On top of the viewport, you have two layers of control: Studio Views let you choose how your camera feeds are arranged, and Gridlines overlay visual guides to help you compose your shots. This article covers all three.
The Viewport
The viewport is simply the live preview area in the center of your Studio. When you open your Studio, this is the big central window showing your camera feeds.
A few things to know about how it works:
All camera feeds display in a 16:9 aspect ratio.
The source list on the left side of the screen is resizable — you can drag its edge to make it wider or narrower, depending on how much room you want for the viewport.
When you select a camera, all of your control tools (Click to Center, Fast Frame, Zoom, Joystick) apply to that camera's feed in the viewport.
Studio Views
Iris gives you two ways to arrange your camera feeds in the viewport. You can switch between them at any time depending on what you're doing.
Focus View (Single-Camera)
This is the default. One camera feed fills the entire viewport, letting you concentrate on a single source at a time. Your other sources are still visible as smaller tiles in the source list on the left, so you can quickly switch between them.
This is ideal when you're fine-tuning framing, adjusting image settings, or working closely with one camera.
Multi-View (Multi-Camera)
In Multi-View, all your camera sources are displayed in equal-sized tiles in the viewport. You can see everything at once, which is great for monitoring multiple angles or doing fast cuts between sources.
Click on any camera tile to select it — the selected camera gets a highlighted outline, and your control tools apply to that camera. The viewport will automatically scroll to keep the selected camera visible if it's off-screen.
With 1–2 cameras, they're arranged in a single row.
With 3–4 cameras, they're arranged in a 2×2 grid.
With 5 or more cameras, additional columns are added and you can scroll horizontally to see all of them.
Each camera tile in Multi-View shows the camera name in the top-left corner along with a status indicator, so you can tell at a glance which camera is which and whether it's online.
Switching Between Views
You'll see two small icons in the top-left area of the toolbar above the viewport — one for Focus View (a single rectangle) and one for Multi-View (a grid of four rectangles). Click the one you want. The active view is highlighted.
You can also switch using a keyboard shortcut or gamepad button if you have one configured.
Your view preference (Focus or Multi-View) is saved between sessions. When you come back to your Studio, it'll be in the same view you left it in.
Multi-View requires at least two camera sources. If you only have one camera connected, the Multi-View toggle will appear but it'll be grayed out.
Reordering Cameras in Multi-View
The order of camera tiles in Multi-View follows the order of your source list on the left. To rearrange them, just click and drag the source thumbnails in the left panel to the order you want.
Gridlines
Gridlines are visual overlays that appear on top of your camera feed to help you frame your shots. They're only visible on your screen — they never appear in your recordings or streams.
How to Turn Them On
In the top toolbar, to the right of the movement tools, you'll see three small icons for gridline options. Click one to enable it:
Rule of Thirds — Divides the frame into a 3×3 grid with two horizontal and two vertical lines. This is the classic composition guide — great for positioning subjects off-center for a more dynamic look.
Center Lines — Shows one vertical and one horizontal line through the center of the frame. Useful for centering your subject or aligning your shot.
Disabled — No gridlines shown. Use this for an unobstructed view of your feed.
How Gridlines Behave
Gridlines appear as a semi-transparent overlay on your selected camera's feed. When you hover your mouse over the camera tile, they become brighter and easier to see.
They're drawn with a thin colored line over a dark outline, so they stay visible against any background.
Your gridline selection is saved per user and persists between sessions. Other users in the same Studio won't see your gridlines — everyone picks their own.
Gridlines are temporarily hidden during the confirmation step of a Fast Frame selection. This is by design — they get out of the way so you can see your framing clearly without the lines on top.
What You'll Need
Permissions — You need an Admin or Producer role to see the view toggles, gridline options, and camera control tools. If you're a Viewer, you can see the live camera feeds but the toolbar and controls won't appear for you.
At least one camera source streaming video for Focus View.
Two or more cameras to use Multi-View. With only one camera, you're locked to Focus View.
What Happens If…
You only have one camera? The view is automatically set to Focus View. The Multi-View toggle will appear in the toolbar but it'll be grayed out. Add a second camera to enable it.
You switch from Multi-View to Focus View? The viewport shows the camera you had selected. If you hadn't selected one, it defaults to the first camera in your source list.
You're a Viewer? You can still watch the live camera feeds, but the toolbar — including view toggles, gridline options, and all camera control tools — won't be visible to you. The right-side control panel and bottom tray are also hidden.
A camera is being calibrated? Gridlines and control tools are hidden for that camera while calibration is running. Once calibration is complete, everything comes back.
You're confirming a Fast Frame selection? Gridlines temporarily disappear so they don't get in the way of your framing decision. They come back as soon as you confirm or cancel.
You have a lot of cameras (more than 4)? Multi-View adds more columns and lets you scroll horizontally. The viewport automatically keeps your selected camera in view.
Troubleshooting
What's happening | Likely cause | What to do |
Multi-View toggle is grayed out | Only one camera source connected | Add a second camera to your Studio |
No gridline or tool icons in the toolbar | You're logged in as a Viewer | Ask your Studio Admin to upgrade your role to Producer or Admin |
Gridlines aren't showing on a camera | Gridlines set to "Disabled," or the camera isn't selected, or calibration is in progress | Select the camera, choose a gridline style, and make sure calibration is complete |
Camera tools are disabled | Camera isn't calibrated, or it doesn't support the movement you're trying to use | Complete calibration, or check that the camera supports pan/tilt/zoom |
Camera feed looks cut off or cramped | The left panel is taking up too much space | Drag the left panel's edge to make it narrower |
FAQs
Will gridlines appear in my recordings or stream? No. Gridlines are a visual overlay on your screen only. They don't get embedded in the video feed or any recordings.
Can other users in my Studio see my gridlines? No. Gridline preferences are stored locally. Each person picks their own setting — it doesn't affect anyone else.
What's the difference between Focus View and Multi-View? Focus View shows one camera filling the entire viewport. Multi-View shows all your cameras in a grid so you can monitor everything at once.
Can I reorder cameras in Multi-View? Yes. Drag the source thumbnails in the left panel to rearrange them. The viewport grid follows that order.
How do I control a specific camera in Multi-View? Click on its tile in the viewport to select it. The control tools in the toolbar will then apply to that camera.
Can I zoom with my mouse scroll wheel? Yes — when the Zoom tool is active, scrolling the mouse wheel over the viewport zooms the selected camera in or out.
Can I customize the color or style of gridlines? Not currently. Gridlines use a standard style designed for visibility against any background.
Does my view and gridline selection carry over between sessions? Yes. Both your view preference (Focus or Multi-View) and your gridline choice are saved and restored the next time you open the Studio.
Why can't I see the Auto-Tracking tool? Auto-Tracking may not be enabled on all plans. If you don't see it in the toolbar, it may not be available on your account.
Use Cases
Interview setups — Use Rule of Thirds to position your subject off-center for a more visually engaging frame.
Product demonstrations — Use Center Lines to keep products centered and prominent.
Live events — Use Multi-View to monitor all your camera angles at once, then switch to Focus View when you need to make precise adjustments on a single camera.
Studio production — Start in Focus View to set up each shot and dial in your framing, then switch to Multi-View once you're rolling.