Group and Animate Multiple Sources in OBS Studio

Controlling multiple elements at once in OBS Studio can streamline your live streaming workflow and elevate your production value. This guide explains how to group multiple sources together in OBS Studio and animate them to move simultaneously using native group controls and the highly recommended “Move Transition” plugin.

How to Group Sources in OBS Studio

Grouping sources allows you to resize, reposition, and toggle visibility for multiple assets at the exact same time.

  1. Go to the Sources dock in OBS Studio.
  2. Hold down the Ctrl key (or Cmd on Mac) and click on each source you want to group together.
  3. Right-click on one of the selected sources.
  4. Select Group Selected Items from the context menu (or press Ctrl + G / Cmd + G).
  5. Double-click the new group folder to rename it for easy identification.

Once grouped, dragging or resizing the group in the preview window will apply the changes to all containing sources simultaneously.

Animating Multiple Sources Simultaneously

While grouping allows for basic manual movement, automating smooth animations requires transitioning between scenes or using a dedicated plugin.

To create advanced, smooth movement animations for your grouped sources, install the free Move Transition plugin by Exeldro.

  1. Apply the Move Filter: Right-click your newly created group in the Sources list and select Filters.
  2. Add a Move Source Filter: Click the + icon under Effect Filters and select Move Source. Name the filter (e.g., “Move Left”).
  3. Set the Target Position: Move your group to the desired end position in the preview window.
  4. Get Transform: In the filter settings, click the Get Transform button. This saves the current coordinates.
  5. Set the Trigger: Move the group back to its starting position. You can now trigger the animation by toggling the filter’s visibility or assigning a hotkey to the filter in OBS Settings.

Method 2: Using Scene Transitions

If you prefer not to install plugins, you can animate groups by transitioning between two different scenes.

  1. Create Scene A: Place your group in its starting position.
  2. Duplicate the Scene: Right-click Scene A in the Scenes dock and select Duplicate to create Scene B.
  3. Position in Scene B: In Scene B, move the grouped sources to their final destination.
  4. Set Transition: Set your scene transition to Slide or Swipe (or Move if you have the Move Transition plugin installed).

When you switch between Scene A and Scene B, the entire group of sources will animate smoothly to its new position.