Interactive Objects

You can control how close a user must be to interact with an object, which is called the activation distance. From the Object Picker, in the Object Interactions section, enter the maximum number of tiles a user can be from an object to interact with it. This distance includes all diagonals and is measured starting from the outermost edge of the tile(s) the object is contained within.

For example, if you were adding an external call indicator, which provides a URL to a third-party call, you might want everyone within 2 tiles to be able to interact with it. 

For an external call indicator, enter the URL and the activation distance.

If the activation distance is 8, anyone standing in a tile within 8 tiles of the object can interact with the object, as indicated by the transparent red square in the image below.

Anyone within the red rectangle can interact with the call object. Anyone outside the red rectangle would not be able to interact with it. 

If the object is larger than one tile, the activation distance starts at the edge of the tiles the object is placed within.

The red area indicates an activation distance of 4 for the keyboard, which takes up three tiles.

You can link any embeddable website in an interactive object and have it open directly inside of Gather within an iframe. This includes individual Google documents, spreadsheets, and forms, but not Google Drive file directories. Almost any site can be embedded as long as the website administrator allows embedding.

Add Interactive Object

To embed an image in an object, open the Object Picker from Mapmaker or from the Build pane in your Space. In the Object Picker, select your desired object. Under Object Interactions, select Embedded website.

Open the Object Picker in the Mapmaker. Pick your object, and under Object Interactions, select Embedded website.

Enter the URL of the website you wish to embed. Set your activation distance (the default is 3), and add a custom prompt message, if you'd like.

Enter the URL of the website you want to embed in the object. Set the activation distance and add a prompt message, if you'd like.

Place the object in your Space and select Save in the Top Nav Menu of the Mapmaker (no need to save if you're placing the object within your Space). 

Place the object in your Space and select Save.

When anyone walks up to the object, they will be prompted to interact with the default message (Press x to interact) or your custom prompt message. When they press "x" on the keyboard, the embedded website displays within Gather. They can press "x" again or click the x to close the embedded website.

Riley walks up the interactive object, presses "x" on his keyboard, then sees the Gather help center embedded in Gather.

Embedded Website Troubleshooting

• The website must be a URL that begins with https. Unfortunately, we do not allow http sites for security concerns.
• The website must allow embedding in an iframe. If the site dose not allow embedding, you will see a "refused to connect" message or something similar when you interact with the object. You can test if a website will work in an iframe here: https://www.w3schools.com/tags/tryit.asp?filename=tryhtml_iframe 
• A workaround for websites that cannot be embedded is to paste the URL within an object as a note interaction. This will allow the participants to see a URL when they interact with that object, as in the screenshot and gif below. If they click the URL it will open the website in a new tab.

Add the URL in the message of a Note object interaction.

When the person interacts with the object, they can click the URL in the note to access the website.

For non-embeddable websites, use a Note interaction to provide the URL. 

You can embed images in interactive objects in Gather. When someone is within the activation distance of the object, they see a small pop-up preview of your image. When they interact with the object, the full image opens in an iframe.

Here's a video that walks you through embedding images using our poster set templates. Otherwise, read on for more info.

Add Interactive Object

To embed an image in an object, open the Object Picker from Mapmaker or from the Build pane in your Space. In the Object Picker, select your desired object. Under Object Interactions, select Embedded image.

From the Object Picker, select an object. In the Object Interactions section, select Embedded image.

Select Choose File to upload the image, as well as a preview image. Set the activation distance (default is 3) and any other advanced options.

Select Choose File to upload your image, as well as your preview image.

File Requirements and Tips

Gather enlarges the image to fill the iframe, so exact dimensions and proportions are not required. However, for the best experience, we recommend the following:

• Must be a .png or .jpg file
• Use a 16:9 aspect ratio:
  • Minimum recommended width is 1000 px (24.46 cm)
  • Minimum recommended height is 600 px (15.88 cm)
  • >72 DPI
  • Landscape is preferable to view the full image, but portrait can be used with scrolling.
  • You can use PowerPoint, Canva, or another third-party application to design and save a 16:9 image.
  • Maximum file size is 3 MB.
• Do not use a transparent background. 
• Create a preview image that is half the width and height of the image (500 x 300 px).

