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Start a Video Call

Last updated 2022/09/22 01:55:43
This article only applies to the Agora Web SDK 3.x and earlier versions.

This article describes how to build a Web project that implements a basic video call using the Agora SDK.

The following video demonstrates how to build an app that implements the Agora video call from scratch.

Prerequisites

  • A valid Agora account.
  • An Agora project with an App ID and a temp token
  • A Windows or macOS computer meets the following requirements:
    • Access to the Internet. If your network has a firewall, follow the instructions in Firewall Requirements to access Agora services.
    • A browser that matches the supported browser list. Agora highly recommends using the latest version of Google Chrome.
    • Physical media input devices, such as a built-in camera and a built-in microphone.
    • An Intel 2.2GHz Core i3/i5/i7 processor (2nd generation) or equivalent

Create a Web project

  1. Create a folder for this project, and then create files in the following structure:

    .
├── index.html
├── scripts
│   └── script.js
└── styles
   └── style.css

    The index.html file is the web page; the script.js file includes the JavaScript code that implements the video call function; the style.css file defines the front-end styles.

  2. Add the following code to index.html.

    <!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <title>Video Call</title>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="./styles/style.css">
</head>
<body>
    <h1>
        Video Call<br><small style="font-size: 14pt;">Powered by Agora.io</small>
    </h1>
    <h4>Local video</h4>
    <div id="me"></div>
    <h4>Remote video</h4>
    <div id="remote-container">
    </div>
    <script src="./scripts/script.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

  3. Add the following code to style.css.

    *{
    font-family: sans-serif;
}
h1,h4{
    text-align: center;
}
#me{
    position: relative;
    width: 50%;
    margin: 0 auto;
    display: block;
}
#me video{
    position: relative !important;
}
#remote-container{
    display: flex;
}
#remote-container video{
    height: auto;
    position: relative !important;
}

Integrate the SDK

Choose one of the following methods to obtain the Agora Web SDK:

Method 1: Through npm

This method requires npm; see Install npm for details.

  1. Run the following command to install the SDK:

    npm install agora-rtc-sdk

  2. Add the following code to the JavaScript code in your project:

    import AgoraRTC from 'agora-rtc-sdk'

Method 2: Through the CDN

Add the following code to the line after <head> in the index.html file:

<script src="https://cdn.agora.io/sdk/release/AgoraRTCSDK-3.6.11.js"></script>

Method 3: Through the Agora website

  1. Download the latest Agora Web SDK.

  2. Copy the AgoraRTCSDK-3.6.11.js file to the scripts directory.

  3. Add the following code to the line after </body> in the index.html file:

    <script src="./AgoraRTCSDK-3.6.11.js"></script>

Implementation

Once the project is set up, use the core APIs of the Agora Web SDK in script.js to implement the basic video call function.

You need to work with two types of objects when using the Agora Web SDK:

  • The client object, which represents the local client. The Client methods provide the major functions for a voice/video call, such as joining a channel and publishing a stream.
  • Stream objects, which represent the local and remote streams. The Stream methods define the behaviors of a stream object, such as the playback control and video encoder configurations. When you call a Stream method, you need to distinguish between the local and the remote streams.

The major steps for implementing a basic video call are as follows:

  1. Create and initialize a client object.
  2. Join a channel.
  3. Create a local video stream and publish it.
  4. Subscribe to the streams of remote users.

The following figure shows the API call sequence of a basic one-to-one video call. Note that these methods apply to different objects.

Web video call API sequence

Before you begin, it is helpful to define some functions to handle errors and add/remove views of remote users. Add the following code to the beginning of the script.js file.

