The Virtual Joystick is an on-screen camera control tool that lets you pan, tilt, and zoom your PTZ camera directly from the video preview. Click on the video feed, drag in the direction you want the camera to move, and the farther you drag from the starting point, the faster the camera moves. It gives you smooth, intuitive, analog-style control — like using a physical joystick, but on screen.
It's ideal for live production scenarios where you need fluid, real-time camera movements, and it works alongside other tools like Click to Center, Fast Frame, and Cine Frame.
What You'll Need
A PTZ camera connected to Iris that supports pan and/or tilt. If your camera doesn't support either, the Joystick tool will be disabled in the toolbar.
No calibration required to start. Unlike Fast Frame and Cine Frame, the Joystick is available even before calibration. It's only disabled during an active calibration process.
How to Use the Virtual Joystick
Activating the Tool
There are three ways to get to it:
From the toolbar — Click the Joystick icon (looks like a joystick) in the toolbar above the video preview.
Keyboard shortcut — Press J to switch to the Joystick tool.
Temporary activation with Space — While using any other tool, hover over the video preview and hold the Space bar. The joystick appears at your cursor's position. When you release Space, you go right back to whatever tool you were using before. This is great for making a quick adjustment without switching tools.
Keyboard shortcuts are customizable in Settings > Hot Keys.
Moving the Camera
With the Joystick tool active, hover over the video preview. You'll see a custom cursor (a small circle with a semi-transparent ring).
Click and hold the left mouse button on the video. A joystick origin point appears where you clicked. Now drag your mouse away from the origin in the direction you want the camera to move. The camera starts panning and/or tilting in that direction.
Understanding the Visual Feedback
Safe zone — A small semi-transparent circle around the origin point. While your cursor is inside this zone, no movement happens. This prevents accidental micro-movements when you first click.
Speed depends on distance — The farther you drag from the origin, the faster the camera moves. Speed ramps up smoothly.
Color-coded feedback tells you how fast you're going:
White — Inside the safe zone (no movement)
Yellow — Slow speed
Yellow to green gradient — Medium speed
Green — Fast speed
In Variable speed mode, you'll also see:
A dashed circle showing the maximum speed boundary. Dragging beyond it doesn't make the camera go faster.
A speed percentage label above the origin showing your current speed.
Your cursor is hidden while the joystick is engaged — it's replaced by the joystick visualization.
Zooming While Panning
You can zoom at the same time as panning and tilting. While the joystick is engaged, scroll your mouse wheel up or down. A plus (+) or minus (−) icon appears on the origin circle to show which direction you're zooming.
Scroll-wheel zoom also works when the Joystick tool is selected but you're not actively click-dragging.
Stopping Movement
Release the mouse button — Camera stops moving.
Move your cursor back into the safe zone — Pan/tilt stops (zoom still works via scroll wheel).
Release the Space bar (temporary mode) — Joystick disengages and you return to your previous tool.
Move your cursor off the video preview — Joystick disengages.
If you switch away from the app or tab, movement stops automatically.
Adjusting Speed Settings
You can fine-tune how the joystick controls speed from the Control panel on the right side of the screen. There are separate settings for Pan & Tilt and Zoom.
Speed Mode
Variable (default) — Speed scales with how far you drag from the origin. The rate slider sets the maximum speed you can reach.
Fixed — The camera always moves at the speed you set with the rate slider, regardless of drag distance.
Rate Slider
Adjusts speed from 1% to 100%. In Fixed mode, this is the constant speed. In Variable mode, this is the maximum speed the joystick can reach at full drag distance.
Other Ways to Move Your Camera
The on-screen joystick isn't the only way to control your camera in Iris:
D-Pad — A directional pad in the Control panel sidebar with arrows for 8 directions (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW). Click an arrow to move the camera in that direction.
Keyboard arrows — Use arrow keys for pan (Left/Right) and tilt (Up/Down). Use = and to zoom in and out.
Gamepad controller — Connect a USB or Bluetooth gamepad for physical joystick control of pan, tilt, and zoom.
IP Controller (desktop app only) — Connect a professional VISCA-compatible IP joystick controller. Go to Settings > Controllers > IP Controller to add and manage controllers. This is only available in the desktop application, not the browser.
Auto-Tracking and the Joystick
If Auto-Tracking is actively following a subject and you try to use the joystick, a confirmation dialog appears: "Stop Auto Tracking?" It explains that switching tools will stop tracking. You can choose to stop tracking and proceed, or cancel.
