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The Stream Deck software can call the Core API without any plugin. The built-in Website action can send a GET request in the background instead of opening a browser. Every Core API action is a plain GET, so one key is one URL. For keys that show the current state, use Bitfocus Companion instead.

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Before you start

  • Stream Deck 6.9 or later.
  • The address and port of the Core, for example 192.168.1.50:3002.
  • A device token, or LAN access for the computer the Stream Deck is connected to. See Authentication and LAN access.
Is the Stream Deck connected to the Core machine itself? Then use http://localhost:3002/.... Calls from the Core machine need no token.

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Set up a key

1

Add a device in VRA Cloud

Open Studio settings → Core API, click Add device and give it a name like Stream Deck studio desk. Copy the Stream Deck URL. It holds the Core address and the token and points at the studio toggle; change the path for other keys.
2

Drag a Website action onto a key

In the Stream Deck app, find Website under System and drag it onto a key.
3

Paste the URL

Paste a URL from the table below into the URL field. Add the token with ?token=, or leave it out when the computer has LAN access.
4

Switch to a background request

Open the browser dropdown of the Website action and pick the option that sends a GET request in the background. Without it, every press opens a browser tab.
Do not count on the Website action sending headers. Put the token in the URL with ?token=.

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URLs

Replace vra_examp1etoken… with your device token.
  • break-lamp stands for the identifier of one of your signals. The signal id works too.
  • Macros are addressed by id or by name. Encode spaces in the name as %20.
  • main stands for the slot key of an output and weather for the key of one of its scenes. When the output has more than one playout scene, add &scene=<playout scene key> to the rundown URL.
  • 2 is the camera’s number in the camera list; its name or id works too. Guest close stands for one of that camera’s angles.
  • live stands for the name of a BOOLEAN user input variable of the station. Variables are written through VRA Cloud, so these keys need the Core’s internet connection.
  • On a studio shared by several stations, add &station=<station name> to output and variable URLs, or pin the device to a station. Macro keys need neither: macros are studio-scoped. See Station safety.
See Routes for every route.

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Prefer explicit actions

The Website action does not show whether a call worked or what the state is now. Use one key per state, like Studio on air and Studio off air, rather than one toggle key. The explicit routes are idempotent: pressing Studio on air twice keeps the studio on air. A toggle key flips the state on every press, including the press you were not sure about. A Stream Deck Multi Action can combine several URLs on one key, for example Audio Director on and Camera Assist on.

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Showing state on a key

The built-in Website action cannot show a value on its key. Community plugins such as API Ninja or API Monkey can poll a URL and change the key image. Plugins vary in what they support: use a plain-text route, such as /api/v2/plain/studio/status, when a plugin can only compare the whole response. For a camera tally key, poll /api/v2/plain/cameras/2/on-air and light the key when the answer is 1. We have not tested these plugins with the Core API. For reliable state on the keys, use Bitfocus Companion.

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Troubleshooting

Call the URL from a browser on the same computer. The JSON answer tells you what went wrong, for example "error":"unauthorized" for a missing or wrong token. On the Core machine, http://localhost:3002/api/v2/requests shows the last calls with their status and error code. See Errors and status codes.