Question / Help Auto updating images workaround.

[Lim3zer0]

I have seen this topic about OBS studio not auto-updating images when the actual source file changes,
But none of them actually provided an answer.

well... that's my problem, i am trying to show an album cover, that gets changed as the song is updated.

Are there any ways to do 'two sides of a triangle here'?

I tried to use an HTML script to load the image in a browser and then add that as a browser source, basically a stab in the dark, and well..... didn't work.

And a variation of that is to monitor capture the web browser, and set the webpage to auto-update. BUT, not all my album covers are the same size, and the image flickers white from time to time.
Is it possible to add to that HTML script something that will force the image to be a certain size? because that is one problem solved then.
EDIT: solved that problem.

I am very new to OBS, so forgive my noobiness.:)

 

[RytoEX]

The OBS Studio image source should auto update when the source file changes. I've tested this by pointing an image source to a PNG file, and updating the PNG file by saving it from an image editor software, and OBS Studio reloads it shortly after I've saved it.

There is a known issue with current OBS Studio releases (0.15.4 and lower) where the image source will not reload if the modified timestamp is not changed to be newer. This has been fixed, and it will be in 0.16.0.

How are you changing your source image file?

 

[Lim3zer0]

The OBS Studio image source should auto update when the source file changes. I've tested this by pointing an image source to a PNG file, and updating the PNG file by saving it from an image editor software, and OBS Studio reloads it shortly after I've saved it.

There is a known issue with current OBS Studio releases (0.15.4 and lower) where the image source will not reload if the modified timestamp is not changed to be newer. This has been fixed, and it will be in 0.16.0.

How are you changing your source image file?

Welp, I am using .jpg file....

I use musicbee and I installed this plugin:
http://musicbee.wikia.com/wiki/Now_Playing_to_External_Files

That outputs a copy of the album art in a specified location.
I am not sure if the plugin results in the .jpg format, or if it is dependent on the original file, or if musicbee uses a .jpg standard.
Ill update this post if i find out.

UPDATE: I can change the output of the music bee plugin to .png, just by replacing .jpg on 'CoverArt.jpg' to 'CoverArt.png' (it gives the file that name, and i can open it but i doubt its actually been converted)

Also i cant confirm that OBS refreshes the image when using a .png. I used Photoshop as the image editor.

Could you explain what the "modified timestamp" is?

 

[RytoEX]

I just tested that plugin on MusicBee 2.5.5804 and set up OBS Studio with an image source that points at the output CoverArtwork.jpg. It works fine for me, so long as the song playing has Cover Artwork associated with it.

A file's "modified" timestamp is the time when the file was last modified.

 

[Lim3zer0]

I just tested that plugin on MusicBee 2.5.5804 and set up OBS Studio with an image source that points at the output CoverArtwork.jpg. It works fine for me, so long as the song playing has Cover Artwork associated with it.

A file's "modified" timestamp is the time when the file was last modified.

OK, i have it working now, turned out i needed to show it in the 'streaming' window (the right one), and not just the editing window.
(although when shown in both, both images update together... bit odd, take it that this is what is fixed in 0.16.0?)

One final question: how do i ensure all of the images are scaled to a specific size? as i said above the images are varied sizes and can range from about 1024x1024 to 128x128.

Thanks for your help btw :)

 

[RytoEX]

OK, i have it working now, turned out i needed to show it in the 'streaming' window (the right one), and not just the editing window.
(although when shown in both, both images update together... bit odd, take it that this is what is fixed in 0.16.0?)

I assume you mean when using Studio Mode? Yes, if you're using Studio Mode, then only the "live" preview is going to show on your stream. However, any sources that are visible in both previews will update at the same time if they are updated from outside of OBS Studio. No, the fix I mentioned has nothing to do with that. That behavior is intended, as far as I know.

One final question: how do i ensure all of the images are scaled to a specific size? as i said above the images are varied sizes and can range from about 1024x1024 to 128x128.

Right-click your image source. Click Transform, then "Edit Transform...". Set "Bounding Box Type" to "Scale to inner bounds". Set "Alignment in Bounding Box" to "Top Left". Set "Bounding Box Size" to whatever you need. Close the "Scene Item Transform" property box.

 

[Lim3zer0]

I assume you mean when using Studio Mode? Yes, if you're using Studio Mode, then only the "live" preview is going to show on your stream. However, any sources that are visible in both previews will update at the same time if they are updated from outside of OBS Studio. No, the fix I mentioned has nothing to do with that. That behavior is intended, as far as I know.



Right-click your image source. Click Transform, then "Edit Transform...". Set "Bounding Box Type" to "Scale to inner bounds". Set "Alignment in Bounding Box" to "Top Left". Set "Bounding Box Size" to whatever you need. Close the "Scene Item Transform" property box.

Well thank you very much!