Field Timer is a free, open-source OBS countdown timer, stopwatch and presenter clock for Windows and Linux. It helps live event operators, speakers and streaming crews keep a presentation on time: show a timer on the presenter's private monitor, keep it off the audience screen, and control it from a local web page or Bitfocus Companion.
Download Windows x64 · Download Linux x64 · Release notes · SHA-256 checksums
Current release: v0.3.8. Extract the ZIP and run the standalone Go executable; no Go installation or other application runtime is needed. Field Timer works locally and offline, with no cloud account or subscription.
Field Timer grew out of a real live-production problem: show a countdown on a presenter's private TV while keeping the audience LED wall free of the timer. The production laptop used OBS Studio to send different scenes to the public LED wall and the private presenter monitor. Existing web timers were inconvenient to control, while professional solutions could add unnecessary cost or complexity.
Field Timer provides an independent local timing engine and easy remote control. OBS handles the displays; Field Timer handles the time. Use it as a speaker timer for a conference, a presenter timer for a talk, or a live event timer alongside your existing production tools.
- Three timer modes: countdown, stopwatch and a local real-time clock with 12/24-hour display. Customize time units, separators, leading zeroes and labels for each mode.
- Transparent OBS Browser Source: choose font, size and weight, normal and warning colors, a final-seconds warning threshold, and an optional separate negative-overtime color. Position digits with nine alignment presets and X/Y sliders.
- One independent TXT output: a continuously updated plain text file remains available even when OBS is closed. It is an alternative source, not a second warning layer.
- Local and remote controls: Start/Pause/Stop/Reset, set a duration, add or subtract time, and switch modes through the local web interface or HTTP API. The real-time clock follows local time and has no transport controls.
- Companion HTTP Builder: copy the method, URL, headers and body into Bitfocus Companion's Generic HTTP Requests connection. No custom Companion module is required; a Stream Deck can operate the buttons through Companion.
- Standalone and free: MIT-licensed, Windows x64 and Linux x64. Windows includes a tray launcher; Linux currently runs in a terminal or as a service and has no tray. No OBS API connection or Field Timer OBS plugin is needed.
- Download and extract the Windows ZIP to a writable folder.
- Double-click fieldtimer.exe. The local control page opens at
http://127.0.0.1:8788; the tray menu offers Open UI and Exit. - Set your countdown and output preferences. For portable settings beside the executable, use start-portable.cmd instead. When upgrading, keep the same launch method to retain your settings and token.
Extract the Linux ZIP, open a terminal in that folder, then run:
chmod +x fieldtimer start-portable.sh
./start-portable.shOpen http://127.0.0.1:8788 on that computer. Use ./start-portable.sh --open=false for headless operation. Stop a terminal instance with Ctrl+C. Linux has no tray.
- Run Field Timer on the same computer as OBS. Add a Browser Source to the scene that should show the timer and use
http://127.0.0.1:8788/overlayas its URL. - Set the source width and height to your OBS base canvas size, then reset its transform for positioning across the scene.
- In Field Timer, configure OBS Browser Source and click Save OBS overlay settings. Keep only one timer source visible.
For a private presenter display, put the timer in a dedicated presenter scene and project that scene to the private monitor. Keep the audience Program output on scenes without the timer. Field Timer does not switch OBS scenes.
On Linux, your OBS package must include Browser Source support. If that source is missing, use TXT output or an OBS package that includes it; see the official OBS Browser Source guide and Linux installation guidance. The owner has confirmed v0.3.8 with OBS Browser Source on Ubuntu Studio.
- For Companion on another computer, click Enable LAN access, save settings, and restart Field Timer. Allow the selected TCP port only on the appropriate private firewall profile.
- In Companion HTTP Builder, choose the detected address for the interface shared with Companion, then load the API token locally.
- Add Companion's Generic HTTP Requests connection. Copy the builder's method, URL, JSON headers and body into a button action. Use the same Companion buttons with a Stream Deck if desired.
See the Companion setup guide for exact fields, command examples and troubleshooting.
| Browser Source | TXT output | |
|---|---|---|
| OBS source | Browser | Text (GDI+) on Windows / Text (FreeType 2) on Linux |
| Updates | Local live updates with reconnect/fallback | OBS polls the file; visible updates may lag |
| Appearance | Transparent; fonts, colors, warning/overtime colors, position controls | Plain text; style it in OBS |
| Requirements | OBS and Field Timer on the same computer; Browser Source support | OBS must be able to read the selected TXT file |
| Best fit | A styled presenter timer or countdown overlay | A simple text source or fallback when Browser Source is unavailable |
Both use the same timer engine. The TXT file continues updating independently, but displaying both sources together can show different seconds because OBS reads them differently. Choose one visible method per display.
New installations listen only on 127.0.0.1:8788. LAN control is opt-in and requires saving settings, restarting, and a bearer token. Load the token on the Field Timer host and send it in the HTTP header, never in a URL. Use only a trusted private network or VPN; HTTP is not encrypted and the port must not be exposed to the public internet.
For a remote Companion instance, use the host's actual detected LAN address, not 127.0.0.1 or the 0.0.0.0 listener. Saved Companion URLs may need updating after a DHCP address change. The OBS overlay and token/network-discovery endpoints remain local-only.
- Full setup, OBS positioning, TXT output, upgrades and troubleshooting
- Companion setup and HTTP commands
- Release verification and tested-platform details
- Version history
- Development guide · Codex instructions · Handoff history
- MIT license
Field Timer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with or officially endorsed by OBS, Bitfocus or Elgato.