# Virtual Cam Plugin 2.0.5 not working with OBS 28



## ramraver (Sep 1, 2022)

The vCam Plugin is not working any longer with version 28. What about users who need more than just one virtual cam?


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## vxcheg (Sep 1, 2022)

my plugins crashed too! I had to install the old version. I will no longer update OBS. Everything is broken


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## ramraver (Sep 1, 2022)

Same for me. Installed version 27.x. It would be more important to check basic functionaility with a release, than to do a makeover of the GUI...


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## Aveborb20 (Sep 1, 2022)

vxcheg said:


> my plugins crashed too! I had to install the old version. I will no longer update OBS. Everything is broken


we have same problems here. May I know how to install the old version and what version is that, please?


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## deFrisselle (Sep 1, 2022)

You should check with plugin dev for those you use before updating  Not all plugins are updated to work with 28 yet
Should have read the notice that popped up when OBS updated


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## ramraver (Sep 1, 2022)

deFrisselle said:


> You should check with plugin dev for those you use before updating  Not all plugins are updated to work with 28 yet
> Should have read the notice that popped up when OBS updated


As you can see, my initial question was what users who need more than 1 vcam can do now. You have an answer to that? Fenir said in June he is not going to release updates on vcam 2.0.5. So as far as i know there is no vcam that gives you more than 1 instance.


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## deFrisselle (Sep 1, 2022)

Then it's a dead plug-in  You're stuck using the previous update till it is no longer supported  Though you may have issues if other plugins you use only update to support V28 as you will have to use the older versions
You could look for external programs that will create a virtual webcam that OBS can pick up as a webcam or try to get others to develop the plugin


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## G0MJW (Sep 1, 2022)

This is a severe problem for many of us using the virtual camera plugin. The built in virtual camera does not include sound. If it did we would not need to use the old plugin.  For now, nobody should update to 28 if they rely on this plugin.


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## G0MJW (Sep 2, 2022)

People depend on these "dead" plugins. Often non technical people. Most software maintains backward compatibility. From looking at the forum, this new update seems to have broken far too many things for far too many people to have been released without very explicit warnings on what will work and what will not. It almost seems like a new version entirely, like moving to Windows 7 from Windows XP.


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## Puuhbear (Sep 2, 2022)

you can easily revert back to version 27.2.4 by downloading and installing here: https://github.com/obsproject/obs-studio/releases

and the next time an update "warning" appears don't just click it away ;)


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## G0MJW (Sep 2, 2022)

I didn't update, still on the older version, but good advice. I only wish Microsoft would do the same, but they enforce updates with little regard for what they break.

However, the problem with using the older version it is is not going to be a viable solution in the long term because it will date rapidly. Apart from security fixes, any new plugins or existing ones that get updated may not work. The new user who comes along in a year from now needs the virtual camera with sound or more than one virtual camera won't know how to proceed, where to get the older version of plugins etc. I suppose this is a generic problem with plugins compared to a monolithic non-extensible package. Could we perhaps put all the plugins (the major ones at least)  in the same place as the version of OBS they are compatible with and archive it somewhere?


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## Brookers55 (Sep 2, 2022)

The big question is WHY did the developers update OBS when they knew a lot of plugins would not work with it? Surely they should have checked that there is backwards compatibility. As a result they just end up annoying a lot of users.


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## G0MJW (Sep 2, 2022)

They needed to update to QT6. I am surprised they didn't generate a new version, rather than post as an update to the current version, given how much it changed and how much that would break and the tendency for users to trust recommended updates perhaps a little too much.


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## Puuhbear (Sep 2, 2022)

well... first of all it IS a new version... hence the new version number 28! 

second, why would a software developer take care of plugins that seem abandoned for so long? that way you can never evolve!

third: they reported the changes really early and had long testing phases and open beta tests. every plugin developer had plenty of time updating. and a lot of them did!


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## Jaju2000 (Sep 2, 2022)

ramraver said:


> Same for me. Installed version 27.x. It would be more important to check basic functionaility with a release, than to do a makeover of the GUI..
> 
> 
> Puuhbear said:
> ...


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## G0MJW (Sep 2, 2022)

It hasn't been abandoned for so long. The developer was planning not to update it in June. That's only 2 months ago and as I said earlier, the reason was the plugin was so good the developers tried to mainstream it around stepping 26. Regrettably, they didn't really understand what it was being used for and didn't include sound in the main branch version nor multiple outputs, so in fact the official replacement was not a functional replacement, only a partial one. However, its creation undermined the rationale for updating the plugin the developer had developed.  I tried making the point at the time but because the plugin still worked, it wasn't deemed sufficiently important to restore the missing functionality in the core software.

The effect of updating to the new QT had been to break the functionality still supported by the old plugin and that means the user community who depended on that it can't update beyond 27, at least not until the situation changes.


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## G0MJW (Sep 2, 2022)

I don't see the relevance of that image post - can you elaborate.


