Previs Pro Wiki

Previs Pro is a previsualisation tool for filmmakers, allowing you to build virtual sets, place characters, find camera angles, and assemble editorial timelines — all on iPad, iPhone, or Mac.

Unlike traditional storyboarding software that acts as a 2D drawing canvas, Previs Pro is a 3D simulation that obeys real-world optics.

Trying to figure out whether Previs Pro is the right tool for you? See our Previs Tool Comparison 2026 — a side-by-side look at seven previs and storyboarding tools indie filmmakers are actually using this year, with every claim linked to its source.

Platforms

• Mac — Native macOS app (Apple Silicon + Intel).
• iPad — Native iPadOS app.
• iPhone — Native iOS app, compact layout.

Available on the App Store.

Resources

• Support & Knowledge Base — Articles on Quick Start, Camera, Characters, Props, and more.
• Updates & Release History — Changelog for every version.
• YouTube Channel — Video tutorials and feature walkthroughs.
• Instagram — Tips, user showcases, and updates.

Core Workflow

1. Build — Create the environment.
2. Block — Place characters and props.
3. Shoot — Find the angle using virtual cameras.
4. List — Organise shots into a sequential shot list or timeline.

Getting Started

Creating a New Project

From the Projects screen, tap the + button in the upper right. This gives you two options:

• New Project — Create a blank project. You can set:
  • Title
  • Aspect Ratio (2.39:1, 1.85:1, 16:9, etc.)
  • Sensor Size (Full Frame 35mm, Super 35, Micro 4/3, iPhone, Canon APS-C, Nikon APS-C, Alexa LF Open Gate, 16mm, Super 16mm, 2/3" Video)
  Scenes and shots can then be added manually.
• Import — Import an existing .previs project file or start a new project from a screenplay.

Script Import (Final Draft)

Previs Pro can parse standard .fdx files (Final Draft XML format) to automate scene creation:

1. From the Projects screen, tap the + button in the upper right, then tap Import.
2. Scenes: The app reads Scene Headings (sluglines) and creates scenes for each one — including INT/EXT, location, and time of day.
3. Cast: Character names are extracted from dialogue and added to the project's cast list automatically.

See also: How do I start a project with my Final Draft script? on the support site.

The Workspace

The workspace is built around three areas: the canvas (centre), the shot list (right), and object menus that appear contextually.

Canvas

The central area of the app displays the canvas. The 3D/2D toggle switches between a top-down 2D or fully 3D editing mode. Additionally, the camera can be edited via CAM mode while AR provides a unique view-only presentation of your scene in the real world by way of Augmented Reality. And finally, Animatics mode transforms the canvas into a keyframe animation editor allowing you to view simple movements in action.

3D Canvas

This is the primary working view. It shows the scene in full 3D allowing you to place characters, build sets, and compose shots.

• 1-Finger Drag: Move around the canvas.
• 2-Finger Vertical Drag (iOS/iPadOS only): Tilt the canvas view.
• 2-Finger Rotate: Rotate the canvas.
• Pinch/Pull: Zoom out/in.

Object Controls — when an object is selected, a row of buttons appears in the lower-left of the canvas:

• Movement — Move an object left/right, forward/back, and up/down vertically on the canvas.
• Rotation — Rotate the object around the available axes.
• Aperture — Adjust a camera’s focal length. Displays current focal length with prime lens indicator. (Camera-only)
• Cone — Adjust a spotlight’s cone angle. (Spotlights only)
• Scale — Scale an object when applicable.
• Pose Mode — Manual posing for Mixamo-compatible imported characters (see Posing).

Orbit / Movie Mode — available only in 3D Canvas. Enables cinematic camera paths around the scene.

2D Canvas (Overhead View)

A top-down birds-eye view of the scene. Useful for blocking actor positions, planning movement paths, and seeing the spatial layout. In Animatic mode, object movement paths appear as dotted trails with Bezier curve nodes.

Draw Mode — contains two tabs accessed via the pencil tool:

• Add Object: Add a Camera, Character, Prop, Wall, Light, or Custom Import directly onto the canvas.
• Freehand: Freehand drawing with Pen, Marker, and Eraser tools plus a color picker.

CAM Mode (Camera View)

Shows exactly what the active camera sees — the Director’s Viewfinder. This is the view used for shot composition and is what gets captured as the shot thumbnail. Tap the CAM button to enter. Within CAM mode you can actively move the camera and frame your shot.

Focal Length Slider — Adjustable slider that snaps at standard prime lengths (24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 100mm). Current focal length and prime lens name are displayed.

Focus/Depth of Field Controls:

• Off / Auto / Manual toggle to select focus mode.
• Visual focus point — tap an object to set focus. (Auto-only)
• Aperture (f-stop) slider controls aperture size. (Manual-only)
• Focus distance slider controls the distance within focus. (Manual-only)

Composition Guides — tap the composition button to toggle overlays:

• Rule of Thirds
• Quadrants
• Diagonals
• Reciprocal Diagonals
• Golden Ratio

Animatics Mode

Animatic Mode transforms the canvas into a keyframe animation editor. The vertical Shot List is replaced by a horizontal continuing shot list, and animation controls overlay the canvas. Available in both 2D and 3D views. See the Animatics section for full details.

Animatics Canvas UI:

• Animatics title bar — Replaces the standard title bar with scene/shot name, Done/Undo/Redo buttons.
• Continuing shot list — Side panel for managing the shot sequence within the animatic.
• Progress slider — Horizontal scrubber with keyframe indicators (visual dots marking keyframe positions).
• Play / Stop buttons for animation preview.
• Loop toggle — Continuously replay the animation.
• 2D / 3D / Fullscreen playback view buttons — Switch between overhead, 3D, and fullscreen preview during playback.
• Motion path visualisation — Position curves (spline paths), velocity curves, and timing markers (second markers on the path) appear in both 2D and 3D views.

