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This guide walks you through setting up OBS Studio to capture HNode’s output using the Spout2 plugin. OBS Studio is free-to-use software available on GitHub or Steam.

Prerequisites

  • OBS Studio installed on your system
  • HNode running and configured
  • Windows operating system (Spout2 is Windows-only)

Installation

1

Install Spout2 Plugin

Download and install the Spout2 for OBS plugin. This plugin enables OBS to capture textures directly from HNode via shared GPU memory.
2

Add Spout2 Capture Source

In OBS Studio:
  1. Click the + button in the Sources panel
  2. Select Spout2 Capture
  3. Name your source (e.g., “HNode Output”)
3

Configure Spout Sender

In the Spout2 Capture source properties:
  1. Set the SpoutSenders field to HNode Output (or the custom name you configured in HNode)
  2. Set Composite mode to Default to allow transparency from HNode
This ensures proper alpha channel handling for transparent areas in your lighting output.
4

Crop and Position (Optional)

To optimize your scene:Method 1: Visual Cropping
  • Hold Alt (or Left Alt) + Left Mouse Button to drag and crop unused parts of the Spout2 Capture
  • Be careful not to crop too much
Method 2: Precise Cropping
  • Right-click on the Spout2 Capture source
  • Select Transform > Edit Transform
  • Set precise Crop values (Top, Bottom, Left, Right)

Troubleshooting

If you don’t see any Spout senders in the dropdown:
  1. Ensure HNode is running
  2. Check that HNode’s Spout output is enabled
  3. Restart your PC (Spout sometimes requires a system restart to properly register senders)
  • Verify the Composite mode is set to Default
  • Check that the correct Spout sender name is selected
  • Ensure HNode is actively outputting data (check the statistics panel)
  • Lower the output resolution in HNode’s show configuration
  • Reduce OBS canvas resolution to match HNode’s output
  • Close unnecessary applications to free up GPU resources

Next Steps

Now that OBS is capturing HNode’s output, you can:

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