Total newby on OBS please help, record gameplay and webcam separate on separate monitors.... i think ?

Fiesta62

New Member
hi, my 14 year old boy wants to record gameplay with his face in small window on screen, i assume best to record separately ? and probably best to have 2 monitors, 1 monitor he can play game on and the 2nd monitor beside game monitor showing his face from webcam, then later edit and position his face over game, we have 1 screen now but happy to buy another, using win 10-64bit, sony zv1 thru camtech 4k, please i only started this 1 week ago been on youtube and everywhere but just need someone to spell it out clear please, thanks
 

koala

Active Member
OBS is able to overlay several sources live while recording. It's one of its strengths.
So add one game source to capture the game.
Then add the webcam to the same scene. It's the video capture device source. Make sure, that in the list of sources, it is above the game capture source. If it is above the game capture source, it overlays the game capture. In the preview, move and resize the webcam source so it is the small window on screen you desire.
Then start to record. OBS will record what you see on its preview.

Running with 2 monitors is a good idea, because you can run your game on one monitor and see the OBS preview on the other. But it's not necessary - OBS will record fine while it is in background.
 

Fiesta62

New Member
OBS is able to overlay several sources live while recording. It's one of its strengths.
So add one game source to capture the game.
Then add the webcam to the same scene. It's the video capture device source. Make sure, that in the list of sources, it is above the game capture source. If it is above the game capture source, it overlays the game capture. In the preview, move and resize the webcam source so it is the small window on screen you desire.
Then start to record. OBS will record what you see on its preview.

Running with 2 monitors is a good idea, because you can run your game on one monitor and see the OBS preview on the other. But it's not necessary - OBS will record fine while it is in background.
hi thank u i will try again, i am pretty sure i have done this already after watching lots of youtube vids, but i will try again and really be careful of settings etc, i think from memory what happens is i get the small window with my boy in view over my desktop view, with game running in background, but i have to minimise this to see the game in background, when i minimise i loose the small window and can only see game, he wants to play game and see his window at the same time, but be able to edit each separately, hope i am making sense here, i will give it another go......thanks
 

Fiesta62

New Member
hi , ok i tried lots of times but im lost, i added display capture and webcam keeping it on top, i can see my display and the webcam window showing my face on screen all good, i have game running in background, i minimise screen, i can see game but the webcam window is gone, i realise it will still record, but i cant see what going on in webcam window, maybe its obstructing game i might need to reposition or whatever, so can i have webcam window visible on top of gameplay as i play ?
the goal is to be able to play game and have webcam window visible, then be able to edit game play and webcam video separately
i will buy a second monitor tomorrow ( not sure what i will do with it) it seems from what i read that 2 monitors is the way to go
could i have some advice on the setup with 2 monitors , the goal, whats the end result, is this the way to go.....thanks in advance....anyone !
 

koala

Active Member
the goal is to be able to play game and have webcam window visible, then be able to edit game play and webcam video separately
If you need to edit gameplay and webcam separately, you need to record both separately. If you follow my advice from my first post, you merge both while recording and both are in the same video, not separately, so you will not be able to edit them separately.

Having said that, it's not common to postprocess both separately and merge them with some postprocessing software. The vast majority of hobby video producers composite all sources within OBS, then record, and in postprocessing they just cut unwanted stuff. Recording both images separately is a major effort - usually, you don't want this. Additionally, your boy has probably not the most powerful laptop that is not able to record both videos separately.

I recommend you composite your video within OBS and try to record with OBS a video that resembles your intended final product as close as possible. Use postprocessing only to cut unwanted stuff, rearrange scenes, add introduction and perhaps additional voiceover.
 

Fiesta62

New Member
I recommend you composite your video within OBS and try to record with OBS a video that resembles your intended final product
ok i will take your advice, my boy wants to do youtube vids just like all the big youtubers like Dantm etc, so his final vid has the game playing with him on the screen in a small window, i just assumed it was best to be able to edit his part separately but i get it that it might be too hard at this point in our learning process

but still i need to know is it possible to be playing the game and see his webcam window at the same time while recording ?

i read on a youtubers blog something about using Zoom and minimise to a small floating window then add to obs scene a windows capture then assign the zoom window and the capture method to windows graphics....his words not mine, i have no idea how to do this even if it is needed

another blog said download webcam viewer to see webcam while playing game, i downloaded webcam viewer but i wont work , it says not compatible

so taking your advice i record everything in obs, and cut scenes if needed etc, ok i get that, but still the question can i see webcam over game while playing and recording ?

also he is doing this on his desktop Win 10, 64 bit, i7 , 27 inch gaming monitor, thanks for the help
 

koala

Active Member
but still i need to know is it possible to be playing the game and see his webcam window at the same time while recording ?
OBS Studio doesn't have an overlay that displays the OBS preview over a running game. You need to connect a second monitor and move the OBS window to the second monitor to see the preview while capturing a fullscreen app on your main monitor.
 

Fiesta62

New Member
OBS Studio doesn't have an overlay that displays the OBS preview over a running game. You need to connect a second monitor and move the OBS window to the second monitor to see the preview while capturing a fullscreen app on your main monitor.
ok thats what i needed to know, ok so i need to buy that 2nd monitor and will today, the youtube vid i watched by another blogger was all about seeing yourself while recording and playing and he does it using webcam viewer and show it working but it wont work for me, heres a link if you wanted to see him demo it....maybe its the way if it would work How to See Yourself while using OBS Screen Recorder - YouTube
 

koala

Active Member
Give the task to your boy. You wrote he is 14, so he is old enough for computer stuff and certainly able to figure everything out by himself. Let him do it his way. You will find out he has strange and obscure ways to find information, but he will be successful. Try to assist him if he has questions, but let him do the leading.
 
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