AR Mode

In AR Mode, the canvas is replaced by the device camera feed with virtual objects overlaid in the real world. Supports both life-size and tabletop scaling, with plane detection, scene placement, and frame selection. See Environments > AR Mode for the full walkthrough.

Gizmos

Tapping an object in any canvas reveals the Gizmo for moving, rotating, or scaling along X, Y, and Z axes. Switch modes with keyboard shortcuts: W Move, E Rotate, R Scale.

Handle types vary by context:

• Translation arrows — Drag to move on XZ plane or Y axis.
• Rotation rings — Drag to rotate around X, Y, or Z axes, plus a Spin handle.
• Scale box — Drag to uniformly scale.
• Aperture handles — Adjust camera focal length or spotlight cone angle directly via the gizmo.
• Stretch handles — Resize walls and blocks along individual dimensions.

Object Context Menus

Right-click (or long-press) an object to open a horizontal context menu. Available actions depend on the object type and include:

• Common: Edit, Duplicate, Delete, Lock/Unlock, Hide/Unhide, Copy.
• Characters: Pose, Expression, Look At Point, Cast, Library.
• Camera/Lights: Monitor, Cookie (gobo), Tracking.
• Props: Shape, Set Piece, Mirror, Image, Face Camera.
• Groups: Group, Ungroup, PIP (Picture-in-Picture).
• Shots: Shot Movement, Shot Equipment, Shot Info, Fullscreen.

Multi-Selection & Grouping

Select multiple objects to manipulate them together. The multi-selection overlay provides:

• Group — Combine selected objects into a group.
• Add / Remove from Selection buttons.
• Ungroup All — Break apart all groups in the selection.
• Done / Cancel to confirm or discard the grouping operation.
• A 2D/3D mode switch is available during multi-selection.

Static Image & Video Overlays

Shots can display a static image or video instead of the live 3D render:

• Swap button — Toggle between live 3D and static image view.
• Import — Load images from Photos or Files.
• Revert to Live — Return to the live 3D camera render.
• Delete — Remove the static image.
• Video overlay — AI-generated or imported video plays in the shot view with a Revert to Live button.
• Prev / Next static images are shown alongside the current shot for context.

Paste Clipboard

After copying objects, a clipboard control appears showing the item count with Paste and Clear buttons.

The Shot List (Right Sidebar)

The "spine" of your production. A vertical stack of thumbnails on the right edge representing the linear progression of your scene.

• Select: Tap a thumbnail to jump to that camera setup.
• Reorder: Long-press and drag a shot up or down.
• Duplicate: The key to speed — build "Shot 1A" (Master), duplicate it to create "Shot 1B", then move the camera slightly. This preserves actor/prop continuity between shots.

Object Menus & Info Panels

When you select an object in the canvas (3D, 2D, or Camera view), a horizontal action menu appears with context-specific options. Depending on the object type, this may include movement, rotation, duplication, deletion, and an Info button that opens a dedicated dialog with detailed properties (e.g., Lens Focal Length for cameras, Light Intensity for lights, etc.).

Environments

Walls & Set Building

Build your environment using walls, floors, doors, and windows. Access these via the pencil tool (object placement mode), which lets you add objects to the scene:

• Place Walls, Floors, Doors, and Windows to define interior and exterior spaces.
• Use the Gizmo to stretch walls to match the dimensions of your location.
• Walls support customisable textures, windows, and doors. Tap a wall, select Info from the contextual menu to access these options.

Props & Set Dressing

The built-in library includes hundreds of parametric objects (furniture, vehicles, street elements).

Props & Sets

Props exist per-shot — moving a prop in one shot does not affect other shots. To reuse an entire environment setup across scenes, you can save and load sets from the new scene dialog. This lets you define a room layout once and apply it to multiple scenes.

AI Prop Generation

If the library lacks a specific item, use the Prop Gen tool. Type a text prompt (e.g., "1950s toaster") and a unique 3D model is generated via AI. Costs 15 credits. See AI 3D Generation.

3D Model Import

Import custom .glTF / .glb models from third-party tools (Blender, SketchFab, Polycam, etc.).

Augmented Reality (AR) Mode

Use your physical location as the set. Requires an AR-capable iPhone or iPad.

1. Tap the AR Cube Icon.
2. Scan: Point the device at the floor and move slowly to detect the plane.
3. Anchor: Tap the grid to lock the virtual world to the real world.
4. Block: Place virtual characters into your real environment.
5. Walk: Physically walk around the virtual actors holding the device like a camera viewfinder.

AR mode supports both life-size and tabletop scaling, plus PoseCap and Expression Capture while in AR.

3D Model Import

Import custom 3D assets from external scanning or modelling tools:

1. Scan a room using a 3D scanning app (e.g., Polycam, RealityKit) or create a model in Blender/SketchFab.
2. Export as .glTF or .glb.
3. In Previs Pro, Import > 3D Model.
4. Use the scale tool to ensure the model is 1:1 for accurate lens simulation.

See also: Props & Images articles and Walls articles on the support site.

Characters

The Cast List

Characters are global assets. Modify a character in the Cast List and they update across all scenes and shots. Multiple sources are available for adding characters:

• ActorGen (AI): Generate custom characters from a text description using AI. See ActorGen.
• Ready Player Me: Import avatar characters from the Ready Player Me creator.
• Custom 3D models: Import .glb characters from external tools.
• Blend shape / morph target support for custom imported characters.

