SuperNDI User Manual

Version: SuperStage 26Q1 Last Updated: 2026-03-05 Applicable Engine: Unreal Engine 5.6 ~ 5.7 Target Audience: Stage lighting designers, virtual production technicians, LED screen operators

Overview & Core Concepts
System Requirements & Prerequisites
NDI Configuration Panel (SuperNDI Config)
NDI Editor Global Settings (Project Settings)
NDI Screen Actor (SuperNDIScreen)
Take Recorder Recording NDI Video
Sequencer Playback NDI Recording
FAQ & Troubleshooting
Performance Optimization Tips
Glossary

1. Overview & Core Concepts

1.1 What is SuperNDI?

SuperNDI is the NDI video stream input module within the SuperStage plugin, allowing you to:

Receive in real time video from any NDI source on the LAN (such as OBS, vMix, NDI cameras, Resolume, etc.) within the Unreal Engine Editor and runtime
Project video onto LED screens/projection screens in 3D scenes for virtual production previz
Record NDI video streams to Sequencer timelines as playable frame sequences
Play back pre-recorded NDI video without needing a live NDI source

1.2 Core Workflow

External NDI Source (OBS/vMix/Camera etc.)
        │
        ▼
   LAN NDI Transport
        │
        ▼
  SuperNDI Config Panel (add logical inputs, map sources)
        │
        ▼
  SuperNDIScreen Actor (LED screen in scene)
        │
        ├──→ Live Preview (Editor/Runtime)
        ├──→ Take Recorder Recording (save frame sequences)
        └──→ Sequencer Playback (offline previz)

1.3 “Logical Input Name” & “External Source”

SuperNDI uses a logical name mapping mechanism, which is key to understanding the entire system:

Concept	Description	Example
Logical Input Name (InputName)	A custom name you define to reference one NDI input in your project	`MainScreen`, `CameraA`, `SidePanel`
External Source (ExternalSource)	The display name of an actual NDI device/software on the network	`OBS (DESKTOP-ABC)`, `vMix - Output 1`
Mapping	Binding a logical name to an external source	`MainScreen` > `OBS (DESKTOP-ABC)`

Why this design?

External source names may change with network environment (different computer names, different devices)
Logical names remain constant in your project; screen Actors in the scene only need to care about the logical name
When switching to a different NDI source device, just re-map in the config panel without modifying any Actors in the scene

2. System Requirements & Prerequisites

2.1 Hardware Requirements

Item	Minimum	Recommended
CPU	SSE 4.2 instruction set support	Intel i7 / AMD Ryzen 7 or above
Memory	16 GB	32 GB or above (more needed for recording)
Network	Gigabit Ethernet	10 Gigabit Ethernet (multi-channel 4K NDI)
GPU	DirectX 12 support	RTX 3060 or above

2.2 Network Configuration

NDI uses mDNS (UDP port 5353) for source discovery and TCP for video data transmission. Ensure:

All NDI devices are on the same LAN/subnet or cross-subnet routing is configured
Windows Firewall allows the following ports:
- UDP 5353 (mDNS source discovery)
- TCP/UDP 5960-5969 (NDI data transfer)
Bonjour service is running (typically installed automatically with NDI Runtime)
If using VPN or virtual NICs, confirm mDNS broadcasts are not blocked

2.3 NDI Runtime

The SuperNDI plugin already includes the NDI SDK DLL (Processing.NDI.Lib.x64.dll); no additional NDI Runtime installation is required.

DLL file search order (highest priority first):

Plugins/SuperStage/Binaries/Win64/Processing.NDI.Lib.x64.dll
Plugins/SuperStage/Source/SuperNdi/ThirdParty/NDI/Bin/x64/
Plugins/SuperStage/Source/SuperNdi/ThirdParty/NDI/Bin/ (fallback path)

Important: SuperNDI will not use NDI DLLs installed in the system PATH (such as those bundled with NDI Tools 6) to avoid version conflicts.

