Spicing up your Roll20 sessions with a virtual camera

Just a quick tip for the brave people out there... Maybe you are already using this solution (or a similar one), but for the ones that aren't, here are my two cents. If you install OBS (open source equivalent to X-Split) and OBS-Virtualcam (an add-on), you can use the OBS virtual camera thus installed instead of the physical webcam in Roll20. In OBS, you can then set different backgrounds, even videos, show portraits of NPCs, your GM face, etc. Everything is basically real-time. I use it to show the players the landscape when they travel, the weather, the interior of the places they visit and the NPCs faces without resorting to handouts. You can also show your own live face above the pictures/videos of your choice, but of course you need a chroma key background to obtain a nice result. That's it. If you are interested and need more info, I can make a video to show the procedure (and the results). Just let me know.

I would LOVE to see that instructional video. That sounds really cool.

If the video is made, might need the link put into the roll20 tricks thread. I would like to see the video also.

if it goes in the Stupid Tricks thread, it should just be a link to Fabio M.'s thread. This looks way too detailed and useful for a casual mention. I didn't even know that feature was there. I use a virtual camera, but it's Eyeglasses, which allows you to make all sorts of adjustments and effects. This sounds much cooler.

Ah well. It appears it's a windows-only plug in. :(

Yeah, sorry, I didn't look into a Linux solution. Although, there is WebCamStudio that could probably do the same stuff if Linux is the OS you're using. I could not try it yet, also because my Linux computers have no GUI. The alternative would be to run a Windows virtual machine in Linux and use OBS or XSplit there. It should work (If you think it is worth the hassle, though). Anyway, I'll try to make a short video as soon as I have 5 minutes and my kids are quite ;)

Here is the video: <a href="https://youtu.be/NbM1zy0_C6Y" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/NbM1zy0_C6Y</a> It is not professionally made, I just sat in front of my computer and recorded while I fiddled with OBS Studio trying to describe what I was doing, so bear with me.

Fabio M. said: Here is the video: <a href="https://youtu.be/NbM1zy0_C6Y" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/NbM1zy0_C6Y</a> Nice technique, shown in the video. That would be a good recommendation for this Suggestion thread, where there has been similar discussion: <a href="https://app.roll20.net/forum/post/1245756/unique-p" rel="nofollow">https://app.roll20.net/forum/post/1245756/unique-p</a>... The programs I knew about and mentioned in that thread: CamTwist and ManyCam, one of these would have a Mac OS version available as well with similar capabilities.