Posing

• Custom Posing: Tap a specific body part (Head, Arm, Spine) to rotate it manually. Currently available on ActorGen characters only — support for built-in characters is in development.
• Pose Library: Preset poses including Sitting, Driving, Running, Fighting, and more.
• Hand Presets: Detailed hand pose options.

PoseCap (AI Motion Capture)

Use the device camera to capture body poses and apply them to 3D characters instantly.

1. Select a character.
2. Tap Pose > PoseCap.
3. Point the camera at an actor (or an image on a screen).
4. The app tracks the skeleton via ARKit and applies the pose to the 3D character.

Features a timer option for timed captures and retake capability. Works in both standard and AR modes.

ActorGen (AI Character Generation)

ActorGen lets you create custom 3D characters from a text description, powered by a 3rd-party AI service. Characters are automatically rigged with a skeleton for posing and animation. Costs 26 credits.

1. Add a character > select the ActorGen option.
2. Enter a text description of the character (e.g., "tall woman in a red dress, professional, 30s").
3. A preview image generates first, with the option to Regen if needed.
4. The system generates the full 3D model, then automatically rigs it with a skeleton.
5. Generation stages: Submitting → Queueing → Generating → Rigging → Downloading (~120 seconds total).

ActorGen characters are stored as custom characters in the project's Cast List and behave identically to imported models — they can be posed, placed in any scene, and animated in animatics.

See also: Characters articles on the support site.

Camera & Cinematography

Previs Pro simulates physical cameras, not just 3D viewports.

Optics & Sensors

Sensor Sizes

Focal Length

• Full slider control with haptic feedback that clicks at standard prime lengths: 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 100mm.
• Field of view is calculated from the focal length and sensor size, matching real-world optical behaviour.

Anamorphic Lenses

Anamorphic squeeze ratio support for cinematic widescreen looks (added November 2025).

Depth of Field

Full DOF controls are available in the CAM Mode: Off/Auto/Manual toggle, aperture (f-stop) slider, focus distance slider, and tap-to-focus with visual focus point indicator. See the CAM Mode section for details.

See also: Camera & Lights articles on the support site.

Director's View (CAM Mode)

The Director’s View is the CAM Mode — see the full documentation under The Workspace for all controls including Navigation/Edit modes, focal length slider, DOF controls, composition guides, and Monitor Mode.

Lighting & Atmosphere

Light Types

Gobos / Cookies

Spotlights support gobo patterns (also called cookies) that project shadows and light patterns. Over 50 gobo variations are available:

• Flashlight patterns (Regular, Irregular)
• Spotlight patterns (Soft, Hard, Uneven, Noisy, Rays)
• Fence silhouettes
• Tree silhouettes
• Window blind patterns
• Square mesh / signage patterns

AI Lighting & Atmosphere (via Style Grade)

For rapid atmospheric visualisation without placing manual lights, use the AI Style Grade in the Timeline's AI Workspace. The editable prompt system lets you describe the lighting and mood you want:

• Select shots in the AI Workspace, then click Edit Prompt.
• Describe the atmosphere: "Cyberpunk city, neon blue and pink", "Moody Film Noir, high contrast", "Golden hour, warm backlight".
• The AI models (FLUX, Seedream, Nano Banana) interpret lighting, colour grading, and atmosphere from your text — no manual light placement required.
• Combine with the Touch Up feature for targeted refinements to specific shots.

Timeline

The Timeline is the editorial heart of Previs Pro, replacing the earlier standalone "Post Mode". It shows your shots arranged horizontally with audio tracks, scene groupings, playback controls, and integrated AI workspaces. Everything from shot timing to AI enhancement to audio generation happens here.

Layout

The Timeline interface is divided into five stacked zones, top to bottom:

1. Top Header Bar

• Left: Scene Selector pill — shows current scene name/number or "All Scenes".
• Centre: Project title / branding.
• Right: Approval status dropdown (Pending / Approved / Notes) for the current shot, colour-coded. Comment toggle button with a notification strobe effect when unread comments exist. Script panel toggle (R) to show/hide the screenplay sidebar.

2. Viewer Area

The large display showing the current shot. Letterboxed to the project's aspect ratio. Content depends on context:

• Default: Shot thumbnail (3D render from Unity or AI-generated image).
• Video shot: Plays the attached video clip with poster frame on pause.
• AI Workspace open: Replaced by the AI Workspace (Style Grade / Touch Up / Import tabs).
• Audio Workspace open: Replaced by the Audio Workspace (Scratch / Record / Import tabs).

Viewer Edit Overlay

A pencil icon in the bottom-right of the Viewer expands on click to reveal quick-action buttons:

• Draw — Enter drawing/annotation mode (D).
• Record — Open the Audio Workspace Record tab.
• TTS — Open the Audio Workspace Scratch tab.

If doodle annotations already exist on the shot, clicking the pencil shows a management dialog: the creator sees Draw / Clear All / Cancel; reviewers see Redraw / Clear Mine / Cancel.

Single-Shot AI Confirm Popover

When generating AI content for a single shot (via the H-Menu or quick keys), a modal popover appears over the viewer with:

• Model selector — Dropdown with three tiers (Fast / Quality / Best) showing model name and credit cost per tier.
• Info rows — Output resolution, duration limits, and total cost for the selected model.
• Include Shot Metadata toggle — Whether to feed camera/lighting metadata into the AI prompt.
• Auto-Retime toggle (video mode) — Extend shot duration to match generated video length.
• Generate Audio checkbox (video mode) — Simultaneously generate synchronised TTS with optional hint text.
• Prompt editor — Collapsible textarea with disclosure arrow to view/edit the auto-generated prompt.
• History button — Access generation history from the popover.
• Cancel / Generate buttons.

