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FAQ's-General Use
FAQ's-Web Meetings
Troubleshooting
Tutorials
What is IdeaShare and how does it work?
Quartet IdeaShare Boards and Portable IdeaShare are exciting new electronic board
solutions from GBC. IdeaShare products enable you to capture notes and images from
whiteboards. Information can be saved to a PC or Mac, printed with the touch of
a button, or even beamed to any PDA with Palm OS (IdeaShare Boards only). Using
the included software, you can share sessions with remote participants live over
the Internet or corporate intranet and create interactive presentations with the
virtual touchscreen capability.
Quartet IdeaShare Boards are a fully integrated
electronic board solution. Quartet Portable IdeaShare
attaches to existing whiteboards or even flipcharts to electronically capture information.
 
The electronic pens and electronic eraser contain electronics that send a signal
to the receivers in the IdeaShare Board or Portable IdeaShare. The receivers then
triangulate the signal to record the information stroke by stroke. Users can then
save, print, email, edit or play back the session.
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How do I choose between the IdeaShare Board and the Portable IdeaShare?
The IdeaShare Board is the top of the line
Quartet electronic board product. It is a high-end, fully integrated board, with
new and exciting features such as PDA beaming capability. The
Portable IdeaShare is more of a portable solution that utilizes existing
whiteboards or easels. The IdeaShare Board, being the complete solution, has additional
features and benefits over the Portable IdeaShare. Click links for more indepth
product information.
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How is IdeaShare set up?
Click on the appropriate link to download a PDF Set Up Guide
Quartet IdeaShare Boards
Quartet Portable IdeaShare
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What is the capture area for the Portable IdeaShare?
Quartet Portable IdeaShare can retrofit any existing whiteboard or easel from 1.5"
by 1.5" to 6" by 4". However, two Portable IdeaShares can be stitched
together to capture up to 12 x 4 feet.
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What is stitching and how does it work?
The Portable IdeaShare's stitching (extended capture) feature allows you to double
the captured area on your whiteboard by using two Portable IdeaShare
receivers. That means with two Portable IdeaShares you can capture from up to 12
feet in width by 4 feet in height.
To enable stitching:
- Set up the Portable IdeaShare receivers on the whiteboard. One in the top left corner
of the whiteboard, and one in the top right corner of the whiteboard.
Both USB cables should be plugged into the computer running eBeam Software. If need
be, you can use a USB hub to connect both USB cables to the computer.
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Launch eBeam Software's meeting application.
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Choose eBeam Hardware>Setup from the Tools Menu.
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Select the Extended Capture checkbox.
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Click OK.
After clicking OK, the calibration wizard opens and prompts you to tap spots
on the whiteboard to calibrate the system. Follow all on-screen directions.
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What are the minimum system requirements for IdeaShare?
Click here for system requirements.
To use IdeaShare for web meetings requires:
- All users wishing to share or participate in an IdeaShare meeting must be on an
Ethernet network using TCP/IP protocols and each computer must have a valid IP address.
- Users on a network can participate in a meeting by using IdeaShare software or by
logging into a live session using Netscape Navigator 4.0 or later or Microsoft Internet
Explorer 4.0 or later.
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Does IdeaShare work with USB?
The IdeaShare Board and Portable IdeaShare ship with a USB cable.
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Are special markers and erasers required?
Four color-coded electronic markers are included with each IdeaShare system. These
pens house four standard dry erase markers (black, red, green and blue).
When a marker dries up, simply replace it with a dry-erase marker, preferably bullet
tip. The electronic eraser supplied with IdeaShare has a 2-inch circular felt surface.
In order to erase in the software, the electronic eraser must be used. (Standard
dry erasers will erase the whiteboard, but will not erase the digitized strokes.)
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What types of batteries do the electronic pens and eraser use?
Ten coin cell batteries are included with the IdeaShare hardware (two for each sleeve
and two for the eraser).
