Troubleshooting and FAQs relating to the Mapmaker and object creation!
Unfortunately, you cannot rename a space at this time. However, you can copy or clone your existing space and give the new space the name that you prefer.
Learn more here: Copying a Room or Space
In the town package, we can guarantee functionality for 10 basic objects (interactable images) + 3 advanced objects (embedded sites/videos) without degrading server performance. Additional objects can be placed, used, and experimented with, but we recommend reducing the objects to the stated limits for a smoother experiences for your guests.
For City, this limit is 50 basic objects and 10 advanced objects.
On the Metropolis plan, you can have unlimited objects.
For more information, please see our pricing page: https://gather.town/pricing.
Google does not allow the embedment of any websites created through Google Sites. Google also does not allow the embedment of their file directories. This means that you cannot view your Google Drive folders.
To embed a personal google drive video, you first need to make sure that the settings for the video link is public. Then have it uploaded on a site that will allow embedment, such as Google Drive. For Google Drive, you must alter the link itself before you can embed it.
Please also make sure to use the "embeddable website" object interaction type, and not the embeddable video option.
For instance:
Original Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JhmvZOQcnxIo-nyusqb4zhptU56GyEEc/view
Embeddable link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JhmvZOQcnxIo-nyusqb4zhptU56GyEEc/preview
In order to share your Powerpoint, you first need to upload it to a site that allows embedding. One place you can upload your ppt is to Google Slides. Once you have your presentation on Google Slides, you can embed it after publishing it to the web: from the Files menu. Makes sure that the bottom of the prompt box says that your presentation is published.
This Google Slides presentation is listed as published at the bottom of the dialogue box.
You’ll get a URL like this: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vSbaMdqLEgO0CjXPzEahfQm4mJIDhaGjU2waSy6DJz4m1hRXQNOBsRaoR74hYwH8s6atXylVla2ODM8/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000
Delete everything from the original link that begins with "pub?" and replace it with the word “embed” so it looks like this instead: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vSbaMdqLEgO0CjXPzEahfQm4mJIDhaGjU2waSy6DJz4m1hRXQNOBsRaoR74hYwH8s6atXylVla2ODM8/embed
Copy that modified link and paste it into the URL field for embedded websites.
As soon as you create a Gather Space, it's available 24/7 for free, for up to 25 concurrent users! You can build more rooms, modify them, party in it, test drive new ideas, have small meetings or rehearsals for events- anything you want, as long as you want, with up to 25 people!
You can start setting up your room anytime prior to your event reservation. Our free mapmaker allows you to play around with most objects so you can creatively test out your space prior to your reservation. We have a custom map uploader where you can 1) copy our templates rooms and modify them or 2) upload any image you want to completely customize your own spaces. Please feel free to take a look at our quick start guidelines for custom maps in addition to our various map maker tutorials on YouTube.
The amount of time it takes varies greatly, depending on your personal design and technical experiences. The fastest way to create a custom space is to puzzle piece our template rooms together in the layout that you would like for your event. The longer method is to design your own map through Tiled or Adobe Photoshop, and then uploading those custom background images as your actual room template in the mapmaker.
All a reservation does is to increase the number of users that would be allowed into that space during your reservation - and when the reservation is over, your space drops back down to that 25 user maximum again until your next reservation!
To embed a Miro board into Gather, you will need to obtain the embeddable link for the board (which is different than the board's regular shareable link). Click Embed on the board Export menu like so:
Only copy the website part of the code between the quotation marks after the src=
Example stripped down link from embed code: https://miro.com/app/live-embed/Random_Hashed_Code_Here=/
Once you have the link, simply paste it into the URL field of an embedded website object!
Click on Embedded Website to enter the link, do NOT click on Select or it will use the autogenerated link. 
Enter the stripped down link to your miro board into the website URL and then click Select to place your board.
For more detailed instructions on how to obtain your embeddable link, please visit Miro's article on Embedding Editable Boards into Websites.
With the embedded image, you cannot upload a PDF. If you would prefer to have a pdf rather than a png or jpeg displayed, you would need to upload it to a public site (such as Google Drive) and use an embedded website object rather than an embedded image object.
If you upload your PDF to Google Drive, you have to alter the shareable link before you can embed it.
For instance:
Original Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RlIH-FVz0BO_4G6ktrsbCTiBrqbaTEx2/view
Embeddable link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RlIH-FVz0BO_4G6ktrsbCTiBrqbaTEx2/preview
You can also host a PDF on your website and embed your PDF as a website URL
For livestreams you need to leave the "Synchronized Start Time" field blank. Meaning you should not fill out the "synced tv" field. This is because the synced TV function automatically moves the time dial forward or backwards to ensure all participants are seeing the same part of a video and Livestreams on Youtube do not have a time dial. Youtube already handles the video synchronization on their end which means you only need to link the live stream as if you were embedding a regular video.
Check to see if you have a firewall/VPN issue blocking your ability to see the video. If not, try clearing your cache.
This must be done inside of the Mapmaker and is not currently possible in Builder Mode while you are inside of a Space.
You can rearrange and re-prioritize how the the objects are viewed in any given tile by dragging and dropping the objects on the right side object list panel inside of the Mapmaker. The object you have highlighted on the right panel is the currently selected object that you can drag and drop to rearrange the order of the objects on that square grid.
Editing an Object Stack
After you select an object from the Object Picker in our Mapmaker, you can now easily rotate and change the color of the object before placing it. You can rotate the object by:
Note: Right now you will need to click on one of the side menus in order to activate the Mapmaker hotkeys. This oddity will hopefully be worked out soon!
