FDGCast 1.0.3

FDGCast 1.0.3 — TikTok LIVE activity and a clearer activity feed

• Read TikTok LIVE chat, follows, gifts, subscription notifications, likes and shares using the existing creator-username connection. FDGCast does not need to stream to TikTok, connect to OBS, or create another video encoder to receive this activity. The creator must still have a public TikTok LIVE running through a phone, LIVE Studio or another encoder.

• Combined Activity Feed replaces the Combined Events name in Companion and the OBS dock. Each activity card shows a local platform icon alongside platform/channel text. Saved OBS dock identity and placement are preserved.

• Gift streaks count once when completed, using their final count. Likes and share notifications are grouped rather than flooding the feed. Stable room/message and gift-group IDs provide bounded replay protection.

• Select categories under Combined Activity Feed → Choose activity types & test alerts. Follows and TikTok gifts are enabled for new configurations. Existing saved choices are preserved; enable subscriptions, likes and shares as desired.

• TikTok gifts are distinct from gifted subscriptions. Selected TikTok activity can appear in existing overlay alerts, subject to the existing paid overlay entitlement.

• A clearer Overview gives the activity feed more room, with broadcast controls, Audio Guard and health checks alongside it. Recording/replay controls sit in a separate expandable section.

• Connections starts with OBS and Hub pairing, followed by linked platforms and direct LIVE readers. Updates and manual credentials sit below the main setup. Activity cards retain focus on unchanged refreshes and preserve scroll position when older activity is being read. Larger text, stronger contrast, platform names and clearer button emphasis improve readability. The version badge now uses the installed package version.

Installation and setup

Close OBS and FDGCast Companion before installing. In Companion → Connections, enter the public LIVE creator's TikTok username and enable the experimental reader. No TikTok password or stream key is required for the reader. Broadcasting to TikTok remains a separate feature with its own account requirements.

Validation and limits

The preview passed 255 regression tests, four Chromium UI suites, real OBS horizontal/vertical encoding and canvas persistence checks, packaged dependency/desktop checks, and Windows installer validation. Tests exercise the pinned TikTokLive 7.0.1 real protobuf event types, gift streaks, duplicate messages, grouped activity, history, filters and clean disconnect. The stable package repeats the automated release gates before publication.

TikTok reading remains an unofficial, experimental, receive-only integration using a third-party signing service. Actual TikTok LIVE delivery has not been verified in this build by the maintainer. No offline follower history, guaranteed replay/backfill, sending or moderation is provided. Incomplete gift streaks are not invented; grouped raw-packet deduplication persists across automatic reconnects in the same reader, not process restarts. Subscription notices do not establish billing status or revenue. TikTok changes and service limits may interrupt access.

Existing Facebook/Instagram chat still requires the separately configured Hub and platform access. No Hub deployment is included. See platform setup for details.

FDGCast 1.0.2

FDGCast 1.0.2 — output recovery and vertical streaming

• Twitch horizontal + vertical uses OBS Enhanced Broadcasting and the FDGCast Additional Canvas, with no second Twitch key. Setup now explains the minimum four video tracks for two canvases.
• Separate YouTube Horizontal and YouTube Vertical presets clarify picture selection and stream keys. TikTok, Instagram and Vimeo portrait setup explains required encoder access. Unverified portrait routes, including Kick, are excluded from the vertical picker.
• Output health reports increasing bytes and actual dimensions, distinguishing sending, stalled and reconnecting outputs. Separate horizontal and portrait outputs preserve independent credentials.
• OBS retains control of the main encoder. Portrait outputs reuse the canvas where possible, with compatible H.264/AAC fallbacks and renderer recursion protection.

Close OBS and Companion before installing. Save layouts in Vertical Studio, enable its Twitch canvas, then select it in OBS Settings → Stream → Additional Canvas with Enhanced Broadcasting enabled. Set Maximum Video Tracks to at least 4. Extra encodes and uploads require GPU and bandwidth headroom; four tracks may still exceed a particular system's available encoder capacity.

