Customize the group chat windows layout

You can customize the layout of the Group Chat windows to support how you work. In this topic, we describe how to customize the following parts of Group Chat:

• My Chat

• Participant List

• Message Entry Area

What do you want to do?

Customize My Chat

Float My Chat

To float my chat

Docking My Chat

Docking My Chat to different sides

To change the location of My Chat

Hiding My Chat

To hide My Chat

To show My Chat

Floating and anchoring Chat Rooms

To float a chat room

To anchor a floating chat room

To anchor all floating chat rooms

Customize the Participant List

To show the Participant List

To hide the Participant List

Customize the message area

To change the columns displayed in the message area

Customize My Chat

You can change how and where My Chat appears. You can float, hide, or dock the window in different positions.

Float My Chat

Floating My Chat detaches it from the Group Chat window. You can choose to float My Chat or you can have it appear in a separate window. You can resize My Chat or move it to a different position and dock it to the Group Chat window. When My Chat is floating, the floating window is called the My Chat window and the main window is called Group Chat.

To float my chat

1. In My Chat, click the Window Position button, and then click Floating.

2. Drag the My Chat header until it detaches from the Group Chat window.

Docking My Chat

If My Chat is floating, follow one of these steps to dock it:

1. In My Chat, click the Window Position button, and then click Dockable. Use the guides to dock My Chat by dragging the header to the docking guide in the area where you want to dock My Chat.

2. On the View menu, click Restore Default Layout.

Docking My Chat to different sides

You can dock My Chat at the top, bottom, left, or right.

To change the location of My Chat

1. Right-click the My Chat title bar, and then verify that Dockable is selected.

2. Right-click the My Chat title bar, point to Dock to, and then click Left, Right, Top, or Bottom. My Chat docks to the selected side.

Hiding My Chat

You can hide or minimize My Chat.

To hide My Chat

1. In My Chat, click the Window Position button, and then click Floating.

2. Drag the My Chat header until it detaches from the Group Chat window.

This minimizes My Chat on the side of the Group Chat window, with the chat rooms hidden.

To show My Chat

1. Click My Chat on the side of the Group Chat window.

2. My Chat appears briefly.

3. Right-click the My Chat title bar, and then clear Auto-Hide.

Floating and anchoring Chat Rooms

You can float one or more of the chat rooms in My Chat. When you float a chat room you open a new window with a message area, Participant List, and Message Entry Area that is used to post and view messages to the chat room.

To float a chat room

1. In My Chat, click a group chat room to select it, and then press CTRL+D.

2. Click the Open in New Window button.

To anchor a floating chat room

1. Select the window with the floating chat room, and then press CTRL+D.

2. Click the Anchor Window button in the upper-right corner of the floating window.

To anchor all floating chat rooms

• In the main window, on the View menu, click Anchor All Windows.

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Customize the Participant List

The Participant List displays the names of all chat room members currently in the active chat room.

To show the Participant List

1. On the View menu, click Show Participants.

2. Right-click anywhere in the message area, and then click Show Participants.

3. Press CTRL+U.

To hide the Participant List

• Right-click anywhere in the Participant List, and then click Hide Participants.

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Customize the message area

The message area displays posted messages and other information, such as the time that a message was sent, the author of the message, and the chat room/contact name. Filters show all three by default, and other chat rooms show time and sender information by default.

To change the columns displayed in the message area

• On the View menu, point to Show Columns, and then select or clear the Time, Author, or Chat Room/Contact options.

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