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13.3

Following someone

The canvas is big, two people are each looking at their own corner of it, and nothing lines up when you talk. Following in DOTV is "stop looking, I will take you there": one person's view is moved straight onto the other person's screen — a real time-saver when you are walking a client through an AI video's storyboard. This section covers clicking an avatar to start following, why you cannot follow each other, and how Spotlight gets everyone following you.

Click an avatar to start following

Click someone's avatar at the top right and your view jumps to theirs at once; from then on, as they pan and zoom, you go along.

Who you are followingWhile you follow, the view is framed in their color with this pill at the top. Click it to stop — or just move the canvas, which drops you out too.
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What following looks like: a border in their color, and a pill at the top.

Three ways to stop, any of them will do:

  • Click the pill at the top;
  • Click that avatar again;
  • Just move the canvas (a drag, a scroll) — when you want to look at something yourself, you should not have to find an exit button first.

What you follow is what they can see, not their zoom number: if your screens are different sizes, you still will not miss the strip at the edge of theirs.

You cannot follow each other

If someone is following you, their avatar will not respond to your click, and an eye at the bottom right reminds you that they are watching your screen.

This is not about limiting anyone's permissions: two people following each other becomes a loop — your view follows theirs, theirs follows yours, and the smallest jitter is amplified back and forth until both views drift away with nobody touching a mouse.

Two more things that come with it:

  • No cursor is drawn for someone who is following. Their view is a mirror of yours, and their mouse is just a hand resting on it — drawing it would look like they were pointing at something.
  • If the person you are following leaves partway through, you get a "left — no longer following" notice rather than a silent stop.

Spotlight: everyone follows me

The button for the other direction, at the right end of the row. Turn it on and everyone in the room starts following you, each with a notice of their own.

  • It is an invitation, not a takeover: one move of their canvas and they are out, same as following by hand.
  • Click it again to end it, and anyone following you is released.
  • Starting a spotlight stops you following anyone else — whoever leads cannot be led at the same time.
Try it in DOTVReading only goes so far: open DOTV and make an AI video with the feature this section covers.