Complete Workflow Guide

Step-by-step guide from raw video to published YouTube video

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Workflow Overview

Raw Video → Transcribe → Generate Metadata → Create Thumbnail → Upload to YouTube

Let's walk through each step in detail.

Step 1: Prepare Your Videos

Record Your Video

  • Use OBS, Shadowplay, or any recording software
  • Supported formats: MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, FLV, etc.

Place in Upload Folder

  • Navigate to your config's root directory
  • Example:E:/Videos/Skyrim/
  • Place videos in theToupload/Subfolder
  • Example:E:/Videos/Skyrim/toupload/skyrim_episode_01.mp4

Naming Convention (Optional but Recommended)

  • For series:GameName_E01.mp4,GameName_E02.mp4, etc.
  • For one-offs:Descriptive_name.mp4
  • Avoid special characters:@ # $ % & * ( )? < >

Step 2: Load Configuration

  1. Launch Loki Studio
  2. Load Your Config
    • Click"📂 Load Config"(toolbar)
    • Select your configuration file (e.g.,Skyrim_playthrough.json)
    • Config name appears in title bar
  3. Verify Settings
    • Check that paths are correct
    • Check that AI provider is configured
    • Check that GPU/CPU settings are correct

Step 3: Transcribe Videos

Transcription converts your video's audio to text, which is used for metadata generation.

  1. Navigate to Transcription Tab
    • Click"Transcribe"Tab at top
  2. View Available Videos
    • List shows all videos inToupload/Folder
    • Status indicators:
      • ⏳"Pending"- Not yet transcribed
      • ✅"Complete"- Already transcribed
      • ❌"Failed"- Transcription failed
  3. Select Videos to Transcribe
    • Single video:Click to select
    • Multiple videos:Ctrl+Click or Shift+Click
    • All videos:Ctrl+A or click "Select All"
  4. Configure Transcription (Optional)
    • Most settings come from config file
    • Can override for this session:
      • Model:Change Whisper model size
      • Device:Switch between GPU/CPU
      • Language:Override language
  5. Start Transcription
    • Click"▶ Start Transcription"Button
    • Progress bar shows current video progress
    • Overall progress (e.g., "2/5 videos")
    • Log window shows detailed progress
  6. Wait for Completion
    • Time depends on:
      • Video length
      • GPU vs CPU
      • Model size
    • GPU examples:
      • 10 min video, medium model: ~1 minute
      • 60 min video, medium model: ~3 minutes
    • You can continue using other tabs while transcribing
  7. Review Transcripts
    • When complete, transcript files are created:
      • Skyrim_episode_01.txt(next to video file)
    • Click"View Transcript"To review
    • Transcripts include timestamps

Transcript Example:

[00:00:00] Alright, welcome back to another episode of Skyrim.
[00:00:05] Today we're going to be exploring the College of Winterhold.
[00:00:10] I've got my mage build ready to go, let's do this.

Step 4: Generate Metadata

Metadata includes the title, description, and tags for your YouTube video.

  1. Navigate to Metadata Tab
    • Click"Metadata"Tab at top
  2. View Available Videos
    • List shows videos with transcripts
    • Status indicators:
      • ⏳"Pending"- No metadata yet
      • ✅"Complete"- Metadata exists
      • ⚠️"No Transcript"- Needs transcription first
  3. Select Videos
    • Select videos to generate metadata for
    • Must have transcripts first!
  4. Review AI Settings
    • Check that AI provider is connected
    • Click"Test Connection"To verify
    • Should see: ✅"Connected to [Provider]"
  5. Generate Metadata
    • Click"▶ Generate Metadata"Button
    • For each video, AI will:
      • Read the transcript
      • Read the config (game name, genre, target audience)
      • Generate SEO-optimized title
      • Generate detailed description
      • Generate 10-15 relevant tags
    • Progress shown in log window
  6. Review Generated Metadata
    • Select a video in the list
    • Preview panel shows:
      • Title:Should be catchy, under 100 characters
      • Description:Detailed, includes keywords
      • Tags:Relevant keywords for SEO
    • Click"Edit"To manually adjust if needed

Example Generated Metadata:

Title:

Skyrim VR - Epic Dragon Battle at College of Winterhold! (Mage Playthrough Ep. 5)

Tags:

Skyrim vr, skyrim gameplay, elder scrolls, vr gaming, dragon battle, mage build, college of winterhold, destruction magic, vr rpg, skyrim playthrough

Step 5: Create Thumbnails

Thumbnails are the clickable images that appear on YouTube.

