PSN, OTP, RTTrPM & OSC output
Output PSN, OTP, OSC, and RTTrPM 3 data to lighting consoles, media servers, and show control tools. Built on open standards to work with existing equipment and workflows.
What is OpenFollow?
OpenFollow is free software for tracking people and objects on stage. Using a gamepad, 3D Mouse or computer mouse (or even keyboard), you control marker positions in real time, while OpenFollow outputs 3D position data as PosiStageNet (PSN), Object Transform Protocol (OTP), Open Sound Control (OSC), and Real-Time Tracking Protocol (RTTrPM) data to your show control tools like lighting consoles and media servers.
You can also set up automatic AI occupancy detection for user-defined zones, sending OSC triggers for occupancy changes. If you don't want to use AI, markers can also trigger zone occupancy changes.
Use OpenFollow to automate lighting, audio, and media in any stage environment based on real-time positioning data. Replacing your traditional followspot is just the beginning.
Tracking and position-based automation has long meant expensive, proprietary systems. OpenFollow is built to change that: running on affordable, off-the-shelf hardware and open standards, it puts real-time tracking within reach of more people.
Browser-based simulation
Marker 1
Move your pointer over the stage to position the marker.
Scroll to change the height (Z).
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Marker 1
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IP Address: 192.168.1.50 (eth0)
Video Source: Media Gallery
Station: OpenFollow happy-groundhog
Listening for trigger-zone events…
Why OpenFollow?
OpenFollow makes precise tracking and position-based automation accessible and affordable, putting it within reach of more people.
Reliable on affordable hardware
Designed to run well on accessible systems so productions can use real-time tracking without expensive infrastructure. Use easy-to-obtain gamepads, cameras, and computers.
Flexible video input
OpenFollow works with video over Network using RTSP, SRT, RTP, and NDI® 1 2 , and direct connection using USB or Raspberry Pi Camera (CSI), including input adapters from HDMI and SDI.
Easy to set up
OpenFollow requires a precise camera calibration to work effectively – the setup process is straightforward and OpenFollow guides you through each step.
Open source & free license
OpenFollow is open source and available under the free copyleft GNU AGPL v3.0 or later license, so you can extend, adapt, and integrate it to suit your production needs.
Two modes for 3D tracking
Choose between manual gamepad, mouse, or 3D mouse control for high-precision 3D Markers or utilize camera-based local AI for automated Zone Occupancy Detection.
Two Tracking Modes
Choose how OpenFollow follows your subject.
Tracking with Operator Input
Release – use it now
An operator positions markers in 3D from a video feed using an input device such as a gamepad, mouse, or 3D mouse. Marker positions become precise position data sent over PSN, OTP, OSC, and RTTrPM, and markers can also drive zone occupancy.
Automatic Person Detection
Released as experimental preview
Camera-based AI can assist the operator in manual following or run in fully automatic mode to detect people entering and leaving zones, sending OSC commands on zone occupancy and on every occupancy change, with no operator input.
Three Output Modes
OpenFollow produces three kinds of output for your show control.
Position Data
Precise position data driven by marker positions, sent over PSN, OTP, OSC, and RTTrPM.
Zone Occupancy
Zone occupancy changes sent as OSC commands.
Custom OSC
Custom OSC messages built from hardware inputs, position data, and data transformations.
Use Cases
Lighting
Track performers or props live and send position data directly to lighting consoles. Use it for followspot applications or explore new, creative possibilities that go far beyond conventional cue-based control.
Media
Make projections follow performers or props in real time, creating dynamic looks that respond to their movements and create magical moments.
Audio
Elevate the audience experience using position data to generate spatial audio effects, placing performers precisely where they physically stand.
Works With
OpenFollow integrates with any show control system that can receive PosiStageNet (PSN), Object Transform Protocol (OTP), Open Sound Control (OSC), or Real-Time Tracking Protocol (RTTrPM) messages. It can receive video input in various formats over network connections or local inputs.
Download OpenFollow
Choose your hardware to get the right package for a fresh install. Raspberry Pi CM5 is the recommended hardware for operator-input tracking in live production. Find out more about supported hardware in the docs.
Raspberry Pi 5 Image
Preview ReleaseReady-to-flash image for the Raspberry Pi 5. Boots straight into OpenFollow.
Compute Module 5 Image
Preview Release Recommended hardwareReady-to-flash image for the Compute Module 5. Writes to the onboard eMMC.
Debian Package (arm64)
Preview ReleaseFor any other 64-bit Raspberry Pi running the latest Raspberry Pi OS Lite – the headless system without a desktop. Installs with apt and starts at boot.
Debian Package (amd64)
Preview ReleaseFor 64-bit x86 PCs (Intel or AMD) running headless Debian 13 (Trixie) without a desktop environment. Installs with apt and starts at boot.
Already running OpenFollow? Download the offline update bundle (.ofupdate) for your architecture and install it from the web UI.
