GIRAFFRAMESHOT OF THE DEAD
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OFFICIAL USER GUIDE

User guide

From building your first shot to recording takes and using Cut List. Choose a workflow and follow it one clear step at a time.

Ask the AI assistant you already use when you need help.

If you get stuck while creating, open Help in the upper-right of the Studio. You can copy the information your AI needs to guide you through the controls.

The app interface is available in English, Japanese, and Korean.

Start with one of four guides

01Start hereOpen a location, place a figure, and make your first shot.

Make your first shot

No 3D software experience is required. We will stop after you save one useful frame.

  1. 1

    Know the goal

    This is not a tool for building detailed 3D models. It is a place to arrange a location, figures, and a camera until you find a shot worth keeping.

    You do not need to learn shooting or recording yet.

  2. 2

    Open a location

    Choose a card in Locations at the upper-left. If a 3D space is already visible, you can continue to the next step.

    A supplied sample location is enough for your first try.

  3. 3

    Move the camera

    Left-drag in the 3D view to look around. Vertical rotation continues past the 90° straight-down view, through an upside-down view, and around the full 360°. Use the mouse wheel or trackpad scroll to move forward and backward.

    The wheel moves the camera. It does not change the lens.

  4. 4

    Place and pose a figure

    Drag Blockman from Assets at the lower-left into the 3D view and drop it where you want. If dragging is difficult, select Blockman and press Place in Scene below the list. Select the placed figure, then choose a different posture from the Pose tab on the right.

    While dragging, a ghost shows the landing point on the surface under the cursor, so rooftops and platforms work too. After placing, press G to move horizontally, then Y to move vertically. With the mouse, hold Y while right-dragging to move vertically; release Y to return to horizontal movement. Press R to rotate.

  5. 5

    Resize the floor

    Open the Stage tab at the top of the right panel. Under Base (floor and grid), drag the Floor size box left or right — the floor grows and shrinks. Next, click the same box without dragging, type 30, and press Enter.

    Hold Shift while dragging for fine steps. A figure's rotation, sky and light — every number on the right works the same way. If your location has no floor, try a number under Sky and light on the same tab.

  6. 6

    Try the lens and framing

    The numbers 24, 35, 50, 85, and so on below the view are lens focal lengths in millimeters. A smaller value shows more of the scene; a larger value gives a tighter view. Try them together with camera position.

    Start with 50mm if you are unsure. Double-click a number button to rewrite it — type the mm you use often and press Enter to keep it.

  7. 7

    Save the shot

    When the framing works, press C or the camera button in the top bar. The shot is saved and goes straight to the end of Cut List. Then open Cut List in the top bar to review it.

    Drop cuts you do not need in Cut List. To put a removed shot back, select it in SHOTS and press A. The download button (Shift+C) saves just the image without making a cut.

02Using figuresPlace a figure, customize its pose, and save it to My Pose.

Using figures

Place a figure in the scene, then adapt a finished pose to fit your shot.

  1. 1

    Place a figure in the scene

    Drag Blockman from Assets at the lower-left into the 3D view. If dragging is difficult, select the figure and press Place in Scene below the list.

    Assets are reusable sources. The placed list under the Layers tab holds the figures in the current location. You can place the same figure more than once. There is also a Capsule with no hands or arms: set only Standing, Sitting on a chair, or Sitting on the floor and where the head faces, and describe hand actions in the video AI prompt.

  2. 2

    Adjust position, direction, and floor

    Click the figure to select it and show the Pink outline. Press G to move horizontally, then Y to move vertically. With the mouse, hold Y while right-dragging to move vertically. Press R to rotate, and F to drop it onto the first upward-facing surface below it (the floor when nothing is there). Use the Position panel in the Basic tab for exact coordinates.

    Use the hips as the rotation center for sitting or lying poses. Use the feet when changing the direction of a standing pose.

  3. 3

    Choose a base pose and fine-tune it

    Open the Pose tab on the right and click a standard pose. Once the figure takes that posture, open Fine tune and adjust the face, upper body, arms, and legs for your shot. To lean a seated figure forward or back, use Hips forward/back, which tips the upper body while the legs stay where you placed them.

    Clicking the standard pose again restores its clean default before fine-tuning.

  4. 4

    Use Mirror and arm matching for different jobs

    With Mirror on, the opposite side moves too while preserving the current left-right difference. Right arm ← Left arm and Left arm ← Right arm match the entire arm, from upper arm through wrist, one time.

    Mirror moves both sides while keeping their difference. Arm matching makes their shapes the same. You can match first, then continue with Mirror.

  5. 5

    Rotate the whole figure while fine-tuning

    Keep Fine tune open and press R to rotate the whole figure horizontally without changing its joint shape. Change the viewing angle, then continue adjusting the joints.

    To raise, lie down, or tilt the whole body, use Basic, choose Hips as the rotation pivot, and adjust forward/back or side tilt. Feet is the natural pivot for turning a standing figure.

  6. 6

    Save to My Pose

    When the adjustment is ready, choose Register in My Pose in the Pose tab, name it, and save it. You can apply the saved pose to compatible figures and in other scenes.

    If you edit an applied My Pose and save again, it creates a new My Pose without overwriting the original.

  7. 7

    Move and duplicate several figures together

    In the placed list under the Layers tab, Cmd-click on macOS or Ctrl-click on Windows to multi-select, or Shift-click to select a range. Group changes position, rotation, and size together. Press the overlapping-squares duplicate icon to copy one figure or every selected figure while preserving their arrangement.

    The new copies are selected after duplication. Use Individual when you want to change each figure's values without moving the spacing between them.

03Your first shootRecord a take and keep the best one in Cut List.

Your first shoot

You can record the camera moves you perform in the view, without building keyframes first.

  1. 1

    Prepare what you want to shoot

    In the 3D view, open a location and place the figures or Blocking Boxes and Walls you want to film. Set the opening camera position and lens here too.

