NDI Tools

NDI Tools are a suite of tools made by Newtek for sharing video and audio across networks using the NDI protocol. While it is usually geared towards running on local networks as of version 5 it is possible to share video sources across the internet using NDI Bridge. NDI has direct compatibility with most modern video programs and has plugins for the Adobe Creative Cloud.

While NDI can be fairly CPU heavy to encode and decode, it can open up a whole host of possibilities for sharing video across various machines.  There are apps available to share smartphone cameras and screens as NDI sources and the tools package contains the NDI webcam utility which creates a virtual webcam (for zoom, etc) using any NDI feed on the network.

The full set of tools is Windows only but the MacOS tools still offer a lot of functionality.

COST:

  • NDI Tools are free

  • Some apps are paid

  • Specific hardware is also available


OBS

The Open Broadcast Software Project or OBS is a free and open-source software that is used for video recording and live streaming. Since it is open source, there are a lot of available plugins to extend functionality and there is a very active modding community. Originally only available via a plugin, OBS now has integrated Virtual Camera functionality.  This allows you to take your OBS composition and turn it into a camera feed that can be used anywhere where a regular camera input would be taken (Zoom etc).  This function opens up a wide range of streaming and remote working possibilities without requiring expensive software or hardware.  OBS has a highly customizable interface but because of this can seem a little intimidating to new users. 

Chroma keying can be done directly in OBS and can be pretty clean when paired with quality lighting.  The combination of OBS, chroma-keying, and vdo.ninja can be quite powerful for long-distance collaboration where the desired outcome is for multiple feeds to exist in the same virtual space. 

OBS has plugins that add functionality for NDI and Spout

COST: Free

Projects that used OBS:

 


Packet Sender

Packet Sender is an open-source utility available on MacOS and Windows that allows for sending of TCP and UDP packets. Extremely useful when troubleshooting network commands (such as shutter commands to a projector or cues to a microprocessor.

COST: Free


Slack

Slack is a messaging suite aimed at businesses and offices. Meant as an alternative to emails, messages can be sent to groups, individuals, or posted in threads. It offers file sharing and voice and video calls as well as integration with other pieces of software such as google drive. Slack is a great way to keep information organized by department and keep quick questions out of email inboxes.

COST:

  • Free tier missing some features

  • Pro at $6.67 / user / month

  • Business+ at $12.50 / user / month


Snap Camera

Snap Camera is an application which allows users to add Snapchat lenses to any incoming video feed and then output as a webcam. Snap Camera is a quick and easy way to add Augmented Reality filters or effects to a video feed and there is a huge library of user created lenses to choose from. If a custom filter is needed, it can be created in the companion application Lens Studio. Snap Camera allows hotkeys to turn filters on and off but there is usually a small amount of lag so if you want to be able to “cue” filters a more custom solution is probably needed.

COST: Free


Spark AR

Created by Facebook, Spark AR is an AR development software that is meant to make the development and deployment of AR apps as easy as possible. It comes with various templates and assets libraries and is capable of using many different forms of data as triggers (such as motions, sounds, facial expressions, etc.).

Effects are created using a visual coding language and can be customized further using javascript.

AR effects can only be published on Instagram or Facebook and both users and developers need accounts on said platforms.

COST: Free


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