  1. Navigate to Thumbnail Tab
    • Click"Thumbnail"Tab at top
  2. View Available Videos
    • List shows videos ready for thumbnail generation
    • Thumbnails are created from video frames
  3. Configure Thumbnail Settings (Optional)
    • Logo:PlaceLogo.pngIn root directory for auto-detection
    • Text:Add game title and subtitle from config
    • Colors:Customize in config file
    • Position:Where to place logo (top-right, top-center, etc.)
  4. Select Videos
    • Select videos to generate thumbnails for
  5. Generate Thumbnails
    • Click"▶ Generate Thumbnails"Button
    • For each video, Loki Studio will:
      • Extract a frame from video (timestamp 30-120 seconds)
      • Check frame brightness (retry if too dark)
      • Add logo overlay (if configured)
      • Add text overlay (if configured)
      • Save as.jpgFile next to video
  6. Preview Thumbnails
    • Select a video in the list
    • Preview shows generated thumbnail
    • Click"Open in Viewer"To see full size
  7. Regenerate if Needed
    • If thumbnail is too dark, click"Regenerate"
    • Tries a different timestamp
    • Up to 5 attempts to find good frame

Thumbnail Components:

  • Base Image:Frame from video
  • Logo:Your channel/game logo (top corner)
  • Title Text:Game name (large, white)
  • Subtitle Text:Episode/description (smaller, colored)
  • Flair:Optional decorative elements

Example Layout:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Logo] │ ← Logo (top-right)
│ │
│ SKYRIM VR │ ← Title (large, white)
│ Epic Dragon Battle! │ ← Subtitle (blue)
│ │
│ [Gameplay Frame] │ ← Video screenshot
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Step 6: Upload to YouTube

The final step! Upload your processed videos to YouTube with scheduling.

  1. Navigate to Upload Tab
    • Click"Upload"Tab at top
  2. Select YouTube Channel
    • In "YouTube Channel" section
    • Select your channel from dropdown
    • Status should show: ✅"Channel connected"
    • If no channel, click"➕ Add Channel"(see Getting Started guide)
  3. View Available Videos
    • List shows videos ready for upload
    • Requirements for a video to appear:
      • ✅ Video file exists
      • ✅ Transcript exists
      • ✅ Metadata exists (title, description, tags)
      • ✅ Thumbnail exists
    • Status indicators:
      • ✅"Ready"- All requirements met
      • ⏳"Processing"- Currently uploading
      • ✅"Uploaded"- Already uploaded
      • ❌"Missing Files"- Some files missing
  4. Review Upload Settings
    • Schedule:Shows calculated publish dates
      • Based onDays_apartAndRelease_timeIn config
      • First video: Today + 1 day at release time
      • Second video: First video + days_apart
    • Privacy:Public, unlisted, or private
    • Playlist:Will be created if doesn't exist
  5. Select Videos to Upload
    • Select videos you want to upload
    • Can select multiple for batch upload
  6. Dry Run (Optional but Recommended)
    • Check"Dry Run"Checkbox
    • This simulates upload without actually uploading
    • Verifies all files are correct
    • No YouTube quota used
    • Recommended for first-time uploads
  7. Start Upload
    • Click"▶ Start Upload"Button
    • For each video:
      • Authenticates with YouTube
      • Uploads video file (this takes longest)
      • Sets title, description, tags
      • Uploads thumbnail
      • Sets publish date/time
      • Adds to playlist
    • Progress bar shows:
      • Upload progress (MB/s)
      • Current video / total videos
    • Log window shows detailed status
  8. Monitor Progress
    • Don't close Loki Studio during upload!
    • Upload times vary:
      • 100 MB video on fast internet: 2-5 minutes
      • 1 GB video on slow internet: 20-40 minutes
    • You can minimize Loki Studio
    • System tray icon shows progress
  9. Upload Complete
    • Success message shows:
      • ✅"Successfully uploaded X videos"
      • Video IDs and links
    • Videos moved toDone/Folder
    • State saved (won't re-upload if you run again)
  10. Verify on YouTube
    • Open YouTube Studio:Https://studio.youtube.com
    • Check "Content" tab
    • Videos should appear with status:
      • "Scheduled"- Will publish at set time
      • "Public"- Published immediately
    • Verify thumbnail, title, description look correct
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