There's also a "Don't show me this again" checkbox if you'd rather skip the prompt in the future.
Tips and Best Practices
Use Space for quick adjustments. Hold Space to temporarily activate the joystick from any tool, make your adjustment, release Space, and you're right back where you were. Extremely useful during live production.
Variable mode for most situations. It gives you the most control — slow near the origin for fine adjustments, fast at the edges for big moves.
Fixed mode for consistency. When you need the camera to move at a predictable speed regardless of your drag distance, switch to Fixed.
Practice makes smooth. Gentle, consistent inputs produce the smoothest on-air movements. Start movements slowly and gradually increase speed for professional-looking transitions.
What Happens If…
…Auto-Tracking is active? A confirmation dialog asks if you want to stop tracking. Confirm to proceed, or cancel to keep tracking active. You can check "Don't show me this again" to skip the dialog in the future.
…your cursor leaves the video preview? The joystick disengages and camera movement stops. If you were using the Space bar, your previous tool is restored.
…you switch away from the app or tab? Movement stops automatically.
…your camera supports tilt but not pan (or vice versa)? The joystick works on the supported axis only. If neither pan nor tilt is supported, the tool is disabled entirely.
…you scroll the mouse wheel without click-dragging? Zoom still works — scroll-wheel zoom is independent of the click-and-drag pan/tilt.
…the camera disconnects while you're using the joystick? The joystick visualization stays on screen, but movement commands won't reach the camera. Reconnect to resume control.
Troubleshooting
What's happening | Likely cause | What to do |
Joystick icon is grayed out | Camera doesn't support pan or tilt, or calibration is actively running | Verify your camera supports PTZ. Wait for calibration to finish. |
Camera doesn't move when I drag | Cursor is still inside the safe zone | Drag farther away from the origin point |
Camera moves too slowly | Speed rate is low, or you're in Variable mode and not dragging far enough | Increase the rate slider in the Control panel, or drag farther from the origin |
Camera moves too fast | Rate is high in Fixed mode | Switch to Variable mode or lower the rate slider |
Space bar doesn't activate the joystick | Cursor isn't over the video preview, or focus is on a text input field | Make sure your mouse is over the video and click the video area first |
"Stop Auto Tracking?" dialog keeps showing | Auto-Tracking is active on the camera | Stop tracking first, or check "Don't show me this again" |
IP controller not showing up | Not added, or using the web version | IP controllers can only be added from the desktop app. Go to Settings > Controllers > IP Controller. |
FAQs
Can I zoom while panning and tilting at the same time? Yes. Scroll the mouse wheel while dragging to zoom simultaneously. A plus or minus icon appears on the joystick origin to show the zoom direction.
What's the difference between Fixed and Variable speed? Fixed mode moves the camera at a constant speed set by the rate slider — drag distance doesn't matter. Variable mode (the default) scales speed with drag distance, up to the maximum set by the rate slider.
Can I customize the keyboard shortcuts? Yes. Go to Settings > Hot Keys to change the shortcut for both the Joystick tool (default: J) and the temporary trigger (default: Space).
Does it work in the web browser? Yes, the on-screen Virtual Joystick works in both the desktop app and the browser. Physical IP controllers can only be managed from the desktop app.
Can I use a physical gamepad and the on-screen joystick at the same time? Both send movement commands to the same camera. Using them simultaneously may produce unpredictable results — stick to one input method at a time.
Does the joystick work with any camera? It works with any PTZ camera that supports pan and/or tilt. Unlike Fast Frame, it doesn't require calibration to be completed first — it's available as soon as your camera is connected.
Can I use the joystick on a touchscreen? The joystick responds to pointer events, so it may work with touch input. However, it's primarily designed for mouse interaction and isn't officially optimized for touch devices.
How can I get smoother movements? Use Variable speed mode, keep the rate slider moderate, and make gentle, consistent drag motions. Starting slow and gradually increasing distance from the origin produces the smoothest-looking camera movements.
Use Cases
Live event coverage — On-the-fly camera adjustments to follow fast-moving subjects or smoothly transition between shots.
Studio production — Manually create nuanced, dynamic camera movements that add a professional touch to your production.
Worship services — Smoothly follow speakers and transitions between wide and close-up shots during services.
Remote production — Control cameras at a remote location in real time without needing an operator on-site.
Quick adjustments during other workflows — Use the Space bar shortcut to make a quick pan/tilt adjustment without leaving your current tool, then release to go right back.