Looking for the source code, release notes, or an older version? Find every release on GitHub, available under the GNU AGPL v3.0 or later license.
Get Started
Join the community and follow along as OpenFollow grows.
Discord
Join the OpenFollow Discord to get in touch, ask questions, and share feedback.
Join DiscordGitHub
Browse the source code, file issues, and participate in development on GitHub.
View on GitHubFollow OpenFollow on Instagram for updates, visuals, and news.
Visit InstagramFrequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about OpenFollow.
What is OpenFollow?
OpenFollow is an open-source project designed to provide a simple and accessible solution for generating real-time 3D position data for live productions.
OpenFollow creates show control data based on the inputs it receives.
OpenFollow does not claim to be the most innovative or cutting-edge tracking technology and does not create never-seen-before results. Its aim is to make tracking and position-based automation accessible and affordable for a wider range of productions, including students and educators, houses of worship, independent artists, venues and performance spaces, and many more.
OpenFollow is intended to coordinate visual and audio elements of a production and should not be used for safety critical applications.
Does OpenFollow automatically control my lighting fixtures?
No. OpenFollow does not control lighting fixtures, communicate with lighting control protocols (like DMX, Art-Net, or sACN), or point fixtures at a target. It is not an automated followspot system.
What OpenFollow does is generate data streams that carry position information. What your show control system does with that data – whether that is moving a light, manipulating a projection, panning sound, or triggering an audio effect – is entirely up to you. You define the behavior in your show control system. OpenFollow just provides the position data.
Does OpenFollow generate position data fully automatically, without operator input?
Not yet. Right now we focus on operator input. Automatic person detection is experimental, and today it drives zone occupancy rather than the position output.
Visual detection that supports the operator, or fully drives the position output, may become a feature in a future release, and could require more powerful hardware than a Raspberry Pi.
What hardware, video inputs and controllers work with OpenFollow?
OpenFollow runs on standard, affordable hardware and works with a wide range of cameras and game controllers. The manual covers each in detail – see Hardware for recommended computers and boards, Video Inputs for cameras and network video (RTSP, SRT, RTP, NDI®1), and Hardware Inputs for gamepads, keyboards, and other controllers.
Why is the Raspberry Pi the production platform?
We target the Raspberry Pi 5 for production for a few reasons:
Single-purpose device. The operator station boots straight into a kiosk where nothing can be done except tracking. A dedicated platform means no other software conflicts with it, and it just runs plug and play. OpenFollow runs on macOS for development and testing, but a Mac can't be locked down the same way.
Cheap, reliable hardware that scales. A show usually needs one station per operator, so you are buying several. Four Pi 5s cost a fraction of four Macs, with hardware purpose-built for always-on, single-task use. That keeps the per-seat cost low and makes units easy to stock and replace.
Reliability through a unified platform. Standardizing on one platform lets us ensure the software runs reliably and keeps testing straightforward.
That said, OpenFollow isn't locked to the Pi – the app runs on a range of hardware and operating systems, especially on Debian-based variants of Linux, where the provided .deb can be installed with some system knowledge. But we cannot provide support for these setups, so we keep the production target narrow for now to hold quality high.
Is OpenFollow free to use?
Yes. OpenFollow is open source and released under the free copyleft GNU AGPL v3.0 or later license. You can use it in commercial productions, adapt it to your needs, and contribute to its development.
How can I receive support and service?
OpenFollow is a free, community-driven project maintained by volunteers. Free support is provided by the community in our public Discord server, where you can ask questions, share setups, and get help from other users and contributors. Please note that all support there is public and offered on a best-effort basis.
For organizations that need dedicated assistance, professional support and service can be arranged on request. Get in touch to discuss your requirements.
Who makes OpenFollow?
OpenFollow was initiated by Paul Hermann, Michel Honold, and Vinzenz Schultz – a Germany-based team with years of experience in software development and live production. The team combines academic backgrounds in Computer Science with hands-on expertise across the technical disciplines of theatre production, including lighting, sound, media, and automation.
OpenFollow was born out of a recurring need encountered in our own productions: an affordable, straightforward tracking solution that integrates cleanly into existing workflows. Existing options on the market were either prohibitively expensive, overly complex, or a poor fit for the realities of mid-sized productions. Recognizing this gap, we set out to build the tool we ourselves were looking for – and to release it as open source so the wider production community can benefit from and contribute to it.
Development follows modern engineering practices, including the use of generative AI as part of the workflow, enabling a small team to ship reliable software at pace.
OpenFollow is an open-source project with a copyleft license, and contributions are welcome. Whether you would like to report an issue, suggest a feature, or submit code, you are invited to get involved.
Contact
Send us a message and we’ll get back to you soon.
1. NDI® is a registered trademark of Vizrt NDI AB.
2. OpenFollow does not contain any NDI® code by itself. NDI® requires closed source NDI® Tools / NDI® SDK on the host system that need to be installed separately.
3. RTTrPM, AI Person Detection, and AI Supported Manual Tracking are experimental.