    A figure or asset must already be placed in the 3D view before you can animate it in a take.

  2. 2

    Enter Shooting mode

    Open Shooting in the top bar. The view you currently see in 3D becomes the camera position where the take begins.

    Recording settings shows the current destination without truncation. Change storage folder switches the root used for projects, media, recordings, and exports—not recordings alone.

  3. 3

    Shoot locked off or operate live

    Press the round red REC button directly below the Shooting tab to start recording. Leave the camera still for a locked-off shot. While recording, use left-drag, middle-drag, the wheel, or WASD and Q/E, and those live camera moves are recorded into the take.

    This is the fastest way to shoot. You do not need to animate the camera beforehand.

  4. 4

    Repeat a planned camera move

    For a move you want to repeat precisely, set Start and End under Camera motion. Once both Start and End show ✓, Apply to REC switches on automatically, and the configured actions become ✓ Update start and ✓ Update end. Drag the Duration and pre-roll boxes left or right, or click them to type a value. If you operate the camera during the take, your live operation takes control from that point.

    Apply stays unavailable until both endpoints exist, and turning it off keeps them. Use the wheel, +/− buttons, or keyboard +/− to zoom Motion Map from 50% to 6400%. View and World remember separate zoom and pan positions; FIT returns to 100%. ↺ (Reset) in the header clears only the camera motion, and Cmd/Ctrl+Z brings it back.

  5. 5

    Move figures and assets

    Select the object and set Start and End under Asset motion. Once both Start and End show ✓, Apply to preview/REC switches on automatically. Speed 100 keeps the original normal range, 200 is a dash guide, and 300 is the extreme range for fights or lunges. It can run in the same take as the camera motion.

    Choose Linear, Curve, or Waypoint. For an L-shaped route, choose X → Z or Z → X, then drag the diamond on the map to adjust the corner. Waypoint motion rounds the corner slightly and travels at constant speed. Preview before REC. ↺ (Reset) in the header clears only that figure's Start and End, and Cmd/Ctrl+Z brings them back.

  6. 6

    Stop and turn along the way

    Move the figure to where it should stop and press MID＋ in the record row. Click a point in the Start─Middle─End strip to move the figures and camera to that moment. For each middle point, set how long to hold, the facing, and a pose. Rotate the figure in the 3D view and the facing is stored as it is; Face camera turns it toward the camera. Pick a pose with Change…; while a middle point is selected, Fine tune edits that point's pose.

    A 0-second middle point with no turn or pose is walked through without stopping. Reset returns a changed facing or pose to walking. After a turn, choose whether to turn after stopping or while walking. Keep gaze and face while walking on keeps the gaze and neck as the figure walks to the next point. Move the figure in the 3D view and Move this point here appears. Choose Linear or Curve to join the points. When points overlap on the map, Start and End are grabbed first; select a middle point in the strip to drag it.

  7. 7

    Review middle points and set their timing

    Space previews the camera (actors move too) and X previews the actors only, wherever you are in the panel. Select a point and press Space or X to play from 2 seconds before it. With nothing selected, or with Start selected, playback starts from the beginning. Press Space or X while playing to pause: on a point, that point is selected (a camera point if you started with Space, an actor point with X) so you can fix its facing, pose, and gaze in place. Press again to continue from where you paused.

    When you pause between points, the previous selection is cleared and Add a camera middle point here appears for a Space preview, or Add a middle point here for an X preview (the Shift+Space full rehearsal uses the actor if one is selected, otherwise the camera). Pausing after the camera has finished before the actors selects the End point. Click the selected point again or press Esc to clear the selection. Time a camera middle point with From previous, Hold, and To the end. While Stop with the actor's point is checked, the timing follows the actor.

  8. 8

    Record and choose a take

    Press Shift+Space first for a full rehearsal of the camera and asset motion without recording. When it works, press the red REC button or Enter to begin and Space to stop. Recorded takes stay in the list. Double-click a take to play it, then select the one you want to keep.

    Rehearsals are not saved. Try as many takes as needed; failed takes do not have to enter the cut list.

  9. 9

    Keep it in Cut List

    Select the take and press Add to Cut List. It becomes a cut with video that you can place next to the shots before and after it.

    You can return from Cut List and revise the recording later.

04Using Cut ListArrange cuts, revise them, and export one video.

Using Cut List

This is where you judge a shot in sequence, not only one frame at a time.

  1. 1

    Look at Board

    Open Cut List in the top bar and start with Board. The left header shows active / total cut counts and total duration; Active only switches the duration to included cuts and hides paused cuts without deleting them. Drag from empty space to marquee-select cuts, then drag one selected card to move the selection in story order. The tune icon at the end of the left header opens Display settings for Still default duration, thumbnail size, Output frame, and Timecode. At narrow widths, marker choices move into the filter pop-up.

    With multiple cuts selected, inspector markers apply to the whole selection: add when some cuts lack the marker, or remove when all have it. Marker names and notes remain per cut. For a cut to revisit later, add a color or icon marker in the right inspector, then give that marker a name such as Needs review and a multiline note. Drag the note field's lower edge to make it taller.

  2. 2

    View cuts by location

    By Location automatically groups cuts recorded in the same location. Use it in scenes with multiple locations to see what was shot where.

    Return to Board when you want to reorder the cuts.

  3. 3

    Play the scene flow

    Switch to the Player tab at the top to play only included cuts in their listed order and for their used durations. With Timecode enabled in Display settings, video shows SEQ for the Cut List position and CLIP from the cut's own zero; Board cards show both fixed start-to-end ranges. Use Left / Right Arrow for the previous or next playable cut and Home / End for the first or last. J plays in reverse, K toggles play and pause, and L plays forward. Repeated J or L presses increase speed through 1x / 2x / 4x / 8x. Clicking the large preview only selects the current cut; it does not play or pause. Turning on a composition guide switches to Player and overlays the same guide state used in 3D and Shoot. Manual guides dragged from the rulers are shared too.

