DROP SHADOWS Using Only OBS Studio! (Also Outlines & Glows)

nutty
15 Dec 202314:34

TLDRIn this tutorial video, the presenter shares tips on enhancing visual appeal in OBS Studio by adding drop shadows, outlines, and glows to various elements. The video begins with the importance of drop shadows in creating depth and separation between different layers, such as the camera and gameplay. It then introduces the 'Stroke Glow Shadow' plugin, which allows users to add these effects directly in OBS for free. The presenter also discusses the significance of filter order, especially when using green screens, and demonstrates how to adjust shadow size, distance, and angle for optimal results. Additionally, the video explores creative applications of these effects, such as making outlines dance to music or pulsate with speech, and concludes with a shoutout to VIP SD Keys for affordable Windows software.

Takeaways

  • 🎨 **Adding Effects**: Using drop shadows, outlines, and glows can enhance the visual appeal of your stream or presentation.
  • 📹 **Green Screen Benefits**: Drop shadows work well with green screens, helping to mask imperfections and add depth.
  • 🆓 **Free Tools**: You can add these effects directly in OBS Studio without needing additional software or paid services.
  • 🔌 **Plugin Installation**: The 'Stroke Glow Shadow' plugin is essential for adding these effects and supports multiple platforms.
  • 📏 **Adjusting Effects**: You can fine-tune the size, distance, angle, and blur type of the drop shadow for the desired look.
  • 📈 **Performance Consideration**: Using the 'Dual Kaash' blur type can reduce the impact on your GPU during resource-intensive tasks.
  • 🖼️ **Layering Filters**: The order of filters matters, especially when using green screens or masks, to ensure the effects render correctly.
  • 🔄 **Creative Use of Strokes**: Outlines can be customized with different colors, sizes, and even other sources like images or gradients.
  • 🌀 **Dynamic Effects**: Adding a rotating shader to the outline can create a dynamic, moving effect that reacts to the content.
  • 🎶 **Sound Reactive**: Using the 'Audio Move' plugin, you can make outlines or glows react to the volume of music or microphone input.
  • ⚙️ **Customization**: Each effect can be added as an individual source, allowing for further customization and creative combinations.

Q & A

  • What is one of the favorite ways mentioned in the script to make a design look better?

    -Adding drop shadows to elements such as text and images to create depth and separation.

  • How does using a green screen help with adding drop shadows in OBS Studio?

    -A green screen helps to mask out imperfections around the edges, making the addition of drop shadows more effective and visually appealing.

  • What OBS plugin is needed to add drop shadows, outlines, and glows directly in OBS Studio?

    -The plugin required is called 'Stroke Glow Shadow'.

  • What is the recommended blur type setting for drop shadows to minimize GPU impact?

    -The recommended blur type setting is 'Dual Kaash' for its efficiency and low impact on the GPU.

  • How can you ensure that the green screen filter does not cut out the drop shadow?

    -The green screen filter should be placed before the drop shadow filter in the order of filters.

  • What is the purpose of using the 'Source clone' plugin when applying filters to a camera source?

    -The 'Source clone' plugin allows you to create a copy of your camera source to which you can apply filters without affecting the original camera source.

  • How can you make the outline around a subject change dynamically, such as spinning?

    -By using the 'OBS Shader filter' plugin and applying a rotating shader to the gradient source used for the outline.

  • What is the glow filter in OBS Studio and how does it differ from the drop shadow filter?

    -The glow filter is similar to the drop shadow filter but allows for different colors to be set. It adds a glowing effect around the source.

  • How can you make an outline or glow react to the sound or music in your stream?

    -By using the 'Audio move' plugin to link the movement or intensity of the outline or glow to the volume levels of your audio source.

  • What is the benefit of adding an outline or glow as a separate source in OBS Studio?

    -Adding an outline or glow as a separate source allows for additional filters to be applied just to the outline or glow, enabling more complex and creative effects.

  • How can you adjust the size of the drop shadow in OBS Studio?

    -You can adjust the size of the drop shadow by changing the 'shadow size' slider in the 'Shadow' filter settings.

  • What is the recommended method to resize the camera source without losing the drop shadow?

    -Instead of using the ALT key to resize, you should add a 'crop pad' filter and adjust the values to resize the camera without removing the shadow.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Enhancing Visuals with Drop Shadows

The first paragraph introduces the concept of using drop shadows to improve the visual appeal of a design, particularly in video streaming. The speaker demonstrates how adding a drop shadow to a camera or text can create depth and separation, making the content look more professional. They also discuss the benefits of using a green screen in combination with drop shadows to hide imperfections. The paragraph includes a tutorial on how to add drop shadows and outlines directly in OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) for free, and touches on the possibility of adding animated effects synchronized with music or voice.

05:01

🖥️ Customizing OBS with Plugins and Filters

This paragraph delves into the technical steps for customizing OBS using the 'Stroke Glow Shadow' plugin. It explains the process of downloading and installing the plugin, applying it to the camera source, and adjusting various settings like shadow size, distance, and angle for a softer look. The importance of the blur type setting for efficiency is highlighted, especially for GPU-intensive tasks. The paragraph also covers the correct order of applying filters when using a green screen and the use of the 'Source clone' plugin to apply filters to a copy of the camera source without affecting the original. It concludes with a discussion on the 'Stroke' filter for creating outlines and how to use different colors and sources, including dynamic effects with the 'OBS Shader filter' plugin.

