Collage Guide

Collage Guide

Clear Touch Collage™ is a powerful, yet easy-to-use, integrated software application that lets you cast devices to your Clear Touch® panel. This guide is intended to provide information about how the software communicates on the network as well as how users can access some of the specific settings.

Collage Network Information

For information regarding network whitelisting and other software network information, please refer to our guide, Clear Touch Software Network Requirements.

Advanced Code Mode

This is just a note that before Collage v5 it was necessary to switch the Code Mode to Advanced Code Mode so that devices can have any IP address or be on any subnet or VLAN and still communicate, as long as they're on the same LAN. Beginning with Collage v5. All IFPs and devices connect through “Advance Code Mode” when using the application connection.


Collage App Utilities/Settings

Screen Group (Sharing Screens Between Panels)

This feature allows you to share or duplicate screens between panels connected to the same Network. This feature does NOT work from the PC side of the panel. This is an Android feature only. Collage Version 3.3 and up only.

To use this feature, first open the Collage App from the panel you’d like to share or duplicate. In the Blue window that opens, select Menu > Screen Group in the bottom left corner.



In the next window, select Create Group.




From the panel that will be receiving the other panel’s image, (this can be done from multiple, in-range, same-network panels on Collage v. 3.3+) open the Collage App and select Screen Group in the bottom left corner (within Menu). Now select, Join Group.




On the next screen, click Connect next to the panel you want to connect to or enter the 6 digit Collage code.



Once you have panels in the group, you will need to select the Broadcast option from the main screen.




Screens will then mirror between panels as shown below.



You can tap anywhere on the background of the original panel to make the Collage App window go away.




To end the group session, you will need to select Stop Broadcasting and remove any connected devices. 

Once you have removed the devices, you will need to select Cancel Main Screen.



Permissions Mode

This feature allows you to manage which devices connect and display to the panel. Devices will not instantly connect when they input the code, they will require permission from the panel instead. 

To enable this mode, access the main Collage interface on the panel and select Menu > Settings. From this menu, enable Permission Mode. 



Once Permission Mode is enabled, any device that attempts to connect will first need permission from the panel. A message will appear in the bottom right corner displaying the device’s name attempting to connect. The panel’s user can either accept or reject the request. 





Once a device has been given permission, it will appear in the Devices section on the main Collage interface on the panel (next to “Menu”). From this list, a device may be selected to display on the panel, with up to 9 devices displayed at once (or 4 Chromebooks). 



The Devices menu can also be used to grant management abilities to a connected device. This can be done using the icon on the far right of the row where a device’s name is displayed. This feature allows a user to manage connections to the panel without being at the panel. 



Device Menu Icon Legend:



This icon allows you to grant administrative privileges to a device


Select this icon to stop a connected device from mirroring


These icons will appear when Collage is in Permission Mode. The first “eye” icon will preview the screen share. The check mark will accept the screen share request and the X will reject it.

This icon mirrors a connected device to the panel 


This icon will disconnect the device from Collage. When the icon in the top right corner is selected, it will disconnect all the current devices.


Select this icon to share files from the Android OS


Select this icon to grant touch controls to a device that is in Desktop sync mode

Screen Sharing Controls

While devices are screen sharing on the IFP there are several controls available to the Presenter. If the viewable screen share is selected, a menu of icons will appear in the bottom left corner of the screenshare. These icons are explained in the order listed below


Stop the Screen Share


Full Screen - This screen share view will cover the entire screen (full screen mode). Once it is selected, an additional icon is made available that allows the user to switch between screen shares while viewing them. Please see sample images below



Screen-share rearrangement

Just long-press on a screen-share window and drag it to the desired location in order to rearrange the screen share window order.


Screen-share “pop-out”

Select this icon to have the screen share window “pop-out.” It will have the ability to hover over all other screen shares as well as other viewable inputs.



Keyboard  - Select this icon to access the on-screen keyboard 


Mute Audio - Selecting this icon will enable/disable audio from this screen share

Floating Window Size

  • Adjust floating window size in Menu > Settings.

    • Normal - Displays the icon with code in the Floating Window.

    • Mini - Displays the icon alone in the Floating Window and code is displayed when the icon is selected.

    • Close - Takes the Floating Window away completely.



Desktop Client Controls

While screen sharing with a MacOS or Windows device, the Collage app will have a utility that allows some screen share controls.



