Streamer guide
This guide covers the practical choices for actual-play streams, podcasts, panels, interviews, and recurring collabs: source size, persistent seating, guest GMs, rehearsal tools, speaking effects, and participant viewing.
Each person signs in with Discord once, then imports a .veado file or creates an avatar from transparent PNG states. After saving, guests can close the site; they do not need to keep a PNGStage tab open during the show.
For a private voice channel, allow the bot to View Channel and Connect. It joins self-muted and self-deafened and does not need Speak permission. Check category overrides if it cannot see or enter the channel.
Automatic is the default and centers the connected cast in one horizontal row. Fixed Slots are opt-in: assign persistent seats by dragging detected participants into open positions, choosing a slot, or locking the current lineup.
Start Test Stage to populate the layout with placeholder avatars and cycle their speaking states. Use Test Speaking beside a detected participant to preview that person's talking artwork and glow for 2.5 seconds.
In your PNGStage dashboard, copy the private OBS browser source URL under Stage links. Add a Browser Source in OBS Studio or Streamlabs Desktop and paste that URL. Start with a 1920 × 300 transparent source. The separate Stage View link is for participants or viewers, not for your OBS source.
Layout choices
Automatic mode is quick for casual calls. Fixed Slots are designed for framed productions where each avatar must stay aligned with a camera, nameplate, or scene element.
| Need | Automatic | Fixed Slots |
|---|---|---|
| Initial setup | Centers connected participants automatically. | Assign people visually from the detected-participant pool. |
| Disconnects | The remaining cast re-centers. | The assigned seat stays empty until that person returns. |
| Ordering | Handled by the live roster. | Drag, use slot controls, or Sort A–Z by the displayed name. |
| Capacity | Shows the active cast in the available source width. | Up to 6 positions on Free or 12 on Creator. |
Keep everyone in line or give one detected participant a featured position on the far left or right. The account owner is the default, but you can select a guest GM, rotating host, interviewer, or panel moderator instead.
Speaking glow and inactive-avatar fading are separate options. Choose glow only when commissioned artwork should remain fully visible, fade only for quieter emphasis, combine both, or disable both. Instant, Short, and Medium release options help control flicker between words.
Generate a private Stage View URL for players or audience members. It shows the completed layout and speaking states without streamer controls. Share Stage View, not the private OBS source or Creator Control Dock URL.
Creator supports 25 named presets for layouts such as five players plus host, guest GM, panel, or interview. A preset remembers stage settings but deliberately excludes channel IDs, share links, and private credentials.
Sizing and framing
PNGStage uses the full dimensions of the browser source and keeps avatars bottom-aligned. The stage does not wrap into multiple rows. You can resize the source to fit a smaller play area, but always test unusually wide avatar art.
| Element | Recommendation | Why |
|---|---|---|
| OBS browser source | 1920 × 300, transparent | A reliable starting canvas for a horizontal cast. |
| Head-and-shoulders avatar | 1000 × 1000 transparent PNG | Gives enough source detail while keeping states consistent. |
| Character framing | Use 80–90% of the canvas height | Leaves room around the artwork for glow and avoids edge clipping. |
| Names above or below | Allow about 56 px of vertical space | The avatar scales shorter to reserve room for the label. |
| Speaking glow | Keep about 30 px of safe space | The outer glow reaches roughly 26 px and is clipped by source edges. |
Add the overlay as a Browser Source. Creator subscribers can also add the separate private control URL under Docks → Custom Browser Docks; a dock width of 380 px or more is recommended.
The regular stage works as a Browser Source. To use the Creator control page, add its URL as another Browser Source and open Interact. For detailed setup, the full PNGStage dashboard may be more comfortable than the Interact window.
FAQ
No. Automatic layout remains the default. Fixed Slots are an optional layout mode for shows that need persistent assigned positions.
Their assigned position stays empty instead of making everyone else move. If they reconnect, they return to the same position.
The Free plan supports up to six fixed positions. Creator supports up to 12 fixed positions.
Yes. The streamer is featured by default, but any detected participant can be assigned to the featured left or right position. This works well for guest GMs, rotating hosts, panels, and interviews.
Yes. The live overlay can show all six participants at once. The rotating homepage demonstration is only a product demo and does not limit the OBS overlay.
Yes. Free Test Stage fills the configured layout with rehearsal avatars, cycles through speaking states, and stops automatically after ten minutes.
Yes. Generate a private, read-only Stage View link. Anyone with the link can see the finished layout and speaking states, but cannot edit or control the stage.
No. After saving an avatar, guests can close PNGStage. They only need Discord running and must join the watched voice channel.
For the watched voice channel, View Channel and Connect are sufficient. The bot joins self-muted and self-deafened, so it does not require Speak permission. Make sure category-level denials do not override those permissions.
Yes. Highlight speaking avatars and Fade avatars when not speaking are independent controls, so you can use glow only, fade only, both, or neither.
Instant, Short, and Medium control how long talking artwork remains active through a brief pause. A short delay can reduce visible flicker during natural speech.
A 1000 by 1000 pixel transparent canvas is a good target. Keep each state framed consistently, use roughly 80 to 90 percent of the canvas height, and leave transparent padding around the character for the speaking glow.
OBS Studio can embed the Creator Control Dock as a Custom Browser Dock. Streamlabs Desktop can use the same control URL through a Browser Source and its Interact window, although the full PNGStage dashboard is usually easier for detailed setup.
Creator can save up to 25 presets containing layout mode, slot assignments, featured placement, glow and fade choices, and speaking release. Presets do not store voice channels, share links, or private credentials.
Next steps