Three modes: Enhance Image (sparkle icon), Generate Video (play icon), and Generate Transition (arrow icon, shows from/to shot info).

Video Generation Modal

During video generation, a full-viewport blocking overlay appears. Cannot be dismissed until generation completes or fails:

• Spinner animation.
• Countdown timer (e.g., "Est. 45s remaining") or "Processing..." when time is unknown.
• Hint text: "Please wait, this may take a minute".

Enhancement Preview (Before / After)

After AI image enhancement, a split-view comparison overlay appears:

• Draggable divider — Slide left/right to compare original vs. enhanced image.
• Before / After labels on each side.
• Prompt input below the slider for editing the prompt before retrying.
• Accept / Retry / Dismiss buttons.

Image Fly Overlay

Tapping a shot thumbnail in the AI Workspace opens a fullscreen image/video viewer with Motion fly-in animation from the source thumbnail. Swipe left/right to navigate between shots (scope-aware — respects the active scene filter). Videos show a play button overlay. Tap the backdrop to close.

Fullscreen Viewer

Press F to toggle fullscreen mode. Hides all panels and maximises the viewer area.

• Swipe navigation — Swipe left/right to move between shots (hardware-accelerated virtual slides).
• Minimal transport controls overlay at the bottom.
• Press F or Escape to exit.

3. Info Bar

A thin black bar between the Viewer and the Shot Lane. Displays:

• Scene heading: INT. OFFICE — NIGHT (location type, scene name, time of day).
• Shot metadata: Shot number • focal length (mm) • f-stop • shot size • angle • movement, joined by bullets.

When no shot is under the playhead, the project title is shown instead.

4. Shot Lane

The primary horizontal timeline row. Each shot is a coloured bar with:

• Scene colour: Background tint matching the scene's assigned colour for visual grouping.
• Thumbnail: The shot's image (3D render, AI-generated, or imported).
• Shot number: Displayed in the lower-right corner (e.g., "1A", "2B").
• Duration: Text overlay showing length (e.g., "5.3s").
• Sparkle badge: Indicates an AI-enhanced shot (Style Grade or Touch Up applied).
• Play badge: Triangle icon indicates a video is attached to the shot.
• Comment dot: Colour-coded by approval status — grey (pending), green (approved), amber (notes).

A playhead (vertical red line) shows the current time position. A timecode ruler runs along the top showing MM:SS markings.

Transition Zones

Between adjacent shot bars, a small gap represents the transition. Click this gap to open a popover where you can change the transition type.

5. Audio Lanes

Below the shot lane, 4 colour-coded audio tracks. Collapsed by default (single "AUDIO" row); expands to show all 4 lanes when the Audio Workspace is open:

• Dialog (Lane 0) — Character dialogue.
• Music (Lane 1) — Score, background music.
• SFX (Lane 2) — Sound effects.
• Voiceover (Lane 3) — Narration, commentary.

Each lane shows waveform bars for its audio clips. See Audio System for full details.

6. Transport Bar

Fixed at the bottom of the screen. Contains (left to right):

• Gutter buttons: AI Workspace toggle (sparkle icon) and Audio Workspace toggle (waveform icon).
• Skip Back: Jump to start of current/previous shot.
• Play / Pause: Large central button.
• Skip Forward: Jump to start of next shot.
• Timecode: Current position in MM:SS.S format.
• Shuttle speed indicator: Shows "2x ▸" or "0.5x ◂" when shuttle is active (J/K/L keys).
• Step toggle: Pauses at each shot boundary during playback for shot-by-shot review.
• Zoom In / Out: Adjusts pixels-per-second (range 20–300) to see more or fewer shots.
• Review Mode badge: "REVIEW MODE" label visible when in read-only review.
• Connection status: Online/offline indicator with session ID (review/embedded modes).
• Menu buttons: Help (?), Export/Share (G), Account (shows credit balance).

Side Panels

Three optional right-side panels, toggled independently:

• Comment Panel (C) — Shot-level comments, threaded replies, annotations. See Comments.
• Script Panel (R) — Screenplay text for the current scene, synced to playhead. Auto-opens when a scene has screenplay content. See Script Panel.
• Generation History (H) — Browse all AI-generated assets. See Generation History.

Shot Management

Selecting & Navigating

• Click/tap any shot bar to select it. The viewer jumps to that shot and the playhead moves to the shot's start.
• Arrow keys: ← / → seek frame-by-frame.
• Click the ruler: Seek to a specific timecode.
• Scrub: Click and drag on the ruler to scrub through time.

Duration Editing

• Drag the right edge of a shot bar to extend or shorten its duration.
• The timeline auto-scrolls when dragging past the screen edge.
• Visual feedback shows the new duration during the drag.
• Undo (Cmd+Z) reverts any duration change.

Shot Reordering

Shots can be reordered within their scene by dragging:

• Long-press (or click and hold) a shot bar until the drag activates.
• Drag horizontally to a new position within the same scene.
• A drop indicator shows where the shot will land.
• Release to commit the reorder. Auto-scrolls at screen edges.