2.4 Compatibility with NDI Tools 6

Possible conflicts if NDI Tools 6 (including NDI Studio Monitor) is installed:

NDI Studio Monitor source contention: Close Studio Monitor before launching UE Editor
DLL version conflict: SuperNDI has its own integrated DLL and ignores system-installed versions
Finder conflict: Very rare cases where two NDI Finders running simultaneously interfere with discovery

Recommendation: Close standalone NDI tools like NDI Studio Monitor when using SuperNDI.

3. NDI Configuration Panel (SuperNDI Config)

The configuration panel is the first step in using SuperNDI — this is where logical inputs are managed and external sources are mapped.

3.1 Opening the Config Panel

Find the SuperNDI button in the UE Editor main toolbar (next to the SuperDMX config button) and click to open the configuration panel.

The panel opens as a standalone tab and can be docked anywhere in the editor.

3.2 Panel Interface

The configuration panel consists of:

+-------------------------------------------------+
|  NDI Inputs   [ Enter logical input name... ]   |
|               [Add]    [Refresh Sources]         |
+-------------------------------------------------+
|  Configured Inputs:                              |
|                                                  |
|  MainScreen    [v OBS (DESKTOP-ABC)]   [Remove]  |
|  CameraA       [v <None>            ]   [Remove]  |
|  SidePanel     [v vMix - Output 1   ]   [Remove]  |
+-------------------------------------------------+

3.3 Adding Logical Inputs

Enter a logical input name in the text input at the top (e.g., MainScreen)
Click the Add button
The new logical input appears in the “Configured Inputs” list

Naming suggestions:

Use meaningful English names (e.g., MainScreen, CameraA, BackDrop)
Names cannot be empty
Names cannot be duplicated (duplicates are silently ignored)
Names are globally unique within the project; all SuperNDIScreen Actors share the same set of logical inputs

3.4 Mapping External NDI Sources

Each logical input has a dropdown menu on the right for selecting the external NDI source to bind:

Click the dropdown arrow
The panel automatically refreshes the NDI source list from the network
Select the target source from the list (e.g., OBS (DESKTOP-ABC))
Takes effect immediately; the NDI receiver auto-creates and begins receiving video

Dropdown options:

<None>: Don’t bind to any external source (clear mapping)
DeviceName (HostName): NDI sources discovered on the network

3.5 Refreshing Source List

Click the Refresh Sources button to force re-scan the network for NDI sources.

Refresh is asynchronous and does not block the editor
First scan may take 2-3 seconds to discover all sources (mDNS broadcast latency)
An initial scan auto-executes when the panel opens
Opening the dropdown also triggers a background refresh

Tip: If a new NDI source comes online, wait about 2-5 seconds then refresh to see it.

3.6 Deleting Logical Inputs

Click the Remove button at the end of the corresponding row to delete that logical input.

After deletion, all SuperNDIScreen Actors referencing that logical name will stop receiving video
Deletion is immediately saved to project settings
If that logical name was being recorded by Take Recorder, recorded data is not lost

3.7 Configuration Persistence

All configurations (logical input names, external source mappings) are saved in the project’s editor settings (EditorPerProjectUserSettings), meaning:

Configuration persists after closing and reopening the editor
Configuration is project-level; different projects have different configurations
Configuration is user-level; different users of the same project can have different configurations

4. NDI Editor Global Settings (Project Settings)

In addition to the config panel, SuperNDI’s global parameters can also be managed through the UE Editor’s Project Settings.

4.1 Opening the Settings Page

Menu bar > Edit > Project Settings > Find Plugins category in the left list > SuperNDI Settings

4.2 Setting Item Details

4.2.1 Inputs

Same content as the config panel, displayed in table form:

Field	Type	Description
InputName	Name	Logical input name
ExternalSource	Name	Display name of mapped external NDI source (empty = unmapped)

Logic inputs can be added/edited/deleted here directly, with the same effect as the config panel.

