VS Scout · Virtual recce app for iPhone + iPad

Virtual location scouting. Real lenses. Real sun.

Stand anywhere on Earth in photoreal 3D. Look through the camera and lens you will actually shoot on, see the light at the exact time you plan to be there, and fly the drone move before anyone books a flight. A full recce, from the production office.

Download on the App Store Try the lens check
Free to download · 7-day free trial · VS Scout Pro £29.99/month · iOS + iPadOS 17 or later
Aerial virtual recce over the Thames at golden hour in VS Scout, framed on an ALEXA 35 at 12 mm Planning a drone shot past the London Eye at sunset in VS Scout with drone-style flight controls Overhead satellite map in VS Scout with every shot shown as a camera and field of view at Tower Bridge VS Scout camera and lens sheet: ARRI ALEXA 35, Mini LF and 65 sensor modes with Signature Prime focal lengths
Aerial · Golden hour 16:50 · ALEXA 35 · 12 mm
  • CoveragePhotoreal 3D, worldwide
  • CamerasARRI · Sony · RED · Canon · Blackmagic · DJI
  • SunAny date · local time zone
  • ModesGround · Aerial · AR
  • OutputStills · Takes · JSON · CSV

Why VS Scout

Do a full recce with your actual camera and lens, from anywhere, before you travel.

Maps show you where a place is. Previs tools need someone to build the place first. VS Scout puts the whole planet in photoreal 3D behind a real camera package, so the questions that usually wait for the tech recce get answered on day one.

We are Visualskies, an aerial, scanning and virtual production company. We built VS Scout in Unreal Engine on Google Photorealistic 3D Tiles because we needed it on our own jobs.

  • Photoreal 3D anywhere on EarthGoogle 3D tiles
  • Real camera bodies and lensesSensor-accurate FOV
  • Sun and shadows for any dateLocal time zone
  • Drone-style flight and camera movesDual sticks
  • AR virtual viewfinderiPhone + iPad
  • Shot list with camera metadataJSON · CSV

Who it's for

One virtual recce, the whole production

From the VFX supervisor planning a plate shoot to the location manager pitching three options before lunch, VS Scout gives every department the same frame, the same lens and the same sun.

01 · VFX + production studios

VFX supervisors and film and TV studios

Plan plate shoots, background capture and set extensions on the real location. Lock the lens, height and sun angle, then hand every take to previs and VFX with its camera data attached.

  • Camera, lens, height above ground and heading on every shot
  • Sun position for lighting reference and plate matching
  • JSON sidecar per take, ready for previs and VFX pipelines
VFX capture support

02 · Locations + production

Location managers and production companies

Scout remotely and shortlist faster. Search an address, frame the angles the director wants, and send stills that show exactly what the camera will see, with the light at call time.

  • Remote location scouting from any address or dropped pin
  • Every shot on an overhead satellite or street map
  • Shot list exported as CSV for the recce pack
Need the location scanned?

03 · Real-time + games

Unreal Engine artists and game studios

VS Scout runs on Unreal Engine with Google's photoreal 3D, so you can study real places, real light and real camera framing before building a digital world of your own.

  • Reference real streets, skylines and terrain at any time of day
  • Frame cinematics with real sensor sizes and focal lengths
  • Move on to our scanned, UE5-ready assets when you build
See Create

Directors

Find the frame and share it with your heads of department before the tech recce.

DoPs and camera teams

Check lens choice, frame lines and sun angle for the actual shoot day and call time.

Drone pilots

Plan heights, headings and moves with familiar dual sticks, then record the move.

How a virtual recce works

From a pin on the map to a framed take

Five steps, the same order a real recce takes. The screens below are from VS Scout 2.2 on iPad.

  1. VS Scout home screen: search an address or drop a pin on a 3D globe to start a virtual location scout

    01 · Location

    Pick the spot

    "Where are we going?" Search an address or coordinates, or spin the globe and drop a pin. Come back to a place and choose to continue a project or start a new one.

