Question / Help Settings on Global Source Webcam

[typeGaming]

I have my webcam on Global Source and have it on multiple Scenes, but When trying to edit the settings I cannot view them in real time. I have to close OBS for them to update.

Example would be Green screen settings. I have to close OBS and open it again every time I make an adjustment in order to see that adjustment in the preview.

Is this the way it should be? Is there a workaround?

 

[FerretBomb]

The preview window (if you have 'view preview' running when you open the webcam settings) should update in real-time as the settings are changed. You should not have to restart OBS.

More likely, your webcam has some 'auto-X' settings enabled, and restarting OBS forces the webcam to reinitialize and re-range itself; turn OFF auto white balance, auto brightness, auto gain, auto focus... essentially any automatic adjustments that the webcam can do? Turn them off/to manual control only.

If you want to check this, create a graphic with some pure-green in it, add the image as a global source, and mess with its chromakey settings. You should be able to see the changes update instantly.


(To be fair I haven't updated my chroma-key settings in 10 or 20 patches, so the real-time updating might have broken; though I do regularly switch chromakey on and off on-stream in real time to show people who don't know what a greenscreen is, what my webcam is actually sending.)

 

[typeGaming]

Thanks for the reply, I will have to try turning the auto settings off.

I know it worked in real time at one point when I set it up for the 1st time, but now it wont. May be because of auto settings.

C920 btw.

 

[typeGaming]

Turned them all off, still will not work.

Hmmmm

 

[FerretBomb]

Same one I'm using, and yeah; the automatic settings are extremely aggressive on it, and can really hose up your configuration easily if any are left on. Make sure to turn them ALL off.

Additionally, it's a good idea to devote a USB controller to the c920 only; go into your Device Manager, switch to 'view devices by connection', navigate down to your USB controllers (may be a bit tricky to find on some system), and ensure the c920 is the only thing plugged into its USB host controller. Additionally, if you have a USB 3.0-equipped system, make sure the 920 is plugged into a 2.0 port. Logitech lists the 920 as 3.0 compatible, but that's just because 3.0 is backward compatible with 2.0; it doesn't have the extra pins needed to take advantage of 3.0 speeds, and a lot of users have reported problems that only appear when it's plugged into a 3.0 port, that mysteriously vanish on switching to a 2.0 port instead.

 

[FerretBomb]

Explain to me how you set up your chroma, then? My process:

1) Add webcam as a global source
2) Add webcam to a new scene
3) Activate 'view preview' and switch to that scene.
4) Right-click on the source in the scene list, select 'properties'. Move the window to the side so you can see the preview window.
5) Select 'Use Chroma Key'
6) Click the 'Select' button, and then use the eyedropper to select a portion of your blue/greenscreen.
7) Set similarity, blend and spill reduction to 0.
8) Raise similarity until the background starts to fade out. Use a number, or the arrows. Should be updating in real-time in the preview window.
9) When the background is (mostly) gone and you just have some sparkle around you, start raising the Blend until the key is clean.
10) Add spill reduction if you're getting cut-in. Keep this low unless you want to look sunburned.
11) Hit OK.

Image flip OFF, Point Filtering OFF, Opacity 100, Deinterlacing None, custom resolution, 1920x1080 (as I cast at that, would use lower if I was doing a 720p stream to help cut lag), fps 30, Use Output Format: I420, no buffering, audio input device Disable.

And just checking, you DO have the Logitech drivers/software for the c920 installed, correct?

 

[typeGaming]

I did the EXACT same setup as you FerretBomb and it worked perfectly the 1st time. Althought it may have not been as global. (forget but I dont think it was global 1st time)

I then switched it to global or added Global and the webcam works well switching scenes and the chroma key is pretty good but now I cannot preview the changes live. Ill try the Dedicated USB.

 

[typeGaming]

Update.

I did the USB Bus thing, didnt work. Restarted didnt work.

I removed the cam from global source readded it and now it works. Although almost every time I go into configure the cam the auto settings are checked again even tho I unchecked them.