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Version: 0.x.x

Rendering Host and Audience Views - Android

In a live stream setup, only hosts (participants in SEND_AND_RECV mode) can broadcast their audio and video. Audience members (in RECV_ONLY mode) are passive viewers who do not share their audio/video.

To ensure optimal performance and a clean user experience, your app should:

  • Render audio and video elements only for hosts (i.e., participants in SEND_AND_RECV mode).
  • Display the total audience count to give context on viewership without rendering individual audience tiles.

Filtering and Rendering Hosts​

The steps involved in rendering the audio and video of hosts are as follows.

  1. Filtering Hosts and Checking their Mic/Webcam Status
  2. Rendering Video Streams of Hosts
  3. Rendering Audio Streams of Hosts

1. Filtering Hosts and Checking their Mic/Webcam Status ​

In a live stream, only participants in SEND_AND_RECV mode (i.e., hosts) actively share their audio and video. To render their streams, begin by accessing all participants using the Meeting class. Then, filter out only those in SEND_AND_RECV mode.

private fun showParticipants() {
    // Clear existing lists
    speakerList?.clear()
    
    // Filter for host participants (SEND_AND_RECV mode)
    liveStream?.participants?.values?.forEach { participant ->
        if (participant.mode == "SEND_AND_RECV" && speakerList!!.size < 4) {
            speakerList?.add(participant)
        }
    }
    
    // Add local participant if they're a host
    if (liveStream?.localParticipant?.mode == "SEND_AND_RECV" && !speakerList!!.contains(liveStream?.localParticipant)) {
        speakerList?.add(0, liveStream?.localParticipant!!)
    }
    
    // Update the UI with filtered participants
    updateSpeakerGrid()
}

private fun updateSpeakerGrid() {
    // Update UI based on number of speakers
    when (speakerList?.size) {
        1 -> {
            speakerOneContainer?.visibility = View.VISIBLE
            speakerTwoContainer?.visibility = View.GONE
            speakerThreeContainer?.visibility = View.GONE
            speakerFourContainer?.visibility = View.GONE
            
            // Show first speaker
            showInGUI(speakerList!![0], speakerOneView, speakerOneNameText)
        }
        2 -> {
            speakerOneContainer?.visibility = View.VISIBLE
            speakerTwoContainer?.visibility = View.VISIBLE
            speakerThreeContainer?.visibility = View.GONE
            speakerFourContainer?.visibility = View.GONE
            
            // Show first and second speakers
            showInGUI(speakerList!![0], speakerOneView, speakerOneNameText)
            showInGUI(speakerList!![1], speakerTwoView, speakerTwoNameText)
        }
    }
}

2. Rendering Video Streams of Hosts​

Once you've filtered for participants in SEND_AND_RECV mode (i.e., hosts), you can use the Participant class to access their real-time data, including their webcamStream, webcamOn, and whether they are the local participant.

For each of these participants, use the Participant , which provides real-time information like displayName, micOn, and webcamOn. Display their name along with the current status of their microphone and webcam. If the webcam is off, show a simple placeholder with their name. If it's on, render their video feed. This ensures only hosts are visible to the audience, keeping the experience clean and intentional.

private fun showInGUI(participant: Participant, videoView: VideoView, nameText: TextView) {
    // Set participant name
    nameText.text = if (participant.id == liveStream?.localParticipant?.id) "You" else participant.displayName
    
    // Get references to status indicators
    val micStatusIcon = videoView.findViewById<ImageView>(R.id.ivMicStatus)
    val micStatusText = videoView.findViewById<TextView>(R.id.tvMicStatus)
    val webcamStatusIcon = videoView.findViewById<ImageView>(R.id.ivWebcamStatus)
    val webcamStatusText = videoView.findViewById<TextView>(R.id.tvWebcamStatus)
    
    // Set initial status
    updateMicStatus(participant.isMicOn, micStatusIcon, micStatusText)
    updateWebcamStatus(participant.isWebcamOn, webcamStatusIcon, webcamStatusText, videoView)
    
    // Add participant listener for status changes
    participant.addEventListener(object : ParticipantEventListener() {
        override fun onStreamEnabled(stream: Stream) {
            activity?.runOnUiThread {
                if (stream.kind.equals("video", ignoreCase = true)) {
                    // Update webcam status
                    updateWebcamStatus(true, webcamStatusIcon, webcamStatusText, videoView)
                    