A screenshot showing the rotate buttons when placing an object
To delete a single object, drag the object you would like to delete out of the stack of objects into a square that does not have other objects. Switch to Object Erase Mode and select the object again.
Make sure you are in Object Eraser mode by having both the object icon and eraser icon highlighted in the upper left of your screen.
Here is a short tutorial on Synced TV Objects
Gather supports "synced" objects, that are set to start playing an embedded video at the same time for everyone. To set a synchronized start time, simply select the time and date you would like your video to automatically start in the appropriate field.
Embeded video options with the Synchronized Start Time field boxed under the advanced options setting.
To test your Synced TV to see if the video plays back properly, set the 'time' for a time ~1 minute in the past, and make sure the video plays accordingly. (It should start ~1 minute in.)
Video objects with a sync time set that have not yet reached their sync time will appear on the map, with a blank black screen. The blank screen will continue to display until the start time you have entered. Guests will not be able to start playing the video on their own.
A black screen with small white text that reads "There's no video playing right now!"
Note that you cannot use the Synchronized Start Time in conjunction with Live Streams.
For livestreams you need to leave the "Synchronized Start Time" field blank. Meaning you should not fill out the "synced tv" field. This is because the synced TV function automatically moves the time dial forward or backwards to ensure all participants are seeing the same part of a video and Livestreams on Youtube do not have a time dial. Youtube already handles the video synchronization on their end which means you only need to link the live stream as if you were embedding a regular video.
After interacting with an embedded image, you and anyone else who has opened the image may use the "Presenter Mode" tool on the right hand side to click and indicate specific areas of the image or poster that you are discussing. Everyone who has the image open will see the locations that you click on while in Presenter Mode. The indication will appear as a small colored circle that will disappear after a few seconds.
Presenter Mode will appear on the right side of an opened image object, below the caption and above the zoom tool.
Occasionally, when you try to embed a website, you will see the message, "refused to connect," or something similar. This means that the website administrator for the site you are trying to embed does not allow the site to be embedded. This is a setting that the website administor can easily change; however, some sites block embedding due to their security or privacy policies.
You can test if a site allows embedding here: https://www.w3schools.com/tags/tryit.asp?filename=tryhtml_iframe .
The eraser mode is located on the left hand menu bar as the Builder "hammer" icon. Simply walk up to the object you want to delete, make sure the red box in front of you is on top of the object you would like to delete, and press the space bar on your keyboard.
Erase function located on left hand menu settings
Red Square signifies the location you're deleting objects fromEasily scroll between the objects in a stack to select the one you want to erase. This menu will only appear if there are 2 or more objects on the square you are trying to erase.
In the Mapmaker, when you use the erase on a stack of objects, it will now only delete the topmost object.
To delete an object in the middle of the stack, select it from the list on the right side and use the backspace button on your keyboard!
Object Stack Listed on the Righthand side of the Mapmaker when a grid space is selected
Here is a short tutorial on how to resize and upload custom object images:
Here is a tutorial on how to embed a logo into a Booth Object
Also see our tutorial on How to resize and upload custom object images.
The primary room is the room that your guests will appear in when they first enter your Space as well as where they will reappear if they select the "respawn" option in their user menu. To change the primary entrance room of your Space, you can right click on the room name in the room list in the bottom right hand corner of our mapmaker. Click the three dots to the right of the name select "Set as primary." The primary room for that space will then be marked with a small "house" icon to the left of the name. Every room requires at least one spawn tile, this exists as a fail safe in case you decide to change the primary entrance room or delete your existing primary room.
Changing the Default Room.
Note: New guests will be sent to your new primary room, however, if you have visited the Gather Space before the primary room was changed, you may still arrive in the old room. To make your way to the new room, click on the reset button in your bottom menu.
Reset Position Button
To make sure the website you want to use can be embedded, you must make sure that:
1.) It is an HTTPS site. Unfortunately, HTTP sites will not work due to security concerns.
2) The website administrator allows embedding. If they do not, you will get a message saying "refused to connect" or something similar. You can test this here: https://www.w3schools.com/tags/tryit.asp?filename=tryhtml_iframe
Note: Some sites might require that you allow 3rd party cookies to display properly.
Not all websites are the correct format to be embedded within Gather, and it is also common practice that companies and website hosts block embedding or their URLs to avoid spam.
A workaround for websites that can not be embedded would be to paste the URL within the object as a note interaction. This will allow the participants to see a URL when they interact with that object, like in the screenshot below. If they click the URL it will open the website in a new tab.
A screenshot of the note interaction selected.
A screenshot of what participants will see when they interact with an object that has a URL pasted as a note interaction.Windows has a native feature that detects whenever you are in a call and will automatically mute or reduce the sounds from your browser. If you are not able to hear any sounds from Sound Objects and your SFX volume in your User menu is at max, you may need to adjust your Windows Settings.
To do so,
1. Go to your Control Panel
2. Click on "Chance System Sounds" under the Sound category
3. Click on the "Communications" tab and adjust your settings to match your preferences
You can change how Windows adjusts your sounds by going into your Sound Settings from the Control Panel
Although you cannot directly swap out the template you selected, you can create new rooms inside your existing space using any of our templates!
To do so, use the mapmaker to edit your space and create a new room.
The "Create a New Room" button is in the bottom right corner of the Mapmaker
Select "Choose from Template."
Your options when creating new roomOnce you have created the room and set it up as you like, you can then click on the 3 dots on the right side of it's name in the room list and set it as your new Primary Room.
You can easily change your primary room at any point in time.