Shot H-Menu (Quick Actions)

Click/tap a shot's thumbnail area in the viewer to reveal the horizontal quick-action menu:

• Revert — Remove AI enhancement, return to original/live 3D render. Visible when the shot has a historyId, static image, or video attached.
• Poster — Set the poster frame for video shots (choose which frame shows as thumbnail).
• Comment — Open the comment panel focused on this shot.
• Enhance — Open the AI Workspace with this shot pre-selected for style grading or touch up.
• Speech — Open the Audio Workspace Scratch tab for TTS dialogue generation.

Revert to Live

Reverting a shot clears the AI-generated image, video, and history reference, then requests a fresh 3D render from Unity (in embedded mode). The shot returns to showing the live camera view. Available via the H-Menu Revert button or the Shot Preview in the AI Workspace.

Shot Metadata

Each shot carries rich cinematography metadata, set in the 3D editor and displayed in the Info Bar. This metadata also drives AI prompt generation — the system automatically describes the shot using these values.

Shot Size

Shot Angle

Shot Movement

Shot Framing

Examples: SS (single shot), 2S OTS (two-shot over-the-shoulder). Displayed in the Info Bar.

Additional Per-Shot Data

• Focal length (mm) — from the virtual camera lens setting.
• F-Stop — aperture setting, affects depth of field.
• Cast — characters visible in the shot, with name, gender, and expression (e.g., "Joy", "Neutral").
• Notes — free-text notes attached to the shot.
• Coverage colour — hex colour for visual identification (used in future script lining feature).

Scene Selector

The scene selector pill in the top-left corner controls which portion of the project is visible in the timeline:

• All Scenes (default) — The entire project timeline is displayed end-to-end.
• Individual Scene — Click the pill to open a dropdown, then select a specific scene. The timeline shows only that scene's shots.
• Progressive loading: In large projects, scenes load incrementally. Greyed-out entries in the dropdown are still loading.
• Approval indicator: The scene pill turns green when every shot in the active scene is approved.

Each scene in the project has:

• Scene number — auto-generated or manually set (see Numbering).
• Name — typically the location from the screenplay slugline.
• Location type — INT (interior) or EXT (exterior).
• Time of day — DAY, NIGHT, etc.
• Colour — assigned for visual differentiation in the shot lane.
• Screenplay — optional structured screenplay data (dialogue, action, transitions).

Scene & Shot Numbering

Previs Pro has a flexible numbering system with several configurable options:

Scene Numbers

Scenes are numbered sequentially starting from a configurable starting number (default 1). Walk scenes in order; if a scene has a manual number, it's used as-is without incrementing the counter.

Shot Numbers

Shots are numbered per-scene. Two modes:

• Letters (default): A, B, C, ... Z, AA, AB, ... using bijective numeration.
• Digits: 1, 2, 3, ...

Ambiguous Character Exclusion

By default, the letter set excludes I, O, and S (easily confused with numbers 1, 0, and 5) — using a 23-character set. This can be toggled to use the full A-Z alphabet.

Combined Format

Scene and shot numbers are joined with a configurable separator: nothing (1A), period (1.A), or hyphen (1-A). Two ordering variants:

• NumberLetter: 1A, 1B, 2A
• LetterNumber: A1, B1, A2

Locked Numbering

When numbering is locked, the computed numbers are frozen into the database. Adding or removing shots won't automatically renumber. Useful for production when departments are already referencing specific shot numbers.

Playback & Transport

Basic Controls

Shuttle Control (J/K/L)

Professional NLE-style shuttle for variable-speed playback:

Review Auto-Play

When enabled (toggle in the Transport bar), playback automatically pauses at each shot boundary. This gives reviewers time to evaluate each shot before moving on. Continuous transitions play through without pausing.

Timecode Display

The Transport bar shows the current position in MM:SS.S format (minutes, seconds, tenths of a second).

Transitions

Click the gap between two adjacent shots in the timeline to open a transition popover. Available transition types:

For dissolve and fade transitions, the duration is adjustable. Each transition is stored with an easing curve.

AI-Generated Transitions

Between two shots that both have AI-generated images, a "Generate Transition" button appears centred at the bottom of the viewer. This creates a smooth AI video transition using both shots as start/end keyframes.

While in the viewer, transition overlays provide:

• Regenerate button (↻) — Re-generate the transition with a new seed.
• Countdown timer — Shows remaining seconds during generation.
• Remove button (×) — Delete the generated transition.

Viewer Modes & Workspaces

The Viewer area can switch between several modes. Only one workspace can be open at a time:

Coach Mark (Quick Orient)

On first use, a step-through tutorial highlights key interface elements with a glow effect. Different flows for creators (introduces AI Workspace, timeline, shot management) vs. reviewers (introduces commenting, approvals, doodle annotations). Skip or Next buttons to navigate. Does not reappear after completion.

Tease Overlay

When a reviewer taps a creator-only feature (e.g., AI generation, audio workspace), a gentle overlay explains the feature is unavailable in review mode.

Undo & Redo

The timeline maintains an undo stack (up to 50 states). Every edit — shot duration changes, reorders, AI enhancements, audio placements, comment changes — can be undone:

• Cmd+Z — Undo.
• Cmd+Shift+Z — Redo.

Drag operations (shot resize, audio clip move) are coalesced into a single undo step. Audio blob data and generation history are immune to undo/redo — they persist permanently.

Mobile & Tablet Layout

On phones (under 500px width), the timeline switches to a compact layout:

• Panels stack vertically instead of side-by-side.
• Single audio lane display (instead of 4 expanded lanes).
• Touch-optimised controls with larger hit targets.
• Comment panel opens as a full-screen portal.

