GStreamer Fast Text & Graphics Overlay – Lightweight CPU-Based Video Annotation
RidgeRun’s Fast GStreamer Overlay plugin (emboverlay) is a lightweight, CPU-based GStreamer element for overlaying text, time/date, and logos or images on top of video streams or still frames. Designed for performance-constrained embedded systems, this plugin delivers real-time visual annotations without requiring GPU or OpenGL support—making it perfect for headless or minimal SoC environments.
Whether you’re branding a live stream, timestamping a recording, or labeling output for later analysis, emboverlaygives you the essentials for fast, efficient video overlays.
Key Features:
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CPU-Only Rendering
Perfect for platforms without GPU support or floating-point acceleration. -
Overlay Support
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Dynamic or static text (e.g., status, labels)
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Timestamps and date/time
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PNG logos or icons
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Frame count or simple diagnostics
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Highly Configurable
Customize font size, color, background transparency, image position, scaling, and more. -
Real-Time Ready
Designed for minimal latency, ideal for live streaming and edge AI pipelines.
Example Use Case:
An industrial inspection camera running on an NXP i.MX8 platform uses emboverlay to stamp a timestamp and production batch ID onto each video frame. The output is recorded for traceability and streamed to a remote dashboard—without requiring a GPU or additional software layers.
What’s Included:
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RidgeRun’s
emboverlayGStreamer plugin -
Developer guide with overlay examples
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Sample GStreamer pipelines for quick integration
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Optional 11-hour Embedded Software Support package
Supported Platforms:
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NVIDIA Jetson (Nano, TX2, Xavier NX, Orin)
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x86-64 Linux
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NXP i.MX6 / i.MX8
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TI Sitara (AM57x, AM62x, AM64x)
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Qualcomm RB5, RB6, C8550
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Any GStreamer-compatible embedded Linux device
💡 Need interactive overlays or complex UI effects? Try GstQtOverlay for OpenGL-accelerated rendering with Qt.
Why RidgeRun?
With 19 years of experience in Embedded Software Consulting, RidgeRun is trusted globally for high-performance GStreamer development. Our fast overlay plugin is engineered to give embedded developers a clean, low-overhead way to annotate video in resource-constrained environments.