Channel types
Learn about the different types of Vivox channels available.
Read time 2 minutesLast updated 8 months ago
Vivox uses the following types of channels:
The channel type is indicated by the character in the middle of a given channel's SIP address. For more information, refer to Channel URI structure.
Note
When working with both positional and non-positional channels, join the positional channel first, followed by the non-positional channels.
Echo channels
Echo channels include an -e- in their SIP address, which is displayed in the following example:
sip:confctl-e-issuer.channel-name@domain.vivox.com
Developers can use these channels to give users a place to test their microphones, or as a general way to test connectivity to the Vivox voice servers.
Non-positional channels
Non-positional channels, also referred to as 2D channels, include a -g- in their SIP address, which is displayed in the following example:
sip:confctl-g-issuer.channel-name@domain.vivox.com
Developers can use these channels to allow for level-wide audio and text channels that players can connect to.
Examples of scenarios where non-positional channels are often used include teams and squads in first-person shooters, and party chat in MMOs.
Non-positional channels are typically the most used channel types in a Vivox implementation.
Positional channels
Positional channels, also referred to as 3D channels, include a -d- in their SIP address, which is displayed in the following example:
sip:confctl-d-issuer.channel-name@domain.vivox.com
Developers can use these channels to provide voice chat that is a part of a world, with player voices attenuating and panning to make it seem like they're speaking from where they are positioned in the game world.
Note: You can join only one positional channel at a time.
You can parametrize positional channels with certain values that change how the positioning of the player affects their voice. For more information, see Positional channel properties.