On tablets (iPads), a @media (pointer: coarse) rule increases font sizes and hit targets by ~15–20% over desktop sizes. These tablet values also scale with the UI Scaling system.

UI Scaling

Text and control sizes can be adjusted via Previs Pro > UI Scaling (7 levels from Extra Small to Extra Extra Extra Large, default Large). The scaling level is sent to the Timeline WebView and applied via CSS variables. The scaling system has two strategies:

• Script Panel: Only controls scale (text stays the same size for readability).
• Screenplay Manager: Everything scales (fonts, padding, gaps, control sizes).

The .previs File Format

Projects are saved as .previs files — either a raw SQLite database or a zip archive (detected by PK magic bytes).

Raw SQLite

A single SQLite file containing all project data: scenes, shots, camera objects, screenplay, transitions, audio clips, comments, generation history, and document settings.

Archive Format

A zip file with .previs extension containing:

• The SQLite database.
• A dot-prefixed cache folder (.hash/) with thumbnail JPEGs and videos (42.jpg, 42.mp4).
• Hash sidecar files (.jpg.hash) that track scene state to avoid unnecessary re-renders.

On import, the archive is extracted in-place. On share/export, the archive is assembled from the SQLite + cache folder.

Standalone Mode

In the web app (standalone mode), .previs files can be opened by drag-and-drop onto the browser window. The file is read client-side using sql.js (SQLite compiled to WebAssembly). Changes can be saved back by downloading.

Audio System

The Audio Workspace provides three audio creation pathways. Open it with Option+A (Mac) or the gutter button. Audio plays across four colour-coded lanes.

Scratch Tab (AI Audio Generation)

Generate audio from text using AI. Four scratch types:

Dialogue (TTS)

Generates speech from screenplay dialogue. Choose scope:

• All Scenes — Generate dialogue across the entire project.
• Selected Scene — Only the active scene.
• Selected Shot — Single shot (requires Script Coverage enabled).
• Custom — Freeform text entry for voiceover/narration.

TTS Voice Models

Voice Assignment

The Cast section shows each character with a voice dropdown. Voices are assigned per-scene, with global fallback. Click the speaker icon to preview a voice. Auto-assignment fills unassigned characters from the available pool.

Music Generation

• Enter a text prompt describing desired music (e.g., "tense cinematic strings, 140 BPM").
• Select duration: 3–15 seconds.
• 40 credits per generation (ElevenLabs Music).
• Placed on the Music lane.

SFX Generation

• Enter a text prompt (e.g., "door slam, wooden door").
• Select duration: 1–22 seconds.
• 5 credits per generation (ElevenLabs SFX).
• Placed on the SFX lane.

Generation Options

• Retime to Match Speech: Automatically extends shot duration if speech overflows (1s padding each side, 0.3s gap between clips).
• Overwrite Existing: Re-generate over existing clips on the lane.
• Skip Approved: Skip shots marked approved (when Script Coverage is enabled).

Record Tab

1. Click the red Record button.
2. 3-2-1 countdown (800ms per count).
3. Speak into the microphone; elapsed time is displayed.
4. Click Stop.
5. Preview in the bar, choose a lane, then + Add Audio.

Trailing silence is automatically trimmed. Recordings saved as WAV format. On iOS, recording uses the native microphone via Unity's audio pipeline (no audio bytes cross the bridge).

Import Tab

Supported formats: .wav, .mp3, .ogg, .m4a, .aac.

Drag and drop files into the drop zone (or tap to browse on mobile). Files are decoded, waveform peaks computed, and placed at the current playhead position on the selected lane.

Audio Lanes

Clip Interactions

• Horizontal drag: Slide clip left/right along the timeline.
• Vertical drag: Move clip to a different lane (when expanded).
• Trim handles: Drag left/right edges to trim clip start/end.
• Volume: Hover to reveal volume slider (0–100%, default 75%).
• Rename: Click info button to rename the clip.
• Delete: Click × button to remove.

Clips are positioned relative to shots (shotId + shotOffset). Absolute position is derived at render time. Clips can overshoot shot duration (useful for music spanning multiple shots).

AI Generation

Previs Pro includes a comprehensive AI generation suite for images, video, audio, and 3D assets — all powered by credits.

AI Workspace

The AI Workspace replaces the Viewer area and provides three tabs:

• Style Grade — Batch image and video generation with style presets.
• Touch Up — Targeted image refinement via text prompt.
• Import — Import external images/videos as shot replacements.

Toggle with the gutter button or keyboard shortcut. Top bar title shows "PREVIS STYLEGRADING".

Scope Selection

Controls which shots are affected:

• All Shots — Every shot in the project.
• Selected Scenes — All shots in selected scene(s).
• Selected Shots — Only manually tapped shots in the grid.

Shot Grid

A virtualised grid (only ~20–40 DOM nodes regardless of shot count) showing shot thumbnails with scene/shot label strips. Tap to select, double-click or long-press for fullscreen preview with swipe navigation.

Options

• Skip Approved Shots — Bypass shots with approved status.
• Overwrite Existing — Re-generate over previously enhanced shots.
• Style Presets: Photo or Sketch.
• Edit Prompt: Opens a popover where you can customise the auto-generated prompt.

Image Generation (Style Grade)

Enhance shot thumbnails with AI-generated images. The system auto-builds prompts from shot metadata (characters, location, lighting, time of day).

After generation, a review step lets you Accept/Reject each image individually or in bulk. Accepted images replace shot thumbnails and are stored in Generation History.

Video Generation

Generate short video clips from shot thumbnails. Switch the task selector to "Video" in the Style Grade tab.

