The design software of the disguise media server ecosystem: previsualisation, mapping and show preparation for the actual rendering hardware.
disguise · media server preparation and visualisation software
disguise Designer content management software
Designer is the design and preparation application of the disguise (formerly d3) platform: the show's geometry, the output mapping and the content timing are built here, typically alongside the disguise hardware (or cloud rendering) that does the actual rendering. disguise is mainly present in the high-end event technology, touring and virtual production (XR) market, where reliability and handling complex, many-output systems are key considerations.
Access to the software goes through a disguise.cloud account, and the manufacturer explicitly positions Designer as part of an integrated ecosystem: the design program can be used on its own for visualisation, but full live operation typically also requires disguise rendering hardware or cloud-based rendering.
Where the Designer sits in an LED wall system
Designer is where design and visualisation happen: the show's geometry — the 3D model of the wall, the cameras, the output mapping — is built here, while the actual rendering is done by disguise hardware or cloud rendering. In an XR studio the chain typically looks like this: game engine render node, RenderStream connection, disguise server, LED processor (often Brompton Tessera or Megapixel HELIOS), and finally the panels. Designer also works together with the processor's colour management, so the colour accuracy of the picture seen by the camera can be adjusted at system level, not only on the wall.
WHEN IT IS THE RIGHT CHOICE
On high-budget touring, event technology and virtual production (XR studio) projects, where the complete disguise ecosystem (design plus dedicated rendering) is available.
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
Designer requires subscription access through a disguise.cloud account, and genuine live operation typically also requires disguise hardware or paid cloud rendering — on its own and for free it is not a complete substitute for standalone media servers of the Resolume/PIXERA type.
The Designer in practice
The software is reached through a disguise.cloud account; the free Starter level allows design and visualisation to be tried out, but live operation requires a Pro subscription and typically disguise hardware. According to the experience of a theatre technology integrator, the HTTP API is well described with Swagger documentation, but the OSC command set is limited — the full cue list, for instance, cannot be queried — and they describe the CodeMeter-based licence activation as decidedly unintuitive. That step is worth doing in calm conditions before the on-site rig, not in the hour before the rehearsal. Learning is measured in weeks, and the system assumes prior media server experience. There is no Hungarian interface or support.
Alternatives to the Designer
If there is no camera and no XR in the project, the disguise ecosystem is oversized: for a large permanent installation with many outputs WATCHOUT is more realistic, for a flexible event PIXERA, and for a single wall with live mixed content Resolume Arena. If, on the other hand, the XR studio has already been built with a Brompton or Megapixel processor, disguise is the element most such studios are built around — the decision is then made by the existing equipment and the availability of servers for hire.
Designer manual and datasheet
The documents live on the manufacturer's own site and open in a new window — so you always get the latest version. We do not copy or translate their contents.
Designer on video
The player is only embedded on click — until then not a single request goes to YouTube.
disguise | LED and RenderStream Setup | XR Tutorial | Unreal Engine (4.27, 5.0, 5.1, 5.2)
Bitlo Media · YouTube · Tutorial
Ask AId3n in Disguise Designer
Disguise · YouTube · Tutorial
New in Designer: OpenVPCal plugin
Disguise · YouTube · Demo
Designer: what users report
A concise summary of experiences published in public professional forums and communities. Not our opinion, and not a quotation — the source is always available.
According to the experience of a theatre technology integrator, the Disguise system's HTTP API is well described with Swagger documentation, but the OSC command set ('OSC Dictionary') is limited — there is no way to query the full cue list. They describe the licence activation (CodeMeter) process as decidedly unintuitive and hard to follow.
GitHub — stagehacks/Cue-View (issue #107) — open the sourceRelated content management software
content management software — but what does it go into?
On its own the disguise Designer is a component. With us it works inside these displays — design, manufacturing and installation included.