                    // Set up video stream
                    videoView.visibility = View.VISIBLE
                    videoView.setScalingType(RendererCommon.ScalingType.SCALE_ASPECT_FILL)
                    
                    // Mirror video for local participant
                    if (participant.id == liveStream?.localParticipant?.id) {
                        videoView.setMirror(true)
                    }
                    
                    videoView.addTrack(stream.mediaStream, stream.trackId)
                } else if (stream.kind.equals("audio", ignoreCase = true)) {
                    // Update mic status
                    updateMicStatus(true, micStatusIcon, micStatusText)
                }
            }
        }

        override fun onStreamDisabled(stream: Stream) {
            activity?.runOnUiThread {
                if (stream.kind.equals("video", ignoreCase = true)) {
                    // Update webcam status
                    updateWebcamStatus(false, webcamStatusIcon, webcamStatusText, videoView)
                    
                    // Hide video view
                    videoView.visibility = View.GONE
                } else if (stream.kind.equals("audio", ignoreCase = true)) {
                    // Update mic status
                    updateMicStatus(false, micStatusIcon, micStatusText)
                }
            }
        }
    })
    
    // Set up initial streams
    participant.streams.values.forEach { stream ->
        if (stream.kind.equals("video", ignoreCase = true)) {
            // Set up video stream
            videoView.visibility = View.VISIBLE
            videoView.setScalingType(RendererCommon.ScalingType.SCALE_ASPECT_FILL)
            
            // Mirror video for local participant
            if (participant.id == liveStream?.localParticipant?.id) {
                videoView.setMirror(true)
            }
            
            videoView.addTrack(stream.mediaStream, stream.trackId)
        }
    }
}

private fun updateMicStatus(isMicOn: Boolean, micStatusIcon: ImageView, micStatusText: TextView) {
    micStatusIcon.setImageResource(if (isMicOn) R.drawable.ic_audio_on else R.drawable.ic_audio_off)
    micStatusText.text = if (isMicOn) "On" else "Off"
}

private fun updateWebcamStatus(isWebcamOn: Boolean, webcamStatusIcon: ImageView, webcamStatusText: TextView, videoView: VideoView) {
    webcamStatusIcon.setImageResource(if (isWebcamOn) R.drawable.ic_video_camera else R.drawable.ic_video_camera_off)
    webcamStatusText.text = if (isWebcamOn) "On" else "Off"
    
    // Show/hide video view based on webcam status
    if (isWebcamOn) {
        videoView.visibility = View.VISIBLE
    } else {
        videoView.removeTrack()
        videoView.visibility = View.GONE
    }
}

3. Rendering Audio Streams of Hosts​

Alongside video rendering, you can also play a participant’s audio whenever their mic is turned on.

private fun setupAudioControls() {
    micButton?.setOnClickListener {
        if (liveStream?.localParticipant?.isMicOn == true) {
            // Turn off microphone
            liveStream?.localParticipant?.disableMic()
            micButton?.setImageResource(R.drawable.ic_audio_off)
        } else {
            // Turn on microphone
            liveStream?.localParticipant?.enableMic()
            micButton?.setImageResource(R.drawable.ic_audio_on)
        }
    }
}

liveStream?.addEventListener(object : MeetingEventListener() {
    override fun onAudioDeviceChanged(audioDevice: String, availableAudioDevices: Set<String>) {
        // Handle audio device changes (e.g., switching between speaker, earpiece, headphones)
        activity?.runOnUiThread {
            // Update UI based on current audio device
            when (audioDevice) {
                "SPEAKER_PHONE" -> audioOutputButton?.setImageResource(R.drawable.ic_speaker)
                "EARPIECE" -> audioOutputButton?.setImageResource(R.drawable.ic_earpiece)
                "WIRED_HEADSET" -> audioOutputButton?.setImageResource(R.drawable.ic_headset)
                "BLUETOOTH" -> audioOutputButton?.setImageResource(R.drawable.ic_bluetooth)
            }
        }
    }
})

API Reference​

The API references for all the methods and events utilized in this guide are provided below.

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Last updated on by ishabodiwala

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