Compare · disguise
Different class. Different money. Both true.
disguise is not a piece of software you buy; it is a platform of servers, a 3D previsualisation environment, an xR stage pipeline and a global rental and training network. Designer, the software, is where the show is programmed; the show itself plays from disguise hardware. VIIY is the opposite shape: one perpetual licence that turns the Windows PC you already own into the media server, with a second PC as backup.
Facts about disguise were read on disguise.one (Designer tiers and licensing FAQ) on 4 September 2026.
Side by side
| VIIY 1.0 | disguise Designer | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape of the product | Software licence; runs and outputs on your own PC | Software for programming and previs; live output on disguise servers or Pro instances |
| Price and licence | €399 founding (first 20 operators or until 31 December 2026), then €549 · perpetual · 12 months of updates, renewal €149 | Designer Pro $159 per month or $1,500 per year · Designer Starter free for learning and previs, cannot join sessions with servers · servers priced separately |
| Platform | Windows 10/11, any Direct3D 11 GPU | Windows; certified disguise hardware for output |
| Previsualisation | Output previews and a clean program view; no 3D stage | Full 3D stage with projectors, LED, cameras and content in place |
| Virtual production and xR | Not offered | Camera tracking, set extension, colour pipelines — the reason the platform exists |
| Show structure | Cue list with follow / on-end / jump, plus a timeline | Timeline with sections and cues |
| Timecode and control | SMPTE (LTC) and MTC in, MTC out, OSC in and out, MIDI, Art-Net and sACN in, MCP server | Timecode, OSC, MIDI, DMX, Art-Net, plugin framework |
| Backup | Backup machine in every licence, network sync, failover | Understudy servers; part of the hardware design |
| Team workflow | One operator at a time | Multi-user sessions, real-time collaborative editing |
| Pixel mapping | Art-Net and sACN out, 64 universes, MVR import | DMX output to fixtures |
| AI | AI Showbuilder from a brief; the assistant writes ISF shaders; MCP server for any agent | Ask Aid3n plugin (Designer Pro) |
| Ecosystem | Released September 2026, one developer | Certified servers, global rental stock, training courses, a user community across tours and broadcast |
Which one
Arena tours, broadcast, xR studios, anything with tracked cameras or a 3D-mapped set. The platform and its crew are the point.
Theatre, corporate events, concerts and LED walls where an operator runs a cue list from a machine they own, with a backup they own, and keeps the licence forever.
We list disguise here because operators ask. If your brief needs xR or 3D previs, VIIY is not the answer, and we would rather say so than sell you a licence.