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RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol)

Canvus can connect to RDP servers allowing the following functionality:

  • Interaction with the remote PC using multi-touch gestures
  • Interaction with applications like MS Office, Photoshop, Paint, etc. running on the RDP server, thus bringing in more content to the Canvus sessions
  • Transferring files to/from the RDP server
  • Receiving audio and video from the RDP server

Note

Canvus Client 2.6.0 or newer is required to connect to an RDP server from a local canvas. Canvus Client and Server 2.6.0 or newer is required to connect to an RDP server from a shared canvas.

Note

The RDP target is specified via the host configuration value. To use a non-standard port, include it directly in the host string using host:port syntax (for example, rdp.example.com:3390). There is no separate port field; port has always been part of the host value.

Opening an RDP Connection

There are two ways to initiate an RDP connection:

  • Launch the remote desktop from the remote desktop list
  • Launch a remote application from the More menu of an asset file

Launch a Remote Desktop

A remote desktop list widget shows the list of available RDP servers that MT Canvus can connect to. This list can be opened from the finger menu by tapping the RDP icon placed inside the Toolbox.

../../_static/screenshots/rdp_finger_menu.png
RDP in the finger menu.

The remote desktop list shows a list of available RDP servers and an option to connect to each of them. Tapping Connect initiates a connection to the selected RDP server.

../../_static/screenshots/rdp_list_initial.png
The remote desktop list showing the available RDP servers.

This opens an RDP widget which typically displays the desktop of the remote computer. However, the RDP widget can be configured to launch an application, thus restricting users access to the desktop. More information about configuring the Remote Desktop Mode can be found in client-config-rdp-connections

../../_static/screenshots/rdp_desktop.png
The remote desktop is displayed when initiating a connection.

Note

Pin the RDP widget to interact with it.

A small preview of the active connections are displayed in the list. Tapping on an active connection brings it to focus. This is particularly useful if there are many active connections scattered across a canvas and you want to navigate from one to the other. More information about configuring the Remote Desktop Mode can be found in client-config-rdp-connections.

../../_static/screenshots/rdp_list_active_connections.png
The remote desktop list shows all the active connections, its current connection status and a snapshot of the content.

Edit a File on a Remote Desktop

If configured, file assets on the canvas can be edited using applications on the RDP server. For example, you can edit a Word document or an image in Photoshop running on the remote machine. Changes saved on the remote side are automatically synced back to the file on the canvas.

To edit a file remotely, drag and drop the file onto a canvas and tap the RDP button located inside the More menu. This opens an RDP widget showing the full Windows desktop with the file available through a named drive share called AssetFromCanvus, accessible at \\tsclient\AssetFromCanvus on the remote machine. Open the file from there using any application you choose.

When you save changes to the file, Canvus detects the modification and updates the original asset on the canvas after a short delay (approximately 2 seconds of inactivity).

26.4.0 — full desktop for remote file edit

In 26.4.0, remote file editing opens as a full desktop session with a named drive share, replacing the earlier single-application (RAIL) mode. This provides a more reliable editing experience and resolves stale-pixel and compositing issues some users saw when launching editors through RAIL.

More information about configuring the Remote file handler mode can be found in client-config-rdp-connections.

Note

Pin the RDP widget to interact with it.

Transparent Mode

Transparent mode allows hiding the desktop on the remote machine. When enabled, Canvus will only render the application windows running on the remote machine. The desktop is made transparent, so you can see the canvas background or other canvas items behind the RDP widget.

Transparent mode is enabled by default when launching a remote application. To manually enable or disable transparent mode, tap the transparent mode button under the More menu of the RDP widget.

../../_static/screenshots/rdp_transparent_button.png
The transparent mode toggle switch on an RDP widget

Note

Transparent mode toggle is only available for RDP Remote Application widgets.

Scaling and Resizing

Use a pinch-to-zoom gesture to scale RDP widgets on Canvus. You can also scroll the mouse wheel to imitate the gesture.

To resize an RDP widget, drag the resize handle located at the bottom-right corner of the widget. This is possible only when the widget is unpinned and the RDP server supports it. Resizing an RDP widget effectively resizes the desktop on the remote machine.

Mute/Unmute Audio

Tap the speaker button located on the bottom-right corner of an RDP widget to mute the audio transmitted from the remote machine.

Info

client-config-rdp in client configuration.