Lightcraft Jetset

Lightcraft Jetset is an iOS app for making visual-effects shots that combine computer graphics with live-action video. It displays and captures the combination in real time, using ARKit tracking to map a scene and align the live-action origin with a 3D scene. It supports real-time rendering of production-level USDZ models and records camera original footage, live composites, and tracking metadata. For masking, it offers AI mattes, a green-screen keyer, and 3D screen planes; printed floor or vertical markers can reset the tracking origin. Lightcraft describes post-production workflows involving Unreal, Blender, and USD through its Autoshot application, and provides Autoshot downloads, a Blender add-on, and a character-conversion tool. Jetset has a free plan. Jetset Pro costs $20 a month, Cine Monthly costs $80 a month, and Cine Yearly costs $800 a year. Scene scanning is limited to Jetset Pro and Jetset Cine and requires a LiDAR-equipped iPhone Pro or iPad Pro. The App Store listing requires iOS 18.0 or later and an A12 Bionic chip or later.

Jetset brings real-time tracking, compositing, and capture tools to an iOS visual-effects workflow. Check device requirements and plan limits, especially if scene scanning is needed.

Jetset suits iOS users creating visual-effects shots with live-action footage and CGI. Its tracking, masking, and post-production tools may fit workflows involving Unreal, Blender, or USD.

Lightcraft Jetset is an iOS visual-effects app for combining live camera footage with real-time computer graphics, tracking, and compositing. It suits filmmakers and virtual-production teams that want to frame and capture effects shots on an Apple mobile device, while desktop artists can continue in Blender, Unreal, or USD-based workflows. Its strongest case is fast, tracked previs and capture; the cost and hardware requirements make it less compelling for casual experimentation or non-Apple crews.

Jetset uses ARKit camera tracking to align a live-action origin with a 3D scene, then renders production-level USDZ models through Apple RealityKit. The result is a live view of the composite rather than a purely offline setup, so directors and operators can judge placement while shooting. Printed floor and vertical origin markers provide a practical way to reset tracking when a session drifts or a setup changes.

Overview

The app records camera-original footage, live composites, and tracking metadata, giving post-production teams more than a reference video. Lightcraft’s Autoshot downloads and Blender add-on are intended to carry those takes into later work, while a separate conversion tool prepares animated skinned characters for import into Jetset. That combination makes Jetset a capture front end for a broader pipeline rather than an isolated mobile effects toy.

Compositing covers AI mattes, a green-screen keyer, and 3D screen planes for masking. Those options address common foreground, chroma-key, and display-surface tasks without requiring every shot to be assembled from scratch in a desktop compositor. Lightcraft provides support by email at [email protected].

Key features

• Real-time tracking and rendering: ARKit fuses CGI and live action, while Apple RealityKit renders USDZ assets in the camera view. This is useful for checking blocking and scale on location, though the experience depends on a compatible iPhone or iPad.
• Capture and post: Recorded originals, composites, and tracking metadata preserve material for later finishing. Autoshot, the Blender add-on, Unreal/Blender/USD workflows, and the character-conversion utility give technical artists routes beyond the app itself.
• Scene scanning: LiDAR scanning is reserved for Jetset Pro and Jetset Cine and requires a LiDAR-equipped iPhone Pro or iPad Pro. Owners of ordinary iPhones or iPads cannot use this part of the workflow.
• Privacy and compliance: Lightcraft says TrueDepth head and face data used for tracking remains on the device and is not persistently stored there. Its license also says the software is not tailored for industry-specific rules such as HIPAA or FISMA, and its security statement does not guarantee completely secure internet transmission or storage.

Pricing

Jetset follows a freemium model with a free plan, but the published paid tiers determine who gets the more advanced production tools.

• Free plan: A no-cost way to use the core app and evaluate whether an iOS tracking and compositing workflow fits your production. Scene scanning is not included, so LiDAR-dependent work requires an upgrade.
• Jetset Pro — $20 a month: The entry paid tier adds scene scanning for supported LiDAR-equipped iPhone Pro and iPad Pro devices. It fits individuals and small crews that need scanning without Cine’s higher recurring cost.
• Cine Monthly — $80 a month: This is the higher monthly tier for productions that need Jetset’s Cine offering and want to avoid an annual commitment.
• Cine Yearly — $800 a year: The annual Cine option lowers the effective monthly rate compared with paying $80 every month, but commits the buyer to a year.

There are no published seat, quota, renewal, or trial terms beyond the plan billing descriptions. Buyers should therefore treat the free tier as the low-risk starting point and confirm operational terms before putting a larger crew on a paid plan.

Platforms

Jetset is built for iOS and is also associated with macOS through its supported-platform listing and post-production tooling. The App Store requirement is iOS 18.0 or later on an A12 Bionic chip or later. LiDAR scanning narrows that requirement further to a LiDAR-equipped iPhone Pro or iPad Pro.

Who it's for

Choose Jetset if you are a filmmaker, previs artist, virtual-production operator, or technical artist who wants tracked CGI and live footage in the same mobile view, with metadata and compositing material ready for later work. It is particularly suitable when Apple hardware is already standard and when Blender, Unreal, or USD handoff matters.

Look elsewhere if your team needs Android, Windows, or Linux capture, relies on regulated workflows, or cannot provide the required newer iOS hardware. The free plan can demonstrate the concept, but LiDAR-based scanning is a paid-tier feature and a device-dependent one.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Real-time ARKit tracking and RealityKit rendering let crews judge CGI/live-action alignment during capture.
• Pro: AI mattes, green-screen keying, and 3D screen planes cover several practical masking jobs in one app.
• Pro: Camera originals, composites, and tracking metadata support a handoff into Autoshot, Blender, Unreal, and USD workflows.
• Con: LiDAR scanning is limited to Pro and Cine plans and requires a LiDAR-equipped iPhone Pro or iPad Pro.
• Con: iOS 18 and A12 Bionic hardware exclude older Apple devices, while Android and desktop operating systems are not capture platforms.
• Con: The license is not tailored to HIPAA, FISMA, or similar industry-specific compliance needs.

Alternatives

For a broader directory of tools, see Virtual Production Software. Grid Studio is a freemium Android/iOS option with a free tier whose data connections are watermarked, so it is worth considering when cross-platform access matters more than Jetset’s camera-centric effects workflow.

Shroozy Stage is free and open source under the MIT licence across Android, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows, making it a better fit for teams that need broad platform coverage. ARFX Infinite Studio offers a freemium Starter plan on iOS and Windows, which may suit users who need Windows alongside iOS.

Aximmetry provides a freemium product for iOS and Windows and a $5,990 lifetime Broadcast & Film license, a different buying model for organizations avoiding subscriptions. Voia is a paid product for API, iOS, and web. CineBridge offers a free CineBridge Playback tier on Windows for broadcasting UDP data files to Unity. Pixotope has a feature-limited free Discovery tier and paid virtual-studio options across API, Linux, and Windows. SMODE offers a free non-commercial Community license on Windows and a €300-per-year Compose FHD plan.

Verdict

Jetset is a strong choice for Apple-based filmmakers and virtual-production artists who need tracked live composites, on-device capture, and a credible handoff into Blender, Unreal, or USD. Its main reason to look elsewhere is the combination of iOS-only capture, A12/iOS 18 requirements, paid and hardware-gated LiDAR scanning, and limited suitability for regulated environments.