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Sleeve Battery
Insertion
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Eraser Battery
Insertion
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Periodically, you will need to replace the two coin-sized batteries, with the plus
(+) side up. If the pen or eraser doesn't make any noise when you touch it to the
board, it could be time to replace the batteries. For replacement batteries, use
coin cell batteries, size CR2032.
Note: To prolong the life of eraser batteries, avoid resting the eraser on the pad.
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What file format does IdeaShare use and can I export the data to
other applications?
IdeaShare uses a proprietary, vector-based format (WBD).
You can save any IdeaShare files in a variety formats including vector & raster
PDF (*.PDF), HTML (*.HTM), 256 color Bitmap EPS (*.EPS), JPEG (*.JPG), Windows Bitmap
(*.BMP), TIFF (*.TIF), Metafile (*.emf) and Power Point Presentation (.pps).
In addition:
- Images can be copied and pasted into other files
- All or portions of an IdeaShare session can be sent as a mail attachment via Microsoft
Exchange or Outlook. Any file format in which you can save an IdeaShare meeting
can also be used as a mail attachment. However, HTML is not available because a
folder is created (containing meeting pages) and IdeaShare cannot attach a folder
to an Exchange message.
When you export one or more IdeaShare documents to HTML, you can then publish the
files created in the HTML folder, making the images available for viewing in any
standard Web browser.
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Will IdeaShare work on a Macintosh PC?
Yes! Click here to go to the downloads page.
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Will IdeaShare work with Microsoft NetMeeting?
Although NetMeeting is not required to conduct a web meeting,
IdeaShare will work with NetMeeting.
With NetMeeting installed on your computer, simply choose NetMeeting from the eBeam
software Tools menu. As soon as NetMeeting starts, the "virtual" NetMeeting
Whiteboard is displayed.
IdeaShare notes, diagrams, and charts drawn on the whiteboard with the electronic
pens will automatically be recorded and displayed in NetMeeting's "virtual"
Whiteboard.
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How to use the Web Tour feature
eBeam Software's Web View allows you to access web pages on the internet from eBeam
Software's meeting application.
The Web View itself is a web browser that provides the most commonly used web browser
controls, as well as allowing access to your "Favorites" links (ee Favorites),
or allowing you to set your home page (see Web Tour Setup).
Note: The Web View does not allow pop-up windows. If you visit a website that contains
pop-up windows a warning dialog will appear informing you that pop-up windows aren't
supported.
The Web Tour feature is controlled from within the Web View and allows you to lead
participants from one web page to another. Each time you go to a new URL, your guests
automatically go with you.
To use Web Tour:
- Click the Web View button from the Views and the view-change buttons.
- Click the Synchronize Participants button. This is required for Web Tour to work.
- Type in a web URL, or select an address from Favorites.
- To set a home page, see Web Tour Setup.
Web View Toolbar
The Web View toolbar contains the following controls:
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Control |
Description |
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Back |
Displays the previous viewed web page. Disabled while you have viewed only one web
page. |
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Forward |
Enabled only when you have used the back button. Forward causes you to return to
the web page you were viewing before you clicked Back. |
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Stop |
Stops loading a web page. |
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Refresh |
Reloads the current web page. |
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Home |
Opens the Home page. When you are using eBeam Software, eBeam's web page is the
home page. To set your home page, see Web Tour Setup. |
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Favorites |
Displays your list of favorite websites. Gathered from your Windows Favorites directory. |
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Web Page URL |
A pull-down list that displays the URL of the current web page. Type in a new URL
to go to a new web page, or select a URL from the pull-down list, and then click
Go. |
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Snapshot |
Takes a snapshot of the web page currently shown in the Web View, and loads it into
the background of a new page in your meeting. This can be especially useful for
building presentations, because once the web page has been pulled in to a background
image, you can annotate it using the Annotation Tools. |
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Go |
Opens the web page whose URL is listed in the Web Page URL pull-down list. |
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What does it mean that IdeaShare can "record and playback"
presentations?
When using the IdeaShare system, you actually record information as it is written.
Unlike other systems, IdeaShare doesn't simply capture an image of what is on the
board. IdeaShare captures the motion of your pen and eraser strokes over time.
