Question / Help Automatic Scene Switching

[r08zy]

Hey guys, I'm new here and this is my first post. Please let me know if I'm posting in the wrong place and I will move it.

I am yet to install and use OBS as I want to make sure it is fit for my requirement first.

I would like to use OBS to record DJ mixes that I record at home, I have two computers that I would be using, one to run traktor (DJ software) and another to run OBS and record.

I have no issues with bringing the audio in from my mixer to the OBS machine and into the software, the video recording on the other hand I may need some advice.

I have three logitech webcams that will be placed in strategic positions around the room, all connected as sources to OBS. I would like to know if I can set something up to switch between these sources automatically at timed intervals (20 seconds or so)

So for the first 20 seconds the video would be webcam1 fullscreen, then webcam 2 and them webcam 3, I would then like the next scene to be webcam 1 and 2 side by side, then 2 and 3 side by side and then 1 and 3 side by side before looping back around to webcam 1 full screen again.

The end goal is to have a video recorded with audio that can then be posted to youtube.

Is this possible and easy to set up for a beginner?

Thanks

 

[FerretBomb]

You would need to set up different scenes for each of the webcams/arrangements, and assign hotkeys to switch to each one. Then use something like AutoHotkey (separate software, not OBS) to set up a looping macro to do this (push each hotkey, wait an interval, push the next, etc). OBS has no built-in scene rotation or automatic toggle.

The built in auto scene switcher plugin is meant to swap to a specific scene whenever a given game is detected as running.

I'd recommend setting up a start/end splashscreen scene with a hotkey, and use that hotkey as the toggle to start/stop your Autohotkey script. At that point you could start recording on the splash or an ident marker scene for asset tracking, hit the hotkey for your intro splash, and off AHK goes. When the song/mix is done, hit the splashscreen hotkey again, and AHK automatically stops the macro.

Really though, it might be better to just record the music, and the webcams as separate files. Then use a NLE video editing suite to cut together the video you want. You'll get much better results that way. OBS is more meant for streaming live performances in realtime; being able to record a copy of the livestreamed video is a secondary and incidental function.

 

[r08zy]

Thanks FerretBomb

The reason I was looking at OBS rather than video recording software is that I would like to eventually go live with my shows once the recorded videos pick up enough viewers.

I have previously used a piece of software called vidblaster studio which is capable of exactly what I want but is very expensive.

Setting up a scene for each webcam or combination of webcams is pretty easy right? The autohotkey software looks pretty good. I'd like to give this a go and see if I can get it set up and working (I work in IT so I'm fairly used to figuring things out to get them working).

Have you ever set anything like this up before?

 

[FerretBomb]

It's simple. Just create a new scene in the left list, right-click on it, 'set hotkey'. Then use those hotkeys in the AHK macro.

Add your camera(s) as video capture devices in the right (sources) list on each one. It's STRONGLY advised to set up the cameras as global sources, so they stay active instead of freezing the video for a few seconds while they gracefully shut down, then start up again after the next scene is loaded.
Be aware that the cameras don't actually start up until the first time they are called, so it's a good idea to hide a copy of each of them behind your splash/titlecard image so they start up behind the scenes (literally).

 

[Arthur Art-Faux Designs]

You would need to set up different scenes for each of the webcams/arrangements, and assign hotkeys to switch to each one. Then use something like AutoHotkey (separate software, not OBS) to set up a looping macro to do this (push each hotkey, wait an interval, push the next, etc). OBS has no built-in scene rotation or automatic toggle.

The built in auto scene switcher plugin is meant to swap to a specific scene whenever a given game is detected as running.

I'd recommend setting up a start/end splashscreen scene with a hotkey, and use that hotkey as the toggle to start/stop your Autohotkey script. At that point you could start recording on the splash or an ident marker scene for asset tracking, hit the hotkey for your intro splash, and off AHK goes. When the song/mix is done, hit the splashscreen hotkey again, and AHK automatically stops the macro.

Really though, it might be better to just record the music, and the webcams as separate files. Then use a NLE video editing suite to cut together the video you want. You'll get much better results that way. OBS is more meant for streaming live performances in realtime; being able to record a copy of the livestreamed video is a secondary and incidental function.

I am a "new" old guy and am interested in this software. When you say "Auto Switcher" Does this plugin actually switch from one "scene" to another? I am an artist "one man show" and would love this if it were true. Would I need to set up three different "scenes" for three different cameras? How do I set up a "scene?"