Back in June, we covered Apple’s announcement that they would be publishing developer platforms for augmented reality (AR), but now they’re making good on their promises. While Apple rolled iOS 13 out earlier this month with all kinds of new features for iPhones (not to mention their introduction of iPadOS), iPhone and iPad users can now build their own AR experiences, thanks to Apple’s new AR building kit, ‘Reality Composer.’
Reality Composer allows the user to select anchor points for object placement and manipulation — even faces can be used as anchor points. The app contains a library of pre-made objects, sounds, and animations that users can draw upon to create their own AR experience, which can be tried out in both the app and in a real-life environment.
Reality Composer is designed to only be used with iPhones and iPads, part of Apple’s RealityKit framework. But Apple users also have the option to export AR projects onto their Apple computers. These projects are compatible with both the development environment Xcode for Macs and Apple’s WebAR Quick Look solution.
Reality Composer can be a fun and useful tool for both AR enthusiasts and developers alike. Apple users can download the app for free here for their iPhones and iPads. The app’s user interface requires some training and isn’t fully fledged, but for an easily downloadable app on an everyday advice, the app is still an exciting new development. For those who would like to use the app and learn more, here’s a developer tutorial video.