    Excluded cuts are hidden from the strip by default. Show N excluded cuts restores them temporarily in story order, and the eye button includes them again. Recorded Takes and still cuts use the same Player controls.

  4. 4

    Fix only the cut that fails

    Select the cut you want to revise. For a still, use Record this cut as video to restore its saved 3D state in Shoot. You can record multiple takes, but only the one you select replaces that same cut; the others leave the take list, while any MP4 files that finished saving remain in the recording folder. For a video cut, use Reshoot to restore its saved actor path, speed, pre-roll, and camera motion.

    You can confirm the conversion after the selected MP4 finishes saving. Double-click the still instead when you only want to revise its composition in 3D.

  5. 5

    Export one joined video

    Press the full-width Export button at the top of the right column, then choose All cuts, Active only, Marked, or Current cut only. Join cuts into one video creates one MP4; Export each cut writes stills as PNG and videos as trimmed MP4. With Current cut only, a still cut offers Export as a still (PNG) and Export as a video (MP4, used duration); a video cut offers Export the used duration (MP4) and Original recorded video. MP4 can burn in timecode, and a single choice saves that file without a ZIP. Auto file names use four digits such as 0001 for both All cuts and Active only.

    With Burn in timecode enabled, choose Sequence TC, Clip TC, or Both. Still and video used durations accept tenths of a second, for example 3.5 to 3.2 seconds. Totals appear as 15.0s or 2m 09.5s. File name options can add both numbers as A0001_0015, markers, and the location. Video first frames are full-resolution PNGs; original recorded videos stay full-length and unedited. Enable Burn in cut number in Export to label MP4, still PNGs, and video first-frame PNGs. It is off by default. Choose any corner and a separate size from 1× to 3× in 0.25 steps, matching the board size range, and preview in Player. Active only uses playback order; other scopes use original cut numbers. Original recordings and AI materials remain unedited.

05Import a location with MarbleImport a 3D location created and downloaded with Marble using the correct two files.

Import a real location from Marble

Follow this sequence from preparing the photo through checking orientation, floor, and real-world scale. Exporting your own World as SPZ and Collider Mesh requires Marble Standard or higher; commercial use of generated content requires Pro or higher. Check Marble Pricing for the latest terms.

  1. 1

    Create a World from a photo

    Open Marble Web, add a real-location photo, and generate a World. SHOT OF THE DEAD does not convert the photo itself; wait for Marble to finish before importing the downloaded files.

    The Free plan lets you try World generation, but it does not export the two files required by SHOT OF THE DEAD.

  2. 2

    Use the SHOT OF THE DEAD settings

    Set Marble Download to SPZ / OpenCV / Ground level / Textured. For this import path, OpenGL or Eye level can produce the wrong orientation or floor height.

    Visual check: the settings row should read SPZ → OpenCV → Ground level → Textured in that order.

  3. 3

    Download two files

    Using the export feature in Marble Standard or higher, download one Splats .spz for the visible appearance and one Collider Mesh .glb for placing figures and objects on the floor. The import needs both files.

    Visual check: your Downloads folder should contain one .spz and one .glb with different extensions. Check https://marble.worldlabs.ai/pricing for current pricing and commercial-use terms.

  4. 4

    Open the Marble importer

    In SHOT OF THE DEAD, choose Add Location at the upper-left, then open Import from Marble.

    Use the Marble-specific entry, not Import from GLB/GLTF for a regular 3D model.

  5. 5

    Choose the SPZ and Collider Mesh

    Choose the .spz in Splats, choose the .glb in Collider Mesh, then press Import 2 files. Do not substitute a high-detail display mesh for the Collider Mesh.

    If format validation stops the import, reselect the original pair of downloaded files.

  6. 6

    Check orientation, floor, and scale

    Orbit the preview and confirm that the horizon is level, walls point upward, and the floor sits under a figure's feet. Place an approximately 1.8m Blockman and compare it with doors or furniture to check real-world scale. When all three checks pass, press Add this location to the Library.

    Checking orientation, floor, and scale before saving prevents a larger rebuild after blocking begins.

  7. 7

    Fix common failures

    For an upside-down result or floor offset, download the SPZ again with OpenCV / Ground level. If figures cannot stand on the location, confirm that the Collider Mesh .glb was selected. For a scale mismatch, compare against the approximately 1.8m Blockman. Regular .glb, .gltf, or .zip locations use Import from GLB/GLTF, not Marble's two-file path. GLB imports open as a separate location without the previous location's placed objects. Reopen the original from the Library.

    Before rotating or moving the imported world by hand, recheck the Marble Download settings and the two selected files.

Find a specific task

Open a topic when you only need the steps for one operation.