4.2.2 DefaultTargetFPS

Item	Description
Type	Integer
Range	1 ~ 120
Default	30
Purpose	Default frame rate when creating new Take Recorder recording sources

Recommendation: 30 fps suits most scenarios. Set to 60 if the NDI source itself is 60 fps and high-precision sync is needed.

4.2.3 DefaultDownscale

Item	Description
Type	Float
Range	0.25 ~ 1.0
Default	1.0
Purpose	Default downscale multiplier for new recording sources

Important: This value is divided by 2 internally. That is:

Set to 1.0 (default): Actual recording resolution is 50% of original (1920x1080 > 960x540)

Set to 0.5: Actual recording resolution is 25% of original (1920x1080 > 480x270)

Set to 0.25 (minimum): Actual recording resolution is 12.5% of original (1920x1080 > 240x135)

For undownsampled original resolution recording, set Downscale to 2.0 in the Take Recorder recording source.

4.2.4 DefaultCompressionLevel

Item	Description
Type	Integer
Range	0 ~ 9
Default	0
Purpose	Compression level for frame buffer data (0 = no compression)

Note: This is a reserved parameter in the current version; frame buffers are always stored in uncompressed BGRA raw pixel format. Compression will be implemented in a future version.

5. NDI Screen Actor (SuperNDIScreen)

SuperNDIScreen is an Actor placed in 3D scenes for displaying NDI video on specified screen meshes.

5.1 Placing SuperNDIScreen

In UE Editor:

Open Place Actors panel (shortcut Shift+1)
Search for SuperNDIScreen
Drag into the viewport

Or right-click in Content Browser > All Classes > search SuperNDIScreen > drag into scene.

Note: SuperNDIScreen itself does not contain a mesh. It is a “controller” Actor that needs to output video onto the static meshes you specify (see section 5.3).

5.2 Property Panel — Complete Parameter Reference

5.2.1 NDIInputSelection

Item	Description
Type	Dropdown (FName)
Default	Empty (auto-select first configured source)
Purpose	Select which logical input name this screen receives

The dropdown shows all logical input names added in the configuration panel.

Auto-select behavior: If empty (not manually selected), the Actor auto-binds to the first configured logical input on startup. Manual selection is recommended if you have multiple logical inputs.

5.2.2 OutputTexture

Item	Description
Type	UTexture2D (read-only)
Purpose	Auto-created texture object at runtime showing the currently received NDI frame

Read-only property for debugging and confirming texture creation. Do not manually modify it.

5.2.3 ScreenMeshActors

Item	Description
Type	Array (AStaticMeshActor reference list)
Default	Empty
Purpose	Specifies one or more Static Mesh Actors onto which NDI video is rendered

Usage:

Place one or more Static Mesh Actors in the scene (typically plane/curved meshes representing LED screens)
Return to the SuperNDIScreen Details panel
Click + in the ScreenMeshActors array to add an element
Use the eyedropper or dropdown to select the Static Mesh Actor in the scene

One-to-many support: One SuperNDIScreen can simultaneously output the same NDI video to multiple screens, suitable for LED matrix splicing or video wall scenarios.

5.2.4 Transparent (Transparency Mode)

Item	Description
Type	Boolean (checkbox)
Default	Off (false)
Purpose	Toggle screen material to translucent mode

Off: Uses opaque material (MI_Screen_Inst), suitable for physical LED screens
On: Uses translucent material (MI_Screen_Transparent), suitable for projection effects, holographic effects

5.2.5 Transparency

Item	Description
Type	Float
Range	0.0 ~ 1.0
Default	0.95
Purpose	Controls translucent material opacity
Visibility Condition	Only shown when Transparent is on

0.0: Fully transparent (invisible)
0.95 (default): Nearly opaque, slightly see-through to content behind
1.0: Fully opaque

5.2.6 Brightness

Item	Description
Type	Float
Minimum	0.0
Default	1.0
Purpose	Adjusts overall brightness of the image

0.0: Black
1.0: Original brightness
> 1.0: Enhanced brightness (can exceed 1.0 for overexposure effect)

5.2.7 Color

Item	Description
Type	Linear color (FLinearColor)
Default	White (1, 1, 1, 1)
Purpose	Color overlay/tinting applied to the image

White keeps the original colors; other colors “tint” the image (multiplicative blend).

