Tuple

Tuple is a screen sharing tool designed to facilitate pair programming sessions. It allows developers to share their screen, interact with shared screens in various modes and annotate the screen with paint and text. It also features video chat, so you can see who you’re pairing with. Tuple also supports clipboard sharing, making it easier to share code snippets and other information quickly.

How to Use Tuple

Installation Steps

1. Download the Installer:

   Visit the Tuple website and download the appropriate installer for your operating system (macOS, Linux, Windows).

2. Installation:

   Run the downloaded installer and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.

3. Account Setup:

   Open Tuple and sign-in to your account. The engineering manager should have added you to the Planet Argon team during your onboarding. If you can’t access your account, or it looks like you don’t have one yet, check your email for an invite link or ask your manager to send a new one.

4. Adding Teammates:

   After creating your account, you can add teammates by entering their email addresses. They will receive an invitation to join your team on Tuple.

5. App Permissions:

   Grant the necessary permissions for Tuple to access your screen, microphone, and camera to facilitate better communication and collaboration.

Calling a Teammate or Answering a Call

1. Initiating a Call:

   To call a teammate, find their name in your Tuple contact list and click on it to initiate a call.

2. Answering a Call:

   When a teammate calls you, a notification will appear. You can click “Accept” to start the collaboration session or “Decline” if you are unavailable.

3. Ending a Call:

   To end a call, hover over the call window to reveal the control bar and click on the “End Call” button.

Sharing Your Screen and Interacting with a Shared Screen

1. Starting Screen Sharing:

   Once the call is connected, click on the “Share Screen” button to start sharing your screen with your teammate.

2. Interacting with a Shared Screen:

   • Control Modes:

     • View Only: You can only view the screen without any interaction.

     • Request Control: Ask for control of the shared screen to interact directly.

   • Mouse Modes:

     • Tag Team: Share control, with only one person able to interact at a time.
     • Multi Cursor: All parties can control the screen simultaneously.

Using Bonus Features

1. Copy/Paste:

   • Share text snippets directly with teammates by copying text to your clipboard and pasting it onto your teammate’s system.
   • Use standard Cmd + C and Cmd + V (or Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V on Windows/Linux) shortcuts to copy and paste respectively.

2. Highlighting:

   • Use highlighting to draw attention to specific areas of the screen. This feature is particularly useful during code reviews or debugging sessions.
   • Turn on “Highlight Click” from the controls to emphasize clicks with a pulsing circle.

3. Drawing:

   • Activating Paint Mode: Click on the “Paint Mode” button to start drawing on the shared screen.
   • Using Paint Mode:
     • Draw freely with your cursor.
     • Hold “Shift” to draw straight lines.
     • Right-click to clear all drawings.
     • Leave comments or notes by creating text fields on the screen.
   • Deactivating Paint Mode: Click on the “Paint Mode” button again to exit the mode.

Integrating with Google Calendar

1. Install the Tuple Google Calendar integration.
2. Choose Tuple as the video conferencing option in the dropdown menu when creating events in Google Calendar.
3. Use this feature for scheduling regular events like stand-ups, dev discussions, and design reviews.