Create a 3D location from photos or import a 3D locationReconstruct photos outside the app, then import a supported location file
  1. 1.SHOT OF THE DEAD does not convert a photo into a 3D space inside the app, so first use an external photo-to-3D service such as Marble Web.
  2. 2.Marble Free lets you try World generation, but exporting your own Splats (SPZ) and Collider Mesh (GLB) requires Standard or higher. Commercial use of generated content requires Pro or higher. Check https://marble.worldlabs.ai/pricing for the latest terms.
  3. 3.Open Download for the generated World in Marble Web and save Download settings as SPZ / OpenCV / Ground level / Textured. Do not use OpenGL or Eye level because orientation or floor placement may be wrong.
  4. 4.From the same Download menu, download one Splats .spz file and one Collider Mesh .glb file. In SHOT OF THE DEAD, choose Add Location at the upper-left → Import from Marble and select both files.
  5. 5.For a regular 3D location, .glb is recommended. .gltf and .zip files containing GLB/GLTF are also supported through Add Location → Import from GLB/GLTF. File size, geometry counts, and estimated decoded textures are checked before loading. Review a warning to continue or cancel. If the limit is exceeded, reduce texture sizes or remove unnecessary geometry in Blender and export again. To move signals or streetlights, exclude them from the background and export separate GLBs. Use Add → Blocking → 3D MODEL (GLB), up to 50MB per file, to retain their meter scale, origin, and original colors, then move or hide them in Layers. Parts inside a background GLB cannot be edited individually.
  6. 6.On the Free plan, each project can hold one of your own 3D locations (Marble and GLB together). Delete it to bring in another. Starter, sample, AI-made, and BASE locations are not counted. Pro has no limit.
  7. 7.To place the photo as a flat image without reconstructing it, use Blocking on the right → Image.
Connect your AI (build locations with AI)Add SOTD to Claude, ChatGPT or another AI, then build and revise locations in the chat
  1. 1.In the Studio, press Connect AI (top left) and choose your AI (Claude, ChatGPT or Codex). This tab connects, and next time opening the tab connects by itself (until you press Disconnect).
  2. 2.Claude: the first time, press Add to Claude, then Add and Connect on claude.ai and Allow in SOTD. Added once in the browser, it also works in the desktop app and Claude Code. Once added, use Open in browser or Open desktop app. The Free plan allows one custom connector.
  3. 3.ChatGPT (Plus or higher): on chatgpt.com, Settings → Plugins → Add (top right) → Add custom MCP server. Name it SHOT OF THE DEAD, use the server URL copied from the window, choose OAuth → Create, then Allow in SOTD. To use the desktop app, restart it.
  4. 4.Codex: in the app, Settings → MCP servers → Add server → Streamable HTTP → paste the URL → Save → restart → Authenticate. For the CLI, paste the two lines shown in the window.
  5. 5.Send your AI the first message "Are you connected to SHOT OF THE DEAD? Look at the location I have open and tell me what's in it." (copy it from the window). When the SOTD tab turns green, you are connected. It works the same in any AI or app.
  6. 6.Your AI asks before it uses SOTD (in Claude: Allow once or Always allow). Press Always allow so it stops asking every time.
  7. 7.If your AI says it has no SOTD tools, start a new chat, or press + then Connectors in that chat and turn SOTD on.
  8. 8.Your AI can revise only locations marked AI in the list. Marble scans and GLB locations cannot be revised, but you can create new locations at any time. To add another AI later, use Use another AI in the Connect AI menu in the header.
Move the cameraLook direction, camera position, and lens
  1. 1.Left-drag: change where the camera looks. Vertical rotation continues past straight down, through an upside-down view, and around the full 360°. Press V to cycle speed and B to cycle drag inertia through Off, Low, Medium, and High. These controls are also available in the Shooting bar.
  2. 2.Middle-drag: move the camera up, down, left, or right. Hold Shift while middle-dragging to lock movement to the first horizontal or vertical direction.
  3. 3.Wheel or scroll: move the camera forward or backward.
  4. 4.T or the target button: click a figure or object in the frame and the camera keeps looking at it. Left-drag to orbit the camera around that point (dragging from the marker works too). Turning the target off clears the old target position, so the next activation always asks you to choose again. While targeting, Escape keeps the mode on and starts a fresh target pick.
  5. 5.Double-click a floor or a surface: the camera flies there. An upward-facing surface puts you standing on top of it; an upright surface such as a wall stops at the distance where the whole object fits the frame. This saves travelling to a distant spot in small steps.
  6. 6.24, 35, 50, 85, and so on below the view: change lens focal length in millimeters. This is separate from the wheel.
Keyboard shortcut referenceCheck every main key for 3D, Shoot, and Cut List, including B
  1. 1.B: cycle the left/middle-drag assist strength in 3D and Shoot. Shift+B is a separate command: reverse to the counterpart angle for the selected pair.
  2. 2.Camera: W/A/S/D move forward/back/sideways; Q/E move vertically; V cycles move speed; Shift+V toggles direct/smooth key movement; T sets a look target; digits enter lens mm; [ lowers blur by one tick and ] raises it by one tick; F1 opens Controls.
  3. 3.Placed assets: G moves horizontally, G then Y moves vertically, R rotates, F drops to the floor, Delete/Backspace removes, and Escape clears or cancels.
  4. 4.The bar at the very bottom lists the keys for where the pointer is. Turn it off under Settings > Controls.
  5. 5.Shots: C shoots, saves, and adds to Cut List. Shift+C downloads the image, and A adds/removes selected saved shots from Cut List.
  6. 6.Cut List Board: Arrows move selection, Cmd/Ctrl+A selects all visible cuts, Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+H excludes/restores playback, W revises, D duplicates, and Delete removes.
  7. 7.Cut List Player: Left/Right moves between playable cuts; Home/End goes first/last; J reverses; K or Space plays/pauses; L plays forward. Repeated J/L cycles 1x/2x/4x/8x. J/K/L are not 3D-view controls.
  8. 8.Global: Cmd/Ctrl+Z undoes and Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Z redoes. Escape clears or cancels the current operation, but it never switches Shooting or Cut List back to the 3D tab. 3D shortcuts are intentionally ignored while typing in a field or using a modal.
Change lens, frame, and composition guidesAdjust focal length, frame ratio, and composition overlays
  1. 1.The view automatically keeps people and objects proportional when you switch locations. Camera position is saved while Motion Map is closed; reopening it shows the current position. Offline recordings also follow curved subject motion and retain recorded lens changes.
