# Quick Start
## Overview
LoomieLive allows you to join your favorite video conferencing application as a fully customizable avatar, with options to change environments, use only audio, send gestures, and more. Read on to find out how to get started.
## System Requirements
LoomieLive supports the following platform and hardware combinations:
* **Windows x86:** Windows 10, 4th generation or better Intel CPU supporting AVX instruction set
* **Windows ARM:** Windows 10, Microsoft Surface Pro X, Samsung Galaxy S
* **MacOS:** Mojave or Catalina, Mac computers 2015 or newer recommended
LoomieLive **does not** work with Chromebooks, tablets, or much older PCs. (and LoomieLive is not the same thing as the [Loomie Avatar mobile app](https://loomai.com/loomies), which you will use to construct your avatar)
{% hint style="success" %}
It's not a requirement, but **..... HEADPHONES!**
**For best results use a headset or headphones with LoomieLive.** This allows your avatar to be driven by your voice, without causing it to lip-sync when others in the conference are speaking.
{% endhint %}
## Step 1: Create your own Loomie™Avatar
To use LoomieLive with custom avatars, download our [avatar creation app](https://loomai.com/loomies) and sign in to build and save your Loomie™ avatar. (If you don't want a custom avatar right away, skip to the next step and use one of the built-in LoomieLive avatars)
## Step 2: Login to LoomieLive
If you have created a custom avatar with the [Loomie App](https://loomai.com/loomies), you'll be able to log in to LoomieLive with the account you used in the app. Logging in will give you access to your created avatars, which you can select from the list by clicking the avatar profile image. You can also skip logging in and use the built-in avatars.
## Step 3: Connect to video calls
To use your avatar in a video conference, **START LOOMIELIVE FIRST**, then open your video conferencing app and select 'LoomieLive Camera' as the webcam input. The output you see in the LoomieLive display will be available as input to video conferencing applications including Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, and any conferencing application that runs in browser or supports virtual cameras.
{% hint style="info" %}
**HEADPHONES**
**For best results use a headset or headphones with LoomieLive.** This allows your avatar to be driven by your voice, without causing it to animate when others are speaking.
{% endhint %}
{% hint style="info" %}
**Not seeing a LoomieLive Camera in the menu?**
If you don't see the LoomieLive Camera option in your list of webcams, try restarting the conferencing application. This includes browsers like Google Chrome, which must be restarted after LoomieLive is installed.
{% endhint %}
{% hint style="info" %}
**Loomie Preview blank or stalled?**
**Windows:** be sure no other application is using the webcam (eg, another videoconferencing app). LoomieLive's preview will be a black square, and you'll be warned it cannot access the webcam. And if LoomieLive **does** have the webcam, and in your videoconferencing app you switch back to using the webcam, you'll need to first quit Loomielive so the original camera is available to other apps.
{% endhint %}
## Avatar Modes: Voice, Video, AR
LoomieLive can run in several modes with different combinations of voice and video input for different levels of privacy. You can join video conferences as your avatar using just your voice from your microphone, or you can turn your camera on for a more expressive experience.
### Camera On
* **Video Mode**\
When in Video Mode, LoomieLive will activate your built in webcam or connected hardware camera. Your avatar will animate from a combination of your voice and video inputs.
{% hint style="warning" %}
**Can't click Video or AR buttons?**
Visit the settings panel by clicking the gear (
) in the upper right corner of the LoomieLive display. Turn on the **Video And AR Mode** switch if it is off (on older model machines this is turned off at first).
{% endhint %}
* **AR Mode**\
When in AR Mode, your avatar will be rendered directly on your video, with an optional spotlight mode that focuses the camera on your face to maximize privacy.You can also toggle whether the avatar head is drawn -- spotlight is pretty nice to use with regular video of your face!
### Camera Off
* **Voice Mode**\
When in Voice mode, LoomieLive runs only with audio from your microphone. In this mode, your avatar will be animated by the sound of your voice. Simply open LoomieLive and begin speaking to see your avatar lip sync.
To configure your microphone input, visit the settings panel by clicking the gear () in the upper right corner of the LoomieLive display.
## Sending Gestures
With LoomieLive, you can send gestures while in Voice or Video Mode. Simply click the gesture button to reveal the gesture menu, and select the desired gesture from the right hand side gesture panel.
## Personalizing Environments
In Voice or Video Mode, select a from the list of environments. To upload your own background images, click the right arrow in the Environments menu to reveal the 'Custom' option. From here, you can add custom background images from your computer.
**That's it!**\
We've covered the setup and main features of LoomieLive, if you have further questions, please visit the other help pages or visit our support page:
{% content-ref url="support" %}
[support](https://loom-ai.gitbook.io/loomielive/support)
{% endcontent-ref %}
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