This is a very powerful tool that can provide immediate value. For example, suppose
that you are designing a workflow process on the board, but erase part of it by
mistake. With IdeaShare, since all strokes of the pen and eraser are captured, you
simply use the IdeaShare Play Controls to "rewind" and "playback"
to the point in time that the workflow data was visible and print that point in
time.
This not only lets you capture "lost" data, but allows you to distribute
recordings of whiteboards with more information. Instead of merely reviewing the
end-result of notes, audiences can choose to follow the thought process by viewing
a "playback" recreation of the notes as they were written.
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Can I use my whiteboard as a "touchscreen" with IdeaShare?
Yes. Virtual touchscreen mode, included in the software, allows you to operate your
computer directly from the whiteboard. You can open, work in, and close other files,
applications, and reference materials.
Project your computer's desktop onto the board with a data project. Using virtual
touchscreen mode in the software, an electronic pen with the plastic stylus insert
will control the mouse cursor from the board. The stylus insert is included in the
package and is a piece of plastic shaped like a marker pen but with no ink.
After a simple calibration process, the IdeaShare mouse stylus can point, click,
drag and drop, and otherwise control most PC operations directly from the whiteboard
with IdeaShare.
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When I'm using IdeaShare mouse and a projector, how do I "right
mouse" click?
Simply touch the IdeaShare mouse (electronic pen with plastic stylus insert) to
the board and hold in one place without moving for over 1 second, then pull the
IdeaShare mouse away from the board.
A right-click menu should appear.
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Is Handwriting Recognition Offered?
Handwriting recognition software converts handwritten fonts into text on the computer.
Handwriting recognition is possible using IdeaShare even though GBC doesn't make
a Handwriting Recognition software package. Microsoft™ Office XP™ now supports handwriting recognition
. This is most useful in projection mode where the user can write information on
the whiteboard and it is automatically converted to text on the computer.
Any 3rd party handwriting recognition packages (e.g. PenOffice from Paragraph ) that allows input using the computer's
mouse can be used in conjunction with IdeaShare in projection mode.
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What type of USB cable does the Portable IdeaShare use?
The Portable IdeaShare unit comes with a 15 foot USB A to Mini B cable. Should this
cable be misplaced, you can purchase a new cable through GBC, at your local computer
supply store or online via online computer supply stores.
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Can misplaced or damaged pens, erasers or cables be replaced?
Yes. Please call GBC Customer Service at 800-541-0094 for assistance.
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How does IdeaShare beam to a PDA?
When in copyboard mode (no computer connected), the IdeaShare Board can print directly
to a connected printer (HP compatible) or beam to a PDA (with Palm operating system
3.5 or higher). In order to beam to a supported PDA, that PDA must first have the
eBeam Viewer software loaded onto it. eBeam Viewer software can be downloaded from
the Downloads section of this site (link).
After information has been written on an IdeaShare Board (using the electronic pens
and eraser), it can be beamed by simply holding a PDA up to the IR port on the IdeaShare
tray (by the buttons) and pressing the Beam button on the IdeaShare Board tray.
Note: when a computer is connected to the IdeaShare Board, information can not be
beamed to a PDA.
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When in Copyboard mode, why are two pages printing out on top of
each other?
In Copyboard Mode, the IdeaShare Board saves only one page in its memory at a time.
Once you are finished with that first board, make sure to beam or print that page
before moving on. Once the information has been beamed or printed, make sure to
clear the memory by pressing the Clear button on the IdeaShare Board tray.
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How do I load documents and presentations into the eBeam software?
Documents such as PowerPoint and Excel can be brought into the eBeam software as
a background image. This is useful for interactive presentations and web meetings.
Simply go to the Page menu and select Background Image. Select Load Image to access
an office document within your computer or Capture Screen to click and drag an image
into the software. Once the image is loaded, use the pen and highlighter tools to
annotate. All annotations can be saved to the document in the various different
file formats available.
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What is the maximum length USB cable I can use?
The maximum length is 20 feet or use USB booster.
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