Validation: the candidate passed 249 regression tests, four Chromium UI suites, real OBS canvas save/restart checks, simultaneous landscape/portrait video and audio encoding, and Windows installer checks. The operator subsequently reported streaming working after resolving the track-count setup. The stable package reruns these automated gates before publication. This does not establish live playback on every platform or hardware configuration.

Facebook/Instagram chat still requires the separate configured Hub and platform approval. TikTok chat remains experimental; platform credentials and eligibility are required. Paid overlay entitlements are unchanged.

See vertical platform setup for platform-specific instructions.

FDGCast 1.0.1

FDGCast 1.0.1 — emergency main-stream recovery

Removes the main-output video override introduced in 1.0.0. OBS exclusively
controls its main stream's encoder, picture and startup again. Saved native
main-picture preferences are cleared on plugin startup. Vertical Studio remains
available on added FDGCast destinations; routing it to the OBS main output is
temporarily disabled and the interface explains this.

An unsafe 1.0.0 failure path could detach the main encoder when vertical setup
failed. That path is removed from production, and the retained routing helper
now rejects a missing picture/encoder without changing any existing video track.
This addresses an identified code defect; the reported zero-bitrate incident
still needs confirmation on the affected OBS installation.

Immediate recovery / install

1. Stop streaming and close OBS and Companion.
2. Install 1.0.1, then reopen OBS. The main output uses the OBS service/settings.
3. Start the main stream in OBS and check for a nonzero bitrate and platform receipt.
4. Add other destinations afterward. Main-output Vertical Studio routing remains
   unavailable until it can be verified against a real OBS broadcast lifecycle.

If an installer is not available yet, close OBS and temporarily rename
C:\ProgramData\obs-studio\plugins\forgecast\bin\64bit\forgecast.dll
to forgecast.dll.disabled, then reopen OBS and stream normally. This bypasses
FDGCast's native plugin and disables its docks and secondary outputs.

The installer reinstalls forgecast.dll. If you used the temporary bypass,
the unused .disabled copy may be removed after installation.

Other 1.0.0 platform/Hub and resource limitations still apply.

FDGCast 1.0.0

FDGCast 1.0.0

Windows x64 · OBS Studio 32.2.2

Included

• Combined Twitch, YouTube and Kick chat/events, receive-only Rumble chat,
  experimental TikTok chat, and Facebook/Instagram Hub integration.
• Multistream destinations with independent horizontal/vertical picture choices.
• Dedicated Vertical Studio: large horizontal and portrait previews, camera crop
  drawing/moving/resizing, seven presets, customizable regions, saved per-scene
  layouts and prominent default-on scene following. Existing scene crops avoid
  opening another camera capture; lower GPU usage is not guaranteed.
• Main stream picture selection for whichever service is configured in OBS.
  No duplicate stream key is needed. Horizontal and Studio destinations can
  run simultaneously, with Studio outputs sharing their matching encoder.
• Stream Doctor, Audio Guard, preflight checks, backups and local diagnostics.
• Saved Overlay Studio designs, emoji effects and separate revocable OBS URLs.
  Core chat stays free; live overlays require verified paid/complimentary Hub access.
• Clearer setup, tooltips, event visibility and optional chat badges.

Install and use

1. Close OBS and FDGCast Companion, then run the Windows x64 installer.
2. Open OBS and Companion. Existing settings, protected keys, pairing and designs
   use the existing data directory; this build does not migrate or reset them.
3. Connect OBS in Connections. In Vertical Studio, choose a layout, mark your
   camera on the horizontal scene and save.
4. In Destinations, choose the picture for OBS main stream and click
   Apply main stream picture while stopped. Wait for the Applied status.
   Other destinations have their own picture choices. Start OBS normally or
   use Start All with checked destinations. Each output sends one picture.