Use cases:

Set to red to simulate a red LED panel effect
Set to (0.5, 0.5, 0.5) to overall darken the image

5.2.8 Contrast

Item	Description
Type	Float
Minimum	0.0
Default	1.5
Purpose	Adjusts image contrast

Tip: The default value of 1.5 slightly enhances contrast for more realistic LED screen effects. Set to 1.0 for original contrast.

5.2.9 Deformation (Keystone Correction)

For simulating projector keystone correction or non-orthogonal LED screen deformation.

Sub-Parameter	Type	Range	Default	Description
UpperLeftCorner	2D Vector	(0,0) ~ (1,1)	(0, 0)	Upper-left corner UV offset
LowerLeftCorner	2D Vector	(0,0) ~ (1,1)	(0, 0)	Lower-left corner UV offset
UpperRightCorner	2D Vector	(0,0) ~ (1,1)	(0, 0)	Upper-right corner UV offset
LowerRightCorner	2D Vector	(0,0) ~ (1,1)	(0, 0)	Lower-right corner UV offset

How it works: Each corner’s offset value controls that corner’s movement in UV space. All values ultimately achieve four-point perspective transformation through the Material Shader.

Typical use cases:

Correcting projector trapezoid distortion during projection blending
Simulating image correction for tilted LED screen installation
Edge blending adjustment for multi-screen splicing

5.3 Usage Steps (Quick Start)

Step 1: Add a logical input in the config panel (e.g., MainScreen) and map to an external NDI source.

Step 2: Place a Static Mesh Actor in the scene (e.g., a Plane), adjust size and position to represent the LED screen.

Step 3: Place a SuperNDIScreen Actor in the scene (position doesn’t matter; it’s invisible).

Step 4: Select the SuperNDIScreen Actor, in the Details panel:

NDIInputSelection: Select MainScreen
ScreenMeshActors: Add the Static Mesh Actor from Step 2

Step 5: Done! If the NDI source is sending video, you should see the image in the scene.

5.4 Multi-Screen Configuration

A scene can have multiple SuperNDIScreen Actors, each bound to a different logical input:

SuperNDIScreen_1 > InputName: MainScreen > Main LED screen
SuperNDIScreen_2 > InputName: CameraA    > Side monitor
SuperNDIScreen_3 > InputName: SidePanel  > Side LED panel

You can also have multiple SuperNDIScreen Actors bound to the same logical input to display the same video at different locations simultaneously.

5.5 Real-Time Preview in Editor

SuperNDIScreen supports editor real-time preview — NDI video is visible in edit mode without pressing Play.

If editor preview doesn’t show the image:

Confirm the config panel correctly maps the external source
After selecting the Actor, re-select NDIInputSelection in the Details panel
Check if the OutputTexture property has been created (should not be None)

6. Take Recorder Recording NDI Video

SuperNDI deeply integrates with UE’s Take Recorder system to record live NDI video streams as Sequencer-playable frame sequences.

6.1 Opening Take Recorder

Menu bar > Window > Cinematics > Take Recorder

6.2 Adding SuperNDI Recording Source

In the Take Recorder panel, click the + Source button
Find Super NDI Input in the popup list
Click to add

After adding, a recording source named “Super NDI (Logical Inputs)” appears in the Sources list.

