VS Scout · iPhone + iPad
Virtual recce.Real lenses.Real sun.
Stand anywhere on Earth in photoreal 3D. Look through the camera and lens you'll actually shoot on, and see the light at the exact time you'll be there. It's a recce you can do from the production office, before anyone books a train.
Coming soon to the App Store
- CoveragePhotoreal 3D, worldwide
- Film backARRI · Sony · RED · Canon · DJI
- Solar timeAny date, any hour
- ModesGround · Aerial · Map · AR
- OutputStills · Takes · JSON · CSV
Lens check
Will it work on a 35?
This plate was grabbed in VS Scout over Tower Bridge on an ALEXA 35 at 12 mm. Pick a body and a focal length and the frame lines show what you'd get from the same spot. The app does this live, from the real sensor dimensions, for every camera in its list.
Field of view = 2·atan(sensor ÷ 2f). Full-frame equivalent is matched on horizontal width against a 36 mm gate.
Try it on your next location, with your own kit.
Request TestFlight accessHow a virtual recce works
Four steps from pin to frame
We built VS Scout because we needed it. Visualskies has spent years scanning sets and locations for film and TV, and the same questions come up on every job. Will the frame work? Where's the sun at 4pm in November? Can the drone get that move? Now you can answer them before you travel.
Pick the spot
Search an address or drop a pin on the globe, then tap Scout here. Pick up an old project where you left off, or start from where you're standing.
Set the day
Sunrise, sunset and golden hour for that exact spot come up while the 3D tiles stream in. Dial in any date and time and the sun, shadows and atmosphere follow.
Choose your kit
Pick the body and sensor mode you're shooting on: ARRI, Sony, RED, Canon, Blackmagic, DJI and more. Field of view comes from the real sensor size, so a 32 on an LF looks like a 32 on an LF.
Frame, move, capture
Walk or fly into position with frame lines, compass and height on screen. Set an A and a B, pick a duration and record the move. Every still and take lands in the shot list.
From a pin on the map to a framed take, before anyone books a train.
Get VS Scout on TestFlightWhat's in the app
Built around how crews prep
The controls take their cues from the tools crews already use on set: a HUD you read at a glance, drone sticks your pilot already knows, and outputs that drop straight into the prep pack.
Frame it for real
- Real bodies and lenses, ARRI to DJI, with correct sensor sizes
- Zooms, prime sets, T-stop, focus and exposure
- Frame lines and a live HUD: heading, height, focal length
Light it for real
- Accurate sun position for any date, time and place
- Atmosphere, fog and volumetric cloud, clear to overcast
- See where the shadows fall before you arrive
Move like the day
- Ground, Aerial, Map and AR modes
- DJI-style Mode 2 sticks, one-finger look, pinch to zoom
- AR turns your iPad or iPhone into a virtual viewfinder
- A to B moves: set two marks, pick a duration, record
Capture and share
- Stills and takes saved straight to Photos
- Camera metadata baked in, plus a JSON sidecar
- A shot list per project, exported as CSV
- Drop in glTF or GLB models, a stand-in or a colour chart
Metadata
Every take carries its own camera report
Stills get EXIF with body, lens, focal length and its 35 mm equivalent, T-stop, focus, GPS position and heading. Video takes carry the same in their QuickTime metadata.
Every shot also writes a JSON sidecar with the sensor, field of view, real height above ground, the sun and the A to B move, ready for previs, VFX or your DIT.
// recce · 51.50554, -0.07551 · SC1 · take 03 { "camera": { "body": "ALEXA 35", "mode": "Open Gate 4.6K", "sensor_mm": [27.99, 19.22] }, "lens": { "focal_mm": 25, "t_stop": 2.8, "focus_m": 10.0, "hfov_deg": 58.5 }, "position": { "lat": 51.50554, "lon": -0.07551, "agl_m": 12.0, "heading_deg": 330 }, "sun": { "solar_time": "11:02" }, "move": { "type": "A-B", "duration_s": 6.0 } }
Who it's for
One recce, the whole department
Everyone who used to wait for the tech recce can make their call first.
Directors
Find the frame and share it with the team before the tech recce.
DoPs
Check lens choice and sun angle for the actual shoot day and call time.
Location managers
Shortlist locations remotely and send framed stills with the pitch.
Drone pilots
Plan heights, headings and moves with familiar Mode 2 sticks.
From virtual recce to real capture
Scout it here. Scan it with us.
Google's photoreal 3D is brilliant for scouting, but it isn't a scan. When you need millimetre-accurate geometry of a set, a street or a building, that's what the rest of Visualskies does.
VS Scout imports glTF and GLB, so you can drop a scanned set piece, a previs asset or a Create deliverable into the real location and see how it sits. It's part of our Create work: the tools and real-time pipelines we build on top of scan data. Or start with a LiDAR, photogrammetry or cyber scan.
FAQ
VS Scout questions
Which devices does VS Scout run on?
iPhone and iPad. AR mode uses the rear camera and motion sensors, so it works best on a recent device.
Do I need an account?
No. There's no login, no sign-up and no analytics. Your projects and shot lists stay on your device.
Does it work offline?
You need an internet connection to stream the 3D map tiles. Once you've captured stills and takes, they're saved locally to Photos.
Where does the 3D map come from?
Google Photorealistic 3D Tiles, the same data behind Google Earth's 3D view. Coverage and detail vary by location: most cities are excellent, rural areas less so.
Can I bring in my own models?
Yes. VS Scout imports glTF and GLB files, including scans, so you can place set builds or props into the real location.
What happens to my data?
Nothing leaves your device except the standard map-tile requests to Google. The full detail is in the VS Scout privacy policy.
Map data ©Google© 2026 Visualskies Ltd · London