    Lat 51.50554Lon -0.07551Tower Bridge

  2. VS Scout Flying to screen with sunrise, golden hour and sunset times in the location time zone

    02 · Day

    Set the day and the sun

    Sunrise, golden hour and sunset for that exact spot appear while the 3D streams in, in the location's own time zone so the clock matches your call sheet. Draw the sun's path across the sky and see where the shadows fall.

    Rise 06:43Gold 15:55Set 16:45

  3. VS Scout camera and lens sheet: ARRI ALEXA 35, Mini LF and 65 sensor modes with Signature Prime focal lengths

    03 · Kit

    Choose your camera package

    Pick the body and sensor mode you are shooting on, from ARRI ALEXA 35, Mini LF and 65 to Sony, RED, Canon, Blackmagic and DJI. Choose a prime set or zoom, set T-stop and focus, and save favourite packages.

    ALEXA 35 OG 4.6KSensor 27.99 × 19.22Signature Prime

  4. Planning a drone shot past the London Eye at sunset in VS Scout with drone-style flight controls

    04 · Shoot

    Frame, fly and capture

    Walk at ground level, fly in Aerial with drone-style dual sticks, or hold up your iPhone or iPad in AR as a virtual viewfinder. Set keys for a camera move, preview it and record. High-resolution stills and video takes save straight to Photos.

    Aerial25 mmT2.867.4 m AGLSun 16:30

  5. Overhead satellite map in VS Scout with every shot shown as a camera and field of view at Tower Bridge

    05 · Plan

    See every shot on the map

    Each shot becomes a camera on an overhead satellite or street map, pointing the way it looks with its field of view. Press PLAY to step through stills, takes and moves, then export the shot list or share the whole project.

    Satellite / StreetsPlay shot listExport CSV

Try it on your next location, with your own kit.

Get VS Scout

Lens check

Will it work on a 35?

This plate was grabbed in VS Scout over the Thames on an ALEXA 35, Open Gate, at 12 mm. Pick a body and a focal length and the frame lines show what you would get from the same spot. The app does this live from the real sensor dimensions.

Plate grabbed in VS Scout over the Thames at golden hour on an ARRI ALEXA 35, Open Gate, 12 mm, 2.39:1
● 35 mm

Primes (mm)

H FOV0°
V FOV0°
FF equiv.0 mm
Aspect0
FOV = 2·atan(sensor ÷ 2f). Full-frame equivalent matched on width against a 36 mm gate.

What's in the app

Built around how crews prep

The interface takes its cues from on-set monitors: the picture fills the screen inside frame lines, and every readout sits in quiet bars around it, in landscape or portrait.

Frame

Frame it for real

  • Real bodies and lenses, ARRI to DJI, with correct sensor sizes
  • Zooms, prime sets, T-stop, focus and exposure
  • Favourite camera and lens packages
  • Frame lines and a monitor-style HUD

Light

Light it for real

  • Accurate sun position for any date, time and place
  • Golden and blue hour at a glance
  • Sun path drawn over the scene
  • Real local time zones everywhere

Move

Move like the day

  • Ground, Aerial and AR modes
  • Dual sticks, one-finger look, pinch to zoom
  • Natural camera inertia
  • Keyframed drone and dolly moves

Plan

Plan on the map

  • Every shot shown as a camera with its field of view
  • One-tap Satellite / Streets switch
  • Full-screen map with the picture in the corner
  • Projects you can rename and duplicate

Share

Capture and share

  • High-resolution stills and video takes to Photos
  • Camera metadata plus a JSON sidecar
  • PLAY through the whole shot list
  • Export CSV or share the project

Metadata

Every take carries its own camera report

Stills and video takes save to Photos with the location, heading, lens and focal length embedded.

Every shot also writes a JSON sidecar with the sensor, field of view, real height above ground, the sun and the camera move, ready for previs, VFX, Unreal Engine or your DIT. The whole shot list exports as CSV.

