Companions in OBS, step by step

Before you start: what you need

You need CYPAD with Stream mode available, your companion picked, and OBS Studio on the same PC. The window-capture flow is documented with CYPAD 1.1.30; the anime avatars arrived in 1.1.33 and the current version is 1.1.36.

The automatic capture method works best on Windows 10 1903 or later. A webcam is only needed if you choose camera mode.

• CYPAD with Stream mode and the companion visible
• OBS Studio on the same PC
• A microphone or a webcam, depending on the animation mode

Pick a background and an animation mode

In Stream → Appearance, pick Black background for an opaque window with a locked position and no edit label. If you want face tracking, pick Camera.

In Tools → Stream → How it animates: Voice only moves the mouth with microphone volume and never opens the camera; Camera adds head orientation, gaze, blinks, brows and expressions. Pick your devices and press Show companion. Hide companion stops the capture, and Retry devices recovers permissions after an error.

Step by step in OBS

1. Create a dedicated scene in OBS and add a single source: Window Capture → CYPAD Mascot.

2. Turn on exact title match and turn cursor capture off. Do not use Screen Capture.

3. If the automatic method shows black, switch the capture method to Windows 10 (1903 and later) and keep the companion visible.

4. Scale the source to the canvas. The window shows the companion only, never the camera feed or the room.

5. For Twitch or Kick, broadcast this scene directly from OBS.

6. Only if another app asks for a webcam: set the OBS Virtual Camera output to this scene, not to Program, start it and pick OBS Virtual Camera in the target app. CYPAD installs no driver of its own.

7. Pick the microphone separately: the virtual camera carries video, not audio.

Check before going live

Record a few seconds locally: talk, turn your head, leave the frame and disconnect the camera. Only the companion should remain visible, with no video feed and no edit label.

Troubleshooting

• OBS shows black: switch to Windows 10 (1903 and later) and make sure the companion window is still open with the exact title.
• The wrong window is captured: close the other CYPAD windows and turn on exact title match.
• The companion does not react: in voice mode, check the microphone; voice mode never opens the camera. In camera mode, check permissions and use Retry devices.
• The face is lost: after 350 ms the companion returns to a neutral pose with a voice-driven mouth; that is expected.
• A custom PNG does not track: custom images work in voice mode with two states.
• Transparency does not reach the virtual camera: it carries video without alpha. Use black or a chroma filter.

What was tested and what was not

CYPAD installs no virtual camera or virtual microphone of its own, and there is no hand or body tracking and no VRM import. The automated test uses a fake camera and microphone and is not the same as a real OBS capture.

During the internal review OBS was not installed: the flow relies on standard OBS window capture, so verify it on your own setup. OBS Virtual Camera availability depends on the target app; on TikTok LIVE Studio, on the account and version.

Which plan you need

Companions are set up in Stream mode, part of Pro along with OBS, sounds, routines, global hotkeys and phone control. The Free plan includes 1 profile and up to 6 active buttons with no time limit; Pro costs €9 once.