  2. 2.The numbers 24, 35, 50, 85, and so on below the view are lens focal lengths in millimeters. Smaller numbers are wider; larger numbers are tighter.
  3. 3.Double-click a number button (or press F2) to rewrite it. Type the mm you use often and press Enter to keep it, or Esc to cancel. Your lenses stay the next time you open the app.
  4. 4.If you are unsure, start at 50mm and move the camera forward or backward to find the frame. The wheel moves the camera; it does not change the lens.
  5. 5.FF and S35 beside the lens select sensor size. The same 50mm lens gives a tighter view on S35 than on FF. Turn Blur / Focus on, then use the eyedropper to choose a subject. The ticked None—Large scale controls blur; [ lowers it by one tick and ] raises it by one tick. None turns it off and turning it on again restores the previous amount. Composition lock and the eyedropper can be used in either order: both follow the same target through lens changes. Distant backgrounds blur more with longer lenses. The eye button shows or hides the focus plane.
  6. 6.Use Frame settings in the top bar to choose a horizontal or vertical frame ratio and how the final output should be framed.
  7. 7.Use Composition Guides in the top bar for thirds, center, golden ratio, and custom guides. The same state appears in Cut List Player, so adjacent shots can align head or eye position; ruler-dragged manual guides are shared too. These guides are not burned into saved images or videos.
  8. 8.The selected pair’s posed head centers define the conversation line. Outside the actor span, REV or Shift+B moves to the counterpart angle while staying on the same side of the line. Inside the span, the camera stays in place and pans to the partner. Without changing the camera, figures, pair, or lens, run REV again to restore the exact starting position and orientation. REV is unavailable when the horizontal head positions nearly coincide.
  9. 9.Use the up-arrow section of REV to set the conversation pair, and turn on Show 180° line to see the line. REV works while the line is hidden, and you can move the camera across it manually at any time. Two figures pair automatically; with three or more, choose the partner first.
Adjust the floor, sky, sun, and fogSet how the ground and the light of the whole location look
  1. 1.Open the Stage tab in the lower-right panel. The floor and the Sky and light controls are gathered there.
  2. 2.Base (floor and grid) holds Floor size, BASE floor display (Floor + Grid or Grid Only), Floor shape (Square or Circle), and Floor color. This section does not appear for a location that has no BASE floor.
  3. 3.So camera movement still reads on a plain white floor, Grid strength and Grid width (Thin at 0) make the floor grid stronger and thicker. Strength keeps it visible farther away; thickness makes the lines look painted on the floor.
  4. 4.Turn Sun on under Sky and light to reveal Sun direction and Sun height (dawn/dusk to noon). Moving those two changes the sky color, the way light falls, and the fog color together. The height value is labeled After sunset, Dawn / dusk, Daytime, or Midday next to the number.
  5. 5.Turn Show shadows on to cast lightweight sun-driven shadows on characters and sets. Lower sun height produces long dawn or dusk shadows; higher sun produces shorter midday shadows. Shadow opacity changes their visibility, and turning the option off stops the shadow pass.
  6. 6.With Sun off, the sky is a single color: open Advanced and set Background color. Newly created scenes start with Sun on, while scenes you made before this feature open with Sun off, so their existing look does not change.
  7. 7.With Sun on, Advanced lets you switch Sky colors from Auto from sun to Manual and set the lower-sky ground, horizon, and zenith colors separately.
  8. 8.The Fog toggle mutes the haze while keeping your settings. Set the amount with Fog strength (Off at 0). With Sun on, Fog height and Fog falloff also appear so the haze can thin out with altitude.
Read the screen and resize the panelsWhat each lower-right tab holds, and how wide the sidebars are
  1. 1.The lower-right panel has three tabs: Stage, Objects, and Layers. Stage holds the floor and the sky and light, Objects holds Blocking and My Parts, and Layers lists everything placed in the current location.
  2. 2.A Layers selection opens directly below the list. Its name stays in the Basic or Pose row, with icons on the right to expand or collapse the Inspector. In Stage or Objects, use Open editor in the Selected bar to open the same Inspector.
  3. 3.Numbers in the right panel are boxes. Drag a box left or right to change the value; the pink fill shows where the value sits. Click without dragging to type a number. Shift-drag for fine steps; with a box focused, the arrow keys nudge it and Enter opens the typing field.
  4. 4.Drag the boundary to resize the 3D sidebars or the right Inspector in Shoot and Cut List. Widen it when names are cut off, or narrow it for a larger view. Double-click the boundary to reset its width and use the triangle rail on the right to close or reopen it. Each workspace remembers its own width.
  5. 5.Add locations from Add Location at the upper-left. The location you open is remembered, so reloading the page resumes in the location you had open last.
  6. 6.Saving or reshooting a shot automatically updates that location card with the latest finished frame. Duplicated locations with different blocking or compositions are therefore easier to tell apart.
  7. 7.Turn on Key Display from the More menu at the lower-right when recording a tutorial. The HUD shows the current control, including combined mouse-and-key actions such as right-drag plus Y.
Place figures and objectsAdd figures, Boxes, Walls, and Images
  1. 1.Drag a figure from Assets at the lower-left into the 3D view, or select it and press Place in Scene below the list.
  2. 2.While you drag, a ghost shows the landing point on the upward-facing surface under the cursor, so you can drop a figure directly onto a rooftop, desk, or platform. It does not stick to upright surfaces such as walls, and where there is no upward-facing surface it lands at origin height as before.
  3. 3.Use Blocking in the Objects tab at the lower-right to add a Box, Wall, Cylinder, Image, and more. Set the real size afterwards under Size on the right, in metres (for a door, place a Wall and set Width 0.9m, Height 2.0m).
  4. 4.Click an object in the view to select it.
  5. 5.If it is lost, use the magnifier for the selected object.
Select objects and lock their placementChoose what to edit while protecting position and size
  1. 1.Click a figure or Box in the 3D view to select one object. In BASE, image, and GLB locations, selected figures get a Pink silhouette outline, with the last selected figure's name and the selection count shown. Hover a figure to see its name. SPZ locations use the previous selection frame.
  2. 2.Selecting in the 3D view scrolls the Layers list to that row. A row already in view stays put; a far row jumps there at once.
