StreamCraft Live v0.21.1 (alpha) — Cameras and capture cards on Display Blocks

This is an alpha. It was tested on Windows only, on a few Minecraft versions (see What was tested below). If something breaks, tell us on Discord, and stay on 0.21.0 if you need a build that was fully tested.

A small update with a big ask behind it: you can now put a camera on a Display Block. That includes a USB capture card or OBS Virtual Camera, so a console, a second PC or an OBS scene can play on a screen in your world.

Put a camera on a Display Block

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

Only you can put your camera on a block. Other players never see your camera in their list, and a 0.21.1 server refuses if someone tries anyway. Anyone can still take it off a block. Screen shares work as before: anyone near you can show your share on a block.

• 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.

Players still on 0.21.0 or older keep seeing your camera floating beside you until they update.

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? The screen-share route from before still works. 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

On a Windows PC, on Minecraft 1.21.1 NeoForge, 1.20.1 Fabric and 26.2 Fabric: a webcam and OBS Virtual Camera as your camera, your camera on a Display Block, Show camera billboard, and the Display Block source list. Every other Minecraft version and loader is built from the same code but was not launched. Not tested yet: macOS and Linux, a second player (including the rule that only you can put your camera on a block), and a real USB capture card.

Known issues

• Windows, rare: the game closed once, straight after a screen share was stopped (1 of about 30 stops in 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.
• Some players reported the screen looking dimmer on Minecraft 26.2. Testing on Windows found 26.2 as bright as other versions under both OpenGL and Vulkan. If you still see it, tell us your GPU and OS on Discord.

Compatibility

• Every Fabric version from 1.20.1 through 26.2, every NeoForge version from 1.20.6 through 26.2, and Forge 1.20.1, each in five files: Windows (no suffix), -linux, -linux-aarch64, -macos-arm64, -macos-x86_64. This release is published as an alpha on every version.
• 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 0.21.1 client works with 0.21.0 and 0.19.22 servers and the other way round. Your settings carry over, and Show camera billboard starts on.