slides as virtual background

[DanielPaulus]

Since I updated the Zoom today I cant use the Advanced sharing option Slides as background. There is a triangle with exclamation mark with text " You can now share slides as background with presenter layouts." Did you disabled this option? What can I do to access it again? Daniel Paulus 

[Frank_TB]

Hello,

In Zoom  6.3.0 the  Slides as Background feature that allows sharing slides as a virtual background has been removed, as the existing Layouts feature already provides this functionality. Presenters can use screen sharing presenter layouts to display their video in various positions in front of shared content, including slide decks. This change reduces product complexity and eliminates potential user confusion caused by having duplicate ways to achieve the same result.

https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0061222 

Regards

If my reply helped, don't forget to click the accept as solution button!

[DanielPaulus]

Hello,

this i deffinately not the same functionality. When I share the PPT presentation I cant see myself in front slides, I cant easily change my possition in front of the slides, i cant have the other windows open on the screen like notes etc. If I share jsut part of my screen it doesnt allow me to have right resolution. I cant use the teleprompter correctly. Sharing the slides as background is much better solution. Please consider to get it back.

I have been on the chat with your technical support and they obviously didnt know there is such a change. The technical support let me tested it before and after update and he sent me the odler version where it still working. 

Please check that and reconsider. This is deffinately not the same functionality.

[DalongChen]

You are right, by using the layout feature to share slide with your video window on the top of it, others in the meeting will just see your video window as part of the shared window as you set in the layout panel while yourself can not see that. Meeting recording will also have your video window as part of the shared window as you set in the layout panel.

[TTBRN]

I agree!  The new method does not work well for SEMINARS with students where I have to monitor the chat and respond as I am presenting. I also cannot reduce the screen to view the classroom without showing the entire group my screen or I have to stop sharing.  RIDICULOUS and ticked off about the change. Not everyone uses zoom for meetings and has a moderator!

[DanielPaulus]

Hello,

This is definitely not the same functionality.

1. Slides as background allows me to upload the entire presentation as screenshots and then not be affected by the resolution of my own screen. I can shrink the window as much as I want, but clients see the full quality of the slides.
2. I can have other windows open at the same time e.g. text notes etc. without affecting what is presented.
3. The meeting recording includes the presenter in front of the slides, which is not possible in any other format. The recording otherwise contains the screen and the presenter on the side.
4. This does not make good enough use of the teleprompter, which has a low resolution and I need to see on it what the watcher sees and notes on the presentation alongside.
I was on chat with your tech support yesterday and they had no idea that this was an intentional change in the zoom function. We tested the older and new version together.
Please roll back this feature until it is fully replaced. At the moment it absolutely does not match what you are describing.
Daniel Paulus

[DalongChen]

You can now just share your desktop or merely the slide window (if you don't want it affected by other open windows) with the layout feature to make that. You can drag and scale your video window on the top of the shared window as you like. 

[mwilhelmchapin]

This is definitely not the same and I set up my slides so I am inserted on the bottom right, not left. The new option covers up most of the content on the slides. 

[DavidNewman]

This doesn't help. I want to be able to run a Powerpoint in the background so that it fills the whole screen and I'm not showing all of the slides in the left-hand menu. The article on Zoom does not provide information on how to do this. I don't want to share screen. I want to be able to run a slide-show with me standing in frame to have a screen-presence. I use this extensively for teaching and now it appears I can no longer use Zoom for this and will need to find a different application.

This is a retrograde step that will affect many people who use slides as a background in their presentations or teaching

[TTBRN]

I agree. It is a nightmare. I prefer to use PPT as a background because there is so much more functionality. They need to roll this back immediately. Teaching with the new method is not working. 

[TTBRN]

The new change is awful! I have to use ZOOM for my classrooms and need to be able to see the chat and participants list at the same time to record attendance throughout the seminar as well as respond to questions. The method of sharing the screen as a PPT is horrible. I can't see anything and the closed captioning takes up the screen. In addition, I am unable to toggle back and forth between screens without having to STOP sharing. I do not have two computer monitors. I don't want two computer monitors. I shouldn't have to have two computer monitors. I am hoping the colleges change to another client since this is a headache now. 

[DanielPaulus]

I am in touch with the support and exchanging emails for a several weeks. Please, try to contact the support through the chat and e-mail to increase the pressure and make them understand that this is not just one person complaining. 

