Question / Help Can I run a live video feed, and a recorded video as a backdrop (occasionally) simultaneously?

[REricB]

I'm a musician, and I want to post a Facebook Live performance while running video images occasionally, at the same time. In other words, I want to have a video of me playing and singing, and occasionally have video clips appear.

Is this possible? If so, then how can I do it? I'm a novice OBS studio user.

Thanks for your help!
Eric

 

[koala]

This is certainly possible. It's one of the use cases OBS is designed for.
You create multiple scenes. One scene you design with a camera source that shows yourself playing and singing. Other scene(s) with media sources showing the video clips you want to show. Then hire someone who switches between the scenes. Or do the switching yourself, perhaps with some kind of switchboard or foot pad to enable yourself to switch without showing you using a computer keyboard. As far as I remember, there is also a plugin for OBS, the "advanced scene switcher", that will switch between scenes automatically on a timer.

 

[REricB]

Thank you koala!! I've downloaded the advanced scene switcher plug-in, but I haven't had much time to figure out how to use it. Your reply here is very helpful in moving me along toward success! Thanks again!
- Eric

 

[koala]

The advanced scene switcher is very complex. It's declarative configuration may not seem very intuitive. You might look at the "Scene Squence", "Pause" and "Random" tabs, but don't hesitate to look into everywhere.
But I suggest you don't start with the switching. Instead start with designing your scenes and see how it looks if you switch manually. Only if this fits your needs introduce automatic switching.

 

[REricB]

Thanks again for your help!! I'm working now on learning how to manually switch scenes; I'm pretty sure I know how to do that now. That's a piece of very good advice to start with switching scenes manually. Thank you!

 

[REricB]

The advanced scene switcher is very complex. It's declarative configuration may not seem very intuitive. You might look at the "Scene Squence", "Pause" and "Random" tabs, but don't hesitate to look into everywhere.
But I suggest you don't start with the switching. Instead start with designing your scenes and see how it looks if you switch manually. Only if this fits your needs introduce automatic switching.

Would you be able to help me with the advanced scene switcher?
How do I set up the advanced scene switcher so that I can have it automatically switch between video clips and my video camera? I've tried a few things, but nothing seems to work. I create a scene with the camera, and then scenes for each video clip in the scenes box. Next, in the advanced scene switcher, I go to the scene sequence tab and try to create sequences.

I start with the camera, and have it switch to the first clip after a set time, then I create the next sequence for switching from the first clip back to the camera. Those two sequences work fine, but when I try to set up the next sequence, for switching between the camera and the second clip, it only modifies the first sequence with the new time interval I have for the third sequence, instead of creating a new, third sequence.

I've tried creating new camera scenes in the scene box; e.g., "camera 2," with that scene using the same camera that I set up for the camera 1 scene, but the camera 2 scene doesn't connect to my camera. I've also tried creating transitions for each sequence, and I've tried using no transitions, but this doesn't solve the problem. I've looked for videos and other threads too.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Narcogen]

I start with the camera, and have it switch to the first clip after a set time, then I create the next sequence for switching from the first clip back to the camera. Those two sequences work fine, but when I try to set up the next sequence, for switching between the camera and the second clip, it only modifies the first sequence with the new time interval I have for the third sequence, instead of creating a new, third sequence.

There aren't multiple sequences. There is one sequence.

These are rule-based. Your first entry is a rule that says, "when Scene 1 is the active scene, wait X seconds, then switch to Scene 2".

You can't then make a new sequence that says "when Scene 1 is the active scene, wait X seconds, then switch to Scene 3".

OBS will try to evaluate those rules and not know, when Scene 1 is active, whether the next should be Scene 2 or Scene 3.

You could get around this by duping your camera scene for each instance in which you need to branch from the camera to a different input.

 

[REricB]

There aren't multiple sequences. There is one sequence.

These are rule-based. Your first entry is a rule that says, "when Scene 1 is the active scene, wait X seconds, then switch to Scene 2".

You can't then make a new sequence that says "when Scene 1 is the active scene, wait X seconds, then switch to Scene 3".

OBS will try to evaluate those rules and not know, when Scene 1 is active, whether the next should be Scene 2 or Scene 3.

You could get around this by duping your camera scene for each instance in which you need to branch from the camera to a different input.

I'm sorry, I'm still confused some. How can I dupe my camera scene for each instance? How can I branch my camera to a different input? I know that I can create a new video capture device; e.g., video capture 2, but when I create video capture 2, I can't successfully connect it to my camera. I get a blank screen for video capture 2 when I connect it to my camera. Again, I'm sorry, I'm very new to all of this.

 

[Narcogen]

You can right-click a scene in the UI and choose "duplicate" from the pulldown. This creates another scene with the same content. The advanced switcher will recognize this scene as separate, even though it just contains the same camera feed.

So now you can make a sequence like:

If Scene 1 (Camera) go to Scene 2 (videoclip 1) after X seconds
If Scene 2 (videoclip 1) go to Scene 3 (camera) after X seconds
If Scene 3 (camera) go to Scene 4 (videoclip 2) after X seconds

If you try to make a new scene, add a video device, and configure it from scratch like a new device, that will break.

Duplicating a scene won't break a camera source that's in it.

Copying a camera source from one scene to another "as a reference" won't break it.

 

[REricB]

You can right-click a scene in the UI and choose "duplicate" from the pulldown. This creates another scene with the same content. The advanced switcher will recognize this scene as separate, even though it just contains the same camera feed.

So now you can make a sequence like:

If Scene 1 (Camera) go to Scene 2 (videoclip 1) after X seconds
If Scene 2 (videoclip 1) go to Scene 3 (camera) after X seconds
If Scene 3 (camera) go to Scene 4 (videoclip 2) after X seconds

If you try to make a new scene, add a video device, and configure it from scratch like a new device, that will break.

Duplicating a scene won't break a camera source that's in it.

Copying a camera source from one scene to another "as a reference" won't break it.

Wow!!! Thank you! That's exactly what I need! I'm very grateful. Thank you!