How to Add Transition Effects to OBS Sources

This article explains how to apply transition effects to individual sources when toggling their visibility in OBS Studio. You will learn about the native “Show” and “Hide” transition features, how to configure them step-by-step, and alternative methods for achieving advanced animations.

Yes, you can apply transition effects to individual sources when toggling their visibility on and off. OBS Studio includes a native feature that allows you to set specific entry (Show) and exit (Hide) transitions for any source within a scene, without affecting the rest of your layout.

How to Set Native Show and Hide Transitions

To apply a transition effect to a specific source, follow these steps:

  1. Locate the Source: Open OBS Studio and go to the Sources dock.
  2. Open the Transition Menu: Right-click the specific source you want to animate.
  3. Select the Show Transition: Hover over Show Transition in the context menu. Select your desired effect (such as Fade, Cut, Slide, or Swipe).
  4. Select the Hide Transition: Right-click the source again, hover over Hide Transition, and select the effect you want to play when you turn the source’s visibility off.
  5. Adjust Duration: To change how long the transition takes, right-click the source, go to Show Transition or Hide Transition, and click Properties to set the duration in milliseconds.

Once set, clicking the “eye” icon next to the source in the Sources dock will trigger the selected transition instead of instantly popping the source on or off the screen.

Advanced Source Transitions with Plugins

If you want more advanced animations, such as easing, moving, or scaling a source when its visibility toggles, you can use the popular third-party OBS plugin called Move Transition.

With this plugin installed, you can add a “Move Value” filter to your source to trigger custom animations whenever the source is enabled or disabled, giving you precise control over how elements enter and exit your stream.