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Transitions

OverMox lets you switch between scenes instantly or with professional stinger transitions. Create smooth, broadcast-quality scene changes that rival dedicated production software.

Transitions panel

Stinger Transitions

Section titled “Stinger Transitions”

Stinger transitions are video-based transitions commonly used in professional broadcasts. Instead of a hard cut, a video plays that reveals the new scene.

How Stingers Work

Section titled “How Stingers Work”
  1. You trigger a scene switch with a stinger
  2. The transition video starts playing
  3. Both scenes render simultaneously
  4. The video’s alpha (transparency) controls which scene is visible
  5. As the video plays, it gradually reveals the new scene
  6. The transition completes and the old scene deactivates

Track Matte

Section titled “Track Matte”

The magic of stingers is the track matte - a grayscale video that controls visibility. Where the matte is white, you see the new scene. Where it’s black, you see the old scene. Gray values blend between them.

Creating Stinger Transitions

Section titled “Creating Stinger Transitions”

Video Requirements

Section titled “Video Requirements”

Your stinger video should include:

  • The visual transition effect (swipes, wipes, logos, etc.)
  • A track matte (alpha channel) that reveals the new scene

Supported formats: asf, avi, dv, m4v, mov, mp4, mpg, mpeg, ogv, vp8, webm, wmv

Track Matte Orientation

Section titled “Track Matte Orientation”

Since most video formats don’t support alpha channels, the track matte is typically embedded in the video itself. OverMox supports two layouts:

Orientation Description
Side by Side Left half is the visual, right half is the matte
Stacked Top half is the visual, bottom half is the matte

When creating your video, include both the visual transition and its matte in the same file using one of these layouts.

Using Source Alpha

Section titled “Using Source Alpha”

If your video format supports alpha channels (like certain MOV files), enable Use Source Alpha to use the video’s built-in transparency instead of a track matte.

Stinger Properties

Section titled “Stinger Properties”

Stinger transition properties

Property Type Range Description
Name String - Identifier for this transition
Track Matte Path File Video file The transition video file
Track Matte Orientation Dropdown Side by Side, Stacked How the matte is laid out
Use Source Alpha Boolean - Use video’s alpha channel instead of matte
Binary Alpha Boolean - Hard edges (on/off) vs soft blending
Playback Rate Float 0 to 4 Speed multiplier (1 = normal)
Volume Float 0 to 1 Audio volume during transition

Binary Alpha

Section titled “Binary Alpha”

When enabled, the matte is treated as either fully opaque or fully transparent (no in-between values). This creates hard-edged transitions. When disabled, gray values in the matte create smooth blends.

Playback Rate

Section titled “Playback Rate”

Adjust how fast the transition plays:

  • 0.5 = Half speed (slower, more dramatic)
  • 1.0 = Normal speed
  • 2.0 = Double speed (faster, snappier)

Using Stingers

Section titled “Using Stingers”

Setting Up a Stinger

Section titled “Setting Up a Stinger”
  1. Import your stinger video to your project
  2. Open the Transitions panel
  3. Create a new stinger transition
  4. Assign your video file
  5. Set the track matte orientation
  6. Adjust properties as needed

Triggering Stingers

Section titled “Triggering Stingers”
Method Description
Scene panel Right-click a scene → Switch with transition
Hotkeys Assign a shortcut to switch with a specific stinger
Node graphs Use scene switch nodes with transition parameters

Tips for Great Transitions

Section titled “Tips for Great Transitions”

🎯 Keep it Short: Most professional stingers are 0.5-1.5 seconds. Longer transitions feel slow.

🎯 Match Your Brand: Use colors, logos, and motion styles consistent with your stream’s aesthetic.

🎯 Audio Matters: Include a satisfying sound effect in your stinger video for professional polish.

🎯 Test Both Ways: Make sure your stinger looks good going both to and from different scenes.

🎯 Prepare Multiple Stingers: Have different stingers for different mood changes - a dramatic one for game start, a quick one for camera switches.

Common Stinger Types

Section titled “Common Stinger Types”
Type Description Use Case
Logo Swipe Your logo sweeps across, revealing new scene General scene changes
Circle Wipe Circular reveal from center or edge Focus attention on center
Glitch Digital distortion effect Tech/gaming aesthetic
Bars/Blinds Horizontal or vertical bars sweep Clean, professional
Particle Burst Particles explode revealing new scene Celebration moments

Technical Details

Section titled “Technical Details”

Rendering During Transitions

Section titled “Rendering During Transitions”

Both scenes render simultaneously during a stinger transition. OverMox uses a layer system to keep them separate:

  • Scene A renders to one texture
  • Scene B renders to another texture
  • The stinger video controls which texture appears in the final output

This ensures smooth blending without visual artifacts.

Performance Considerations

Section titled “Performance Considerations”
  • Stinger transitions briefly double GPU rendering load
  • Complex stinger videos add decoding overhead
  • Keep stinger resolution reasonable (1080p is usually sufficient)
  • Pre-rendered video stingers are more efficient than real-time effects
Section titled “Related”