OBS Corner Filter Documentation

OBS Rounded Corner with Shadow and Glow Filter: Complete Guide & Tutorial

A professional-looking rounded corner effect for OBS Studio streams and recordings. Perfect for webcam overlays, screen captures, and video sources.

Example of OBS filter used on white background

📥 Link to Download Here

🎥 YouTube Walkthrough Coming Soon!

🎯 Overview

The OBS Rounded Corners Shader Filter is a custom HLSL shader that adds professional rounded corners, drop shadows, borders, and glow effects to any video source in OBS Studio. This filter is perfect for:

Webcam overlays with modern rounded aesthetics
Screen capture with polished presentation
Gaming streams with clean video layouts
Professional broadcasts and presentations
Social media content creation

✨ Key Features

✅ Customizable drop shadows with blur and opacity controls
✅ Optional borders with color customization
✅ Glow effects for enhanced visual appeal
✅ Standardized parameter system (0.1 - 5.0 scale)
✅ Real-time preview and adjustment

📋 Requirements

OBS Studio Version

OBS Studio 27.0+ (recommended)
OBS Studio 26.x (compatible)

Required Plugin

OBS ShaderFilter Plugin by Exeldro
Download: GitHub Release Page

System Requirements

Windows 10/11 with DirectX 11 support
macOS 10.15+ (compatibility may vary)
Linux with OpenGL 3.3+ support

🚀 Installation

Step 1: Install OBS ShaderFilter Plugin

Download the latest ShaderFilter plugin from the official GitHub repository
Extract the downloaded file
Copy the plugin files to your OBS plugins directory:

# Windows
C:\Program Files\obs-studio\obs-plugins\64bit\

# macOS
/Applications/OBS.app/Contents/PlugIns/

# Linux
/usr/lib/obs-plugins/
# or
~/.config/obs-studio/plugins/

Restart OBS Studio

Step 2: Download the Shader File

Download rounded_corners_glow.effect Download here!
Save the file in an easily accessible location

📁 Recommended Locations:
   📄 ~\Documents\OBS\Shaders\rounded_corners_glow.effect
   📄 ~\Desktop\rounded_corners_glow.effect
   📄 C:\OBS-Shaders\rounded_corners_glow.effect

Step 3: Apply the Filter

1. Right-click your video source in OBS
2. Select "Filters" from the context menu
3. Click the "+" button under "Effect Filters" and choose "User-defined Shader"
4. Check the "Load shader text from file" button
5. Browse and select your shader file
6. Check the box for "Use Effect File (.effect)"
7. Click "OK" to apply and close the window

⚙️ Configuration

Basic Setup

Once applied, the filter will add rounded corners to your video source. The default settings provide a balanced, professional look suitable for most use cases.

📂 Filter Order

For optimal results, apply filters in this order:

1. Color Correction (if needed)
   ↓
2. Crop/Pad (if needed)
   ↓
3. Rounded Corners Shader ← This filter
   ↓
4. Scaling/Transform (if needed)

🎛️ Parameter Guide

All parameters use a standardized 0.1 to 5.0 scale for intuitive adjustment:

🔘 Corner Roundness

Range: 0.1 - 5.0
Default: 1.0
Description: Controls how rounded the corners appear

Examples:
  0.1 → Subtle corner rounding
  1.0 → Moderate roundness (recommended)
  5.0 → Very round, almost circular or oval

🌑 Shadow Controls

Shadow Offset X & Y

Range: 0.1 - 5.0 (each axis)
Default: 1.0
Description: Controls shadow position

Examples:
  0.1 → Minimal shadow distance
  1.0 → Moderate shadow offset
  5.0 → Far shadow distance

Shadow Blur

Range: 0.1 - 5.0
Default: 2.0
Description: Controls shadow softness

Examples:
  0.1 → Sharp, crisp shadow edges
  2.0 → Smooth, natural shadow
  5.0 → Very soft, diffused shadow

Shadow Opacity

Range: 0.1 - 5.0
Default: 3.0
Description: Controls shadow visibility

Examples:
  0.1 → Very faint shadow
  3.0 → Medium shadow strength
  5.0 → Solid, dark shadow

🔲 Border Settings

Border Width

Range: 0.1 - 5.0
Default: 0.5
Description: Controls border thickness

Examples:
  0.1 → Thin border line
  0.5 → Moderate border
  5.0 → Thick border

Border Color

Type: RGBA Color Picker
Default: White (1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 0.8)
Description: Customize border color and transparency

Common Colors:
  White:  rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8)
  Black:  rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)
  Blue:   rgba(0, 123, 255, 0.8)
  Brand:  rgba(your, brand, colors, 0.8)

✨ Glow Effect

Enable Glow

Type: Boolean (True/False)
Default: False
Description: Toggle glow effect on/off

Glow Intensity

Range: 0.1 - 5.0
Default: 2.0
Description: Controls glow brightness

Examples:
  0.1 → Subtle glow effect
  2.0 → Moderate glow
  5.0 → Bright, prominent glow

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

Solutions (try in order):

1. Change file extension:
   .shader → .effect
   
2. Verify plugin installation:
   - Check if "Shader Filter" appears in filter menu
   - Reinstall ShaderFilter plugin if missing
   
3. Check OBS version:
   - Requires OBS 26.0 or newer
   - Update OBS if outdated
   
4. Try simplified shader:
   - Use basic version for older systems

Problem: ShaderFilter plugin not installed correctly

Solution:

# Reinstall steps:
1. Download correct version for your OS
2. Extract to proper plugin directory
3. Restart OBS Studio
4. Verify installation in Filters menu

❌ Rounded Corners Not Matching Crop

Problem: Filter applied before cropping