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Planning & Review

SyncSketch for Unreal Engine

Synchronized review for animation dailies, drawovers, audio, and supported 3D files.

It's ideal for live animation dailies where every reviewer needs to see the same frame.

Official sitesyncsketch.com

What it is

SyncSketch organizes media into reviews. Synchronized reviewers share the selected item, frame, playback, drawings, and 3D view. Presentation Mode lets one or more hosts control the shared session while attendees follow.

Put the shots for animation dailies into one Review. Synced reviewers see the same frame and drawings, and any participant can take control of playback in an ordinary session.

Use Presentation Mode when designated hosts need to control the review. For new subscriptions, native 3D review requires Team or Enterprise, and animated 3D requires Enterprise.

With Unreal Engine

SyncSketch fits animation dailies, character work, cinematics, visual effects, images, audio, PDFs, and 3D review. Everyone can work from the same frame or 3D view while notes remain attached to that location.

Where it fits

Strengths

  • Live synchronized review keeps remote participants on the same frame or view.
  • Drawing tools and comments attach directly to the media.
  • Reviews support video, images, audio, PDFs, and supported 3D formats.

Tradeoffs

  • It is built around review sessions rather than broad production planning.
  • Native 3D review requires Team or Enterprise for new subscriptions.
  • Animated 3D review requires Enterprise for new subscriptions.

Choose it when

  • Animation or visual-effects reviews happen live with remote participants.
  • Drawovers and frame-accurate notes are a routine part of direction.
  • The team needs to review a 3D model or animation from a shared camera context.

Look elsewhere when

  • Most feedback is asynchronous and tied to broader project updates.
  • The team needs broad project planning in the same system.
  • The required 3D or brush features are outside the available plan.

How it works

Workspace, project, and review
A workspace contains projects. A project contains Reviews, and a Review contains media Items. One Review can hold Monday's animation dailies, while another holds the current character turntables.15
Items and notes
An Item is one imported piece of media. Notes are text comments or sketches tied to that item and to a frame or view. Deep links can open the item, frame, angle, or specific comment directly.24
Synchronized review
In an ordinary synced review, any participant can take control of the selected item, playback, or 3D view. Presentation Mode reserves control for hosts. Presentation Review Links require a qualifying plan.89
Drawovers and trace paper
Sketch tools record a draw-over on the reviewed frame. Trace-paper tools help compare motion or pose relationships across frames. Each saved sketch has a comment entry that returns the reviewer to its recorded context.12
3D review
The 3D viewer can review supported models directly. A note records the camera angle and distance, plus the animation frame when there is one. A sketch is a flat overlay on that saved view. It is not painted onto the model surface.34710
Audio review
Audio files can be added to a Review and reviewed against their timeline.11

In production

  1. 01

    Build a review playlist

    Create one Review for a clear session or production slice. Add Items in the order they will be discussed and name each with the shot, asset, owner, and revision that the team recognizes.

  2. 02

    Prepare views before the meeting

    The review lead can add comments as bookmarks for important frames or 3D angles. This keeps the live session on the decisions that need a group instead of spending the call finding the same pose again.

  3. 03

    Decide who controls playback

    Use ordinary synchronization when every reviewer can change the shared view. Start Presentation Mode when one person needs to control playback and navigation. Record written notes and drawovers during the discussion.89

  4. 04

    Turn notes into assigned work

    After the session, combine duplicate notes and resolve conflicting direction. Assign each accepted change in the task tracker with a link to the SyncSketch comment.

  5. 05

    Review the next iteration in context

    Add the revised Item to the same review structure when comparison matters. Open the earlier annotation or deep link, then check the new frame or camera view against the requested change.

Best practices

Design the review hierarchy first
Use workspaces for the organization, projects for productions, and reviews for a clear session or content slice. Apply one naming scheme to shots, assets, owners, and revisions so exports and deep links remain understandable.
Prepare the session before people join
Order the playlist, test the media, and add bookmark comments for the frames or camera views that need a decision. Decide whether everyone can steer the synced view or one person will use Presentation Mode.89
Submit notes from the exact context
Pause on the intended frame or set the 3D camera before pressing Submit. Use a deep link to that comment when assigning work so the assignee opens the same item, frame, and view.
Move accepted work into the project record
Resolve duplicates and conflicting direction after the session. Assign each accepted change in the production tracker and link back to the SyncSketch note. Export notes when a milestone needs an offline review record.
Separate internal and external reviews
Use a dedicated review when clients or vendors aren't meant to see internal annotations. Test the audience, plan features, file format, and playback behavior before scheduled dailies.

Gotchas

3D access depends on the plan
Team and Enterprise include native 3D review; animated models require Enterprise. Legacy Education Plus accounts also include 3D features, but that plan is no longer sold. Free, Indie, and legacy Pro accounts can annotate embedded Sketchfab models.3710
A 3D sketch is a flat overlay
A sketch appears only from its saved camera view. Select its comment to restore that view. The drawing isn't attached to the model's surface.3
Drawings create Sketch Notes
Saving a drawing creates a Sketch Note. Add a text comment when the requested change needs an explanation, and link the task to that comment.4
Removing an item may not free storage
Copies of an item across reviews can share one stored file. Removing one reference does not free that storage, while deleting the final reference marks the item for deletion. Support can recover deleted items for 31 days.6

Adoption checklist

  • Confirm plan access for native 3D models, animated 3D files, and Presentation Review Links.
  • Use one naming scheme for shots, assets, owners, and revisions.
  • Choose collaborative synchronization or Presentation Mode before the session starts.
  • Record decisions in comments rather than relying on the meeting recording.
  • Link accepted notes to tasks in the project system.
  • Test supported file formats and playback behavior before scheduled dailies.

Related guides

Sources

Official sources checked .

  1. 1SyncSketch reviewssupport.syncsketch.com
  2. 2SyncSketch annotationssupport.syncsketch.com
  3. 3SyncSketch 3D reviewsupport.syncsketch.com
  4. 4Using SyncSketch commentssupport.syncsketch.com
  5. 5SyncSketch workspace structuresupport.syncsketch.com
  6. 6Deleting SyncSketch itemssupport.syncsketch.com
  7. 7Supported file formatssupport.syncsketch.com
  8. 8Real-time reviewssupport.syncsketch.com
  9. 9Presentation Modesupport.syncsketch.com
  10. 10Education Plus plansupport.syncsketch.com
  11. 11Reviewing audio filessupport.syncsketch.com
  12. 12SyncSketch drawing toolssupport.syncsketch.com

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