# Stream Deck Plugin

Using the iReporter Stream Deck plugin - installation, action types, and configuration.

# Stream Deck Plugin - Overview & Installation

## Overview

iReporter includes a native Stream Deck plugin that lets you use an Elgato Stream Deck as your reporting interface - either instead of or alongside the iReporter Button Box hardware. Each Stream Deck key can be mapped to any iReporter button. When pressed, the key sends the same messages and voice output as pressing the physical button.

Keys update their display in real time to show race status - turning colour and displaying live data when a crash is detected, an incident is captured, or a blue flag situation is approaching.

## Requirements

- Elgato Stream Deck software installed (version 6.0 or later)
- iReporter v0.170 or later
- SimHub running with iReporter plugin active

## Installation - Step by Step

1. In the iReporter settings panel, locate the **Input Mode** dropdown at the top left.
2. Select either **Stream Deck** or **iReporter Button Box &amp; Stream Deck** depending on whether you also use the hardware button box.
3. Click the **Install Stream Deck Plugin** button that appears below the dropdown.
4. iReporter will download and install the plugin automatically into the correct Stream Deck plugins folder: `%APPDATA%\Elgato\StreamDeck\Plugins\nz.co.logicalsolutions.ireporter.sdPlugin\`
5. If Stream Deck is running, a dialog will ask whether to restart it now - click **Yes** to apply immediately, or **No** to restart Stream Deck manually when convenient.
6. After Stream Deck restarts, the **iReporter** category will appear in the Stream Deck software action list.

## Automatic Updates

When a new version of iReporter is installed via the in-app updater, the Stream Deck plugin files are also updated silently in the background. Stream Deck is **not** restarted automatically during a SimHub update - you will be asked separately when you next press the Install button, or you can restart Stream Deck at your own convenience. This prevents your Stream Deck layout from being interrupted mid-session.

## Input Mode

<table id="bkmrk-modebutton-boxstream"><thead><tr><th>Mode</th><th>Button Box</th><th>Stream Deck</th><th>COM Port shown</th><th>Connection bar</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>iReporter Button Box</td><td>Yes</td><td>No</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td>Stream Deck</td><td>No</td><td>Yes</td><td>No</td><td>No</td></tr><tr><td>iReporter Button Box &amp; Stream Deck</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td></tr></tbody></table>

# Stream Deck Action Types

## Four Action Types

The iReporter Stream Deck plugin provides four distinct action types, all available in the **iReporter** category within Stream Deck software.

## 1. iReporter Button

Maps a Stream Deck key to any iReporter button. Pressing the key sends the same messages and voice output as pressing the corresponding physical button. The key display updates live based on what that button is configured for:

- **Normal state**: shows the configured Normal colour and a short version of the button label.
- **Crash active** (crash detection button): turns the configured Active colour and shows **CRASH** with a countdown in seconds (e.g. **22s**) ticking down to zero, then reverts to normal.
- **Incident active** (incident detection button): turns the configured Active colour and shows **INCIDENT** with countdown.
- **Blue flag approaching** (blue flag helper button): turns the configured Active colour and shows **BLUE FLAG** with the live gap in seconds (e.g. **4.2s**) updating every second.
- **Pressed / Sent**: flashes the configured Pressed colour showing **SENT** for 1.5 seconds after a press to confirm the action was transmitted.

## 2. Blue Flag Monitor

A dedicated display-only key that always shows the current blue flag status, regardless of which iReporter buttons you have configured. No button press is forwarded. Useful as a permanent status indicator.

- **Approaching**: turns the configured Alert colour and shows **BLUE FLAG** with live gap seconds updating every second.
- **Clear**: shows the configured Clear colour (dimmed) with **BLUE FLAG / Clear**.

## 3. Crash Alert

A dedicated display-only key showing crash detection status.

- **Crash active**: turns the configured Alert colour showing **CRASH** and a countdown of remaining seconds in the reporting window.
- **Clear**: shows the configured Clear colour (dimmed) with **CRASH / Clear**.
- When the timeout expires, automatically reverts to the Clear state.

## 4. Incident Alert

A dedicated display-only key showing incident detection status. Identical in behaviour to Crash Alert but for incidents.

- **Active**: turns the configured Alert colour showing **INCIDENT** and countdown.
- **Clear**: shows the configured Clear colour (dimmed) with **INCIDENT / Clear**.

**Note:** The dedicated monitor actions (Blue Flag Monitor, Crash Alert, Incident Alert) display state only - pressing them does not send any message to Race Control. Use an **iReporter Button** key configured in the appropriate mode if you want to both display state and send a report.

# Stream Deck Configuration

## Configuring a Key (Gear Icon)

To configure any iReporter action, click the **gear icon** or long-press the key in the Stream Deck software. A property inspector panel opens on the right.

The property inspector connects directly to iReporter over the local WebSocket (port 8474). The connection status is shown at the bottom of the panel - it shows **Connected - iReporter v0.XXX** when SimHub is running with iReporter active. If SimHub is not running, it shows *iReporter not found - start SimHub first* and retries every 4 seconds.

## iReporter Button - Configuration Options

### iReporter Button dropdown

Select which iReporter button this key maps to. The dropdown shows the actual button labels from your iReporter configuration (e.g. *B4 - Avoidable Contact*, *B5 - Blue Flag Overtake Issues*). If a button has no label configured in iReporter, it shows *Button N*.

### Display colours

- **Normal**: The background colour when the key is idle. Choose from: Dark, Blue, Green, Yellow, Red, Purple, Orange, White, Cyan, Pink.
- **Active / Alert**: The background colour when a crash, incident, or blue flag situation is active on this button. A coloured swatch shows a preview of the selected colour.
- **Pressed / Sent**: The colour flashed for 1.5 seconds after the key is pressed to confirm the report was sent.

### When active, show

- **Countdown**: Yes (default) - shows remaining seconds in the crash/incident reporting window. No - shows **CRASH** or **INCIDENT** text only.
- **Gap (Blue Flag)**: Yes (default) - shows the approaching leader's gap in seconds. No - shows **BLUE FLAG** only.

Changes are saved automatically and take effect immediately.

## Blue Flag Monitor - Configuration Options

- **Active colour**: Colour when a blue flag situation is active (a lapping leader is approaching within the configured gap threshold).
- **Clear colour**: Colour when no blue flag situation (displayed dimly).
- **Show gap seconds**: Yes/No - whether to display the gap value in seconds on the key.

## Crash Alert - Configuration Options

- **Active colour**: Colour on crash detection.
- **Clear colour**: Colour when no crash active.
- **Show countdown**: Yes/No - whether to display the countdown timer.

## Incident Alert - Configuration Options

Same options as Crash Alert but for incidents.

## Tip - Matching Colours to Race Status

Common colour choices that match iRacing conventions:

- **Blue flag buttons**: Active = Blue, Clear = Dark
- **Crash buttons**: Active = Red, Clear = Dark
- **Incident buttons**: Active = Orange, Clear = Dark
- **Normal report buttons**: Normal = Green, Active = Red, Pressed = White

## Multiple Stream Decks

iReporter supports multiple Stream Decks simultaneously. Each key is configured independently - you can have the same iReporter button on multiple keys with different colour schemes.