Check out award-winning iOS virtual production tool Cyclops AR
Previs and virtual production firm The Third Floor has released Cyclops AR, its iOS Simulcam app, on the App Store.
The app enables users to visualize CG assets, like characters, creatures, vehicles or set extensions, live on set, composited in real time into the camera view of an iPad.
Previously available in private beta, the Lumiere Award-winning app has been used on projects including The Marvels, Ahsoka, House of the Dragon and The Mandalorian.
(Full disclosure: The Third Floor actually released it on the App Store in June, but we didn’t manage to post a story at the time.)
A professional tool for virtual production, VFX and visualization
Cyclops AR – or just plain Cyclops on the product website – puts a virtual Simulcam system onto an iPad, enabling users to visualize the CG elements of a scene in the real world.
Its main use is to enable VFX crews to visualize CG assets on set and on location, and to enable directors and cinematographers to block shots and scout camera locations.
Other suggested use cases include architectural visualization, to enable architects to see how their designs fit into the real world, either on site, or via Cyclops’ integration with Google Maps.
Import and view 3D models and Unreal Engine levels against a live camera view
Users can import CG assets into Cyclops AR in FBX or OBJ format, or – since the app is built on Unreal Engine – as entire Unreal levels, with support for Level Variants.
It is then possible to move and scale the assets inside Cyclops, align them to the real world, adjust their lighting properties, and play back animation on them.
The app can automatically match the film back and lens properties of professional cinema cameras, and has virtual camera controls matching real-world camera rigs and drone shots.
Compositing features include real-time chromakeying and holdout generation, Including the option to use the Lidar scanner on recent iPad Pros to create holdout geometry dynamically.
Export measurements, images, video and camera paths from a virtual shoot
Users can measure virtual sets inside the app, bookmark camera locations, take photos and record videos, with option to export recorded cameras back to Unreal Engine.
Cyclops can align CG assets to the real world via GPS and point cloud anchor tools, and also integrates with Google Maps, making it possible to scout locations remotely.
The app runs locally, with all content stored on the user’s device, with no rendering in the cloud.
Although Cyclops AR does require an internet connection to check that the user has a valid subscription, it can be used entirely offline for up to seven days per month or 21 days per year.
Pricing and system requirements
Cyclops AR is compatible with iOS 16.0+ and iPadOS 16.0+, and requires Location Services to be turned on. The Third Floor recommends a 2020 iPad Pro or iPhone Pro or newer.
The base app is free, with subscriptions unlocking the different operation modes, including Asset Mode, Shot Mode, VCAM Mode and Maps Mode.
Access to Maps mode alone costs $1.99/month or $9.99/year. Assets and Maps modes cost $14.99/month or $150.00/year. All modes cost $24.99/month or $249.99/year.
Read more about Cyclops on The Third Floor’s product website
Download Cyclops AR from the App store
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