.. _vhc3:

=====
VHC 3
=====

Overview
--------

The **VHC - Vico House Cup** is a **LAN event** organized by **Victorien "Vico" OST**.  
It brings together **16 players**, ranging from the **top 6 to top 30** in France, competing in a **LAN tournament** in Chièvres.  
The event is streamed live on **Vico's Twitch channel**.

For this third edition, I volunteered to assist Vico to **help the event reach a new level**,  
building on my successful experiences with **Endowar and stream management**.

Role
----

Initially, my role was **focused on improving the network architecture** and **managing data streams** during the event.  
However, due to a last-minute withdrawal, I had to **take full control of the broadcast and backstage operations**.

Details
-------

- **Network stream**

All streams between various **OBS setups** were handled using the **NDI protocol**.

- **Python Automation**

I started by **automating key actions** with **Python** and the `obs-ws` library to **standardize workflows**:

- A scripted **transition** to show/hide banners
- Automated **player name updates**, including logo/title/pseudonym associations
- Automated **caster name updates**
- Management of **animations, cameras, and upcoming match sources**
- **Draft handling** and **civilization updates**

Then, I developed a **custom software interface** using `custom tkinter`,  
allowing me to manage all these standardized interactions **from a single central hub**.

.. image:: /_static/images/vhc3_interface.png
   :align: center
   :width: 400px
   :class: vhc3-interface

Gradually, I was able to **fully automate stream management**, reducing my direct interactions with OBS to just:

- **Launching OBS**
- **Loading the VHC3 profile**
- **Starting the stream**

I also leveraged `obs-ws` to **control camera scene switching** on a separate PC,  
which was responsible for handling specific **camera feeds**.

- **Dynamic Ranking System**

Instead of manually updating graphics for the rankings,  
I set up a **local Flask server** running on **port 8000**, allowing **real-time score updates** via **Google Sheets**.  
A Python script then **processed the data**, generating **HTML/Jinja/CSS** output for **displaying rankings** and the **tournament bracket**.

Next Steps
----------

There are several improvements I aim to make to this **stream automation tool**:

- **Automatic Scene & Source Creation**  

  Currently, I only **edit** existing scenes. If a scene or source is missing, it’s **not created automatically**.  
  I plan to build a system for **dynamic scene creation**, possibly with **default source placements**.

- **Repository Structure & Code Readability**  

  The project evolved quickly, leaving **room for better function modularization**.  
  I need to **refactor several utilities**, improve **code organization**, and add **clearer comments**.

- **Expanding Use Cases**  

  Each **tournament or broadcast** has **unique rules**.  
  I'd like to implement **minimal configuration switching** to easily adapt settings between events.


Code Example
------------

Here is a bit of python code to hide or show the player's camera sources :

.. code-block:: python

    def show_hide_cams(SCENE_GAME):

    # Connexion à OBS
    ws = obsws(OBS_HOST, OBS_PORT, OBS_PASSWORD)
    ws.connect()

    try :
        # Get Cam Status
        SCENE_CAM = "VHC Adds Cam"

        SCENE_CAM_OBJ = ws.call(requests.GetSceneItemId(sceneName=SCENE_GAME, sourceName=SCENE_CAM))
        SCENE_CAM_ID=SCENE_CAM_OBJ.datain['sceneItemId']
        response = ws.call(requests.GetSceneItemEnabled(sceneItemId=SCENE_CAM_ID, sceneName=SCENE_GAME))
        IS_ENABLED = response.datain.get("sceneItemEnabled", False)

        if IS_ENABLED == True:
            ws.call(requests.SetSceneItemEnabled(sceneItemId=SCENE_CAM_ID, sceneItemEnabled=False, sceneName=SCENE_GAME))
        elif IS_ENABLED == False:
            ws.call(requests.SetSceneItemEnabled(sceneItemId=SCENE_CAM_ID, sceneItemEnabled=True, sceneName=SCENE_GAME))
    
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Erreur lors du show cams : {e}")
    finally:
        ws.disconnect()

Results
-------

Here is the link to the **final match stream**: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt0_8SXqTvQ
Feel free to watch and enjoy!