Case study · AR / virtual production
Cyclops AR
Redesigning Cyclops AR into a faster, clearer, award-winning filmmaking tool built for real production environments.
Personal note
Cyclops AR is The Third Floor’s real-time AR visualization tool used by directors, VFX teams, and cinematographers to preview CG characters, creatures, sets, and props directly through an iPad’s camera. Unlike traditional simulcam rigs, Cyclops is completely mobile—making it a powerful companion for on-set blocking, scouting, and shot planning.
When I joined the team, Cyclops was already technically impressive, but the interface struggled under production pressure: dense menus, complex two-handed gestures, and slow asset navigation interrupted creative flow. My role was to redesign the tablet experience so filmmakers could work faster, collaborate better, and use Cyclops intuitively on high-stress film sets.
01
Understanding current needs
Why filmmakers needed something faster
Before redesigning anything, I interviewed directors, supervisors, and previs artists across multiple shows. Their workflow pain points were consistent:
- Clunky simulcam rigs were too heavy and slow
- Asset libraries were massive and hard to navigate
- Two-handed tablet use was tiring during long shoots
- AR alignment drifted between sessions
- Multiple crew needed to use the tool interchangeably
To succeed, Cyclops needed to be portable like a tablet app, powerful like a previs system, and simple enough for any crew member to pick up instantly.
02
Identifying friction
Where production teams struggled
Early audits and on-set observations surfaced critical UX issues:
- Simulcam limitations — Existing tools were bulky, non-mobile, and inaccessible to non-technical users.
- Ergonomics — Two-handed use made prolonged sessions uncomfortable.
- Dense asset libraries — Thousands of CG assets with slow lookup times.
- AR continuity — Losing alignment every time the device restarted.
- Collaboration — Cyclops needed clear UI and fast onboarding for rotating crew.
- Complex controls — Advanced compositing, lighting, and camera tools weren’t discoverable.
These insights shaped the redesign toward clarity, modularity, and film-set speed.
03
Designing the experience
Making advanced AR feel intuitive
The redesign focused on balancing professional-grade capability with effortless tablet usability.
- Ergonomic UI patterns — Thumb-friendly controls, slide-out drawers, and comfortable two-handed layouts.
- Gesture-driven interactions — Simple tap + drag gestures for resets, rotations, and quick adjustments while filming.
- Responsive asset system — Faster browsing with categories, filters, search, and an outliner for large libraries.
- Persistent anchoring — Clear flows for GPS, point-cloud, and object anchors to maintain CG alignment between takes.
- Streamlined AR compositing — Easier access to depth comp, chromakey, LiDAR holdouts, lighting, skies, and fog.
- Vcam tools — Reworked lens controls, joysticks, orbit/fly/teleport, and film-back matching.
- On-device testing loops — Validated comfort and speed directly with directors and VFX teams on set.
The result: Cyclops became faster to navigate, easier to operate under pressure, and significantly more comfortable for long shoot days.
04
Results & impact
Production-ready AR across film & TV
The redesigned Cyclops launched as a streamlined simulcam alternative—lightweight, mobile, and intuitive for anyone on set.
- ~30% reduction in asset lookup time
- Faster onboarding for new crew, including non-technical users
- Improved coordination between directors, VFX, and camera teams
- More accurate AR alignment through new anchoring flows
- Better creative decision-making thanks to faster visualization loops
Cyclops won the 2021 Lumiere Award and became one of The Third Floor’s flagship virtual production tools—used globally across film, TV, and immersive productions.