Take 5: render 58.9 -> 25.5ms (138/300, still ~2.2x). The blits were fixed; the resolver was not: ResolveOutputFrame -> RenderChatBox ran a FULL WPF raster (FormattedText + RenderTargetBitmap + CopyPixels + channel swap) EVERY tick whenever the chat buffer was non-empty — and the buffer survives sessions, so even a signed-out record-only take paid it. Established answer (OBS text sources): re-render on change, blit the cache every tick. ChatOverlayLayer: content version bumped from Messages.CollectionChanged (covers adds, the 500-cap removal, the fade Clear from any caller) + a config key (size + all Chat* appearance props); RenderFrame returns the cached VideoFrame by identity until either changes (compositor only reads cached frames). Conservative ordering (version latched BEFORE render) makes a mid-render message re-render next tick, never serve stale. ONE integration test: ChatOverlayLayerCacheTests (RealApp, real renderer): Same() for unchanged inputs, NotSame() on message/config change, null on empty. Full regression green (62 across touched classes), clean build 0 warnings. Accepted cost pending take 6: one ~15-25ms tick per arriving message; if live-chat bursts sag n/300, next slice = debounced off-tick re-render. Docs same commit: ai.md pipeline section, TASKS.md TASK 18, MyMistakes recipe (raster-on-change + session-surviving-buffer trap), HANDOFF (take 6 -> then Unit B, spec unchanged).
ytLlive
A creator-proof live-streaming and recording app for YouTube — native Windows (C# / WPF / .NET 8).
Screenshot
Design Principle
This software is so intuitive that even the most right-brained person can easily intuit and use it.
Every feature is measured against this. One-click go-live, sane YouTube defaults, visual scene building, and no dead ends — every action has a visible outcome.
Why ytLlive
OBS treats YouTube as an afterthought; SLOBS is Twitch-first with YouTube bolted on. ytLlive is designed and dedicated to YouTube livestreaming and recording, and to YouTube's specific quirks.
Account Assumption
ytLlive assumes you already have a YouTube creator account — connecting uses "Sign in with Google" to link that existing account. ytLlive does not create accounts. If you don't have a YouTube channel yet, set one up on YouTube first, then connect it here.
Audio Assumption
ytLlive uses your default microphone and desktop/game output — it never hunts for a device or contends for one. It assumes your audio is already configured and working (default input and output set, not hijacked by another app). Audio issues are a Windows/device matter outside ytLlive's scope: we don't debug, detect, or try to fix them. If it doesn't sound right, fix the system's audio settings first — it's on the OS, not on us.
Run
dotnet build # Windows only — WPF
dotnet run
Version Roadmap
v1 is the finished product (creator ruling, 2026-09-01 — there are no v1.x releases).
Everything still queueing lands in v1; anything not on the feature list is on the closed
"Out of product — permanently" list in TASKS.md — read that page before asking for a feature.
What v1 ships: the five-scene director's control surface, webcam + screen capture, media + web + text sources, chat on-stream, the social bar, mic/desktop audio with auto-duck and TRAX, local recording, variable quality tiers with auto step-down, one-click go-live + scheduling, stream resilience (auto-reconnect inside YouTube's grace, one-click back on air), built-in monetization awareness (reward capture, session reports, YPP journey tracker), Alerts — all free and ungated; the subscription only removes the branding flash.
Structure
| Path | Role |
|---|---|
Models/ |
Scene, Source, WebcamSceneConfig, SceneElement, SceneCatalog, QualityOption, StreamConfig/Health, chat, Socials, BroadcastMetadata, Music, MicStatus |
ViewModels/ |
MainViewModel (partial classes per area) + dialogs: GoLive, CameraPicker, MicPicker, HotkeyConfig, Socials, LiveBroadcastForm |
Services/ |
YouTube (OAuth, streams/broadcasts, chat polling), LayoutStore (SQLite), capture (camera/screen-capture/media-file via FFmpeg), SceneCompositor + FramePump, FFmpeg encoder + RTMP, audio pipeline (WASAPI loopback + mic, mixer, filters, ducker, limiter, TRAX), SocialValidator, notifications, hotkeys, SceneGraph, ChatOverlayLayer |
Helpers/ |
ViewModelBase, RelayCommand, ImageCache, AppLog, TokenStore (DPAPI), OAuthCredentials, converters |
Themes/ |
Controls.xaml — the dark-theme control styles, merged once in App.xaml |
MainWindow.xaml |
Dark-theme control surface: thumbnails + central preview, two-state left panel (layers/properties ↔ live chat), top bar, footer |
Distribution.md |
GA-time plan: signing, installer, EULA, hardening — executed as TASK 36 |
Docs (memory map)
schema.md defines the conventions; ai.md is the AI/session guide;
TASKS.md is the task queue. Each code directory carries an index.md.

