SyncSketch

SyncSketch is a comprehensive, cloud-based visual collaboration platform built by artists, for artists. It is trusted by leading studios in animation, visual effects (VFX), and game development to streamline the creative review and feedback process. The platform allows teams, whether co-located or distributed globally, to review various media types—including images, videos, 360-degree images, and 3D models—in a synchronized, real-time environment. This eliminates the confusion and delays associated with traditional feedback methods like email chains and file transfers, creating a single source of truth for all creative notes.

The core of SyncSketch is its high-fidelity, real-time review player. It ensures that all participants in a review session see the exact same frame at the same time, with no compression artifacts or lag. This creates an experience akin to sitting in the same room, which is fundamental for precise creative direction. The platform is designed to handle the demanding needs of professional production pipelines, offering robust security, seamless integrations, and a suite of powerful tools that empower artists to create their best work faster.

How to use SyncSketch

Using SyncSketch is designed to be intuitive and easily integrated into existing workflows. The process typically follows these steps:

1. Upload Media: Users can upload a wide range of file types, including videos (e.g., MP4), images (e.g., JPG, PNG), PDFs, and both static and animated 3D models.
2. Create a Review: Organize your uploaded media into a 'Review'. This acts as a playlist or a session folder.
3. Share Securely: Invite team members, clients, or other stakeholders to the review using a secure, shareable link. You can set permissions for viewers and presenters.
4. Conduct a Review Session: Start a review session. This can be done asynchronously, where participants leave notes at their own pace, or in real-time. In a real-time session, a designated presenter controls the playback, and all participants' screens are synchronized.
5. Annotate and Comment: Use SyncSketch's powerful brush engine and annotation tools to draw directly on frames, add text comments, and mention specific users to direct feedback. The feedback is frame-accurate, ensuring clarity.
6. Review 3D Models: For 3D assets, users can tumble, zoom, and pan around the model, review textures and UV maps, and leave notes on specific parts of the model.
7. Generate Summaries: After a review, you can quickly generate a PDF summary that includes all comments and annotated frames, providing a clear, actionable document for artists.
8. Integrate with Your Pipeline: Connect SyncSketch with tools like ShotGrid, Jira, and Maya to sync statuses, create tasks from notes, and streamline the entire production tracking process.

Core Features of SyncSketch

• Rich Annotations: A powerful, artist-friendly brush engine for detailed, frame-accurate sketches and notes on media.
• Synchronous & Asynchronous Reviews: Conduct live, real-time review sessions with synchronized playback or allow team members to leave feedback on their own time.
• 3D Model Viewer: Review static or animated 3D models directly in the browser, with support for shading, textures, and UV maps.
• File Comparison: Easily compare different versions of a file side-by-side or using an A/B overlay to track progress and make decisions.
• High-Level Security: Features end-to-end 256-bit encryption, SOC 2 compliance, SSO, multi-factor authentication, and follows an MPAA-approved framework to protect valuable IP.
• Seamless Integrations: Out-of-the-box integrations with industry-standard software like ShotGrid, Jira, and Maya, plus a robust Python/REST API for custom pipelines.
• Presentation Mode: Allows specific presenters to drive a review session for a large number of observers.
• Collaborative Whiteboard: A timeline-based whiteboard for brainstorming, sketching ideas, and creating simple animations.
• PDF Summaries: Automatically generate comprehensive PDF reports of review sessions with all notes and annotations.

Use Cases for SyncSketch

SyncSketch is versatile and is used across various creative industries:

• Animation Studios: For reviewing storyboards, animatics, character animation, and final shots. It helps directors and supervisors give clear, visual feedback to animators.
• VFX Teams: To review complex visual effects shots, composites, and renders. The frame-accuracy is critical for detailed feedback on elements like lighting, particles, and integration.
• Game Development: For reviewing 3D character models, environments, assets, and in-game cinematics. The 3D viewer is particularly key for this workflow.
• Remote & Hybrid Teams: It serves as the central collaboration hub for distributed creative teams, enabling them to maintain high productivity and creative cohesion regardless of location.
• Client & Stakeholder Reviews: Provides a secure and professional way to present work-in-progress to clients for instant feedback, dramatically reducing iteration cycles.
• Educational Institutions: Used in schools and universities to teach animation and VFX, allowing instructors to provide detailed feedback on student work.

Advantages of SyncSketch

SyncSketch offers significant advantages over traditional review methods. It provides precise, unambiguous feedback through its visual annotation tools, eliminating misunderstandings. The real-time collaboration saves massive amounts of time, making feedback loops more efficient. Its robust, industry-vetted security ensures that sensitive intellectual property is always protected. By integrating seamlessly with existing production pipelines, it reduces friction and keeps teams productive. Ultimately, it empowers creative teams to collaborate more effectively, iterate faster, and produce higher-quality work, regardless of where they are in the world.

Pricing and Plans

SyncSketch offers a tiered pricing structure to suit different needs, from individual freelancers to large enterprise studios. All paid plans include a 14-day free trial.

• Light (Free): Designed for individuals. Includes 1GB of storage, 2GB/month upload limit, and up to 5 users on 2 projects.
• Indie ($9 per user/month, billed yearly): Perfect for freelancers and small teams. Offers up to 15 users, 50GB storage, 100GB/month uploads, and adds features like file comparison and status management.
• Team ($19 per user/month, billed yearly): Ideal for teams needing advanced collaboration. Includes everything in Indie plus unlimited users, 3D model support, customizable brushes, and media management tools.
• Enterprise ($36 per user/month, billed yearly): For large, security-focused companies. Includes all Team features plus advanced security (SSO, custom policies), API access, ShotGrid & Jira integrations, priority support, and optional self-hosted data on AWS S3.

Academic pricing is also available for educational institutions.