Regular Colecandoo readers will be aware that I’m somewhat of a cheerleader for the Elgato Streamdeck. I’ve been using one since 2022, and use one both at home and at the office.
Since the release of Stream Deck 7.0, Elgato added a new feature that allows Stream Deck users to create Virtual stream decks – that is, customizable on-screen buttons that can either be accessed temporarily or persistently.
How it works
If you have a physical Stream Deck (or any Elgato device) and have installed Stream Deck 7.0, go to the profile dropdown in the top left of the Stream Deck application, click on the current profile, and then look for Add Virtual Device…
Your virtual Stream Deck is now added. From here, it can be activated by applying a keyboard shortcut or called up from a physical Stream Deck.
Toolbars that don’t exist
By accessing the keyboard shortcut, I can now see the buttons that would usually be on my physical Stream Deck are now on my screen.
As an aside, this series of buttons is specifically created for InDesign and is a paid plug-in made by Sideshow FX. However, they make paid plug-ins for other software such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom, Excel, Affinity and other applications.
Customisable
That said, you’re not limited to paid plug-ins, you can make your own sets of virtual Stream Decks.
Decks can be a maximum of 8×8 icons, button size can be adjusted, the decks can also be persistent (remain on screen until toggled off with the shortcut) or temporary (toggled off either after an action is run or leaving the deck’s interface). Decks can also spawn in a constant position, or appear where the cursor is. It is also possible to have many decks on-screen at once.
Contextual
With these levels of customisation, it is now possible to have a similar contextual menu configuration that is reminiscent of a radial menu familiar to Wacom users.
If you’ve used a Wacom stylus before, this menu is accessed either by a button on the tablet, or from a button on the stylus. If you’ve not used a Wacom stylus but have played a video game in the last 25 years, it is similar to the radio select wheel in games such a GTA5.
To set this up, please watch this video from fellow Aussie and content creator iamfallfromgrace who also demonstrates several other tips and techniques with the virtual Stream Deck.
Portable
As also mentioned in Grace’s video, the virtual Stream Deck doesn’t require a physical Stream Deck to be plugged in constantly – the Stream Deck software only needs access to Elgato hardware once every 30 days. One advantage is for laptop users who no longer need to carry a physical stream deck if using a laptop but want the advantage of accessing a virtual Stream Deck.
No added cost
If you already own an Elgato device and can install Stream Deck 7.0, then you can use this feature at no added cost. At the time of writing, there’s no subscription fee or additional purchase price, it’s just there!
Usual declarations
If you’re reading this and wondering “I thought Colin didn’t do ads” then you’re right – this is NOT an advertisement. I’ve not received any payment or consideration from Elgato or SideshowFX, nor have they had any editorial input or influence. I’ve written this article because I’m a genuine user of the Stream Deck and think that the introduction of the virtual Stream Deck is a great idea, and something that anyone in business – not just content creators but in any line of work that could do with a little automation – should go out and get.