Integrating Flowics with SDI workflows

Flowics Graphics is a cloud-based solution and needs third-party applications (such as Open Broadcaster Software (OBS), Vmix, or a web browser) to be used in live production.

The Graphics solution consists of three parts. The first part is the Editor where you will get access to the Remote control and Output after creating your Overlays. 

The Remote-Control part is where you control the Graphics and what information to display, and the Output (rendering) part. Both can be accessed simultaneously on different screens and computers across the internet.

The Output part is 'loaded' into one of the supported applications using a 'web browser' layer or clip type. All applications have a slightly different name for it but the result is always that a URL is rendered to a video signal.

How do I use it in production?

There are three different ways to incorporate Flowics graphics into your live production.

Output mode

Use with professional switcher

Semi-transparent graphics possible

1. Key & Fill

2. Stream from software

3. Chroma Key

1. Use an application with key and fill output support to overlay

This method offers the best quality/reliability for a large production. In this method, two video signals are supplied to a video mixer, one with a color fill (RGB) channel and one containing just an alpha channel.

A video mixer uses a keyer (usually a downstream luma keyer) to show only those pixels of the fill input that are white on the key input.

This method allows fully transparent graphics.

2. Software output

In this scenario, you use a software application with web source support, not only to overlay your Graphics but also to do your final live stream.

For example, you might have a capture card connected up to a laptop. In your software switcher, like in OBS, you would configure the capture card to sit below your Flowics Graphics layer.

3. Chroma key (set background color and use a keyer to overlay graphics)

In this method, the background of the Flowics Graphics renders canvas is set to a solid color, for example, blue or green, to allow for chroma keying. This method, however, makes it very hard to create graphics with semi-transparent surfaces, glows, or shadows, so it's not recommended for ideal image quality.

What applications can I use to render and output Flowics graphics?

Application name

Overlay feature name

Decklink output

Key and Fill output


Open Broadcaster Studio (OBS)

Browser Source

(from v23)

Free (open source)


Web Browser

(from v21)


CasparCG (custom build)


Free (open source)


Web Display


Find below a step by step guide on how getting a SDI output through different production software's

Flowics + OBS - SDI render and output graphics 

Flowics + vMix - SDI render and output graphics 

Flowics + Caspar CG - SDI render and output graphics

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