Big Blue Button
Big Blue Button (BBB)
- Big Blue Button (BBB)
- Log IN
- Share a room
- Additional room options
- Start conference (relevant for moderators)
- Take part in conference (relevant for other participants)
- Conference participation options (relevant for all participants)
- BBB-Bildschirm
- Start screen left side:
- Start screen right side:
- Helpful Links
Log IN
Please click on the following link to log in on BBB.
- Mathe: BBB Mathe
- Informatik: BBB Informatik
Click on Log IN
Afterwards in the newly open window please enter your in.tum/ma.tum account name (without the domain @ma.tum.de or @in.tum.de) and the respective password and click on LogIN.
Create a room
In BBB you can create your own room. To do that click on Create room.
After creating the room, you can name it.
It is advisable to generate a code for entering the room, in case the room is to be used by one or more groups of people.
The code for entering can be generated more than once by clicking on the dice icon. You can also select other options when creating the room and change them at any time.
Share a room
A room can be accessed by different people, that have gotten the link. The participant are not required to log in when taking part in the conference. They must only open the bbb link in their browser and enter the code they've been given.
Additional room options
Remove a room
Every room can be removed at any time.
Room settings
All room settings can be adjusted at any time.
Wait room: If you select Require moderator approval before joining when creating the room, participants will not be able to enter the conference room until you allow them to join. You can see all waiting participants on the conference page. You can allow individual participants or all participants to enter.
Manage access
Note: You can only add participants who have logged into the BBB on the same server (either https://bbb.in.tum.de or https://bbb.ma.tum.de).
Here you can manually add other participants to your room by clicking on Manage access.
There you have to enter the name of the participant who is to be added to the room and who is already logged into BBB on the same server.
The room will appear on the main page of the registered participant who was added. It also shows who added him or her to the room.
Start conference (relevant for moderators)
When you log into the BBB, you will see the conference room on the main page and you can start the conference by clicking Start .
Take part in conference (relevant for other participants)
After the conference starts, the participants have the options to either be active or passive.
Without registration on BBB with RBG credentials
When you have received the link for the conference, paste it into Borowser and click on Participate to start the conference.
With registration on BBB with RBG credentials
When you log in, you will see the conference room that you can enter on the main page.
Conference participation options (relevant for all participants)
Note: please check your microphone settings, before starting the conference with michrophone.
If you do not start the microphone before the conference begins, you will not see the microphone symbol on the BBB page, but you can switch it again by clicking the headphone icon. Hier wird angezeigt, wie Sie das Mikrofon während der Konferenz aktivieren können.
Safari
After you have started the conference, you and the participants have two options to join the conference. You can only listen with the Listen only option or talk and listen with the Microphone option.
If you want to activate the microphone, select Microphone here. If you activate the microphone, you can deactivate it again later.
You can allow access to the microphone, if you will actively participate in the conference
Then run the echo test and say a few words so that the conference can start.
Firefox
If you want to activate the microphone, select Microphone here.
Then choose the respective microphone from the list and confirm. If you save this setting, the window won't open again.
In case you use Mac OS, you must allow Firefox to use the microphone.
Subsequently run the Echo-Test and say a couple words. If the test was successful, the conference will start.
Chrome
If you want to activate the microphone, select Microphone here.
Allow access to the microphone.
Subsequently run the Echo-Test and say a couple words. If the test was successful, the conference will start.
Auf unserer Knowledge Base-Seite finden Sie ein Beispielproblem mit Lösungsvorschlägen. Bitte schreiben Sie uns eine E-Mail an rbg@in.tum.de/rbg@ma.tum.de oder erstellen Sie eine Frage auf kb.in.tum.de
BBB-Bildschirm
Start screen left side:
1.Public chat (visible for all participants):
The chat sidebar shows how many users are currently participating in the current conference and gives the possibility for the participants to communicate via chat function.
The messages in this chat are visible to all participants.
You can delete, copy or save the chat.
If you select Save, a .txt file containing chat messages will be downloaded.
[14:36] PUBLIC_CHAT_CLEAR [14:37] Maya Mustermann : hallo Max
2.Shared notes (visible for all participants)
Every participant can write notes and edit them. These notes are visible and editable for all participants.
3.Change settings for all participants (visible for moderator)
Delete all status icons
You can set statuses to BBB by first clicking on your name and then clicking on Set Status. You can then select a status icon for your account from the list. If you want to remove the status icons of the participants, you can do it by using the setting Delete all status icons.
Mute all users / Cancel conference mute
If you select Mute all parties, other parties and you are muted. You can unmute it with Unmute conference.
Mute all participants except the presenter / Cancel conference mute
If you select Mute All Users, other parties will be muted. You can unmute it with Unmute conference.
Save participant name
You can save the names of the remote parties. A .txt file is then downloaded, listing the names of all the users.
Restrict viewer rights
You can set the viewer rights here.
