# how to start creating custom overlay?



## olegchir (Nov 12, 2016)

Hi. I'm trying to create a custom overlay that is visible to viewers only, not for a streamer.

Viewers will be able to check statistics live (of a strategy game), to react and see that streamer got their reaction.
Like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLiQLdRESXw

Probably I should get an existing plugin that already can display such overlay, understand it, and replace with my own content?

Could you please suggest which plugin to read?

Or if I can do more with changing core sources, what files in the sources I should learn in the first place?

(Sorry for this questions, I came from Java and Ruby world, so C++ is very very very hard to understand for me/noob, so here I'm asking stupid questions)

Disclamer: it's not for job, just for hobby, so later I can write everything I learned, tutorial or something


----------



## c3r1c3 (Nov 12, 2016)

Looks like a static image overlay with some text sources that are set to read from files.

That said, you could use the browser source plugin, create a webpage/web service that reads this info (check out nodeCG) and the browser source loads the page and displays it.

As to lower level coding, I guess you could use an image for the overlay, and write a plugin (or really a several smaller ones that each read one such stat) and write the info to a text file and then have the text source read it. Or you could have it create the info as a layer directly in OBS.

As to which plugins to look at as an example... start with the Text source for the text parts, and generic C/C++ (cURL anyone?) for the info pull from the web service that is supplying the stats.


----------



## olegchir (Nov 12, 2016)

I'll try to understand and apply this info, let's keep in touch, I'll report to you next week

Thank you!


----------