Known limitations and follow-up checks

• Real creator broadcasts, reconnect/network-loss behavior, upgrade preservation,
  dock behavior and viewer picture/audio acceptance remain unverified. The owner
  accepted these as follow-up checks rather than release blockers.
• Vertical main output requires standard RTMP/RTMPS, H.264/AAC and Enhanced
  Broadcasting / multitrack video off. Open Companion first to sync saved layouts.
  Main service, audio/VOD tracks, recording settings and OBS canvas are preserved.
  Stop the main stream before changing its picture. Vertical is 720 × 1280 at
  4500 kbps and still consumes rendering/encoding capacity and upload bandwidth.
• Facebook and Instagram need the separately deployed/configured Meta Hub,
  supported accounts/permissions and any required review. Desktop installation
  alone does not enable them. Their live delivery is not claimed verified.
• Rumble needs the creator's private LiveStream API connection; polling can miss
  messages on busy streams. TikTok uses an unofficial experimental reader and
  can break when TikTok changes. Platform streaming eligibility still applies.
• Paid overlay entitlement delivery, revocation and OBS resource acceptance
  against the deployed Hub remain to be confirmed.
• Automatic face tracking, blur backgrounds, independent vertical audio and
  animated ending credits remain future work. No performance benchmark is claimed.

Validation and downloads

The RC5 feature set passed 240 Python tests, native geometry/routing tests,
OBS 32.2.2 compilation, four browser suites, packaged startup and installer checks.
Stable 1.0.0 receives the same workflow before publication. Its release assets
include the installer, SHA256SUMS.txt and latest.json with the actual binary hash.

Official release: https://github.com/Dakotalamb/ForgeCast/releases/tag/v1.0.0

The Hub updater reads /fdgcast/releases/latest.json from the configured Hub.
Publishing the GitHub release does not deploy that Hub endpoint. Copy the exact
published latest.json there after the installer is public; until then existing
installs may continue showing the older hosted preview. See UPDATES.md.

FDGCast 0.9.0 preview

Full Changelog: v0.8.0...v0.9.0

FDGCast 0.8.0 preview

Full Changelog: v0.7.0...v0.8.0

FDGCast 0.7.0 preview

Full Changelog: v0.6.0...v0.7.0

FDGCast 0.6.0 preview

FDGCast 0.6.0 Preview

A refinement update focused on clearer docks, quieter alerts and connection recovery.

Changes

• Stream Doctor: sustained-problem detection, adjustable sensitivity and fewer repeated notifications.
• MultiChat: platform icons, viewer names and compact messages. Original channels remain available through tooltips.
• Events: focused on Twitch follows, channel point redeems and incoming raids.
• Customization: font size, spacing, icon size, timestamps, username colors and optional creator avatars.
• Connection recovery: improved Twitch authorization refresh, YouTube message handling and Kick relay recovery.
• Companion: removed duplicate chat, simplified setup and added offline dock launch buttons.
• Audio Guard: retained custom WAV support and removed the repeated five-minute notification.
• Updater: update notices, release notes, installer downloads and a remembered “Later” choice. Requires the Hub’s public release feed.

Installation

Close OBS and FDGCast Companion, then run the Windows installer. Existing settings and saved connections are preserved.

Built for Windows x64 and OBS Studio 32.2.2.

Preview status

145 automated tests, Windows compilation, Companion interface checks and installer smoke testing passed. Live platform delivery and OBS dock behavior still need testing. Twitch follows and redeems require the appropriate Hub permissions and account reconnection.

FDGCast 0.5.5 preview

FDGCast Changelog — 0.4.0 to 0.5.5

Windows Preview • OBS Studio 32.2.2

Release dates below use America/New_York. Version 0.4.0 is the starting baseline; the 0.5.x entries describe changes since that baseline. These are preview releases, with live platform and OBS testing continuing.

0.5.5 — October 1, 2026

Destination setup inside OBS

• Added a platform dropdown directly to OBS’s Add FDGCast destination dialog: Twitch, YouTube, Kick, and Other / Custom.
• Twitch and YouTube automatically select their server addresses, so setup only requires a stream key.
• Kick attempts to retrieve its server address from the connected account. A custom server option remains available when the account permissions do not expose it.
• Other / Custom allows manual server entry. Optional names use a platform label when left blank.
• Fixed the gap in 0.5.3, where the simpler platform picker was available in Companion but the OBS dialog still asked for an RTMP(S) address.

