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Use and pop out the live preview

See what your overlay is putting on air without looking at OBS. The dashboard has a full-frame preview, a pop-out window you can park beside it, and a scorebug preview at the top.

Updated 4 min readFree

When you're running the score, you can't keep glancing over at the OBS computer, and sometimes OBS is in another room. ScoreCastr shows you the output on the dashboard itself, so you can see a lower third go up or the scoreboard come in as it happens. This guide covers the three previews and when to use each one.

Short versionOn the Control Dashboard, open Overlays, then Live Preview. The Preview card shows the Channel 1 output. Click Pop Out to open it in its own 800 by 600 window you can keep beside the dashboard.

The three previews

Preview Where What it shows
Scorebug preview Top of the dashboard, above the tabs Your scorebug only, in your template
Preview card Overlays, then Live Preview The full Channel 1 output, every graphic
Pop-out window Pop Out on the Preview card The same full output, in its own window

All three come with every plan.

The scorebug preview

The box at the top of every dashboard shows your match's scorebug as it looks on air, in your template (Classic, Apex or Primetime). It's scaled down to fit, and it sits above the tabs, so it's there whichever tab you're on. Use it to check the score and clock after each tap.

It shows the scorebug only. To see lower thirds, scoreboards and other graphics, use the Preview card.

The Preview card

  1. Open the match's Control Dashboard.
  2. Click the Overlays tab. Live Preview is the sub-tab that opens first.
  3. The Preview card ("Live preview of the OBS output") is at the top.

It loads the same output page OBS uses, at the full 1920 by 1080 size, then scales it down to fit the card. Nothing is cut off, and the layout matches what airs. The area around the graphics is see-through on air, so in the preview it shows whatever is behind the card.

The Preview card shows Channel 1. If you send some graphics to Channel 2, click Open Channel 2 in the OBS Integration card below to see that output in a new tab.

Pop out the preview

  1. On the Preview card, click Pop Out (top right).
  2. A new window opens, 800 by 600 and centered on your screen.
  3. Drag it to a second monitor, or beside the dashboard, and resize it as you like. The preview grows or shrinks to fit, keeping the 16:9 shape.

The window's title shows the teams, for example "Marlow vs Avon - Live Preview". A thin bar across the top shows the same name and a ✕ to close the window. The bar is faint until you move the mouse over it.

The pop-out keeps updating on its own. You can switch dashboard tabs, scroll, or work in the Customization sub-tab while it stays open.

TipEach match has one pop-out window. Clicking Pop Out again reloads the same window instead of opening a second one. If you run two matches, each one gets its own.

If the popup is blocked

If your browser blocks popups, you'll see: "The pop-out window was blocked by your browser. Please allow popups for this site and try again."

  1. Look for the blocked-popup icon or message in your browser's address bar.
  2. Choose to always allow popups from ScoreCastr.
  3. Click Pop Out again.

Use the preview while you work

  • Before you go live: open the pop-out and click each graphic on and off once. If it shows in the preview, the overlay is working. Then check OBS shows it too.
  • During the game: keep the pop-out on a second screen and the dashboard on the first. You see the result of every change without leaving the controls.
  • When something looks wrong on air: compare the preview with OBS. If the preview is right and OBS isn't, the problem is in OBS (the browser source, its link or its size). See Add your overlay to OBS.

Fix common problems

"Something went wrong" in the Preview card. The preview couldn't load. Click Retry. If it keeps happening, check the status dot at the top of the dashboard. See The status dot.

The pop-out says "Loading preview..." and stays there. It's waiting for the match. Check your internet connection, then close the window and click Pop Out again.

A graphic doesn't show in the preview. Check it's switched on in the Overlay Visibility panel (Starter plan) and that it's sent to Channel 1. See Show and hide graphics.

The pop-out says "Match Deleted". The match was deleted. After a few seconds the window goes to the ScoreCastr home page, and you can close it.

Checklist

  • Preview card checked on Overlays, then Live Preview
  • Popups allowed for ScoreCastr
  • Pop-out window placed beside the dashboard or on a second screen
  • Each graphic tested once in the preview before going live
  • Channel 2 checked with Open Channel 2, if you use it

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