StreamCraft Live v0.21.2 — Minecraft 26.3, and cameras on Display Blocks

This update adds Minecraft 26.3. It also brings everything from the 0.21.1 alpha to everyone, now fully tested: your camera, a capture card or OBS Virtual Camera can play on a Display Block.

If you are coming from 0.21.0, everything below is new to you.

Minecraft 26.3

StreamCraft now runs on Minecraft 26.3, on Fabric and NeoForge. NeoForge for 26.3 is still in beta, so the 26.3 NeoForge files are published as beta too.

26.3 changed how Minecraft reads the keyboard. Every StreamCraft screen still works from the keyboard on 26.3: Tab, the arrow keys, Enter and Esc.

Put a camera on a Display Block

Right-click a Display Block and open Source. When your camera is on, it is in the list as <your name> — Camera.

Only you can put your camera on a block. Other players never see your camera in their list, and the server refuses if someone tries anyway. Screen shares work as before: anyone near you can show your share on a block.

Anyone can take any stream off a block. If a block shows another player's camera, open it, and Source reads "Another player's camera". Pick None to clear it.

• A camera on a block has no sound. For sound, use the screen-share route below.
• The picture stretches to the block's shape. Size the block to match the camera, for example 16×9 for most capture cards.

Show camera billboard

A new switch in Settings, next to Billboard position. Turn it off, and your camera shows only on Display Blocks instead of floating beside you. Use it when your "camera" is really a capture card or an OBS scene.

Capture cards and OBS Virtual Camera on Windows

• OBS Virtual Camera works as your camera. It used to show up in the camera list but fail to start. Press Start Virtual Camera in OBS first, then turn the camera on in StreamCraft.
• USB capture cards pick a smooth mode. Many cheap capture dongles offer full HD at only a few frames per second next to a compressed full-HD mode at 30. StreamCraft now prefers 25 frames per second or more, and decodes the compressed modes.

To put a capture card on a block: pick it as your camera on the Live page, turn off Show camera billboard in Settings, turn the camera on, then pick <your name> — Camera on the block. The capture card is your camera while it is on, so it takes the place of your face cam.

Want sound with it? Open an OBS projector window for the capture card, and share that window with Desktop audio on.

On macOS, capture cards appear in the camera list on macOS 14 or newer.

What was tested

Every Minecraft version and loader, Fabric, NeoForge and Forge, 22 in all, was tested with two players in the same world:

• A Windows PC and a MacBook, both ways: joining, every hub page, and turning cameras on and off.
• Screen sharing both ways, and keyboard-only use of the menus.
• Cameras on Display Blocks, including the rule that only you can put your camera on a block, and Show camera billboard.
• Linux (Arch, KDE, Wayland) on 1.21.1 and 26.3: the camera, a screen share through the system's share dialog, and playing another player's shared sound.

Not tested: a real USB capture card. OBS Virtual Camera was tested.

Known issues

• Windows, rare: the game closed once, straight after a screen share was stopped (1 of about 30 stops in earlier testing). We are working on it.
• macOS: the very first time you turn on your mic, macOS asks for permission and StreamCraft gives up before you answer. After you allow it, turn the mic on once more.
• Two players sharing desktop audio at each other hear it loop. A share with desktop audio records everything your computer plays, including the other player's stream. If you both share desktop audio near each other's screens, turn Desktop audio off on one side.
• With Show camera billboard off, players still on 0.21.0 or older keep seeing your camera floating beside you.
• On NeoForge 1.21.11, 26.1 and 26.2, voice chat runs without echo cancellation, noise suppression and auto-gain. Voice still works; use headphones to avoid echo.
• On 1.21.9–1.21.11 and 26.x, Block Glow can still hide water behind it.
• On 1.21.6–1.21.11 your own Display Block preview may show letterbox bars that viewers do not see.

Compatibility

• Every Fabric version from 1.20.1 through 26.3, every NeoForge version from 1.20.6 through 26.3, and Forge 1.20.1, each in five files: Windows (no suffix), -linux, -linux-aarch64, -macos-arm64, -macos-x86_64. The 26.2 and 26.3 NeoForge files are built on NeoForge beta releases, so they are published as beta.
• Fabric and NeoForge clients can share the same server. On 1.20.1, use the same loader's file as the server.
• All native code is bundled in the JAR. macOS 13 or newer for screen and system-audio capture.

Upgrading

• No network changes: a 0.21.2 client works with 0.21.1, 0.21.0 and 0.19.22 servers and the other way round. The rule that only you can put your camera on a block is enforced by 0.21.1 and newer servers. Your settings carry over, and Show camera billboard starts on.