Advanced Options

You can add a caption that the viewer will see when they interact with the object. The text you add for the caption will display when the image is open and you hover on the "i" icon on the right side of the expanded image. This caption is not alt text.

Place the object in your Space and select Save in the Top Nav Menu of the Mapmaker (no need to save if you're placing the object within your Space). 

Place the object in your Map and select Save.

When anyone walks up to the object, they will be prompted to interact with the default message (Press x to interact) or your custom prompt message. A small preview of the image displays at the bottom of the screen. When they press "x" on the keyboard, the embedded image displays within Gather. They can press "x" again or click the x to close the embedded image.

Riley interacting with a poster with an embedded image in it.

Presenter Mode

When interacting with an embedded image, you and anyone else who has opened the image can use Presenter Mode 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.

Select Presenter Mode on the right of the image to show where you are clicking when viewing the full size image.

If you'd like to show showcase a video or set up a livestream, you can embed video into an interactive object. The following platforms are great options for sharing video:

• YouTube
• Vimeo
• YouTube live (livestreaming)
• Twitch (livestreaming)
• Or really anywhere with HTTPS and a video embed link.

Add Interactive Object

To embed a video in an object, open the Object Picker from Mapmaker or from the Build pane in your Space. In the Object Picker, select your desired object. Under Object Interactions, select Embedded video.

From the Object Picker, select your object. In the Object Interactions section, select Embedded video.

Copy the URL into the Video field. Set the activation distance (default is 3) and any other advanced options (more below).

Paste the URL into the Video field.

Place the object in your Space and select Save in the Top Nav Menu of the Mapmaker. (No need to save if using the Object Picker in your Space.)

Place the object in your Map and select Save.

When anyone walks up to the object, they will be prompted to interact with the default message (Press x to interact) or your custom prompt message. A small preview of the video displays at the bottom of the screen. When they press "x" on the keyboard, the embedded video displays within Gather. They can press "x" again or click the x to close the embedded video.

Advanced Options: Synchronized Videos

You can enter a Synchronized start time to choose the time and date for the video to play to everyone within activation distance. 

Use the calendar picker to choose the Synchronized start time to begin playing the video to everyone within activation distance.

• 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 synchronized start time set that have not yet reached the designated 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.

Embed Video as Website

If you want video controls and closed captioning for a YouTube video, you can add it as an embedded website instead. To do this, you need to modify the URL of the video, replacing "watch?v=" with "embed/". 

For example, if the original URL for the video is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JePchzu_USM, you need to edit it to https://www.youtube.com/embed/JePchzu_USM. 

Then copy and paste the new URL into the Website field for your interactive object.

To add a YouTube video with player controls, use the Embedded website field in the Object Picker and edit the URL.

When the person interacts with the object, the video will open in an iframe as an embedded website, with the YouTube player controls.

When you press "x" to interact with the object, the video plays in an iframe with the YouTube controls.

Want to use a third-party platform like Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, or WebX to host a call? You can do that with our external call integration object! 

Add the External Call Object

To add an external call object, open the Object Picker from Mapmaker or from the Build pane in your Space. In the Object Picker, search for "call." Under Object Interactions, select External call.

From the Object Picker, search for the external call object and select External call from the Object Interactions.

Paste the URL of the call into the Call (URL) field. Set the activation distance (default is 10) and any other advanced options.

Enter the URL of the external call in the Call (URL) field.

Place the object in your Space and select Save in the Top Nav Menu of the Mapmaker. (No need to save if using the Object Picker in your Space.) meet.google.com/hashed-url

Place the external call indicator object in your Space where it's easy to access.

When anyone walks up to the object, they will be prompted to interact with the default message (Press x to interact) or your custom prompt message. When they press "x" on the keyboard, the embedded call link displays within Gather. They select the link to open the call in another tab. Gather automatically turns off audio and video when visiting an external call link.