Video Options

• Generate AI Audio: Simultaneously generate synchronised dialogue/narration.
• Audio Direction Hint: Optional text to guide audio mood (e.g., "dramatic music underneath").
• Retime to Match Video: Extend shot durations to match generated video length.

Continuous Transitions (Video)

Select "Continuous" task to generate smooth AI video transitions between adjacent shots. Uses both shot thumbnails as start/end keyframes. Same video model costs apply.

Touch Up

Refine or modify existing shot images with a text prompt. Uses Nano Banana 2 model (8 credits).

1. Switch to the Touch Up tab.
2. Tap a shot in the grid to select it as the target.
3. Enter a prompt describing the edit (e.g., "make the lighting warmer", "add a beard").
4. Generate. The current image is used as input; the AI applies the specified changes.

AI 3D Generation

3D Props — 15 credits

1. Open Add > Generate AI Prop.
2. Enter a text description (e.g., "wooden chair", "glass vase").
3. Generation stages: Submitting → Queueing → Running → Downloading (~60 seconds).
4. Result: a .glb model imported as a prop you can position and scale.

ActorGen (3D Characters) — 26 credits

1. Add a character > select the ActorGen option.
2. Enter a text description. Preview generates first, with Regen option.
3. Generation stages: Submitting → Queueing → Generating → Rigging → Downloading (~120 seconds).
4. Result: a rigged .glb model with skeleton, ready for posing and animation.

Generation History

All AI-generated assets are permanently stored in the project's generation history (timeline_generation_history table). The history survives undo/redo.

• Access via H key or "Use Saved Audio" button in model dropdown.
• Filter by type: All, Image, Video, TTS.
• Asset badges: Image Video Speech Music SFX
• Actions: re-apply to a different shot, view prompt, download, revert.
• Delete: Individual asset delete, plus Bulk Delete Unused to clean up assets not linked to any shot.
• "Use Saved Audio" button in the Audio Workspace opens the history filtered to audio assets.
• Video thumbnails auto-extracted from the 0.5s mark (or 25% of duration if shorter).

Credits & Purchasing

AI features are powered by a credit system. Credits (called "tokens" internally) are consumed each time you use an AI feature.

Credit Costs per Feature

Credits are deducted server-side before generation. If generation fails, credits are automatically refunded.

Credit Packs

Purchase additional credits anytime. Exchange rate: 100 credits = $1.00.

In the iOS/Mac app, credit packs are purchased through Apple In-App Purchase. On the web, purchases go through Stripe Checkout.

Low balance warning: Triggered when balance drops below 20 credits.

Subscription Plans

Subscriptions unlock full access to all non-AI tools and features (unlimited projects, exports without watermark, all assets, etc.).

Free Trial

7-day free trial available for new users. All professional features unlocked during the trial. Reminder sent on day 5. After 7 days, paid subscription begins.

Earn Free Credits

The Earn Credits dialog offers three ways to earn credits without purchasing:

Referral System

• Every user gets a unique 8-character referral code.
• Share it directly or via a referral link: share.previspro.com?ref=CODE
• When someone signs up with your code, both parties earn 50 credits.
• The Earn Credits dialog shows stats: Total Referrals, This Month (X/5), Credits Earned.

Social Share

Available in the iOS/Mac app. Share your project via the native share sheet (rendered with branding and user logo watermark). Earn 25 credits per share, with a 7-day cooldown. All enforcement is server-side.

See also: Pricing & License articles on the support site.

Screenplay Manager

The Screenplay Manager is a dedicated popup panel for browsing and editing your project's screenplay data. It has two modes.

Browse Mode

Scene Tab

• Scene list showing scene number, name, and screenplay element counts.
• Inline editing of scene names and screenplay text.
• Drag-to-reorder: Drag scenes to change their position in the timeline.
• Drag-to-merge: Drag one scene onto another to merge them (with confirmation dialog).
• Search/filter across character names, dialogue text, and action text.
• Expandable/collapsible scenes to show screenplay details.

Character Tab

• List of all characters with dialogue count and scene appearance count.
• Expandable character details showing all dialogue lines across scenes.
• Drag-to-merge characters: Consolidate duplicate character names (updates all dialogue references).
• Per-character inline dialogue editing.

Editable Elements

• Dialogue: Character name + text + optional parenthetical / extension (V.O., O.S.)
• Action: Scene descriptions and stage directions.
• Transitions: CUT TO, FADE OUT, etc.

View Changes Mode

Compares the current screenplay against the import baseline (saved automatically on FDX import).

Visual Indicators

• Green solid: Scene unchanged.
• Green dotted: Scene matched but elements differ.
• Red: Scene removed (in baseline, missing now).
• Blue "Added": New scene (not in baseline).
• Orange dashed lines: Connect baseline → current scenes with changes.

Supports word-level diff highlighting and "Show only changes" toggle. Navigation buttons (First/Previous/Next/Last) jump between changed items.

Script Panel & Script Lining

Script Panel (R to toggle)

Displays the screenplay for the current scene in the right sidebar, synced to the playhead position. Supports:

• Structured rendering with colour-formatted dialogue, action, and transitions.
• "Punch Up" mode for free-form text editing.
• Annotations (pen, highlighter, eraser) with per-page overlay persistence.
• Comments tied to screenplay pages.
• Auto-scroll during playback.

Script Lining Future Release

Digital "tramlines" for shot coverage visualisation — coloured vertical bars per shot indicating which script elements each shot covers, mimicking traditional lined scripts with digital interactivity. This feature is currently in development and will be available in a future release.

