First of all, a stream overlay is just what it sounds like. It’s an addon you put on top of your stream that displays information about the games you’re playing. This could range from a simple frame with timers and health bars or a full interface for displaying raid progress or experience gains.
In this article, I will be going over the various parts of the Overlay, its advantages, and why you should use one.
Why use an overlay?
If you’re asking yourself this question, then let me explain. An overlay is basically like watching another stream on top of your own. This gives you several options for what kind of information you want to be displayed. Even if you’re not using one for gaming, overlays can be very handy for tracking cooldowns or buff durations in a raid.
Parts of an overlay
There are many different types of overlays, and they all have other parts, but I’m going to go over the most common ones. The first is the frame overlay. This is the most basic type and is just a frame that sits on top of your stream. It can be any color or size you want and typically contains things like timers, health bars, and chat windows.
Another common type of Overlay is the HUD overlay. This stands for Heads-Up Display, and it usually contains more information than a frame overlay. HUD overlays tend to be more complex and typically look like a TV or computer monitor with several windows. These can include health displays, experience meters, and even things like the world time clock.
There is also what’s called a panel overlay. This one is pretty similar to the frame overlay, except it has some border around it to give the impression that it is a panel. It can be any shape or size you want and usually contains timers, health bars, chat windows, or in-game information.
Finally, there are full-screen overlays. This type is the most complicated because it requires you to code your Overlay. However, the advantage to using one is that it can contain any information you want. This could be things like raid progress, character stats, or even a live map of the area you’re playing in.
How to use an overlay
Now that you know what an overlay is and why you might want to use one let me show you how to get started. First, download the Overlay of your choice from anywhere you can find them. You can check our Premium Overlays. Ensure it’s compatible with whatever streaming or recording software you’re using and that instructions on installing it are included. Once you have that, everything left is running your game and playing your stream. When the Overlay comes on-screen, follow the instructions to configure it.
Conclusion
Overlays are a great way to add extra information to your stream. They can help you keep track of timers, health bars, and experience gains. There are many different overlays to choose from, so find the one that fits your needs and start using it today!