The screen that displays for interacting with the external call object. Select the link to open the third-party call in a new tab.

When the call is finished, return to the Gather tab and select Re-enter to return to the Room with the call object.

After the call is over, select Re-enter to return to your Gather Room.

Here's a short video placing an external call object. 

Tips and Tricks

• Set a large activation distance for the object so that anyone who enters the area for the call can interact with it. Otherwise, you will have too many people crowded in one small area.
• You can place multiple external call objects with the same call URL in the Room or across the Space so more people can interact easily with the object.
• If you choose to rotate call links throughout the day, you will need to either:
  • Designate someone with the Builder role to use the Mapmaker or Build tool to erase the object with the old call link and place a new object (with a new link), or
  • Create different objects (e.g., signs with the call time or speaker on the call) for people to get the next link. 
• If you expect less than 100-150 participants, use Gather's spotlight tiles for the call.

You can place messages inside of note objects. This is handy if you are designing a game or encouraging exploration of a Space, or if you want to let a co-worker know you stopped by. 

Add an Interactive Object

To embed a note in an object, open the Object Picker from Mapmaker or from the Build pane in your Space. In the Object Picker, select your desired object. Under Object Interactions, select Note object.

From the Object Picker, select an object, and in Object Interactions, select Note object.

Enter your text into the Message field. Set the activation distance (default is 1) and any other advanced options.

Enter your text in the Message field.

Place the object in your Space and select Save in the Top Nav Menu of the Mapmaker. (No need to save if using the Object Picker in your Space.)

Place the object in your Map and select Save (if in the Mapmaker).

Edit Note

If you want to change the message of a note, use the Mapmaker. With Objects active in the Top Nav Menu and the Select tool active in the Left Nav Menu, click the note object you wish to edit. Update the text. Click Save in the Top Nav Menu when you're finished.

Use the Select tool to click on the note object to edit the text.

When you add an interactive object, there are several advanced options that allow you to finely tune a person's experience with the object. These options are great for creating escape rooms and adding easter eggs to your Space! 

Add Advanced Options

To add advanced options to an object, open the Object Picker. Choose an object. If your intent is just to create an object that changes when you approach it (e.g., an open trapdoor or an on/off switch), select Note object. Select Advanced options.

Choose an object, select a type of interaction, then select Advanced options. 

The Advanced options fields display, as described below. 

You can add a prompt message, edit images, add a caption, and choose when the object will display on the Map.

Prompt Message

When you approach an interactive object, a prompt message displays. By default, this message is "Press "x" to interact." You can create a custom message. This feature is often used to provide instructions (e.g., "Press "x" to view my poster").

Object Image

When you choose an object from the Object Picker, the default Object Image is the object you selected. You can upload your own custom image by selecting Choose File and using your file explorer to select an image (.png or .jpg). The object then displays in your Space as the image file you uploaded.

Active Image

By adding an active image, when anyone approaches the object, the image changes once they're within the activation distance. You can upload your own custom active image by selecting Choose File and using your file explorer to select an image (.png or .jpg).

An example of an object with an active image is the trap door on the top deck of the pirate ship. When you walk near the trap door, a message displays, and the active image changes to look like the door has opened. A similar thing happens when you enter the cook shack—the roof disappears and the inside of the cook shack is visible!

Loading Icon (Embedded Website only)

If you are embedding a website, you can choose a custom loading icon that displays in the iframe while the website loads. By default, the Gather grapes logo spins as the loading icon. 

Caption (Embedded Image only)

If you are embedding an image, you can add an image caption. The text you add for the caption will display when the image is open and you hover on the "i" icon on the right side of the expanded image. This caption is not alt text.

Synchronized Start Time (Embedded Video only)

If you are embedding a video, you have the option to set a synchronized start time, which will begin playing an embedded video at the same time for everyone. 

• 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 synchronized start time set that have not yet reached the designated 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.
• You cannot use the Synchronized Start Time in conjunction with Live Streams.

Display (start)

Choose the date and time when the object will appear on the Map.

Display (end)

Choose the date and time when the object will disappear from the Map.