Audio Guard sound customization

• Replaced the classic Windows warning sound with a short, two-note FDGCast chirp lasting approximately half a second.
• Added custom WAV upload, a 0–100% volume slider, Preview, and a button to restore the default chirp.
• Custom sounds are copied into FDGCast’s local data folder; moving the original file does not break playback.
• Supports uncompressed 8-bit/16-bit PCM WAVs, mono or stereo, 8–48 kHz, up to five seconds and 2 MB.
• Preview works without enabling automatic reminders. Reminders remain optional.
• Sound playback runs outside the app’s main event loop.

Validation: 126 automated Python tests passed, plus Windows native compilation, browser UI, packaged app, and installer checks.

0.5.4 — October 1, 2026

Alert testing and sound delivery

• Added separate Test Windows notification and Test sound controls that work without going live.
• Made the optional two-minute mute reminder sound independent of Windows toast delivery.
• Added a check for Windows notification availability before submitting a toast.
• Improved test feedback and local history entries for requested, unavailable, or failed alerts. Submission does not guarantee that Windows displayed a banner or that a sound was audible.

Twitch redemptions and Events status

• Added Twitch channel-point redemption subscriptions and display in Combined Events.
• Redemption support requires a broadcaster-owned Twitch authorization with channel:read:redemptions or channel:manage:redemptions.
• Missing permission or a denied redemption subscription is reported separately and does not interrupt working Twitch chat.
• Empty Events views show redemption readiness or connection guidance instead of only “No events yet.”

Validation: 121 automated Python tests passed, plus Windows build and installer checks.

0.5.3 — October 1, 2026

Simpler Companion destination setup

• Added Twitch, YouTube, Kick, and Other / Custom platform choices to Companion’s Destinations form.
• Automatically selects Twitch and YouTube servers; attempts connected-account Kick server discovery.
• Moved manual server overrides under Advanced settings. Other / Custom opens manual entry.
• Made destination names optional and generates destination IDs automatically.
• Added Edit controls for saved destinations. Existing server settings and stream keys are preserved; a blank key keeps the saved key when replacing an existing destination.

This release changed Companion’s form. The equivalent OBS dialog update arrived in 0.5.5.

Validation: 115 automated Python tests passed, plus Windows build and installer checks.

0.5.2 — September 30, 2026

OBS connection clarity

• Keeps the OBS WebSocket password in its masked setup field after connecting.
• Restores the saved password after an app restart and adds Show/Hide controls.
• Displays an explicit green Connected indicator and a Reconnect OBS action.
• Reconnecting with a blank password field reuses the saved password.
• Password retrieval remains limited to authenticated local setup; normal state, reports, and native IPC do not expose it.

Chat and Events contrast

• Added lighter blue-gray feed backgrounds and stronger borders to distinguish Chat and Events from their enclosing docks.
• Made the chat input darker, with a stronger border and orange focus outline.
• Aligned feed and composer colors between OBS and Companion.

Validation: 112 automated Python tests passed, plus Windows build and installer checks.

0.5.1 — September 30, 2026

Compact, customizable OBS docks

• Removed repeated dock headings and persistent explanatory text.
• Added persistent per-dock menus for compact spacing, text size, connection-status visibility, and extra-control visibility.
• Added Chat options to hide the composer or origin labels. Original channel information remains visible by default and available on hover.
• Shortened chat connection labels and shows send feedback only while sending or after a failure.
• Simplified Stream Doctor’s default view, with details on hover or in Companion and audio fixes shown when relevant.
• Simplified Multistream’s default view to Start All, Stop All, and the destination list. Additional controls remain accessible through its menu.
• Removed stacked-control and destination-list minimum-height restrictions by using scrollable dock content.
• Dock content can shrink to approximately 100 × 60 pixels; OBS title bars and neighboring docks can still impose layout limits.
• Fixed stale Events content after reconnect and marks Multistream destinations UNKNOWN when Companion is offline.
• Stores display preferences separately from OBS’s saved dock positions.