  3. 3.Hold Cmd on macOS or Ctrl on Windows while clicking to add individual objects or other groups to the selection. Shift-click selects a range in Layers.
  4. 4.Press Esc or click empty space to clear the selection.
  5. 5.To keep a floor, wall, or background in place, select it and press P, or press the four-arrow button in its Layers row. The icon turns Pink while placement is locked.
  6. 6.A placement-locked object remains selectable in the 3D view and Layers, and you can still change its color, opacity, and visibility. Moving, rotating, resizing, and grounding are disabled; the selection outline remains visible but the gizmo does not.
  7. 7.Press H to hide a wall completely, then restore it with the eye button in Layers.
  8. 8.The key icon is a stronger edit lock: the object cannot be picked in the 3D view and stays read-only until you unlock it from Layers. The reset menu above Layers can clear placement locks, edit locks, or both.
  9. 9.To make figure outlines easier to see, open the gear menu, then Advanced settings > Controls > Adjust while viewing outlines. The panel on the right controls Width (all selections), Last selected opacity, and Other selections opacity. These preferences are saved in this browser, and the outlines do not appear in saved images or exported video.
Change a figure's poseChoose a standing, sitting, walking, or other pose
  1. 1.Click the figure whose pose you want to change in the 3D view.
  2. 2.When the selected figure supports poses, open the Pose tab at the top of the Inspector on the right.
  3. 3.Click a pose thumbnail to apply it to the selected figure.
  4. 4.Use Size below the pose list and My Pose to scale the whole Blockman or figure. Then use Orientation for the pivot (feet or hips), Y facing, forward/side tilt, and angle snapping. The same Size and Orientation controls remain in Basic.
  5. 5.With only one figure selected, open Fine tune to move the face, upper body, arms, and legs one degree at a time. To lean a seated figure forward or back, use Hips forward/back: the upper body pivots at the hip joint while the legs stay exactly where you placed them, all the way to a deep forward bend from a sitting position.
  6. 6.Elbows and knees straighten fully even in seated poses. If an arm or a leg will not extend, check its joint slider instead of tilting the whole figure.
  7. 7.On a Blockman, the Face group in Fine tune also has the neck and eyes. Use Neck side, Neck up/down, Neck tilt, and Neck forward/back for the neck. Turn on Show eyes, then use Close eyes, Eye outline, Gaze left/right, and Gaze up/down for where the figure looks.
  8. 8.If the Pose tab does not appear, that figure does not currently support pose switching. Supported figures also provide Fine tune and My Pose in this tab.
  9. 9.To swap Blockman (Male) and Blockman (Female), open the … menu in the figure's Layers row and choose the other one under 3D Assets. The pose and its fine tuning stay as they are.
  10. 10.Tip: use the Capsule (a figure with no arms or hands) when you want your video AI to decide the hands and legs from the prompt, and Blockman when you want to set exactly where the hands and feet go. If building a pose takes too long, switching to the Capsule and describing the pose in the prompt is faster. Swap the same way, from … → 3D Assets. The position and facing stay; pick the pose again from the Capsule's stand, sit on a chair, and sit on the floor.
Move, rotate, size, and duplicateAdjust the position and shape of placed objects
  1. 1.Press G to move horizontally. Press Y after G to move vertically, and G again to return to horizontal movement. With the mouse, right-drag horizontally and hold Y only while you want vertical movement.
  2. 2.Press F to drop the selection onto the first upward-facing surface directly below it. It lands on a rooftop or a desk when one is there, and falls to the floor (0m) only when nothing is underneath.
  3. 3.To move onto a rooftop or Box top that is not directly below, press Pick destination position under Grounding, then click the exact placement point in 3D. A single object's anchor, or the center of multiple objects or groups, moves to that point without breaking the arrangement. Press Esc to cancel.
  4. 4.The XYZ gizmo stays a usable on-screen size at any camera distance and follows the dragged screen distance. If the origin is off screen, the gizmo appears at the frame edge as a proxy.
  5. 5.In the Position panel under Basic, enter X/Y/Z coordinates directly or nudge by 0.1m, 1m, or 10m. Click an X, Y, or Z axis label to reset only that coordinate to 0m.
  6. 6.Overall size under Size on the right resizes while keeping the width, height, and depth ratio. The numbers are in metres (m). To change the shape, adjust Width, Height, and Depth one by one.
  7. 7.With multiple objects selected, Group changes the whole arrangement and Individual changes each object.
  8. 8.Option-drag to duplicate. Add Shift to constrain the movement axis.
Duplicate and line up blocking shapes or GLB propsCopy the same shape and place it along a constrained axis
  1. 1.Hold Option and left-drag on a blocking shape or GLB prop to create a copy with the same dimensions, rotation, and color, then move it immediately.
  2. 2.If multiple blocking primitives and GLB props are selected, the entire arrangement is duplicated together.
  3. 3.Also hold Shift to constrain movement to a world axis and snap by the selection's width or depth.
  4. 4.You can also Option-left-drag an XYZ gizmo axis to duplicate along that axis. Cmd/Ctrl+Z removes the whole completed duplicate operation in one step.
Treat Boxes or Walls as one groupOrganize assembled shapes in layers, then move or reorder them without breaking them apart
  1. 1.Cmd/Ctrl-click at least two Boxes or Walls, then press Group in the placed list under the Layers tab. After grouping, Cmd/Ctrl-click can add another group or individual object to the selection.
  2. 2.Open the group's … menu and choose Edit group to expand its Boxes or Walls directly below the group row. Press the check on the row when editing is finished. Double-click the group name to rename it.
  3. 3.While editing a parent group, select at least two of its blocks. Group as subgroup appears directly after the selection. You can duplicate the subgroup or use its … menu to remove it from the parent.
  4. 4.Drag the handle at the left of a row to reorder items only within the same level. An item never crosses into another parent or a third nesting level.
  5. 5.While grouped, Move, Rotation, Tilt, Roll, and Size preserve the arrangement as one object. Ungroup keeps the child objects.
  6. 6.An … menu opens inline directly under its row. Clicking another … or the 3D view closes it, and only one menu stays open.
Save a built shape to My Parts and reuse itPlace the same arrangement in another scene or project
  1. 1.Group Blockman and shapes, adjust their poses and placement, then choose Save to My Parts from the group's … menu.
