Use Video Capture Device
Add CiCi Cam through Sources → Video Capture Device. Do not use Window Capture for the CiCi Cam interface, and do not select OBS Virtual Camera as the input to the same scene.
Virtual camera source for OBS · Windows & Mac
Beauty Filter for OBS Studio
Quick answer
CiCi Cam is virtual camera software with webcam filters and beauty effects. Choose your webcam, apply color filters, smooth skin, adjust facial lighting, or add makeup in CiCi Cam. Then select its processed virtual-camera feed as a Video Capture Device source in OBS. Keep CiCi Cam running to send the filtered video into your scenes.
Summarize with
Downloads the CiCi Cam desktop virtual camera—not the upcoming native OBS plugin.
How do you add a beauty filter to OBS Studio?
Use this signal path: physical webcam → filters and beauty effects in CiCi Cam → CiCi Cam virtual camera → OBS Video Capture Device source. Keep CiCi Cam running and choose it in the source's Device dropdown. The effects are processed in CiCi Cam; OBS receives the finished video for scene layout and streaming. You do not add CiCi Cam through OBS's Filters menu or start OBS Virtual Camera to receive this source.
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Set up CiCi Cam in OBS in four steps
- 1
Install CiCi Cam alongside OBS
Install CiCi Cam on the same Windows or Mac machine as OBS. It runs as a separate process and registers a virtual camera device the OS exposes.
- 2
Apply webcam filters and beauty effects in CiCi Cam
Pick your physical webcam in CiCi Cam, then adjust color filters, smoothing, soft light, makeup, and face shape while watching its preview. Save a preset and leave CiCi Cam running so OBS can receive the processed video.
- 3
Add a Video Capture Device source in OBS
In your OBS scene, open Sources → + → Video Capture Device. Create a source and choose “CiCi Cam” in the Device dropdown. If you already have a camera source, open its Properties and change Device to CiCi Cam. This selects the processed feed instead of the raw webcam.
- 4
Check the filtered source in your OBS scene
Change a filter or beauty setting in CiCi Cam and confirm the OBS source reflects it. Position and crop the source in OBS, then record a short test with the rest of your scene. Both applications use the same computer resources, so check motion and audio sync before going live.
See the beauty-camera workflow
Setup illustrations and product UI previews for the CiCi Cam → OBS input path
What to know before you download
Standard OBS source workflow
CiCi Cam appears under Sources → Video Capture Device. It is not installed in the OBS plugin folder and does not require Start Virtual Camera for this input direction.
Supported desktop systems
CiCi Cam supports Windows 10/11 x64 and macOS 14 or later on Apple Silicon. Confirm that OBS can access camera devices on the same machine.
Face-aware appearance controls
Configure skin smoothing, makeup, face shape, facial lighting, and color in CiCi Cam, then reuse the processed feed across OBS scenes.
Shared system resources
CiCi Cam, OBS, browser sources, and the encoder all use the same computer. Test a representative recording or private stream before going live.
Why OBS filters alone may not be enough
OBS filters solve a different problem
OBS can crop, mask, sharpen, key, and color-correct a source. Those scene-wide filters do not provide separate face-aware controls for skin, makeup, facial lighting, or face shape.
Plugin stacks add maintenance variables
OBS documents that third-party plugins can depend on the operating system, CPU architecture, and OBS version. A virtual-camera input keeps the OBS side of this beauty workflow on the standard Video Capture Device path.
Camera routing is easy to reverse
CiCi Cam sends an enhanced webcam into OBS. OBS Virtual Camera sends a completed OBS scene out to another app. Confusing those directions is a common cause of missing or circular video.
Looking for a native OBS beauty plugin?
CiCi OBS is a separate plugin currently in development. The downloadable product on this page is the available CiCi Cam desktop virtual camera.
CiCi Cam vs OBS Virtual Camera: opposite directions
Both features create camera devices, but they sit on opposite sides of an OBS workflow. Choosing the correct direction prevents black screens, feedback loops, and unnecessary processing.
| Question | CiCi Cam virtual camera | OBS Virtual Camera |
|---|---|---|
| What does it output? | A processed webcam feed | The OBS program, preview, scene, or selected source |
| Typical signal direction | Physical webcam → CiCi Cam → OBS | OBS scene → OBS Virtual Camera → Zoom, Teams, or another app |
| Where is it selected? | Inside OBS as a Video Capture Device | Inside the app that needs to receive the finished OBS scene |
| Is Start Virtual Camera required? | No. Add CiCi Cam as an OBS source. | Yes. Start it when another app needs the OBS output. |
| Primary job | Face-aware beauty, lighting, makeup, shape, and color before OBS | Send OBS composition, overlays, and sources outward as one camera feed |
A longer chain is valid when needed: physical webcam → CiCi Cam → OBS → OBS Virtual Camera → destination app.
Recommended OBS source settings for CiCi Cam
Start with device defaults, confirm the signal path, then change one capture property at a time while watching OBS Stats and a short test recording.