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## Puuhbear (Sep 2, 2022)

oh wow... wrong thread :S I'm so sorry :X


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## deFrisselle (Sep 3, 2022)

Brookers55 said:


> The big question is WHY did the developers update OBS when they knew a lot of plugins would not work with it? Surely they should have checked that there is backwards compatibility. As a result they just end up annoying a lot of users.


It's not the OBS devs job to manage the plugins   It's the job of the plugin devs to keep up on OBS development   Testing against alpha and beta releases while they follow OBS development   It's all documented   Other plugins managed it


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## G0MJW (Sep 3, 2022)

I really despair at your attitude ddFrisselle. You are basically saying yah boo to users like me and many others. The problem this time has been such a big change has broken many plugins real users use and all I see at the moment are schadenfreudesque comments like that, that add absolutely nothing and are clearly intended to upset those people impacted.

Supporting plugin updates is in the interest of developers because without the plugins and the user community, OBS would be nothing compared to what it is now. It would be a little used app, if it survived as a project at all. Plugins provide features that attract users and that use in turn attracts investment in the project, makes developers feel their work is worthwhile and introduces new developers. That is why the developers have tried to help ensure plugins work.

So, in practice there is an obligation on both sides, from the main developers not to change too much too often that it puts a burden on the plugin developers and on the plugin developers to continue support if the can. Sometimes they can't for many reasons.


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## PaiSand (Sep 3, 2022)

You aren't forced to update. If something isn't working anymore on a new version of OBS you can still use the previous version where everything works for you.
You can't keep delaying advancement because someoone else refuse updating or abandoned development on some plugins.
What you can do is pay someone to develop what you need, or pay to this plugin creators to update their plugins. I think if they get paid for the effort and time it takes to do so they will gladly comply.


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## FerretBomb (Sep 3, 2022)

G0MJW said:


> I really despair at your attitude ddFrisselle. You are basically saying yah boo to users like me and many others. The problem this time has been such a big change has broken many plugins real users use and all I see at the moment are schadenfreudesque comments like that, that add absolutely nothing and are clearly intended to upset those people impacted.
> 
> Supporting plugin updates is in the interest of developers because without the plugins and the user community, OBS would be nothing compared to what it is now. It would be a little used app, if it survived as a project at all. Plugins provide features that attract users and that use in turn attracts investment in the project, makes developers feel their work is worthwhile and introduces new developers. That is why the developers have tried to help ensure plugins work.
> 
> So, in practice there is an obligation on both sides, from the main developers not to change too much too often that it puts a burden on the plugin developers and on the plugin developers to continue support if the can. Sometimes they can't for many reasons.


The core OBS dev team cannot provide support for plugins. They already have a TON on their plate just maintaining the core program. Expecting them to maintain every plugin is just insane. It would be like expecting Ford to provide support for every aftermarket add-on made for their cars. NOT feasible.

The move to Qt6 was necessary; Qt5 is no longer supported, and has caused issues for a while anyway. If you want to yell at someone, yell at the Qt group for not including backward/forward compatibility between versions.

Speaking as someone who DOES use the full-fat virtual-camera plugin, I am also inconvenienced by this. I'm sticking to 27.2.4 as a result, until I can change my workflow to accommodate the loss of this abandoned plugin, or someone else picks up maintaining and updating the code.

There is ZERO obligation for OBS to maintain plugins. They warned plugin devs about the necessary update to Qt6 well ahead of time. If plugin developers no longer had time or interest in maintaining their code, go complain at them.
Or better yet, say thank you for the utility they provided *for free* for so long, and ask if they would be interested in updating it for the money you are willing to pay them out of your pocket.


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## G0MJW (Sep 4, 2022)

Like you I have not updated yet and I can work around. While you are right there is no obligation, when a production team abandons its legacy community, it is very likely the product will not be around for much longer.  Ford don't as a rule make changes that would break the compatibility of accessories in an existing car, though with over the air software updates, they might in future. A new model, yes, but that's somewhat different.  The reason the developer stopped developing was his plugin was so good it became incorporated into the core code.  I the OBS core team will decide to simply add the missing audio to the built in virtual camera. Meanwhile perhaps we need a concept of long term support for major version changes where all the working main code builds and plugins that worked with it are archived. That's already there for OBS but not as far as I know for the plugins.

For now I will try to warn off the beginners from updating, but chances are they will because they are not programmers, they don't have the knowledge and have been continually told they must to keep up to date by Microsoft etc and so will just click on every update request, not realising this will break things. At least OBS updates are not automatically enforced.

Interesting point about paying someone. I was not even aware that was an option. Funding might be possible for a specific plugin that does what we are using the virtual camera for, which is generating H265 mpeg transport streams at very low bit rates. Success requires the use of codec options not supported by the built in ffmpeg. This is why the virtual camera was needed, to send the video and audio to an external ffmpeg process.  I would do it myself, but the toolset required to build a plugin seems daunting and when I went to install it I found QT appears to be moving towards being a closed source commercial product with a $300 per month price tag.  No doubt you can still build with free tools but I'll bet it's going to get a lot more difficult going forwards as the commercial and open versions diverge.


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## PaiSand (Sep 4, 2022)

G0MJW said:


> when a production team abandons its legacy community.
> Interesting point about paying someone. I was not even aware that was an option.