Validation: automated Python, JavaScript, Windows native compilation, app, and installer checks passed. Actual docking and resizing still require OBS workspace testing.

0.5.0 — September 30, 2026

Chat presentation and connection reliability

• Added platform icons, deterministic username colors, shortened names with full-name hover, creator markers, and available creator avatars.
• Added Twitch/Kick emote images, including GIF animation, in OBS and Companion. Companion falls back to text when an image fails.
• Improved automatic Hub account synchronization, credential persistence, and failure isolation between platforms.
• Added active YouTube live-chat discovery and rediscovery after a broadcast ends, with improved cursor, quota, and rate-limit handling.
• Added verification/recreation of Kick’s chat webhook subscription and clearer distinction between subscription readiness and actual received messages.
• Improved safe platform error messages and filtering of Kick relay messages to the linked broadcaster.
• Kept Combined Events focused on supported audience activity, separating it from app operations and diagnostic history.

Multistream controls

• Added Start All and Stop All for the main OBS stream and selected secondary destinations.
• Added persistent per-destination selection checkboxes, while retaining individual start/stop controls.
• Added clearer LIVE, CONNECTING, RECONNECTING, ERROR, and OFFLINE states, plus readable failure messages.
• Secondary outputs reuse the main H.264 video and AAC audio encoders; each destination still uses its own upload bandwidth.

Audio Guard

• Added monitoring for selected microphone and optional game/desktop audio sources.
• Detects prolonged mute, missing/inactive sources, zero source volume, Monitor Only, stream-track exclusion, prolonged silence, and missing meter updates.
• Checks routing against the actual active stream audio encoder rather than assuming Track 1.
• Added configurable quiet scenes, Snooze 10 Minutes, I Know, explicit Unmute, and explicit routing fixes.
• Added live-only Windows warnings and bounded local audio incident history.
• Muted-source timing: dock warning at 30 seconds, notification at 60 seconds, optional sound at two minutes, and reminder at five minutes.
• Audio Guard does not automatically change audio settings. Silence is treated as a symptom, not proof of a disconnected device.

Stream Doctor, history, and preflight

• Added destination-specific reconnect, failed-start, unexpected-stop, and network-frame-drop history.
• Added possible shared-issue grouping, stable recovery detection, and live-only Windows Doctor notifications.
• Added persistent local sessions, incident timelines, audio entries, session filtering, and Copy Diagnostic Report with a selectable-text fallback.
• Expanded preflight to check OBS/plugin connections, selected audio, available routing evidence, destination keys, and chat status.
• Added explicit audio fixes and Go Live Anyway without imposing a hard streaming block.
• Diagnostic reports exclude credentials, chat content, and audio source identities from shared JSON history.

Companion startup and saved connections

• Keeps the Hub pairing code saved and masked, with Show/Hide and clearer connection status.
• Opens the installed Companion when OBS starts and its local service is absent.
• Prevents duplicate Companion windows and avoids an automatic relaunch loop after the user closes it.
• Restores saved OBS WebSocket settings and retries connections after OBS restarts.
• Improved dock arrangement and installer verification.

Validation: 110 automated Python tests passed. Windows checks cover native compilation, browser UI, packaged service/app behavior, icons, duplicate-instance handling, installed plugin files, and the registered Companion launch path.

0.4.0 — September 28, 2026 — Starting baseline

• Rebranded ForgeCast’s visible desktop, OBS dock, and installer names to FDGCast.
• Applied FDG branding and icons to the desktop app, taskbar, OBS presentation, and Windows installer.
• Retained existing internal module IDs and local data paths for upgrade compatibility.
• Inc...

FDGCast 0.4.0 preview

Full Changelog: https://github.com/Dakotalamb/ForgeCast/commits/v0.2.0