ChatNest - Group Video Call Web Application

Overview

ChatNest is a real-time group video calling application built with Agora SDK that enables seamless video conferencing with advanced features like screen sharing, chat messaging, file sharing, live transcription, and end-to-end encryption.

Features

• Real-time Video Calls: High-quality group video conferencing
• End-to-End Encryption: Secure communication with AES-256-XTS encryption
• Secured Guest Access: Token-based authentication for RTC and RTM
• Screen Sharing: Share your screen with other participants
• Chat Messaging: Send text messages during video calls
• File Sharing: Share files with other participants via Cloudinary integration
• Live Transcription: Real-time speech-to-text using Deepgram AI
• Meeting Summaries: Generate concise summaries of meetings
• Participant Management: View and manage call participants
• Device Controls: Toggle camera and microphone
• Responsive Design: Works across different screen sizes

Tech Stack

• Frontend:

  • HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript
  • Agora RTC SDK
  • Agora RTM SDK
  • Audio Worklet API
  • WebSockets

• Backend:

  • Node.js
  • Express
  • WebSocket for real-time communication
  • Cloudinary for file handling
  • Deepgram AI for speech recognition
  • Agora token generation

Project Structure

ChatNest/
├── client/
│   ├── images/
│   ├── js/
│   │   ├── agora-rtm-sdk-1.5.1.js
│   │   ├── AgoraRTC_N-4.14.0.js
│   │   ├── audio-processor.js
│   │   ├── file_sharing.js
│   │   ├── lobby.js
│   │   ├── room_rtc.js
│   │   ├── room_rtm.js
│   │   └── room.js
│   ├── styles/
│   │   ├── lobby.css
│   │   ├── main.css
│   │   └── room.css
│   ├── index.html
│   └── room.html
│
└── server/
    ├── .env
    ├── .gitignore
    ├── cloudinaryConfig.js
    ├── package.json
    ├── Procfile
    ├── server.js
    └── tokenGenerator.js

Setup & Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/TheProfessor123/ChatNest.git

2. Set up Agora account:

   • Create an account on Agora.io
   • Create a new project and get the App ID and App Certificate
   • Add your App ID and App Certificate to the server .env file

3. Set up Deepgram account:

   • Create an account on Deepgram
   • Get your API key
   • Add your Deepgram API key to the server .env file

4. Set up Cloudinary account:

   • Create an account on Cloudinary
   • Get your cloud name, API key, and API secret
   • Add these credentials to the server .env file

5. Server setup:

   • Navigate to the server directory: cd server
   • Install dependencies: npm install
   • Create a .env file with the following:

     APP_ID=your_agora_app_id
     APP_CERTIFICATE=your_agora_app_certificate
     CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=your_cloudinary_cloud_name
     CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=your_cloudinary_api_key
     CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=your_cloudinary_api_secret
     DEEPGRAM_API_KEY=your_deepgram_api_key
     PORT=3000
     

   • Start the server: node server.js

6. Client setup:

   • Open the client/index.html file in a browser or serve it using a simple HTTP server

Key Features Explained

End-to-End Encryption

ChatNest uses AES-256-XTS encryption to secure all video and audio communication, ensuring that your conversations remain private and protected from third-party access.

Secured Guest Access

• Implemented token-based authentication using Agora's RTC and RTM tokens
• Server-side token generation with secure validation
• Ephemeral access control for guest participants

Live Transcription

• Real-time speech-to-text using Deepgram AI
• Audio processing via WebSocket connection
• Client-side Audio Worklet for efficient audio stream handling
• Transcript display during meetings

Meeting Summaries

• Generate concise summaries of meeting content
• Automated key point extraction
• Both real-time and post-meeting summary options

Usage

1. Open the application
2. Enter your display name and room name
3. Click "Go to Room" to enter the video call
4. Use controls to:
   • Toggle camera 📹
   • Toggle microphone 🎤
   • Share screen 🖥️
   • Send messages 💬
   • Share files 📁
   • Enable live transcription 📝
   • Generate meeting summary 📋
   • Leave call ❌

Deployment

• Frontend: Deployed on Vercel
• Backend: Deployed on Render
• Monitoring: Using UptimeRobot to prevent backend inactivity

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

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Created by Chhagan Ram Choudhary