The creator of the plugin abandoned it's development, not OBS team. 
Even Ford changed all their line of cars to new designs, new engines, new everything, which leads to the obsolecens of all the third parts done so far. The old model is doom and just a few will still make parts for it or the costs kills them.

You're kidding about not knowing you can pay someone to develope somethign, right? right? 'ight?


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## dev47 (Sep 4, 2022)

FYI- there is a new alternative virtual output plugin, currently waiting for moderation/approval. 
Not sure why it has not been posted on the forums yet, I assume the moderators are busy due to the OBS 28 launch, but you can find the project on GitHub in the meantime









						GitHub - dev47apps/droidcam-obs-virtual-output: An alternative virtual output plugin for OBS Studio
					

An alternative virtual output plugin for OBS Studio - GitHub - dev47apps/droidcam-obs-virtual-output: An alternative virtual output plugin for OBS Studio




					github.com


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## G0MJW (Sep 4, 2022)

dev47 said:


> FYI- there is a new alternative virtual output plugin, currently waiting for moderation/approval.
> Not sure why it has not been posted on the forums yet, I assume the moderators are busy due to the OBS 28 launch, but you can find the project on GitHub in the meantime
> 
> 
> ...


I wasn't aware. That looks interesting. Thanks for the link.


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## G0MJW (Sep 4, 2022)

Thanks @dev47 - the alpha works. Brilliant. Well done. I don't know if there are any bugs but I had it running for an hour without and crashing and once I had worked out what the device names are, ffmpeg encoding worked too.

My names were "DroidCam Video" and "Microphone (DroidCam Audio)" for anyone playing along. The audio one had me puzzled for a while but easy enough to ask ffmpeg what was on my machine.

An odd thing, maybe deliberate, but the frame rate doesn't adapt to the OBS frame rate. For those of us in 50Hz countries that can be important, especially with LED lighting. I also found some issues with the aspect ratio, but that's probably finger trouble. I expect I need to explicitly define it in my script.

Mike


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## koala (Sep 4, 2022)

Brookers55 said:


> The big question is WHY did the developers update OBS when they knew a lot of plugins would not work with it?


It's a chicken-egg problem. It's a social problem, not a technical problem. If you don't release a new OBS version until every plugin developer updated their plugins, not many plugin developers will update their plugins accordingly, because there is no user demand and no user will actually use updated plugins. Plugin authors will wait for actual demand. But no updated plugins mean not ready to release a new OBS version.

On the other hand, if you tell plugin authors that they need to update their plugins for the upcoming OBS version, and tell this a month in advance, and give source access to them (github is open to everyone), sensible authors will start to update their plugins in time, and the others when user demand raises due to the released update. In the meantime without plugin update, there is always a fallback: not updating to OBS 28 until your favorite plugins have been updated as well, so you have always access to some working OBS version.

So to get plugin upgrade development running, there is a need to release the new OBS version. It has to be available. Not beta, but actually a real release. And to keep the release some kind of secret until plugins have been released along with it isn't feasible as well, because very many users (probably the vast majority) doesn't use any plugin, so keeping a released OBS version away from them makes no sense.


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## dev47 (Sep 5, 2022)

@G0MJW - correct, the audio/video parameters are set by the consumer (ffmpeg/zoom/discord/etcc) and output from OBS is matched to that.
See the last bullet point in the README on GitHub.


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## kobratrading (Sep 5, 2022)

@G0MJW

From the same guy on GitHub, I also found this:





						Virtual Camera
					

I downloaded the portable version of OBSv28, and also used the "StreamUp" Plugin Installer. All but one of the plugins works, which is good. But the actual button for OBS Virtual Camera (the built in one, NOT the plugin) has completely disappeared! Does anyone have any insight into what caused...




					obsproject.com
				




I'm testing it now. So far, it seems to work flawlessly. See the rest of my thread for other relevant "virtual camera" related issues as well. Hope this helps some people.


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## DarthLunga (Oct 14, 2022)

dev47 said:


> FYI- there is a new alternative virtual output plugin, currently waiting for moderation/approval.
> Not sure why it has not been posted on the forums yet, I assume the moderators are busy due to the OBS 28 launch, but you can find the project on GitHub in the meantime
> 
> 
> ...


I am unsure how this works. From all the things I've read on it, it is only for android/mobile devices to be used as cams. I have a dedicated Canon with a camlink as my cam. The way I used the virtual cam plugin was through OBS I could have VC 1 be my scene that is just my cam and another vc attached to my main scene that I can send as a director's cam to my guests showing the stream. I tried downloading and installing this, I see it as a source in OBS but I don't where I can attach my cam to it.


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## dev47 (Oct 14, 2022)

@DarthLunga - the plugin has since been approved, I recommend going through the description there, which is more detailed:





						DroidCam Virtual Output
					

This is an alternative virtual output plugin that connects OBS Studio with the DroidCam virtual camera drivers on Windows. Note: This plugin is not connected to the DroidCam-OBS phone app, see the DroidCam Source plugin instead.  Key Differences...




					obsproject.com


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