Tutorial: How to control OBS via OpenLP custom stage view

NorfolkGreg

Trying to track down my non-working implementation, I see some incompatibilities!

For example, the guidances on setting up stages in the manual say create a directory "stages", but the stage.html file has references to /stage/ in lines 29 and 30 and these are the lines that reference the .js files!. Seems a likely candidate to stop things working! :-)

It's bed time! I'll try adding an "s" to those paths tomorrow! hopefully it will make a difference!

NorfolkGreg

Well, I've done a few experiments and not got further forward.

I'm still guessing that there are some wrong file paths in the stage.html file, so have kept a renamed original but not found one in my copy that provides the "“WebSockets Server Settings” item in the “Tools” menu of OBS. Here's my file structure. OBSPortable is in a directory of its own under the PortableApps.

Any thoughts on whether it is the folder references in stage.html that need to be changed. Of course, ideally, I don't want to hard code the F: drive, as the whole thing needs to be transferable on other machines.

NorfolkGreg

Oops! Clearly I was confused and don't understand the code in the files in the stages/obs folder at all!

I've just discovered that changes the paths in stage.html stop the http://localhost:4316/stage/obs screen from working.

NorfolkGreg

Cracked it! At least I think I have!

The solution was to find the correct directory into which to copy the websocket plugin. I had been misled by the install instructions on the websocket Releases page. It says:

=======

Using the obs-websocket-4.9.0-Windows.zip archive : copy the contents of the archive to the root of your OBS Studio installation folder (either

=======

However, with an app installed under the PortableApps format, you'll find any app folder has three sub-folders, "App", "Data" and "Other". In the case of OBS, you'll find within the App folder that there is already an "obs-studio" sub-folder. In spite of the guidance in the readme.txt you find there saying "There is normally no need to directly access or alter any of the files within these directories", simply copy the contents of the websocket ZIP file there.

I'll report further once I have confirmed it does all it should as I've now got to the point where I am supposed to set up some scenes in OBS, something I haven't tackled before!

michaelbishop

This is really helpful - especially as we're all streaming everything now :)

Has anyone had any success adapting this script for 2.9.2?

My Javascript is limited and I haven't worked with websockets before. It seems that OpenLP is now using websockets for the remote (on port 4317) and OBS is listening by default on port 4444. What is the best way forward - one combined stage.js or two separate scripts?

I think using OpenLP to seamlessly manage OBS is going to be hugely helpful for churches whose volunteers can manage OpenLP but for whom OBS is a bridge too far ...

Thanks

jogam

michaelbishop
This is really helpful - especially as we're all streaming everything now :)
Has anyone had any success adapting this script for 2.9.2?
My Javascript is limited and I haven't worked with websockets before. It seems that OpenLP is now using websockets for the remote (on port 4317) and OBS is listening by default on port 4444. What is the best way forward - one combined stage.js or two separate scripts?
I think using OpenLP to seamlessly manage OBS is going to be hugely helpful for churches whose volunteers can manage OpenLP but for whom OBS is a bridge too far ...
Thanks

Hi,

Recently downloaded it stage view and testing with OpenLP 2.4.6; it's really functionaly.

I just had to change some lines and yeah it's working with OpenLP 2.9.2 + obs. You need only configure all as fiveofsix says and uncompress the attached file on your stage path.

Enjoy.

- - - - - - - - Update attahed file - - - - - - -

My apologies, previous file is wrong, use last updated.

NorfolkGreg

I probably showing my ignorance about where the port numbers fit into the streaming process and where any conflicts might show up, so I'm posting this as I'm anxious to learn!

As reported above, I'm using the current PortableApps versions of OBS and OpenLP and still haven't actually streamed anything as our media team discovered that the church's Internet upload speed is under 1Mbps so we didn't get that far but...

In spite of having the 4317 and 4444 default port numbers in each app, we certainly are getting OpenLP to successfully alter scenes in OBS so that as you move to a song item in the OpenLP Service Manager that requires lyric sub-titles to appear with the pre-defined camera setting in OBS then that transition took place.

So I'm not sure if there's any need to change the default ports for OpenLP 2.9.2 when everything seems to work under OpenLP 2.4.6.

What am I missing? Or is it Michael Bishop worrying unnecessarily?

JohnM

@michaelbishop yes I posted the update to the OpenLP custom view that works with the 2.9.x Beta version. It does use a websocket to talk to OpenLP. I did not complete the conversion to API version 2 for OpenLP, but have tested the custom stage view over several Worship services, and continue to use it.