6.3 Configuring Recording Parameters

6.3.1 InputsToRecord

Item	Description
Type	Name array (dropdown multi-select)
Default	Empty (record all configured logical inputs)
Purpose	Specifies which logical inputs to record

Behavior rules:

If empty: Automatically records all configured logical inputs
If manually selected: Only records selected logical inputs
Supports multi-select: Multiple NDI inputs can be recorded simultaneously

6.3.2 TargetFPS

Item	Description
Type	Integer
Range	1 ~ 120
Default	30
Purpose	How many NDI video frames to record per second

Setting	Applicable Scenario
15	Low-precision preview, long-duration recording
24	Film frame rate
30	Recommended. Balance quality and memory
60	High-precision sync

6.3.3 Downscale

Item	Description
Type	Float
Range	0.5 ~ 2.0
Default	1.0
Purpose	Controls recording frame resolution downsampling

Important: This value is divided by 2 internally. Actual mapping:

Panel Value	Actual Downscale	1080p Actual Recording Resolution	Per-Frame Memory
2.0	1.0 (no downscale)	1920 x 1080	~8 MB
1.0 (default)	0.5	960 x 540	~2 MB
0.5	0.25	480 x 270	~0.5 MB

6.3.4 MaxDurationSeconds

Item	Description
Type	Integer (seconds)
Range	1 ~ 3600
Default	900 (15 minutes)
Purpose	Automatically stops recording after this duration

Memory estimation (1080p@30fps, default Downscale=1.0 i.e. actual 0.5 downsample):

Duration	Estimated Memory
1 minute	~3.5 GB
5 minutes	~17 GB
15 minutes (default max)	~52 GB

Warning: NDI frame buffers are stored in memory (not disk). Monitor memory usage closely when recording very long videos.

6.4 Start Recording

Confirm all parameters are set correctly
Confirm NDI source is sending video
Click the Record button in the Take Recorder panel
After recording starts, the status bar displays the recording duration

6.5 Stop Recording

Click Stop to manually stop
Or wait for MaxDurationSeconds to auto-stop

6.6 Recording Results

After recording completes:

The system creates NDI tracks in the current Level Sequence (one track per recorded logical input)
Tracks are named NDI_<logical_input_name> (e.g., NDI_MainScreen)
Each track contains one Section with associated frame buffer asset
Frame buffer assets are auto-saved with the Level Sequence

Tip: Be sure to Ctrl+S save the current Level Sequence after recording, or frame buffer data may be lost.

7. Sequencer Playback NDI Recording

After recording, pre-recorded NDI video can be played back in Sequencer.

7.1 Opening Sequencer

Double-click the Level Sequence asset in Content Browser, or select the Level Sequence Actor in the scene > click Open in Sequencer.

7.2 NDI Track Structure

In the Sequencer timeline, you’ll see the NDI tracks generated by recording:

 NDI_MainScreen  --------------------------
    [Section: MainScreen]
        InputName: MainScreen
        FrameBuffer: (frame buffer asset reference)
        HoldLastFrame: Yes

7.3 Section Properties

When selecting the NDI Section in Sequencer, the Details panel shows:

7.3.1 InputName

Item	Description
Type	Name (FName)
Purpose	Specifies which logical input to inject into during playback

7.3.2 FrameBuffer

Item	Description
Type	Asset reference (USuperNDIMultiSourceFrameBuffer)
Purpose	Points to the buffer asset storing recorded frame data

7.3.3 HoldLastFrame

Item	Description
Type	Boolean
Default	On (true)
Purpose	Behavior when playhead is outside the recorded frame range

On (recommended): Shows the nearest frame if no exact match (avoids black screen)
Off: Injects no image if no exact frame (may cause black flickering)

7.4 Playback Mechanism Detailed

When Sequencer plays, NDI Section behavior is:

Playhead enters Section range:
- Automatically enables Loopback mode
- Blocks real NDI network frames for that logical input
- Ensures scene SuperNDIScreens only show recorded content
Per-frame update:
- Queries corresponding frame from frame buffer based on current time (binary search, efficient)
- Injects queried frame into subsystem
- Subsystem broadcasts frame data to all SuperNDIScreen Actors subscribed to that logical input
Playhead leaves Section range:
- Disables Loopback mode
- Restores real NDI network frame reception
- SuperNDIScreen resumes displaying live NDI video

