Thursday, April 27, 2023

OBS to Whatsapp using Droidcam Virtual Output (and a little Droidcam-X)

Datatalk / OBS / Virtual Webcam.

Whatsapp doesn't support virtual cams, so to get OBS to work with Whatsapp on your PC takes a few extra steps.

More information here: https://obsproject.com/forum/resources/droidcam-virtual-output.1580/

Step by step instructions in this post.


Droidcam Virtual Output

1. Droidcam Virtual Output is not the same as Droidcam / Droidcam-X.

2. It installs a kernel-level driver, that makes the output of OBS appear like a real hardware webcam.

3. You need to install BOTH the OBS Plugin, as well as the Kernel driver. You'll find both here:

https://github.com/dev47apps/droidcam-obs-virtual-output/releases




4. Install both the plugin and the driver, then reboot your machine.

Note: on my machine it wouldn't work at first, so I had to de-install and re-install the driver and plugin. No idea why.

5. Start up OBS.

6. To avoid crashes, you may have to set OBS output to a 'standard' format, see File / Settings /Video.

7. Tools / Droidcam Virtual Output / Active

A 'mark' ✔️will be visible when the virtual output is active. In the image below it isn't active yet.


8. When enabled, the output of OBS will be sent to that new Droidcam Virtual Output camera.

Note: think of this as a second 'virtual camera'. OBS can create its own virtual camera, but but that one isn't accepted by Whatsapp. This option just toggles another virtual camera that is accepted by Whatsapp. Until they block it... 😒

9. Start Whatsapp desktop (doesn't work with the web version!)

10. Start a video call

11. Click on the '...' button

12. Select 'Droidcam Video' as your video source

13. Now select the scene you want to show in OBS, for example a real webcam, your screen, whatever.

(The image below shows my scene selection for OBS using Touch Portal)



Droidcam (X) Camera

This has little to nothing to do with the Droidcam Virtual Output, except being written by the same person.

This app allows the use of an Android device as a webcam, to be used directly by applications, or passed through OBS as yet another webcam / camera input.

And it works great 😇

1. Install Droidcam-X on your Android device

2. Start the Droidcam-X app on your Android device, and check the IP address and port

3. Install the Droidcam-X client on your PC

4. Start the Droidcam client on your PC, and check IP address and port

5. Mirror / rotate as needed

6. Select the Droidcam Source 'n' as a video camera in whatever Windows application that you want to use Droidcam with.

Note: on my machine I could select both '2' and '3' but I haven't been able to figure out the difference 😎

7. In OBS you have to create a scene, then add the Droidcam source ad a camera to that scene.


Example setups

Logitech Webcam -> OBS -> Droidcam Virtual Output -> Whatsapp (Desktop)

Droidcam App (on Android) -> Droidcam program on PC -> OBS -> Droidcam Virtual Output -> Whatsapp (Desktop)

Logitech Webcam -> OBS -> OBS Virtual Camera -> Teams



 

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