JohnM

@NorfolkGreg If it is working, leave it alone! When you upgrade to the next version of OpenLP, you may have to change a port number, but until then you should not have to change ports.

ninjakiwi

@michaelbishop OpenLP 2.9.2 still supports the old API so your script should still work. I'd recommend updating to use websockets but it's not necessary. There are a few posts around on the form if your looking for examples. There is also some documentation on how to use the websockets API here: https://gitlab.com/openlp/wiki/-/wikis/Documentation/websockets

michaelbishop

Thanks @JohnM and @ninjakiwi - I will play around with it a bit more and see I can update it

BillC

Need help as I have not been able get control of OBS from openlp.

I am running on a windows 10 machine. Both Openlp 2.4.6 and OBS 27.0.1 (64 bit) are installed on the same computer. OBS-websocket 4.9.1 is installed.

As per instructions above, I have a scene with a browser source named 'lyrics'.

When I look at OBS log, I'm not getting any connection from Openlp.

What could be wrong?

JohnM

@BillC With OpenLP version 2.4.6 you need to use the original files from this discussion. Start by setting up the OpenLP OBS stage. Make sure you can launch OpenLP and open the stage view in a browser. As you move through a service in OpenLP the stage view should change and update right along the with the live output from OpenLP. Once the stage view is operating, then we can look at the OBS part of the process.

BillC

JohnM, thanks for your quick response.

The custom stage view is working.

JohnM

@BillC The next step is to install the OBS websocket. As I remember it there are two basic methods. How did you install the OBS websocket? And be sure to enable the websock alerts. The alerts tell you every time OBS receives a change scene command from OpenLP.

One more question. How do you want to use OpenLP to control OBS? By default, the stage view will tell OBS to change to a song scene when the lyrics property of a service item is set to yes...like when the service item is a song. If this is all you want, it should work correctly provided you have the scene named correctly. As an example if you have a scene in OBS that is named 'alter' you can put "scenechange:altar" into the notes of a service item and it will change to that scene when the first slide of the service item is displayed on the live screen.

BillC

I installed the obs-websocket using the windows installer from the obs-websocket github releases page.

I don't understand how to enable websocket alerts. Is it a matter of setting the checkbox on the websockets server dialog?

I intend to use the websocket to automatically change scene when moving to an openlp item have a not that defines what scene obs should show. Also to show lower third lyrics for songs.

JohnM

@BillC On the menu you put in your last message, check the box next to "Enable System Tray Alerts" This will give you a message every time OBS gets told to change screens....normally very often! Once you know OpenLP and OBS are talking you will want to uncheck this box, but leave it on for the moment.

At this point I would put a few items in the service in OpenLP and add notes to each item. The note is a simple message to OBS, 'scenechange:Bible' would be the message to change to a scene in OBS that is titled "Bible".

Next open the stage view in a web browser. With OpenLP open and OBS open and the web browser with the OBS stage view, double click on the first service item in OpenLP. OBS should see a message and move to the scene in the notes for the first item. Move through the service double clicking on other items and each time it should move to the scene in the notes for that item.

BillC

JohnM, I don't see any evidence that Openlp and OBS are communicating. The OBS stage view shows the items, but song lyrics start at top of view, not lower 1/3. I looked at the obs log and there are no inputs coming from Openlp. My javascript knowledge is almost zero. I found on the obs-websocket how to communicate to OBS using python. I was able to make a quick python program to change a scene in OBS, that worked fine. Thus I am confident the obs-websocket is installed correctly.

Next step?

JohnM

@BillC Ok it does sound like something is wrong with your OpenLP stage view setup. The URL in the browser for the stage view should look like http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:4316/stage/obs. Most of it can be found by going into settings and looking at the remote page. The xxx is just a placeholder for whatever you IP address is.

Assuming you are trying to look at the right stage view, the next step is to look at the OBS directory under the Data/stages directory. Open OpenLP and use the "Tools" menu to open the data folder. Now open the stages directory and open the OBS directory. There should be 4 files in this directory.

obs-websocket.jsstage.cssstage.jsstage.html

Open the stage.js file with notepad. Scroll all the way to the last 2 lines. They should be:

setIntrerval("OpenLP.pollServer();", 500);

OpenLP.pollServer();

If the last 2 lines are not like the above, you have the wrong set of files. There are 2 versions. One works on OpenLP version 2.4.6 and the other works for version 2.9.x, but they are not interchangeable!

BillC

JohnM, the last 2 lines of stage.js are as you state.

Just to give you a bit more info, the four files you mention are in a folder as follows:

I do not understand the contents of stage .html, it uses the "stage" where I would expect "stages" to match the file folder.

<head>

<title>${stage_title}</title>

</head>

<body>

</body>

</html>

As I've been trying to think of possible causes, it occurred to me that it has been some time since you installed the obs-websocket and likely you have an earlier version. Do you think it likely that something in the later version of obs-websocket or the obs-websocket.js has changed and that is what is causing my installation to not function correctly?

JohnM, I really appreciate the guidance and the time you have spent helping me.

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