Available on plans: GROWTH and EXPERIENCE
With the BoxCast's graphic overlays feature, you can add PNG images to your broadcast without any extra hardware or software mixer/switcher equipment. It's as simple as dragging-and-dropping your graphics onto a canvas on the dashboard and clicking apply!
At any point after scheduling, you can upload PNG images and place them on a transparent grid to be overlaid on the video during the broadcast. The simple drag-and-drop canvas can be changed live during the broadcast. You can use this for lower thirds, full slates, watermarks -- or any combination of them. You can even use this in conjunction with BoxCast scoreboard overlays.
Adding an Overlay:
- Browse to the broadcast details page on the BoxCast Dashboard
- Tap the "Overlays" tab
- In the Overlay gallery section, drag and drop or browse to upload an image from your computer
- Images must be PNG format and less than 5MB in size
- Recommended resolution is 1920x1080 for full size slates
- Transparency in the image is supported
- Hover over the newly uploaded image and tap the "Add Overlay" button
- Drag-and-drop or resize in the canvas to position the image how you'd like
- Click "Apply Changes"
- Note: the overlay is applied against real time, so it takes approximately 30-60 seconds for changes to appear to viewers in the video player
Removing an Overlay:
- While on the broadcast details page, navigate to the Overlays tab and review the Overlay Gallery section
- Active overlay images are highlighted with a border
- Hover over the image you'd like to deactivate and tap "Remove Overlay"
- Note: this makes the overlay no longer active but does not remove it from your gallery. To remove it from your gallery entirely, hover over the image once again now that it is not active, and tap the "Delete" button
Best Practices & Overlay Templates:
Although you can upload any PNG image to our online canvas, for consistent repeatable results we suggest you create the graphics as a 1920x1080 image using a graphics software such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. If you use Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, we have created a template for you to use when creating the overlay.
Download Templates:
Adobe Photoshop (PSD) Overlays Template
Adobe Illustrator (AI) Overlays Template
FAQs:
Do the overlays appear immediately in the video?
- The timing of when changes are made to the overlays vs the "live action" is similar to scoreboard changes - changes are immediately applied against real time, so they'll show up to viewers, and your video preview, 30-60 seconds after you activate the overlay.
Can I use overlays in conjunction with scoreboard overlays?
- Yes. The graphic overlays will appear on top of the scoreboard graphic. If you desire a full page slate with the scoreboard showing through, you can add transparency in the area where the scoreboard would appear to allow it to show through the slate.
How many overlay graphics can I use at the same time?
- We recommend no more than 5 simultaneous overlay graphics. If you think you need more, consider making a 1920x1080 graphic with all your images composed together.
Will the overlay appear if I have no other video signal or on audio only broadcasts?
- No, these graphic overlays only appear when the video is received by the BoxCast servers. Until the video is received, there is no actual broadcast to overlay the images on.
Can I set an overlay as a default for every broadcast?
- You can set a default overlay when scheduling a broadcast. If you schedule a recurring broadcast, such as a Sunday service, this overlay will appear on every broadcast. NOTE: When setting up a default overlay, you can only upload a 1920x1080 image.
What size and format should the images be in?
- All images must be PNG images. If you only have JPEG images, you can use an online converter like this one: https://www.freeconvert.com/jpg-to-png.
- Any size image is accepted and the size and location of the image can be changed in the overlay. If you want to create the images to fill the entire canvas, create an image that is 1920x1080.
Can I use overlays for advertising or sponsors?
- You may use overlays for advertising purposes, but the advertisements cannot be interacted with and the metrics are not tracked. Streams with advertisements or sponsorships cannot be pushed to social media sites such as YouTube or Facebook Live.
Can I add video overlays, such as picture-in-picture?
- No, it will only accept PNG images at this time.
Can I set the overlay to automatically change in the middle of the live event?
- No. At this time you must manually add and remove each overlay.
Why does the image that, I drag in appear to be so large or need to be repositioned every time?
- If you don’t want to reposition your image every time, use a graphics software such as Photoshop or Illustrator to create a transparent image with a resolution of 1920x1080 where the logo is placed in the correct location.
Can I remove the overlay from the recorded broadcast?
- No. The overlay is burned into the video, so it cannot be removed from the recording.
Need more help? Check out this video on How to Use Graphics Overlays.