10:01

🌟 Adding Dynamic Effects with Audio Reactive Filters

The third paragraph explores creative ways to make the stream visually dynamic by making the outlines and glows react to audio. It guides the viewer through using the 'Move' plugin to link the offset of the stroke filter to the volume of the music, creating a dancing outline effect. The same technique is applied to the glow filter to make it intensify when the user speaks into the microphone. The paragraph concludes with suggestions for further creative applications of these effects, such as using them in Discord calls or creating unique visual indicators for when someone is speaking.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Drop Shadows

Drop shadows are visual effects that create the illusion of depth by giving objects a shadow that appears to be cast on a surface behind them. In the context of the video, adding drop shadows to elements such as the camera feed or text can enhance the visual appeal by providing a sense of separation between different layers of the stream. For example, the video mentions adding a drop shadow to make the camera feed look less boring and more professional.

💡OBS Studio

OBS Studio is a free and open-source software for video recording and live streaming. It is widely used for creating and broadcasting content to platforms like Twitch and YouTube. The video's theme revolves around using OBS Studio to add visual effects, emphasizing its capabilities for enhancing stream quality without additional cost.

💡Green Screen

A green screen is a technology used in film and video production where a green-colored screen is placed behind the subject. This screen can then be replaced with other images or footage, allowing for compositing of different elements. In the video, it is mentioned that using a green screen can help mask imperfections and is particularly useful when adding effects like drop shadows.

💡Outlines

Outlines are lines that define the shape or edge of an object or text. In the video, outlines are used as a visual effect to create a border around elements like the camera feed or text. They can be adjusted for thickness, color, and offset to achieve different styles and effects, contributing to the overall aesthetic of the stream.

💡Glows

Glows are luminous effects that can be added to elements to make them stand out or to create a specific mood. The video discusses adding glows to sources in OBS, which can be customized in terms of color and intensity. Glows can be used for creative purposes, such as making an outline dance to music or pulsate with the sound of speech.

💡Filters

In the context of video production and streaming, filters are effects that can be applied to the video feed to alter its appearance. The video talks about various filters available in OBS, such as drop shadow, stroke, and glow filters, which can be used to enhance the visual presentation of a live stream.

💡Sponsor

A sponsor is an individual or company that provides financial or other support for an event, activity, or in this case, a video production. The video includes a shout out to a sponsor, VIP SD Keys, which is promoting a discount on Windows 11 Pro keys. Sponsorship is a common practice in content creation to support the production costs.

💡Plugin

A plugin, in the context of software like OBS Studio, is an additional component that can be installed to extend the functionality of the base program. The video script mentions several OBS plugins, such as 'Stroke Glow Shadow' and 'Source Clone', which are used to create the visual effects discussed in the tutorial.

💡Audio Mixer

An audio mixer is a device or software that allows for the mixing and adjusting of multiple audio sources. In OBS Studio, the audio mixer is used to control the levels and effects of different audio inputs. The video discusses using the audio mixer in conjunction with the 'Audio Move' plugin to create effects that react to the volume of music or microphone input.

💡Shader

In computer graphics, a shader is a program that runs on a graphics processing unit (GPU) to produce visual effects. The video mentions using a 'rotating shader' from the 'OBS Shader filter' plugin to create a dynamic, rotating effect around the outline of the camera feed.

💡Source Clone

Source Clone is a feature or plugin in OBS Studio that allows users to create a duplicate of a video source. This clone can then have filters and effects applied to it separately from the original source. The video uses Source Clone to apply visual effects to the camera feed without affecting other scenes in the stream.

Highlights

Adding drop shadows to elements in OBS Studio can enhance the visual appeal and create depth.

Drop shadows work well with green screens by masking imperfections around the edges.

OBS Studio allows adding drop shadows directly without the need for additional software.

Outlines and glows can also be added to any source in OBS for free.

Animated effects such as dancing outlines or pulsing glows can be synchronized with music or voice.

VIP SD Keys offers discounted Windows 11 Pro keys and has a current Christmas sale with a 30% discount code 'nutty'.

Downloading the 'Stroke Glow Shadow' plugin enables advanced shadow, outline, and glow effects in OBS.

Correct filter order is crucial, especially when using green screen or masks, to ensure shadows are not cut out.

To resize a camera source with shadows, use the crop pad filter and not the ALT key to avoid removing the shadow.

The 'Source clone' plugin allows applying filters to a copy of the camera without affecting the original source.

The stroke filter can create dynamic outlines around subjects, with customizable size, color, and offset.

Using the gradient plugin and OBS Shader filter, outlines can be made more dynamic with rotating effects.

Glow effects are similar to drop shadows but offer customizable colors and can be used creatively.

Each effect can be added as an individual source, allowing for further customization and creative applications.

The 'Move' plugin can make outlines or glows react to audio input, creating interactive visual effects.

Adjusting the 'Factor' and 'Easing' in the audio move filter can control the intensity and smoothness of the audio-reactive effects.

Creative uses of these plugins include sound-reactive outlines for music or voice, offering a unique visual experience.

The video provides a comprehensive guide to using drop shadows, outlines, glows, and audio-reactive effects in OBS Studio.