Pixel LED Animator 3 can send its live preview out as a Spout2 texture or an NDI video source. OBS Studio can capture either one as a scene source, which means you can stream, record, or feed the animation into a call without exporting a video file first.
This is different from rendering an MP4. The OBS source stays live: change an effect parameter, palette, keyframe, or text overlay and the OBS output changes with it. That makes the setup useful for live shows, tutorials, product demos, and LED preview streams.
Spout or NDI?
Both outputs carry the same RGB frames. The right choice depends on where OBS runs.
| Spout2 | NDI | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it works | Same Windows PC | Same PC or LAN |
| Transport | GPU texture share | Network video stream |
| Network setup | None | Firewall, discovery, subnet |
| Latency | Lowest, local | About a frame plus network/encode |
| OBS source | Spout2 Capture | NDI Source |
| Best for | One PC, live production | Second PC, remote operator |
Use Spout2 when Pixel LED Animator and OBS run on the same machine. Use NDI when OBS runs on another computer, or when the animation has to reach several receivers on the network.
Neither output includes an alpha channel. Pixel LED Animator sends 8-bit RGB frames, which is the correct format for LED content. If you need transparency in OBS, key out the background color there.
What You Need
- Pixel LED Animator 3 on Windows 10 or 11.
- OBS Studio installed.
- Spout2 Capture plugin for OBS, or DistroAV (the current NDI plugin for OBS) for NDI.
- The Spout2 runtime and the NDI runtime installed on the machine that runs Pixel LED Animator.
- Both machines on the same network for NDI.
If the Spout or NDI option is greyed out in the app, the runtime is missing. Install it, then restart Pixel LED Animator.
Step 1: Prepare the Animation
Decide what the OBS output is for before choosing a canvas size.
- Streaming or recording only: design at the delivery resolution, such as
1920 x 1080or1280 x 720. Text and thin lines stay crisp. - Real LED matrix preview: design at the matrix resolution, such as
64 x 32or128 x 64. Scale it up in OBS with point filtering. - Both: keep the matrix version as the source of truth and scale it in OBS for the stream.
Set a stable frame rate, usually 30 or 60 FPS, and start playback. The output only updates while the preview is playing.
Step 2: Turn On the Output
There are two ways to enable it.
From the preview window: use the output strip and select Spout or NDI instead of Off.
From the streaming window: choose the Spout or NDI protocol button, confirm the sender name, and press Start Streaming.
The sender name is fixed: Pixel LED Animator 3. That is the name OBS will look for.
If the option is unavailable, the app shows a message such as “Spout2 not available on this machine” or “NDI runtime not available on this machine”. Install the matching runtime and restart the app.
Step 3: Add the Source in OBS
Spout2
- In OBS, select + under Sources and choose Spout2 Capture.
- Pick
Pixel LED Animator 3from the source list. - Press OK and fit the source to the canvas.
NDI
- Select + and choose NDI Source.
- Set Source Name to
Pixel LED Animator 3. - Leave the defaults first, then adjust bandwidth or sync only if the image stutters.
- If the source is not listed, check the firewall and confirm both machines are on the same subnet.
Step 4: Keep Pixel Edges Sharp
LED content is made of hard color boundaries. OBS defaults to smooth scaling, which turns crisp pixels into a blurry gradient.
- Set Scale Filtering to Disable (nearest-neighbor).
- Scale by a whole-number multiplier where possible.
- Avoid fractional scaling and sharpening filters.
| Matrix | Integer scale | Output size |
|---|---|---|
32 x 32 | 30x | 960 x 960 |
64 x 32 | 30x | 1920 x 960 |
128 x 64 | 15x | 1920 x 960 |
64 x 64 | 15x | 960 x 960 |
Letterbox the result if the canvas is 16:9. A slightly smaller image with uniform pixels looks better than a full-frame image with uneven pixel widths.
Step 5: Stream or Record
For recording, use a high bitrate and, if available, 4:4:4 chroma. Streaming platforms usually re-encode to 4:2:0, which can bleed color across sharp pixel edges; a higher source bitrate reduces the damage.
Keep these points in mind:
- Pixel LED Animator output is video only. Add music or voice as a separate OBS source.
- Test 30 seconds of fast motion before going live.
- If you need the same output on a real controller, record it with Record while streaming or export the final file after the look is approved.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Spout option is missing | Install the Spout2 runtime and the OBS Spout2 Capture plugin; restart both apps |
| NDI option is missing | Install the NDI runtime (NDI Tools); restart both apps |
| OBS lists the source but shows black | Press Start Streaming or set the output strip away from Off |
| Source disappears | Start playback in Pixel LED Animator; the output stops when the preview stops |
| Stutter on one PC | Use Spout instead of NDI; lower the canvas or frame rate |
| Colors look washed out | Check the OBS color space and avoid stacking gamma or color correction filters |
| NDI source not discovered | Check firewall rules, subnet, and NDI discovery; try entering the sender IP manually |
FAQ
Can OBS capture Pixel LED Animator without a plugin? No. OBS needs the Spout2 Capture plugin or the DistroAV NDI plugin. The app sends the frames; OBS needs a matching receiver.
Does the output include transparency? No. Spout2 and NDI output carry RGB frames without alpha. Key the background color in OBS if you need transparency.
Can I use this for Zoom, Teams, or a virtual camera? Yes. Add the source to OBS, then start OBS Virtual Camera and select it in the meeting app.
Is the latency low enough for live performance? Spout2 on the same PC is effectively immediate. NDI adds encode, network, and decode time, so test it on the actual network before a show.
Can I stream to a controller and OBS at the same time? The preview output strip and the streaming window are separate controls, but they share the same rendered frames. Test the exact combination before a live show. If it is not stable, send to OBS from one machine and stream to the controller from another, or record the controller stream and play it back.
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