free version and 8 for Pro. When the user who created the pond leaves it, the pond closes automatically.

OpTools is a feature allowing the user to moderate the room by using commands in a user friendly interface rather than the command line. It is available in both Pro and Free versions of the client.

To use this feature, open "General" tab of the "Settings" under the main Camfrog menu and check the "Show Operator Tool window" option. By default, it's turned off. When the user turns this option on, the OpTool button appears near the audio settings in the bottom right corner of the room window.

Please refer to OpTools User Guide for more detailed instructions on how to use this feature.

To invite another user to play a game with you, open their IM-window, click the "Camfrog games" icon and choose the game you would like to play from the dropdown list. If your opponent accepts the challenge, the game will start in a new window. The rules are available under the "Game rules" option.

Please note that you can only play one game at a time.

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, disable advertisements, locate other users, change the auto-away setting, use text over video, send or receive files and snapshots, sort users, stay in a room and private calls simultaneously, etc.

To view several video windows, first join a video chat room. Next click on the nickname of "Hidden users" in the user list to view their video window.

This option allows you to impose text over your video. Click on the "Text over video icon" in your video window, enter your phrase and choose its font and other properties.

To send a snapshot, choose the "Snapshot" icon at the top of the IM window. Take a photo, video or audio snapshot and instantly share it with other users. If you have the latest version of Camfrog, you can choose resolutions up to 1920х1080 depending on your camera.

To see what the chat room a user is in, click on their nickname in your contact list and choose "Locate user". Alternatively, choose the Locate User option under the Camfrog menu in the main application window and enter the nickname of the user you want to locate.

To send a file, choose the "Send file" icon at the top of the IM window. Choose a file and instantly share it with other users.

Camfrog Pro offers you several options to organize the users in the room list. Right click on any user nickname and choose your preferred sorting method.

In the Pro version, you can either disable the auto away mode or have its period changed. To do this, go the Settings option under the "Camfrog" menu in the main application window, then uncheck the "Auto Away" option or check it and set the required time of inactivity.

With the Pro version you don't have to choose between a room (or pond) and private calls. Enjoy your chatting experience with fewer restrictions!

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