SC1_T03.jsonSidecar
// recce · London · SC1 · take 03
{
  "camera": { "body": "ALEXA 35", "mode": "Open Gate 4.6K",
              "sensor_mm": [27.99, 19.22] },
  "lens":   { "set": "Signature Prime", "focal_mm": 25,
              "t_stop": 2.8, "hfov_deg": 58.5 },
  "position": { "lat": 51.50340, "lon": -0.11950,
              "agl_m": 67.4, "heading_deg": 233 },
  "sun":    { "local_time": "16:30", "tz": "Europe/London" },
  "move":   { "keys": 2, "duration_s": 6.0 }
}

VS Scout Pro

£29.99/ month

Free to download, with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers. Cancel any time in your App Store account settings.

Start the free trial
Devices
iPhone and iPad, iOS and iPadOS 17 or later. Landscape and portrait.
3D data
Google Photorealistic 3D Tiles and 2D map tiles, streamed live. Map data ©Google.
Connection
An internet connection is needed to stream the 3D tiles.
Account
No sign-up and no login. Your subscription runs through your Apple ID.
Privacy
We do not collect data from the app. See the VS Scout privacy policy.
Built by
Visualskies Ltd, London. Aerial filming, 3D scanning and virtual production.

From virtual recce to real capture

Scout it here. Scan it with us.

Google's photoreal 3D is brilliant for scouting, but it is not a survey. When a production needs millimetre-accurate geometry of a set, a street or a building for VFX, virtual production or a game, that is what the rest of Visualskies does.

VS Scout is part of our Create work: the tools and real-time pipelines we build on top of scan data. Scout the location in the app, then book LiDAR environment scanning, object and prop scanning or cyber scanning for the shoot.

FAQ

VS Scout questions

What is virtual location scouting?

Virtual location scouting, or a virtual recce, means checking a location in 3D before anyone travels there. In VS Scout you stand at the real spot in photoreal 3D, look through your real camera and lens, and see the sun at the time you plan to shoot, so you can shortlist locations and plan shots from the office.

Which devices does VS Scout run on?

iPhone and iPad running iOS or iPadOS 17 or later, in landscape or portrait. AR mode uses the rear camera and motion sensors, so it works best on a recent device.

How much does VS Scout cost?

VS Scout is free to download. Scouting a location needs VS Scout Pro at £29.99 per month (or your local equivalent), with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers. It renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the period.

Which cameras and lenses are included?

Cinema and drone cameras from ARRI, Sony, RED, Canon, Blackmagic and DJI, each with its real sensor modes, plus prime sets and zooms. Field of view is calculated from the actual sensor dimensions, so a 32 mm on a Mini LF looks like a 32 mm on a Mini LF.

Where does the 3D map come from?

Google Photorealistic 3D Tiles, streamed through the Google Map Tiles API, with 2D satellite and street maps for the overhead view. Detail varies by city and is highest where Google has photogrammetry coverage.

Is it accurate enough for VFX?

It is accurate for framing, lens choice, sun position and planning. It is not a survey. For millimetre-accurate geometry and textures of a set or location, book a LiDAR or photogrammetry scan with Visualskies.

Can Unreal Engine and previs teams use the shot data?

Yes. Every shot writes a JSON sidecar with camera body, sensor, focal length, field of view, position, height above ground, heading, sun time and the camera move, and the shot list exports as CSV.

Does it work offline?

No. VS Scout streams 3D tiles as you move, so it needs an internet connection. Your projects, stills and takes stay on your device.

Do I need an account, and what happens to my data?

There is no account or login. VS Scout does not collect data: no analytics, ads or servers. Your location stays on the device apart from standard map-tile requests to Google. Read the privacy policy.

VS Scout · Locations at your fingertips

Scout anywhere. Shoot once.

Download on the App Store Talk to us
Map data ©Google© 2026 Visualskies Ltd · London