Create breakout rooms
You can create breakout rooms for you and the other participants. You can increase the number of rooms up to 8 and assign the participants to a specific breakout room by drag-and-drop. Here you can set how long the room should exist.
You can allow other users to choose a breakout room for themselves. Then you and other users can choose which of the existing rooms you want to enter. If you are in a breakout room yourself, you cannot end breakout rooms.
Notice:If the above option is selected, you as moderator must also select a breakout room.
Then the users see a window on the screen asking them whether they want to enter the room. If they click on Enter room, they can stay in the room until the room is closed or they leave the room themselves.
In the participant registration bar you can see which participants are in which breakout room. You can enter the room either as a spectator or actively. If you enter a breakout room actively as a moderator, you cannot return to the main conference until either the time is up or you end all breakout rooms. You and the other participants can leave the breakout room at any time.
When the breakout rooms are finished, all participants return to the main conference room.
Subtitle writing
Click on Write closed captions.
Then a window appears where you can select the language. Select a language here and click on Start.
Then start viewing closed captions.
Adjust the subtitle settings and click Start.
When you write in the input field, the text appears on the slide. All participants can see the subtitle by clicking Start Subtitle. However, the text disappears after a few seconds.
4.Change settings for individual participants (visible for moderator)
Start private chat
You can click on a participant and select Start Private Chat.
Mute participant
You can mute a user. To do this, click on the name of a participant and select Mute user.
Make someone a presenter
You can make another person the presenter. You automatically become a spectator. The presenter has access to the presentation slide and the sidebar to see and use it, you can change this setting again.
Demote to the viewer or promote to the presenter
You can promote a participant to moderator and demote the moderator back to the viewer. You will not lose your moderator rights if you promote someone to moderator. If the moderator downgrades you to viewer, you lose your moderator rights and cannot downgrade the moderator you have promoted any further.
Notice: The participant who has to be promoted to moderator does not need to be logged in on BBB, it is enough to add the link in the browser and start the conference. We have tried it ourselves.
Remove Participant/User
You can remove one or more User. The participants must leave the conference.
You can re-enter the room via the link.
Start screen right side:
1. Start recording
Only the Moderator can start the recording of the session. The participants can see in the middle of the page if the session is being recorded.
2. Room number
The room number can be seen next to the button Start recording.
3. Sidebar links (can only be seen by the Moderator)
The sidebar has these functions:
Tools (Text, Lines, different Shapes, Pencil)
Undoing the Annotation
Text or shapes in the slides can be undone.
Erasing Annotation
Text or shapes in the slides can be erased.
Multiple users modus (Activate that other users draw on the Whiteboard)
When you push the button, a view from all participants will be displayed, you can always change this setting as Moderator by clicking Switch Off multi-user mode.
4. Participation Options (visible only by the moderator)
Moderator-View:
View for other participants:
Important: The setting or the icon for the microphone will not appear on BBB if this is not activated before the conference. The microphone can be reactivated during the conference clicking on the telephone symbol.
Start Stop Audio
You can stop and start the audio using the phone icon.
Muting and Unlocking
If the microphone was activated before the conference, the microphone symbol/button appears on the screen and can be switched clicking on this button during the conference.
Share webcam
If you select this feature, you will activate your camera and the other participants can see you. You can deactivate the camera again clicking on the video symbol.
Sharing the Screen (visible to the Moderator)
You can share one of the open windows of your browser with other participants. You will then see this screen like a slide in BBB.
In Chrome you can choose whether you want to share your entire screen, an open application or an open website in Chrome with other participants.
In Firefox you can open the list of open files or web pages.
Important: Screen sharing isn't available in Safari.
5. Options
Settings
6. Toggle participant bar
If this button is clicked, the list of participants becomes invisible and you can make it visible again by clicking on the person symbol again.
7. Actions
Start Poll
You can set how participants should answer the question.
The selected options are then available to the participants.
When you have voted, you as the moderator will see the results. The results will not be published until everyone has taken part in the poll or you click on Publish polling results.
After you have clicked on Publish poll results, the results of the survey will be displayed for all participants.
Uploading a Presentation
You can upload your presentation slides. To do this, select Upload a presentation from the list.
Then select a Pdf file or an Office file.
If you want attendees to be able to download the presentation slide, change the setting as shown below.
After this step, can all participants see the slides.
Share External Video
You can share external videos on BBB. Clicking on Share a external video.
Then add the URL of the video into the input field in the opened window and click Share a new video.
Important: Shared external videos will not be included in the recording. Youtube, Vimeo, Instructure Media, Twitch and Daily Motion URLs are supported.
As the moderator, you can rewind or fast forward or make other settings.
You can end the video by clicking the plus 
sign and selecting Stop sharing external video from the list.
Helpful Links
In our Knowledge Base, which is only accessible in the MWN network, you can find these and other Instructions for BBB and you can ask your own questions there.
Here you can find solutions to common problems users may encounter.
At Github you can request further features.
You can get a detailed documentation here downloading it as PDF.
You can download further instructions from the RBG as PDF: