First steps¶

You've installed CroStream, logged in to Twitch and connected OBS. This page checks that everything works, tries the command CroStream comes with, and points you at the few settings worth a look on day one.

1. Check the status bar¶

Look at the thin bar along the bottom of the CroStream window. Each connection has a dot and a word or two:

• Twitch with your channel name and a green dot: logged in and listening.
• OBS Studio with your OBS version and a green dot: connected.
• Steam and Discord are optional extras. They show as dimmed while you don't use them, and that's fine.

Anything amber or red needs a look: click it to open its page. The window explains every state.

2. Try !clip¶

CroStream starts with one ready-made command, so you can see it work before building anything:

• The trigger (what starts it) is the chat command !clip, or the shorter !c. Anyone in chat can use it, at most once a minute.
• The macro (what it does) saves the OBS replay buffer, creates a Twitch clip and posts the link in chat.

viewer !clip

CroStream @viewer clipped it! https://clips.twitch.tv/…

To try it, go live (Twitch only makes clips of a live stream), then type !clip in your chat. Within a few seconds:

• the replay is saved in OBS's recordings folder,
• the clip link appears in your chat, posted from your account,
• the Dashboard feed and the Activity page show the command and each step of the macro.

As the broadcaster, you skip the one-minute wait between uses, so you can try again straight away.

New words? A trigger decides when something happens, a macro decides what happens, and each step of a macro runs an action. The glossary has the rest.

3. Get to know the window¶

The sidebar on the left holds every page, grouped into Operate (what's happening on your stream), Automate (triggers and macros), Media (sounds, images and overlays) and Connect (Twitch, OBS and the others). The window is a tour of all of it, including the status bar, the tray icon and the keyboard shortcuts.

4. Choose how CroStream behaves on your computer¶

Open Settings (bottom of the sidebar) and look at the Desktop app panel. The settings most streamers change on day one:

• Close to the tray: closing the window keeps CroStream running, so your commands keep working while the window is out of the way.
• Start when I log in: CroStream is ready before you open OBS.
• Notifications: a system notification when you go live, a macro fails, Twitch or OBS disconnects, or an update is out.

Desktop behaviour explains each switch.

5. Put chat and controls on a second screen¶

The sidebar's Chat window and Controls window open small separate windows: your Twitch chat with moderation buttons, and one-click scene switching and pinned macros. They're made to sit beside your game or on a second monitor, and can stay on top of other windows. See Chat and Controls windows.

6. Build something of your own¶

Pick a tutorial: