Lesson 263: OBS Replay Path KFM Receipt on BUILD_RECEIPT (2026)

Direct answer: Before October 2026 playtest capture nights when Windows 11 OneDrive Known Folder Move (KFM) relocates Videos or Desktop, promote obs_replay_path_kfm_receipt_v1.json proving OBS Settings → Output path resolves on disk (O1–O2), a 10 s Replay test clip lands with logged sha256 (O3–O4), the facilitator README row matches OBS exactly (O5), and path_writable_ok is filed on BUILD_RECEIPT (O6)—distinct from Lesson 258 (replay_buffer_uniform_receipt_v1 sample-rate ladder R1–R6) and Lesson 200 (concat_ok after capture). Pair the OBS replay path KFM preflight (Guide #26).

Why this matters now (October playtest weeks)

October 2026 facilitators accept OneDrive KFM mid-sprint—C:\Users\you\Videos redirects under OneDrive while OBS still targets a pre-KFM absolute path. Save Replay looks fine; playtest-vod/inbox/ stays empty; Whisper batch nights fail with no fragments, not concat errors. 263 files path_writable_ok on BUILD_RECEIPT so producers block capture until O3 GREEN—before uniform fragments or evening concat.

The Guide #26 preflight is the ninety-second gate—263 is the BUILD_RECEIPT milestone.

Beginner path (Settings → test clip → receipt)

Time: ~45 minutes first KFM laptop; ~12 minutes when path is pinned in README.

Developer path (gates O1–O6)

O1 — cousin receipt crosswalk

Do not merge schemas—reference paths in cousin_receipts only.

Order: path (263) → uniform (258) → capture night → normalize → Lesson 200 concat_ok.

O1 — capture OBS output path

1. Settings → Output → note Recording Path (and Replay path if separate).
2. Prefer %USERPROFILE%\Videos\playtest-vod\inbox\ under relocated Videos.
3. Screenshot → release-evidence/playtest/replay-path/obs_output_settings_<date>.png.

Red flag: Path contains D:\ from a laptop that no longer mounts that drive.

O2 — resolve path after KFM

PowerShell:

$path = "$env:USERPROFILE\Videos\playtest-vod\inbox"
Resolve-Path $path -ErrorAction Stop
(Get-Item $path).Attributes

OneDrive rule: Set Always keep on this device on playtest-vod/ before fest week—OBS cannot write to online-only parents reliably.

O3–O4 — test clip + hash

$clip = Get-ChildItem "$env:USERPROFILE\Videos\playtest-vod\inbox\*.mkv" |
  Sort-Object LastWriteTime -Descending | Select-Object -First 1
Get-FileHash $clip.FullName -Algorithm SHA256
ffprobe -hide_banner -show_format -show_streams $clip.FullName

Fail-closed: no promotion if O3 produces no file within 30 s.

O5 — facilitator README row

Add to playtest-vod/README.md:

## Replay output path (post-KFM)
| Host | Resolved path | Verified |
|------|---------------|----------|
| facilitator-laptop-01 | C:\Users\host\Videos\playtest-vod\inbox | 2026-10-04 O1–O4 |

obs_replay_path_kfm_receipt_v1.json

{
  "schema": "obs_replay_path_kfm_receipt_v1",
  "build_label": "october-fest-2026-playtest-rc4",
  "obs_output_path": "C:\\Users\\host\\Videos\\playtest-vod\\inbox",
  "resolved_path": "C:\\Users\\host\\Videos\\playtest-vod\\inbox",
  "kfm_relocation_detected": true,
  "test_clip": "C:\\Users\\host\\Videos\\playtest-vod\\inbox\\replay_path_smoke_2026-10-04.mkv",
  "test_clip_sha256": "a1b2c3…",
  "test_clip_duration_sec": 10.2,
  "readme_row_updated": true,
  "cousin_receipts": {
    "replay_buffer_uniform": "release-evidence/playtest/replay-uniform/REPLAY_BUFFER_UNIFORM_RECEIPT.json"
  },
  "gates": {
    "O1_obs_output_screenshot": "pass",
    "O2_path_resolves": "pass",
    "O3_test_save": "pass",
    "O4_clip_hash": "pass",
    "O5_readme_row": "pass",
    "O6_build_receipt": "pass"
  },
  "path_writable_ok": true,
  "capture_night_allowed": true
}

Pin under release-evidence/playtest/replay-path/OBS_REPLAY_PATH_KFM_RECEIPT.json.

BUILD_RECEIPT row (O6)

Thursday row review — Replay path writable Y/N.

Key takeaways

1. KFM moves folders—not OBS settings (O1).
2. 10 s test clip proves writable path before fest night (O3–O4).
3. Facilitator README must match OBS path string (O5).
4. Run path before uniform when Windows updated mid-sprint.
5. Guide #26 — ninety-second gate before this lesson.
6. Cousin: Lesson 264 — Resolve archive rclone BUILD_RECEIPT column.
7. October capstone 265 wires 254–264 including this row.
8. Help #29 (planned) — fix lane when path invalid after KFM.
9. OneDrive KFM case study — recovery narrative sibling.
10. 16-free OBS ffmpeg Whisper tools — facilitator bookmark list.

Common mistakes

• Assuming KFM finished because OneDrive icon is green—OBS path never updated (O1).
• README says playtest-vod/inbox but OBS saves to Desktop\Captures (O5).
• Skipping O3 test save—“we used this path last month.”
• Running uniform receipt while inbox is empty—false GREEN on R3.
• Storing clips on online-only OneDrive parent—writes fail mid-session.

Troubleshooting

Mini exercise (40 minutes)

1. Point OBS at a dead path—confirm O3 fail.
2. Fix path under relocated Videos—confirm O2 pass.
3. Capture O1 screenshot; update O5 README row.
4. Save 10 s Replay; log O4 sha256.
5. File receipt; BUILD_RECEIPT GREEN.

Continuity — October–Q4 2026 fest ops truth (254–265)

Previous: Lesson 262 — GameMaker Steam partner receipt
Next: Lesson 264 — DaVinci Resolve archive rclone receipt

FAQ

Does KFM break Whisper or ffmpeg?
No—empty inbox breaks the pipeline. Fix O1–O3 first.

Can I skip 263 if uniform receipt is GREEN?
No—Lesson 258 assumes fragments exist. Path is pre-capture.

Where does Help #29 fit?
Fix lane for “path invalid after KFM”—this lesson is the BUILD_RECEIPT promotion gate.

How does 263 relate to Lesson 207?
Lesson 207 forks when concat fails. 263 prevents zero fragments before capture.

Where to go next

• Preflight: OBS replay path KFM preflight (Guide #26)
• Uniform ladder: Lesson 258 — uniform fragments receipt
• Evening concat: OBS Replay Buffer ffmpeg concat pipeline
• Case study: OneDrive KFM empty inbox recovery
• MKV merge help: OBS Replay Buffer MKV concat fix