Full Screen


Full Screen is automatically set and cannot be changed


Pause


Pauses Screen Mirroring. Clicking Play will resume Screen Mirroring


Switch


Allows switching between mirroring Desktop or mirroring a specific Window



Touch


Allows Touch Response on the Clear Touch Panel to be turned On and Off


More


Allows access to Clarity option. Choose between Excellent, Better, and Ordinary to adjust display quality.  Also, Aspect Ratio - adjusts display to properly fit panel when mirroring from lower resolution displays when turned On.


       Close


Close Mirroring Session

Chromecast/Airplay/Miracast

A feature added since Collage v2.4 is the ability to cast to the panel without installing the Collage app on iOS devices and when casting from a Chrome browser. This is limited to only one device connected at a time.

 

To enable the Airplay/Chromecast feature, open the main Collage interface on the panel. Select Menu > Settings. Enable the bottom option as pictured below.  

 

 

Once this option is enabled, it will show up as an option to cast to under the Device name listed in the Settings screen. 

iOS Devices

First, ensure you are on the same network as the panel. Then pull up the control center screen and select Screen Mirroring. Next, select the device name listed in the panel’s Collage app settings as pictured below.

 

Chromecast

A Chrome browser on any device on the same network as the panel will also be able to cast using Collage without downloading and installing a separate Collage app. In the top right of the browser window, select the three stacked dots and then the Cast option as pictured below.

 

 

A window will appear listing options for available devices to cast to. Select the device name listed in the panel’s Collage app settings. You may also use the drop-down menu to select if you want to cast only the tab you are currently on or your desktop as pictured below.

 





Webcast

On Collage version 5.7+, we now have the Webcast option. This is the preferred Collage connection method for Chromebooks moving forward. You can also utilize this on Windows and Mac devices.

First, you will need to update Collage on your panel to 5.7 or later. With this update, you will see a Webcast option next to the Menu and Devices buttons:



To enable Webcast, select the Webcast option, then toggle Webcast on:



This allows you to connect your device using the Collage webpage, collage.bytello.com.

Once you go to this page on your device, you will be presented with this page: 



From here, you can enter in the 6 digit Collage code on the panel you would like to connect to. Once connected, you can choose between Screen Share or Desktop Sync. With screen share you will see the following screen with the option to cast: a Chrome Tab, a full Window, and an Entire Screen. For audio passthrough, be sure to select Tab or Entire Screen. There will be a toggle on the bottom of the tab to share the audio.



Once you have started sharing, you can pause or close the sharing with the following toolbar: 



Extending Your Display With Collage

With version 5.0+ of Collage, you are now able to use your ClearTouch panel to extend your computer's display. This is not to be confused with mirroring, where the image on your computer is mirrored to the panel. 
Using the Extend Screen option, your panel can be used as an additional monitor for your device. 

To do this, open your Collage client on either a Windows or Mac device. Connect to your ClearTouch panel using the 6 digit code displayed on the panel. 



Once you are connected, select Start on the Screen Share option as pictured above.



From here, you should be able to select Extend Screen, then Mirror . If you do not see this option listed, check to make sure you are on version 5.0+ on both your panel and client device. 

After selecting Extend Screen then Mirror, the panel should now be displaying an additional desktop window of your computer. By default, this window will be located above your primary monitor.
To move a window to this extended display, click and drag a window up from your primary monitor/screen. 

On Windows 10/11, to change the arrangement of your different displays, right-click on your desktop and select Display Settings.



From here, you can click and drag the screens around to your desired arrangement.  

On Mac, you can adjust the arrangement of the displays by going to System Preferences > Displays > Arrangement.



From there you can click and drag the screens to position them as you wish.

Device-Specific Installation Guides

Mac OS Monterey- Collage version 5.0

  1. Go to https://www.getcleartouch.com/download/collage-for-mac/ and download Collage for Mac (full version is v5.7.0.7012).

  2. Select the download and after installation move the Collage app into the application folder.

  3. Open the Applications folder and move the app to the Dock.

  4. Load the application from the Dock and select Open on the Security notification.

                  

                  

 

  1. The application will run but some security settings need to be checked. Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy: Privacy tab.

  2. Give Collage access to the following:

 Microphone, Input Monitoring, Screen Recording and Accessibility 

 

            







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