Sharing & Review

Share for Review

Create a time-limited, password-protected share link that anyone can use to review your project in a browser.

1. Open the Share dialog (G key).
2. Choose TTL: 7, 30, or 90 days.
3. A password is auto-generated.
4. Share the link: share.previspro.com?session=SESSION_ID

The shared project includes thumbnails, videos, audio clips, comments, and approvals — all uploaded to the cloud.

Comments

• Shot-level comments: Attach feedback to specific shots.
• Threaded replies: Comments support sub-comments.
• Real-time sync: Comments update live between all reviewers via WebSocket (Supabase Realtime).
• Author colours: Each reviewer gets a deterministic colour from an 8-colour palette.
• Resolve: Mark comments as resolved when addressed.
• Copy all: Copy all comments in a scene to clipboard.
• Toggle the comment panel with C.

Reviewer Colours

Assigned deterministically based on reviewer name (same person always gets the same colour):

Doodle Annotations

Draw directly on the shot viewer to provide visual feedback.

• Toggle drawing mode with D.
• Pen and eraser tools available.
• Stroke colour matches reviewer's assigned colour.
• Apple Pencil supported with high-frequency tracking. Squeeze gesture support for quick tool switching.
• Post-draw comment prompt: After exiting drawing mode, a dialog appears with a textarea (default text: "Doodled."). Choose Post Doodle (saves annotation + comment, auto-sets shot to 'notes' status) or Discard (with confirmation).
• Multi-user doodle overlay: All reviewers' unresolved doodles display simultaneously, each in the reviewer's assigned colour. New doodles replace the same reviewer's previous doodle on that shot.
• Doodle management dialog: Clicking the pencil when doodles already exist shows a role-specific dialog:
  • Creator: Draw / Clear All / Cancel.
  • Reviewer: Redraw / Clear Mine / Cancel.

Approvals

Each shot has an approval status visible in the timeline:

Approval is set per-shot by reviewers via the top header dropdown. The scene pill turns green when all shots are approved. Optimistic locking prevents conflicts from concurrent reviewers.

Publish to Web

Permanently publish your project to a web URL (separate from the time-limited review link).

• Uploads thumbnails, audio, and optionally video to cloud storage.
• Generates a permanent URL.
• Manage and delete published exports from the export dialog.

See also: Save & Share articles on the support site.

Animatics

Animatic Mode adds time-based motion to your storyboard. It is a full canvas mode — switching to Animatics replaces the vertical Shot List with a horizontal continuing shot list and overlays animation controls on the 2D or 3D canvas.

Entering Animatics Mode

Tap the Enter Animatics Mode button. The main title bar is replaced by the animatics title bar (scene/shot name, Done, Undo, Redo). A continuing shot list panel appears on the side for sequencing shots. Exit by tapping Done to return to the standard canvas.

Keyframing

1. Set "Start" position (Keyframe A).
2. Scrub the progress slider forward — keyframe indicators (dots) appear on the slider marking set positions.
3. Move the Camera or Actor.
4. Set "End" position (Keyframe B).

Tap the duration box between keyframes to enter precise timing (e.g., "push in over 5.0 seconds").

Playback

• Play / Stop buttons preview the animation.
• Loop toggle for continuous replay.
• 2D / 3D / Fullscreen buttons to switch between overhead, 3D, or fullscreen playback views.
• Progress slider with dual-state graphics (different appearance when playing vs. scrubbing).

Motion Paths

In the 2D Overhead View, moving objects leave a dotted trail. Tap the path to add nodes and curve the movement with Bezier curves (e.g., a camera sweeping around a character rather than through them). In 3D, velocity curve and timing line renderers show speed and second markers along the path.

Animatic Export

Animatics can be exported as MP4 video with synchronised audio tracks.

See also: Animatics articles on the support site. Watch video tutorials on the Previs Pro YouTube channel for step-by-step walkthroughs of the animatics workflow.

Export

PDF Storyboard

The industry-standard export format.

• Layouts: Six-Up, Two-Up, Annotated, Full (one-per-page).
• Data included: Dialogue, Action Notes, technical metadata (Lens, Camera Height).
• Format options: JPEG or PNG for individual frames.

MP4 Video

Export your storyboard or animatic as a video file with synchronised audio. Enabled as a professional feature.

Markup & Annotations

Before exporting, you can draw red-line annotations directly on shots (arrows for movement, circles for emphasis) via Draw Mode.

See also: Storyboards articles on the support site.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Universal (3D Viewport)

Timeline

AI & Audio

Discontinued & Replaced Features

The following features from earlier versions of Previs Pro have been replaced or removed. If you're looking for them, here's where to find the equivalent functionality.

Troubleshooting

Crashes on Export

Usually RAM related. Close background apps or restart the device. For large projects (feature films), break them into separate files per reel or sequence.

Missing Textures on 3D Import

Ensure texture files are in the same directory as the .glb / .gltf file before importing.

AR Plane Not Detected

Ensure the room is well-lit. AR relies on visual contrast to detect and lock the floor plane. Move slowly while scanning.

Audio Not Playing

• Audio only plays at 1x speed. If using shuttle (J/K/L), return to normal speed.
• On Safari/iOS, the audio context may auto-suspend. Tap play again to resume.
• Check that clips are not muted (look for greyed-out waveforms).

WebView Blank Screen

If the Timeline or Screenplay Manager panel appears blank, it will auto-recover. All WebView panels include a blank screen guard that detects and recreates the webview if needed.

Credit Balance Not Updating

Credit balance syncs after sign-in, after purchase, and after earning rewards. Try signing out and back in to force a refresh.