// Handle errors.
let handleError = function(err){
        console.log("Error: ", err);
};

// Query the container to which the remote stream belong.
let remoteContainer = document.getElementById("remote-container");

// Add video streams to the container.
function addVideoStream(elementId){
        // Creates a new div for every stream
        let streamDiv = document.createElement("div");
        // Assigns the elementId to the div.
        streamDiv.id = elementId;
        // Takes care of the lateral inversion
        streamDiv.style.transform = "rotateY(180deg)";
        // Adds the div to the container.
        remoteContainer.appendChild(streamDiv);
};

// Remove the video stream from the container.
function removeVideoStream(elementId) {
        let remoteDiv = document.getElementById(elementId);
        if (remoteDiv) remoteDiv.parentNode.removeChild(remoteDiv);
};

1. Create a client

Create and initialize a client object to control the call. You need to replace yourAppId with the App ID of your Agora project. See Get an App ID for details.

let client = AgoraRTC.createClient({
    mode: "rtc",
    codec: "vp8",
});

client.init("yourAppId", function() {
    console.log("client initialized");
}, function(err) {
    console.log("client init failed ", err);
});

Pay attention to the settings of mode and codec in the AgoraRTC.createClient method:

  • mode determines the channel profile. Agora recommends using the rtc mode for one-to-one or group calls and the live mode for interactive live streaming.
  • codec sets the codec that the web browser uses for encoding and decoding. If your app needs to support Safari 12.1 or earlier, set it as h264. Otherwise, set it as vp8.

2. Join a channel

Call client.join to join a channel. You need to generate a token to replace yourToken in the code sample below.

// Join a channel
client.join("yourToken", "myChannel", null, (uid)=>{
  // Create a local stream
}, handleError);

3. Create and publish a local stream

Add the following code after // Create a local stream in client.join:

let localStream = AgoraRTC.createStream({
    audio: true,
    video: true,
});
// Initialize the local stream
localStream.init(()=>{
    // Play the local stream
    localStream.play("me");
    // Publish the local stream
    client.publish(localStream, handleError);
}, handleError);

4. Subscribe to remote streams

When a remote user publishes a stream, the SDK triggers the stream-added event. Listen to this event, and subscribe to the remote stream in the callback.

// Subscribe to the remote stream when it is published
client.on("stream-added", function(evt){
    client.subscribe(evt.stream, handleError);
});
// Play the remote stream when it is subscribed
client.on("stream-subscribed", function(evt){
    let stream = evt.stream;
    let streamId = String(stream.getId());
    addVideoStream(streamId);
    stream.play(streamId);
});

When a remote user unpublishes the stream or leaves the channel, stop the stream playback, and remove its view.

// Remove the corresponding view when a remote user unpublishes.
client.on("stream-removed", function(evt){
    let stream = evt.stream;
    let streamId = String(stream.getId());
    stream.close();
    removeVideoStream(streamId);
});
// Remove the corresponding view when a remote user leaves the channel.
client.on("peer-leave", function(evt){
    let stream = evt.stream;
    let streamId = String(stream.getId());
    stream.close();
    removeVideoStream(streamId);
});

Run the project

Agora recommends running and debugging your project through a local web server. In this section, we use the npm live-server package to set up a local web server.

  • Running the web app through a local server (localhost) is for testing purposes only. In production, ensure that you use the HTTPS protocol when deploying your project.
  • Due to security limits on HTTP addresses except 127.0.0.1, Agora Web SDK only supports HTTPS or http://localhost (http://127.0.0.1). Do not deploy your project over HTTP.

    1. Run the following command in the terminal to install live-server.

      npm i live-server -g

    2. Change the directory to your project with the cd command.

    3. Run the app:

      live-server .

      This should automatically load the web app in your browser.

    4. Allow the browser to access your microphone and camera in the pop-up window. You should see a video stream of yourself.

    5. Duplicate the browser tab.

      You should see two video streams in each browser window.

    If the project does not work properly, open the browser console and check for errors. The following are the most likely errors:

    • INVALID_VENDOR_KEY: Incorrect App ID or token. Ensure that you enter the correct App ID and token.
    • DYNAMIC_USE_STATIC_KEY: Token missing. Because your Agora project enables App Certificate, you need a token to join the channel.
    • Media access:NotFoundError: Camera/microphone error. Check that your camera and microphone are working properly.
    • MEDIA_NOT_SUPPORT: Please use HTTPS or localhost.
    Do not debug the web app on emulated mobile devices.

    See also

    Group video call

    For scenarios involving group video calls, refer to the step-by-step tutorial on how to build a group video call web app.

    Sample projects

    Agora provides the following additional sample projects on GitHub:

    WordPress plugin

    With the Agora Video for WordPress plugin, you can easily embed live video streaming in your WordPress posts and pages. See the Agora WordPress Plugin QuickStart Guide.

    FAQ