DeckerEgo's TallyPi Is a Network-Controlled Tally Light for Live Cameras
Built for the Raspberry Pi Zero W and Pimoroni Unicorn pHAT, TallyPi connects to the lights and controls them over HTTP.
DeckerEgo created TallyPi, a network-controlled tally light designed for live cameras operated directly from OBS. The lights do not hit an OBS-hosted web gateway, but TallyPi connects to the tally lights and controls them over HTTP. It doesn’t use the WebSocket plugin, and it’s not necessary to open up firewall holes to the OBS production box. Instead, the script sends commands to the lights.
The system is developed for the Raspberry Pi and Pimoroni Unicorn pHAT. Additionally, it supports hardware buttons/switches to turn off the Pi and start it up again. DeckerEgo also created an enclosure for 3D printings, which can work as a light diffuser and includes a mount that supports a camera flash bracket.
A web service exploits the Unicorn pHAT through an HTTP interface. The color and brightness are controlled through this interface, and it monitors the on/off switch to turn off the light. The HTTP interface enables the user to adjust color and brightness, which is defined remotely. Software installation instructions and details to protect the Pi for repetitive use can be found on the GitHub repository.
The OBS script, which is responsible for mapping preview/program/idle status to AV input sources, allows a user to choose the color and brightness for the status of the input sources. What's more, each input source can be mapped to the IP address or hostname of the tally light web interface. However, the correct Python version needs to be installed for OBS to load the Python plugins. Instructions to setup OBS, install the interface and configure the settings are posted in OBS.md.