OBS Studio 107 - Scene Nesting is the Fix for EVERYTHING - OBS Studio Scene Source Nesting Tutorial

Using Multiple Scenes in OBS Studio: A Deep Dive into Scene Nesting

In our previous video, we explored the importance of utilizing multiple scenes in OBS Studio. As we delved deeper into the world of live production, it became clear that scene nesting is a game-changer for those looking to take their streaming setup to the next level.

Scene Nesting: A Game-Changer for Live Production

One of the most advanced tricks when it comes to OBS Studio is scene nesting. This involves using a scene as a source within another scene. At first glance, this may seem like a silly idea, but trust us, it's super useful. For those high-tier live productions, having a variety of scenes to show and quick, precise switching between them is crucial.

The Elgato Stream Deck: A Powerful Tool for Scene Nesting

One of the most powerful tools when it comes to scene nesting is the Elgato Stream Deck. This device gives you 15 keys with customizable LCD screens behind each one, allowing you to execute macros, application launchers, scene switching, and source muting for OBS all at once. But that's not all – you can also nest folders for even more actions.

The Benefits of Scene Nesting

So, what are the benefits of scene nesting? One of the most significant advantages is that it allows you to get around the annoying issue of sources being "global" and showing any changes you make to them in all scenes. For example, let's say you want to create a layout with gameplay footage full-screen and then overlay a facecam in the top right-hand corner.

Workaround for Sources Being Global

However, there's one problem – when you go to make a full-screen webcam view, it will apply the crop filter to this usage of the webcam as well. This can be frustrating, especially if you've spent time creating a layout that looks perfect. That's where scene nesting comes in.

Creating a "Webcam Nest" Scene

To overcome this issue, we create a "Webcam nest" scene with the full-screen webcam. We then add this scene as a source to our "Gameplay Facecam" scene instead of adding the webcam directly. By doing so, we apply the crop filter only to that specific usage of the webcam, rather than affecting all scenes.

Another Advanced Use of Scene Nesting

Scene nesting isn't just limited to simple layouts and webcam configurations. It can also be used to handle more complex elements like stream alert overlays. Instead of adding individual browser sources, image files, and text reads to each scene to compose our layout, we create a single "Overlays" scene that we can add to each scene we want it on.

Passing Updates to Nested Scenes

By doing so, if we update the "Overlays" scene, any updates are passed to every scene it's nested in, saving us a lot of time. This means we can hide or show our bottom bars, recent follower counts, and other elements with ease.

Hiding Elements with Scene Nesting

Sometimes, we don't want the bottom part of the screen covered. That's where scene nesting comes in handy. By creating separate scenes for our bottom bars and overlays, we can easily hide or show these elements as needed.

Hierarchy of Scenes

So, how does this hierarchy work? We have a main "Overlays" scene that has several nested scenes within it. These include the "Bottom Bars Overlay" scene, which contains our PNG for the bottom bars and three text sources for the text that goes in the bars. We also have other browser sources like Twitch alerts and donation tickers.

Hotkeys and Scene Nesting

One of the best parts about scene nesting is the flexibility it offers when it comes to hotkeys. By assigning individual hotkeys to show or hide these sources based on what we're doing, we can create an alternate layout where our normal webcam view is next to live chat, or our normal gameplay view with overlays is next to someone else's stream view.

Endless Possibilities

The possibilities are endless when it comes to scene nesting. If you're creative enough, the options seem limited only by your imagination. We hope this episode of our OBS Studio tutorial course has been helpful for you. Don't forget to like and subscribe for more awesome tech videos, and follow us on Twitch to drop a message in chat.

Conclusion

Scene nesting is a powerful tool when it comes to OBS Studio. By using multiple scenes within each other, we can create complex layouts with ease, hide or show elements as needed, and save time by passing updates to nested scenes. Whether you're a seasoned streamer or just starting out, scene nesting is definitely worth exploring further. Join us on Patreon to help keep tech education free, and check out our full master class linked in the playlist in the video description.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enIn the previous video in the course, I explainedwhy you might want to utilize multiple scenesin OBS Studio.There’s a lot of cool stuff you can do withscenes.And a better, more advanced trick involvesactually nesting scenes within each other.Using a scene as a source within another scene.Seems silly, but can be super useful.Let’s take a look.Any high-tier live production needs a varietyof scenes to show and quick, precise switchingbetween them.The Elgato Stream Deck gives you 15 keys withcustomizable LCD screens behind each, thatcan execute macros, application launchers,scene switching and source muting for OBS- and you can nest folders for more actionsand UNLIMITED POWAHHHH.Grab yours today via the link in the videodescription.I’m EposVox, here to make tech easier andmore fun, and welcome back to my OBS Studiotutorial course.I have many, many more videos on the softwarein the playlist linked in the description.Check that before asking questions, and checkthe introduction video to learn how this courseworks, if you get confused.There’s probably no end of uses for nestingscenes within OBS Studio, but I have founda few which seem to be particularly useful.One use is to get around the annoying issueof sources being “global” and showingany changes you make to them in all scenes.So, for example, if I wanted to make a layoutwith gameplay footage full-screen and thenoverlay a facecam in the top right-hand corner,I can set that up.Make the webcam view a little smaller andcrop off some of the empty space on the sidesand top so that it’s just me in the frame.The problem is that then when I go to makea full-screen webcam view, it will apply thecrop filter to this usage of the webcam, aswell.An easy workaround I have found is to justmake a “Webcam nest” scene with the fullscreenwebcam.Then I can add that scene as a source to my“Gameplay Facecam” scene instead of addingthe webcam directly.Apply the crop filter that scene source andit doesn’t affect use of the webcam itself.So then in my “Fullscreen webcam” scene,I can just add the webcam with no filtersapplied.Sweet.Another more advanced use of scene nestingis how I handle my stream alert overlays.Instead of adding individual browser sources,image files, and text reads to each sceneto compose my layout, I just made a scenecalled “Overlays” that I can add to eachscene I want it on.Then, if I update the “Overlays” scene,any updates are passed to every scene it’snested in, saving me a lot of time.My bottom bars showing top donation, recentfollower, and so on are also nested in theirown scene so I can hide it all at once.Sometimes I don’t want the bottom part ofthe screen covered, you know?So the hierarchy works like this:My PNG for my bottom bars and 3 text sourcesfor the text that goes in the bars is in a“Bottom Bars Overlay” Scene.Then I have a main “Overlays” scene, whichhas that bottom bars scene added in it asa source, along with a browser source formy twitch alerts, a “Now playing” textsource, a donation ticker text source, anda few green-screened memes that I can callup at will.Then I have hotkeys assigned to individuallyshow or hide these sources based on what I’mdoing.And by doing this all in one “Overlays”scene, I can just add that scene to all ofmy main scenes and update them all at once.It sounds super complicated - can you counthow many times I’ve said the word “scene”?- but it’s super handy.If you want to have an alternate layout whereyour normal webcam or gameplay view is nextto live chat, or you have your normal gameplayview with overlays next to your webcam orsomeone else’s stream view, you can alsouse scene nesting to make this work.Like I said, the possibilities are endlessif you’re creative enough!I hope this episode of my OBS Studio tutorialcourse has been helpful for you.If it was, drop-kick that like button andsubscribe for awesome tech videos.If you like game streaming, come follow meon Twitch and drop a message in chat.Until next time, I’m EposVox, Happy Streaming!Thanks for watching this episode of my OBSStudio tutorial course.More videos like this and a full master classare linked in the playlist in the video description.Click to learn more.Also consider joining us on Patreon to helpkeep tech education free.Go to Patreon.com/eposvox to sign up.\n"