  2. 2.Give it a name. It will appear under My Parts in the Objects tab at the lower-right.
  3. 3.Click a My Parts row to place an independent copy. Reuse it in scenes and projects within the same storage root. Editing a copy does not change the original or other copies. Set up shooting movement after placement.
  4. 4.Double-click the row to rename it. Use the … menu to rename or unregister it. Unregistering does not remove copies already placed in scenes.
Undo, redo, and deleteRecover from unwanted changes safely
  1. 1.Press Cmd/Ctrl+Z to undo the latest placement, movement, rotation, size change, duplicate, or similar edit.
  2. 2.Press Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Z to redo an undone operation. Editing after Undo clears the previous Redo branch. You can undo the new edit.
  3. 3.Delete removes the currently selected placed object, saved shot, or Cut List item, depending on the active workspace.
  4. 4.A drag or slider gesture undoes as one complete operation. A quick second drag or button command keeps its own Undo step.
Save and arrange shotsKeep framing, then compare it in Cut List
  1. 1.Set the framing and lens in the 3D view.
  2. 2.Press C or the camera button in the top bar to save the shot and add it to the end of Cut List. Decide what to keep in Cut List. If one saved shot is active in SHOTS, the new shot is inserted directly after it in SHOTS.
  3. 3.In SHOTS, select one or more shots and use Duplicate to copy the same framing directly after the selection. Saved Shots has no fixed shot limit.
  4. 4.The icons at the top right of SHOTS duplicate, preview, add to or remove from Cut List, download, and delete. The download menu offers Image only or With AI info (zip). Deleting a shot keeps its cut in Cut List.
  5. 5.Open a saved shot and choose Create an alternative from this shot to restore its location, placed objects, figure poses, lens, and camera for 3D exploration. The original stays unchanged; press C to save the result as a new shot.
  6. 6.Open a saved shot and choose Re-edit this shot to revise it. Press Enter to update that same shot with the new composition, or Esc to return to the state from before the revision.
  7. 7.Open Cut List in the top bar.
  8. 8.Drag shots into order and compare how adjacent frames connect.
Edit, compare, and export the Cut ListReview adjacent stills and video Takes as one sequence
  1. 1.Board keeps every cut in story order. The Active only button beside the total count hides paused cuts without deleting them and restores them to their original positions when turned off. When it is on, the number at top left turns pink and shows playback order 1, 2, 3...; turning it off brings back the original cut number. Change the number size with Cut number size in Display settings. Drag from empty space to marquee-select multiple cuts, or hold Cmd/Ctrl while drawing to add them to the current selection. Drag any selected card to move the selection together while preserving its internal order. Use the eye button or turn Include in playback off to pause a cut without deleting it; it remains dimmed. Cmd/Ctrl-click adds individual cuts, Shift-click selects a range, Cmd/Ctrl+A selects all visible cuts, and Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+H excludes or restores the selection together.
  2. 2.With multiple cuts selected, inspector markers apply to the whole selection: add when some cuts lack the marker, or remove when all have it. Marker names and notes remain per cut. For a cut to revisit later, add a color or icon marker in the right inspector, then give that marker a name such as Needs review and a multiline note. Drag the note field's lower edge to make it taller. Hover the marker in Board or Player to read the name and note, and use the matching marker at the top to filter those cuts.
  3. 3.Marker names and individual notes appear in one line below each thumbnail. Open N more for the full right-side list when there are several; Note N counts individual notes only, while shared comments appear separately in strips with an automatic subtle color for each range. Select multiple cuts, press Comment on these N cuts, enter the Shared comment, then click outside the field to save. To change its members, press Change comment cuts, select them again, then Confirm N cuts. Ungrouping keeps the comment as an individual note on the first cut. Deleting a comment keeps the cuts. Playback for only that range or with surrounding cuts is not available yet; use the regular Player.
  4. 4.Player shows only included cuts by default. Use Left / Right Arrow for previous / next playable cut, Home / End for first / last, J for reverse, K for play / pause, and L for forward. Repeated J / L presses select 1x / 2x / 4x / 8x. Clicking the large preview only selects the current cut; it does not play or pause. Show N excluded cuts temporarily restores paused cuts in story order so the eye button can include them again.
  5. 5.To try another angle without replacing the original, select a cut and press Explore another angle in 3D (O) in the right inspector, or press the letter O key. Its saved location, assets, poses, lens, and camera return to 3D. Save the result as a new cut. The number 0 key does not trigger this action.
  6. 6.Press D to duplicate the selection. Multiple selected cuts can be duplicated together, and Cut List has no fixed cut limit. Deleting cuts that carry individual notes or shared comments shows the targets for confirmation and is distinct from deleting only those comments. Cut deletion and review-comment changes support Cmd/Ctrl+Z Undo and Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Z Redo. History keeps up to 50 changes within the same project and sequence until reload; an edit outside this history may clear it for safety. This is not Undo for every operation. Removing a cut does not delete its source shot from the location.
  7. 7.Open Display settings from the tune icon at the end of the left header for Still default duration, thumbnail size, Output frame, and Timecode. At narrow widths, marker filters move into a filter pop-up. Still and video used durations accept tenths, such as changing 3.5 to 3.2 seconds. The header switches between all-cut and Active only totals and formats them as 15.0s or 2m 09.5s. Open export from the full-width button at the top of the right column and choose one of four scopes. Auto names use all-cut or playback order as four digits such as 0001; when both are selected they read like A0001_0015.
Shoot, record, and review TakesTest figure and camera motion
  1. 1.Open Shoot in the top bar. Recording settings shows the current destination, and Change storage folder selects a different root for the whole project. Browsers cannot read the absolute path on your Mac, so the app shows the path relative to the named storage folder.
  2. 2.Browsers do not let you choose Downloads, Desktop, or Documents itself. Create a new folder inside one of them and choose that folder.