Choose a plugin only for an OBS-side job
Use the upstream virtual camera when the same beauty preset should work before OBS or across camera apps. Use an OBS plugin only when the effect must live inside a specific OBS source or scene, after checking platform, architecture, and OBS-version compatibility.
Match a supported resolution and frame rate
Begin with Device Default. If you choose Custom, use a mode the virtual camera exposes and keep it aligned with the intended stream. OBS notes that an unsupported resolution can produce no image.
Treat buffering as a diagnostic control
Leave Buffering on Auto-Detect first. OBS documents that enabling it can help stutter, while disabling it can reduce device delay. Test the result because the best choice depends on the system.
Reserve headroom for the complete workflow
CiCi Cam, OBS composition, the encoder, browser sources, and games all share the computer. Run a representative recording or private stream instead of assuming a separate process has no GPU or CPU cost.
OBS beauty-camera troubleshooting
Confirm each stage from left to right: physical webcam, CiCi Cam preview, CiCi Cam virtual camera, then the OBS source.
CiCi Cam is not in the device list
Close OBS, open CiCi Cam and confirm its virtual camera is installed and running, then reopen OBS so it scans camera devices again. Check operating-system camera permissions if it remains missing.
The OBS source is black or frozen
Make sure CiCi Cam owns the physical webcam and OBS owns the CiCi Cam virtual camera. Close another app if it is also trying to open the physical device.
OBS shows the unfiltered camera
Open the source properties and inspect Device. If the physical webcam is selected, change it to CiCi Cam. Beauty changes can only reach OBS through the CiCi Cam output.
The source stutters or feels delayed
Test 1280 × 720 at 30 fps, check the Buffering setting, remove duplicate heavy filters, and review OBS Stats. Increase quality only after the complete scene remains stable.
OBS setup guides and technical explanations
Add a beauty filter to OBS without Snap Camera
Follow the complete input workflow, including source setup, signal direction, and common failure points.
OBS Virtual Camera vs virtual camera software
Understand which camera sends video into OBS and which one sends an OBS scene outward.
OBS color correction vs beauty filters
Choose between scene-wide color controls and face-aware processing without duplicating effects.
OBS webcam setup for streaming
Configure the camera source, canvas, framing, cropping, and a stable beginner stream.
Compare webcam filter software for PC and Mac
Choose between virtual-camera filters, face-aware beauty, AR effects, and scene-production tools before setting up your source.
CiCi Cam Starter and Pro plans
Check the desktop app's daily free effect limits and plan details before using it for a stream.
Review notes and primary sources
OBS source names, capture properties, plugin compatibility, download path, and Virtual Camera behavior were checked against official OBS pages. Performance recommendations are diagnostic starting points, not universal benchmarks.
Frequently asked questions
Is CiCi Cam an OBS beauty filter plugin?
No. CiCi Cam is a separate Windows and Mac app that exposes a virtual camera. In OBS, add it through Sources → Video Capture Device; do not copy it into an OBS plugin folder.
How do I use webcam filters in OBS with CiCi Cam?
Select your webcam and apply the filters in CiCi Cam first. In OBS, add a Video Capture Device source and choose CiCi Cam as its Device. Make later filter changes in CiCi Cam while watching the OBS preview. CiCi Cam is a camera source in this workflow, not an item you add in the OBS Filters menu.
Can I use OBS face filters for skin smoothing and makeup?
For skin smoothing, makeup, facial lighting, and face-shape adjustments, configure the effects in CiCi Cam and send its virtual camera into OBS. If by face filters you mean animated masks or character lenses, check the specific effect you need; this beauty workflow does not promise an AR lens library. OBS Color Correction and LUT filters adjust the source image rather than providing these face-aware beauty controls.
Can I try this OBS beauty-filter workflow for free?
CiCi Cam's Starter plan offers SD/HD output and daily free usage limits for effects. Apply the available effects in CiCi Cam and select its virtual camera as the OBS source. Check the current plan details and in-app limits before a long stream. The free desktop plan is not a download of the separate CiCi OBS plugin.
Where do I download the OBS beauty filter workflow?
Download the CiCi Cam desktop app from this site's download section, then add its virtual camera to OBS as a Video Capture Device. Do not download an OBS plugin from this page. The separate CiCi OBS native plugin is still in development.
Will OBS pick up CiCi Cam automatically?
After CiCi Cam and its virtual camera are installed, it should appear in OBS's Video Capture Device list on a supported system. If it does not, close and reopen OBS, confirm CiCi Cam is running, and check operating-system camera permissions.
Does it support multiple webcam inputs?
CiCi Cam's standard workflow processes one selected camera into one virtual-camera output. Add other webcams directly to OBS as separate Video Capture Device sources; do not rely on multiple CiCi Cam instances unless that workflow is explicitly supported by your installed version.
Can I switch presets while OBS is live?
The feed normally updates while the OBS source remains active, but test preset switching with your installed versions before a live production. Keep a plain-camera scene ready as a fallback.
Try CiCi Cam free
Install CiCi Cam on Windows 10/11 x64 or macOS 14+ on Apple Silicon, build a natural webcam preset, and select CiCi Cam as your Video Capture Device in OBS.
Download CiCi Cam Free