Customize and embedding the Lync UI in Silverlight client

Question

Hi!

In our Silverlight we would like to embed a customized version of the Lync talk / chat / video window that is optimized for touch usage. Could someone confirm that this is not possible with Lync 2010, and that my only option is to use the following buttons, which launches the default Lync window?

StartAudioCallButton 

StartInstantMessagingButton 

StartVideoCallButton

 

Or do I have other options?

 

Regards

Larsi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answer 1

Do you want to create your own UI to handle inbound/outbound conversations? If yes, you can use Lync in UISuppression mode. That would run Lync in the background. Then using the Microsoft.Lync.Model API you could start and manage conversations, listen to various events, etc. But you won't be able to dock the VideoWindow in your Silverlight app (Silverlight limitation). It would appear as a floating window.

---

Bahram Chehrazy Software Developer, Unified Communication Team

Answer 2

Larsi

You are correct if you use the Lync SDK 2010 Silverlight SStart*Button controls you will enter into the launch experience.  The launch experience is as you described, where Lync 2010 launches the conversation windows.

Bahram is correct if you want to write you own conversation window you can run Lync in UISupression mode.  I would like to point out that the Lync SDK 2010 Silverlight controls currently are not enabled when running Lync 2010 in UISupression mode.  The Start*Button as well as all of the Lync SDK 2010 Silverlight controls will appear in their disabled grey state as if Lync 201 were not running.  You would need to create your own Start*Button controls to initate a new conversation.

Nathan Hopper Software Developer, Unified Communication Team

Answer 3

So if I understand it correctly, Its not possible to fully integrate Lync into Silverlight.
The user must always have Lync2010 installed in order to use Lync in Silverlight?

Because we want to use Lync in a silverlight web app but only if the user doesn't need to install additional software.

 

Answer 4

If I use supression mode, can I provide the desktop sharing? Cause I know the desktop sharing feature is accessed by the Automation class, which is not available in supression mode. Using silverlight: is it possible to change the conversation window's icon and colors? How could I do that? Thank you!

---

Rodrigo Zavalik Castro
Analista e Desenvolvedor
São Paulo / SP - Brazil
[phone]

[phone]

Answer 5

No, desktop sharing and all other app sharing features are not supported in the UI suppression mode.

The Lync API does not support any UI customization other than docking.

---

Bahram Chehrazy Software Developer, Unified Communication Team

Answer 6

What you are asking is using Lync in-proc, which is not publically supported.

---

Bahram Chehrazy Software Developer, Unified Communication Team

Answer 7

 Could you tell me what is Lync in-proc,and  what is the difference between Lync in-proc and normal Lync sdk?

Many thanks.

Answer 8

In-proc is a way of loading some dll in the same process as your application. That does not require Lync to be installed on the  machine separately. As I mentioned, this method is not supprted, and I beleive you need to get permission from Microsoft to be able to redistribute Lync dlls. So, that is most probably not an option.

---

Bahram Chehrazy, MSFT - Unified Communication Team