7.5 Multi-Track / Multi-Section

Multi-track: Multiple logical inputs can be played back simultaneously
Multi-section: Multiple Sections can exist in the same track for different time periods playing different frame buffers
Section arrangement: Same-row Sections follow chronological order; different-row Sections can be parallel

7.6 Offline Rendering

NDI playback supports Sequencer’s offline rendering mode. When rendering movies:

No live NDI source needed
Playback relies entirely on recorded frame buffer data
Image quality depends on recording downscale settings

8. FAQ & Troubleshooting

8.1 Source Discovery

Troubleshooting steps:

Confirm NDI source device/software is running and sending video
Confirm NDI source is on the same LAN/subnet as the UE host
Check Windows Firewall — ensure UDP 5353 and TCP/UDP 5960-5969 are not blocked
Close NDI Studio Monitor (may exclusively occupy Finder resources)
Wait 2-5 seconds then click Refresh Sources (mDNS discovery has latency)
Check if Bonjour Service is running
View UE’s Output Log, search for SuperNDI keyword

Q: Source discovery takes too long

Initial startup mDNS broadcast needs time to accumulate
Persistent Finder starts discovering sources approximately 3-5 seconds after startup
If over 10 seconds with no discovery, check network configuration

8.2 Video Display

Q: SuperNDIScreen shows black screen

Confirm the logical input is mapped to a valid external source in the config panel
Confirm SuperNDIScreen’s NDIInputSelection has selected the correct logical input
Confirm at least one Static Mesh Actor is added to ScreenMeshActors
Check the OutputTexture property — should not be None
Try re-selecting NDIInputSelection (triggers rebinding)

Q: Choppy image / low frame rate

NDI source itself has low frame rate > Check source device settings
Insufficient network bandwidth > Use gigabit or higher wired network
Low UE editor frame rate > Lower editor quality or close unnecessary windows
UYVY/UYVA format conversion overhead > NDI source should output BGRA/BGRX format where possible

Q: Color deviation

SuperNDI defaults to sRGB color space. If the NDI source outputs linear color space, colors may appear too bright/tinted. Confirm the NDI source’s output color space settings.

8.3 Recording

Q: Super NDI Input option not visible in Take Recorder

Confirm SuperStageEditor module is loaded. Search SuperNDI in Output Log to confirm initialization succeeded.

Q: Frame buffer data lost after recording

You must save the Level Sequence asset after recording (Ctrl+S or right-click > Save). Frame buffer data is embedded in the Level Sequence’s Package and is lost if not saved before closing.

Q: Memory spikes during recording

This is normal — NDI frame buffers are stored as uncompressed BGRA in memory.

Mitigation:

Lower Downscale (e.g., set to 0.5 for actual 0.25 downscale)
Lower TargetFPS (e.g., 15 fps)
Shorten MaxDurationSeconds
Turn off unneeded NDI inputs

8.4 Playback

Q: Sequencer playback shows live NDI instead of recorded content

Check that the NDI Section’s FrameBuffer property correctly references the frame buffer asset. If empty, playback cannot inject frames.

Q: Black screen at some time points during Sequencer playback

Enable the Section’s HoldLastFrame option
Check that the frame buffer has frame data for the corresponding time range

8.5 DLL & Initialization

Q: Output Log shows “SuperNDI: CRITICAL - Integrated NDI DLL not found!”

Ensure Processing.NDI.Lib.x64.dll exists in one of the following paths:

Plugins/SuperStage/Binaries/Win64/
Plugins/SuperStage/Source/SuperNdi/ThirdParty/NDI/Bin/x64/
Plugins/SuperStage/Source/SuperNdi/ThirdParty/NDI/Bin/ (fallback)

Q: Output Log shows “NDIlib_initialize failed”

Possible causes:

CPU doesn’t support SSE 4.2 instruction set (very old CPU)
DLL file corrupted
Missing runtime dependencies (Visual C++ Redistributable)

Q: Output Log shows “Failed to create Persistent Finder”