# Hiding Visual Sources, Source Folders/Groupings, and Buttons instead of Toggles



## GigaBiteYTT (Nov 7, 2017)

The main scene I use contains upwards of 50 sources, and I use every one of them, though not all the time. Sometimes they're used in tandem, and so I I've mapped multiple sources to toggle on an off using hotkeys, but said sources remain visible in the source panel even when turned off, no matter what. 


Options to hide visual sources (one for hiding a source no matter what and one for hiding a source when not visible) like the recently added option to hide sources in the audio mixer would help reduce clutter in the sources panel. 


Likewise the option to group sources together in a "folder", and turn every source on and off using either a hotkey OR an eye icon IN the the sources panel would help tremendously. (And the option to hide a folder when inactive or no matter what, of course)

Finally there's the issue of only being able to toggle a source on and off. I use short, small videos with transparency to create "buttons" to use when something happens. (Ex: I win a match in a fighting game, I press the Win! button, it plays some fanfare and a graphic pops up, wooo)

The problem lies in having to use the hotkey twice, once to activate said fanfare source, and one to turn the source off after it's done.


An option to turn a source off after a period of time (Milliseconds, frames) would be wonderful.

That's about all the ideas I have for now. OBS is really great though. I had more but they all got patched in, wonderfully.

Thank you for your time.


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## GigaBiteYTT (Nov 7, 2017)

Oh and folders for scenes as well (though I guess that's assumed). Different Variations of the same scene could be used with the Twitch Switcher plugin to achieve the same purpose, just with a different game, and there'd be no need for multiple versions of the same source to appear all the time. 

c h e e r s


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## RytoEX (Nov 9, 2017)

GigaBiteYTT said:


> Likewise the option to group sources together in a "folder"



This has been suggested a lot.  A lot a lot.  It's on my list of things to look at, and I even think I know how to do it, but it's not just a matter of flipping a switch.  I need to find some time to sit down and do it and then test it to make sure I don't break any of the existing functionality.




GigaBiteYTT said:


> Oh and folders for scenes as well (though I guess that's assumed)


I wouldn't assume that.  What's the use-case for grouping scenes in folders?  You can only see one at a time and only select one at a time.  I understand the immediate use-cases for grouping sources, but not as much for scenes.


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## GigaBiteYTT (Nov 9, 2017)

My apologies, I didn't mean to seem like I was rushing you (actually that could just be me being overly sensitive and reading into it but either way I mean no I'll will). I can understand that'd it take time. 

And on the grouping scenes subject, a person could have what is essentially the same scene just with different assets. Maybe on one variant they have splits for a speed run while on another they have lobby info or a second webcam. You are correct in saying the immediate use-cases for grouping sources are not as numerable, though.


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## NLeseul (Nov 9, 2017)

RytoEX said:


> What's the use-case for grouping scenes in folders?  You can only see one at a time and only select one at a time.  I understand the immediate use-cases for grouping sources, but not as much for scenes.



If nothing else, it could help organize them a little better. The interface for selecting scenes right now is just a drop-down menu, which I think is likely to become unwieldy for someone with a large number of scenes. (I only have maybe ten scenes in my current setup, but the menu already feels kind of crowded to me.)


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## NLeseul (Nov 9, 2017)

NLeseul said:


> If nothing else, it could help organize them a little better. The interface for selecting scenes right now is just a drop-down menu, which I think is likely to become unwieldy for someone with a large number of scenes. (I only have maybe ten scenes in my current setup, but the menu already feels kind of crowded to me.)



Actually, never mind. I'm thinking of scene _collections_, not scenes. What I said still applies, but isn't the same thing the OP was talking about.


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## RytoEX (Nov 29, 2017)

GigaBiteYTT said:


> My apologies, I didn't mean to seem like I was rushing you (actually that could just be me being overly sensitive and reading into it but either way I mean no I'll will). I can understand that'd it take time.


No worries, I was probably just grumpy that day and exuding extra sass.  Sorry about that.


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## GigaBiteYTT (Dec 6, 2017)

RytoEX said:


> No worries, I was probably just grumpy that day and exuding extra sass.  Sorry about that.


Oh it's fine, things happen


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## RytoEX (Dec 7, 2017)

For what it's worth, I am presently trying to implement this.  I have run into several issues already, so I'm not sure how long this will take.


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## SpartanOverdrive (Dec 31, 2018)

RytoEX said:


> For what it's worth, I am presently trying to implement this.  I have run into several issues already, so I'm not sure how long this will take.


Hi! We're you able to figure this out? Last time I checked OBS, it wasn't immediate apparent. This organization is critical for people like me who use a lot of interactive sources in a scene that are activated/inactivated via hotkeys. Occasionally, something has to be done manually on the fly and the lack of cluster/folder organization makes it quite cumbersome. It's one of the primary reason I've been using SLOBS. Now that twitch chat integration, etc. are becoming a thing, this is the primary feature keeping me from coming back. I know SLOBS is still based on OBS, but it would be nice to rejoin the OG fold


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## dodgepong (Dec 31, 2018)

Answered in the other thread you posted in, but just in case, I'll repost here as well:

This was added in v22. They are called Source Groups. You can either add a new group via the normal source Add menu, or you can select multiple sources > Right Click > Group.


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## Simonmcj (Jan 8, 2021)

Im learning this program and I am not sure that my question is the same, you can show and hide, not switch on or off (Eye Symobol next to source) So the hot key has to be clicked twice.
Id like a timer to enable the source eg... [TIMERGRP] (Eye on) for a specified period then disable [TIMERGRP] (Eye off) at the end of the set time. It is then only one click of a key and you cant forget to turn it off. But cannot find the code to do so.

Thanks in advance


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