[TTBRN]

They contacted me already and wanted to know how I am using the PPT and other functions at the same time. HOPEFULLY, they will roll it back and allow us to use the PPT as a background again. If not, I will be recommend we change back to another meeting client because ZOOM is becoming a nightmare for teaching. Not sure why they think that it is only used in a business meeting where there maybe others who can watch the chat for questions and manage the other tasks I have to do during the lectures with my students... I would love to know who is thinking this method was better... 

[TTBRN]

This is not an acceptable method. 

[Frank_TB]

Hello,

I don't work for Zoom. I am a customer just like you.  Although this community forum is useful, the best way to get traction on an issue is through Zoom's official feedback process.

"Zoom welcomes your ideas, requests or comments about Zoom". 

Submit your feature request or complaints here;
https://zoom.us/feed 

Using Screen Sharing Presenter layouts

 In front: Displays the presenter over the shared content.

https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0074062 

Regards
If my reply helped, don't forget to click the accept as solution button!

[DavidNewman]

It pretty much states in the support comment that it isn't possible to do now in the current configuration:
"Limitations of the screen sharing presenter layouts

• Presenter layouts currently do not support local or cloud recordings. Resulting recordings will not have the presenter and layouts combined as seen in the live session. 
• Presenter layouts also do not support live streaming. "

Although slightly different from my original issue, this is ALSO a problem as I need to record the screen sharing presenter layouts (if I am understanding how they are using the terminology properly). And it isn't possible to see it in live time or use it for live streaming. This is affecting the recording workflow for my class.

[KaneZhu]

Engineers are working to remove these limitations to improve the "Presenter layouts" experience. However, regarding the recording, we’re a bit curious. The previous "slides as virtual background" also had this limitation. Could you please share how you managed to record content that combines shared screens and presenter previously?

Thanks!

[DavidNewman]

"Previously had this limitation." Really? I never ran into that, and I have recorded many videos in this way.  I'm doing writing this from memory, but I would simply go into the Advanced Sharing and choose the slide deck, which would then show up on the monitor with me in a small box on the right-hand side. I format my slides so there is always space for a reasonable sized version of me to be on the screen, which means I can then enlarge my image and I would shift it over to the other side of the screen.  When I was ready to begin recording, I would hit record. If you send me a suitable link, I can upload a video demonstrating my use of this.

Admittedly, I don't believe I have done this for a few months as I haven't been teaching recently, and so if you removed this feature earlier in the year, then I may not know about it. But, certainly until the end of 2023 I was using this feature every week, sometimes multiple times. For anyone teaching, this is a very useful feature (or was).

Thanks

[TTBRN]

I clicked on the background, loaded the PPT and was able to see participant list as well as the chat at the same time in one screen. I could then split my screen and view the classroom and other documents. If I wanted to share them, I could click on share and choose that portion of my screen. I could then go back to my background which was the PPT. It worked very well for my classrooms. Now when using ZOOM, I have to open PPT, and follow the ridiculous method ZOOM has recommend to see the PPT, but I CAN"T SEE ANYTHING ELSE! I should not have to click on the dropdown box to see what my students are saying as I ask them questions. When I do, it takes up my screen, which is already invaded by the transcription/ closed captioning that gets in the way as well as the images of their picture or video.  I should have the ability to use the PPT as the background again! The current method you suggested is a nightmare of toggling, and shrinking my screen to be able to access my computer taskbar. I have to go back out of the PPT slideshow constantly to do everything I need to do.  It is a disaster. I will be recommending that the colleges change their seminar client if this does not go back to us being able to use the PPT as a background. 

[TTBRN]

When you choose the background, load the PPT.  You can then see the PPT along with the chat box and participants. Click record.  Nothing to it.... now it is a nightmare. Your directions don't work. You can't open the PPT to a slideshow within ZOOM. You have to open it first, but you still can't click Slideshow because if you do, you can't get back to the zoom room to share it!  So, I have open the PPT, then go to the zoom room, then share, then choose slideshow. But when I do, I can't see anything in the zoom room, which means I can't see what the students are writing - I can't see their questions and I can't see if a new student enters to say hello... Just ridiculous what you guys keep doing to ZOOM without asking us that use if for something other than a business meeting.  ROLL it back and let us upload PPTs as a background. It worked great!

[DanielPaulus]

This is screenshot from the local recording. This is how all my previous maybe 100 recordings with "slides as virtual background" looks like.,