  3. 3.Set figure motion and camera motion. If the camera move uses different Start and End lenses, the lens changes smoothly between them. ↺ (Reset) in a header clears only that figure's or the camera's Start and End; Cmd/Ctrl+Z brings them back.
  4. 4.Fold the figure and camera panels with the ▸ left of their names. Open Camera work under Camera motion to make a dolly zoom or an Orbit. Set any orbit angle from 1° to 720° in the number box, or snap with the 90°, 180°, 360°, and 720° buttons below. Remove (or switching dolly zoom's Use off) brings back the camera move you had before making it.
  5. 5.To stop along the way, add a middle point with MID＋ and set its hold, facing, and pose. Time a camera middle point by the seconds from the previous point, the hold, and the seconds to the end, or stop it at the same moment as the actor's point.
  6. 6.Space previews the camera and X the actors only. With a point selected, playback starts 2 seconds before it. Click the selected point again or press Esc to clear the selection and play from the beginning. Press Space or X while playing to pause, then fix or add a middle point right there.
  7. 7.The shooting camera bar also has the same REV as the 3D view for dialogue reverse angles. It is unavailable during the countdown, recording, and MP4 export.
  8. 8.Rehearse before pressing REC. Preview, REC, and offline export reproduce the same figure position and facing and the same camera lens at the same time.
  9. 9.When the camera move is complicated (following a figure partway, tilting up partway), you can skip Camera motion and move the camera by hand with the mouse or WASD while REC runs. For previs before a live-action shoot, moving by hand is often faster. For previs you hand to a video AI, build the move precisely with Camera motion, because the video AI tries to copy the camera move as it is. Press B (inertia) to smooth mouse moves.
  10. 10.Keep only the useful Take in Cut List.
Save, import, and exportMove projects and shots outside the app
  1. 1.Manage projects from the folder button at the lower-right.
  2. 2.A project file is the lightweight handoff option. It keeps Saved Shot restore states and the first and last frames for Cut List videos, but not the original 3D asset files.
  3. 3.A full package also includes the 3D assets currently in use.
  4. 4.Choose All cuts, Active only, Marked, or the selected cut in Cut List export, then export stills or a previs video for that scope.
  5. 5.If an import does not start, check that you are signed in and have chosen a save folder. The reason it stopped appears at the bottom of the Projects window. While importing, the file count and elapsed time show it is still moving.
  6. 6.A location card marked "Elsewhere" has no content in the current save folder. When you open it, the folder it was last saved in appears. Use Connect to choose it and open the location. It may be on another PC. If the save folder is not connected, use Connect in the notice at the bottom of the screen to choose it again.
Create, switch, and hand off projectsSeparate jobs and share either a light project or a full package
  1. 1.Open Projects at the lower-right to create or switch job-specific projects. Double-click a card or press Enter to open it.
  2. 2.Use the … menu or right-click a card to duplicate, rename, or delete it. Default Project cannot be deleted.
  3. 3.Use Project File (.previzproject) for a lightweight handoff. It keeps Saved Shot restore states and the first and last frames for Cut List videos, but does not include the original 3D asset files.
  4. 4.Use Full Package (.previzpackage.zip) when the handoff must include used locations, figure models, and shot images. Import creates a new project instead of overwriting an existing one.
  5. 5.If loading or saving fails, keep the original project file and try again. Local mode imports and lists more than 50 locations without silently dropping any. The Web version keeps a 50-location project limit, so over-limit imports and saves are rejected before changing the existing project.
  6. 6.If Cut List fails to load, further saves are paused. Check the storage location and reload the project.
Get Pro (enter your license key)Enter the license key you bought on Gumroad to use Pro
  1. 1.Sign in, then click "SHOT OF THE DEAD" at the top left of the studio. The Plan & license window opens. The mark next to it shows your plan (FREE in pink, PRO in gold).
  2. 2.Buy SHOT OF THE DEAD Pro from "Purchase on Gumroad" and you receive a license key.
  3. 3.Paste the key into the license key field and click "Activate Pro". When the mark at the top left shows PRO, you are done.
  4. 4.You can open the same window from the plan row in Settings (the gear at the lower right).
  5. 5.If you see "This license key is already used by another account", check that you are signed in with the account you used the key on.
Invite friends (invite link and affiliates)Share your invite link and you both get every Pro feature free until November 30, 2026
  1. 1.Sign in, then click "SHOT OF THE DEAD" at the top left of the studio. Your own invite link appears under Invite in the Plan & license window.
  2. 2.Click "Copy" and send the link. When someone signs up through it, you both get every Pro feature free until November 30, 2026, Japan time (it is applied when they sign in).
  3. 3.When someone you invite starts using it, we send you a location that is not for sale, a little later.
  4. 4.Only new signups through your link are counted. People who already signed up, or who sign up on another device or browser, may not be counted.
  5. 5.To earn from sales, open the guide page (https://shotofthedead.com/affiliate) from "Learn more" in the window and apply to the Gumroad affiliate program. Once approved, Gumroad sends you your own link and pays you 30% of each sale (you need a Gumroad account with the same email you applied with).
Find lost objects, relink assets, and diagnose errorsRecover missing items and share useful diagnostic information
  1. 1.If an object is lost, select it in the placed list under the Layers tab and press the magnifier to find it in front of the camera.
  2. 2.For a missing figure model, use the Missing Assets screen to choose the original GLB / GLTF / FBX file or a folder containing it.
  3. 3.If a recorded Take is unavailable in Cut List, check or copy its filename. Use Link recording folder and select a storage root to search its subfolders and reconnect other missing cuts too. If several files match, check the listed paths and choose the intended folder. This does not change the destination for future recordings.
  4. 4.If the cause is unclear or you found a problem, open Report a problem from the … menu at the lower right, say what happened, and press Send to the developer. You can add a picture of the screen and the open location's data. With your AI connected, you can also ask it to report the problem.

AI and text guide

Use the plain-text version only when sharing the guide with an assistant such as ChatGPT.

AI and text guide
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