Route video between Mac apps with Syphon
Ultimate VJ includes Syphon input and output. Receive another app's video as a clip, publish the composition, or publish up to three selected layer feeds. Choose the feed according to where you want it in the visual-processing chain.
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Open Output settings → Syphon. Syphon output supports SDR compositions up to 1920 × 1080. Live input supports one sender and remains available with larger compositions. You need another Syphon-compatible application on the Mac for the other end of the connection. Check Ultimate VJ requirements.
Choose a feed
| Feed | Image you receive | Useful when |
|---|---|---|
| Composition output | Combined composition after Master processing, before screen mapping, with an opaque background | Another app needs the complete mix without the projection geometry |
| Selected layer output | That layer's effects, opacity and alpha, before Group and Master processing | Another app needs a separate layer with transparency |
| Syphon input clip | Frames from one selected live sender | You want to mix another app's video with clips, shaders or text |
Screen mapping is a separate stage. A Syphon composition receiver does not get the final mapped projection surfaces. A layer feed also does not include the Group or Master treatment you see in the complete mix.
Send the composition
- Open a set and trigger a visible source. Check the Output monitor first.
- Choose a supported native composition size in Settings → Video.
- Open Output settings → Syphon and enable Publish composition.
- In the receiving application, choose the Ultimate VJ composition sender.
- Change a clip or Master control and check that the receiving app shows the expected mix.
Syphon input and output choices save with the show. A new show starts with Syphon disabled; reopening an enabled show can restore those choices, so check the connection status. Blackout clears the published feeds. If the receiving image is black, check the local Output monitor, active sources, opacity and Blackout before changing the receiving application.
Send selected layers
Use the three Layer output selectors to choose the layers you want to publish. Select the corresponding sender in your receiving application.
A transparent layer feed can look different against the receiver's background. Check the alpha treatment there, and remember that Group and Master processing come later in Ultimate VJ's complete mix. Use the composition feed when you need those later stages.
Receive another app's video
- Enable a Syphon sender in the source application.
- Choose an empty clip slot in Ultimate VJ and add a Syphon Input source.
- Choose the sender, using Refresh senders if it is missing from the list.
- Check Output settings → Syphon → Enable live input. Adding the source enables its input automatically.
- Trigger the clip and combine it with another layer, text or effects.
Use one selected live input sender. If no new frame arrives for one second, its clips become transparent. A stopped or disconnected source can therefore reveal the layers beneath it. Keep that behavior in mind when arranging a background.
Save the show and check the connection again
Save the .uvj set for its clip arrangement and show configuration. The other app and its live sender still need to be available when you return. Review the selected sender and the current input/output status rather than treating a saved choice as proof of a live connection.
To preserve your complete setup, keep the relevant project in the other application as well. Saving an Ultimate VJ set does not package that application's project or its media.
Troubleshoot a missing feed
For a missing output feed, check that the composition is no larger than 1920 × 1080 and publishing is enabled. For input, check Enable live input and the selected sender. Use Refresh senders to rediscover sources or Retry Syphon to retry transport setup. Keep the source app open and producing frames.
For display output and surface alignment, use the output guide and mapping guide. For a setup question, contact support with both app versions, the feed you selected and what each monitor shows.
