obsdc

OBS control from D-Bus messages

Send a D-Bus signal to perform an operation with src/obsdc-signal, which takes a single operation command as an argument, and performs an action in OBS.

Operations

• SCENE_NEXT - switch to the next scene
• SCENE_PREV - switch to the previous scene
• SCENE_# - switch to the indicated scene
  • replace # with scene index, starting with 1.
• STUDIO_TRANSITION - transition the studio preview and program
• STUDIO_MODE_TOGGLE - toggle studio mode
• PAN_UP - move the top unlocked source up 50px
• PAN_DOWN - move the top unlocked source down 50px
• PAN_LEFT - move the top unlocked source left 50px
• PAN_RIGHT - move the top unlocked source right 50pxt

Configuration

Configuration is read from $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/net.eksb.obsdc/config.properties

Configuration options

• host - OBS websocket host (default: localhost)
• port - OBS websocket port (default: 4455)
• password - OBS websocket password (required)

systemd

A systemd unit file (obsdc.service) is included.

1. Copy the file to ~/.config/systemd/user/.
2. Edit the ExecStart line for where you have installed obsdc.
3. systemctl --user enable obsdc
4. systemctl --user start obsdc

Build

gradle build

Run

1. tar xf build/distributions/obsdc.tar
2. cd obsdc
3. Create config file. See [#Configuration].
4. bin/obsdc
5. bin/obsdc-signal to send an op.

Code

Start at Main.

Obs is a wrapper around obs-websocket-java that handles reconnects and queuing operations until the websocket it ready.

OpRunner has the logic to run Ops using an Obs.

DBus listens for the D-Bus signals and calls OpRunner.

History/Rationale

I usually code on a 4k monitor in portrait mode. To show what I am doing on video calls, I use OBS to share that monitor, but it is a 2160x4096 source in a 1920x1080 scene.

I have a macropad with three knobs. My window manager is configured to call obsdc-signal with PAN_UP/PAN_DOWN for the keys emitted by the left knob, PAN_RIGHT/PAN_LEFT for the keys emitted by the right knob, and SCENE_NEXT/SCENE_PREV for the keys emitted by the center knob. The regular keys on the macropad are mapped to the other actions.

So now I can quickly control what people can see without having to focus (or even make visible) the OBS window.