Introduction
As the world becomes more digitally connected and immersive, augmented reality (AR) has become a key focus for software developers. Whether it’s using AR to simulate a 3D environment in the real world or creating an interface that augments existing objects, there are tons of ways to use AR to enhance your business or organization. In this article, we’ll explore some of the best tools for developing apps for Android and iOS that integrate AR technology.
Unity
Unity is a game engine and platform that has been around since 2005. It’s used by many game developers, but it also has an extensive community of non-game developers who use the tool to create everything from interactive ads to virtual reality experiences.
Unity offers free access to most of its features, but you can pay for more advanced tools like cloud hosting and AI services if you need them.
Unreal Engine
Unreal Engine is a suite of integrated tools for game development. It’s used in the development of games and interactive media, including films, commercials, virtual reality experiences and more. Unreal Engine is developed by Epic Games, a division of the Japanese conglomerate Tencent Holdings.
The toolkit supports C++ programming language with a high level programming interface. It comes with an extensive toolset designed to accommodate changes in content creation processes; it also provides access to its source code for those who want to customize its functionality or build upon it.[1]
Blender
If you’re looking for a free and open-source 3D computer graphics software toolset, then Blender is the right choice for you. It’s used for creating animated films, visual effects, art and 3D printed models.
You can also use it to create interactive 3D applications and video games.
Babylon.js
If you’re developing an AR app, you need to consider how it will be used. Will people be able to use the app on their phones? Will they need a headset or glasses? If so, which ones?
If you want your app to work on any device with a browser and a webcam, BabylonJS is the framework for you. This JavaScript library allows developers to create 3D games and applications using WebGL in all modern browsers without having to install anything extra on their computers or mobile devices. The codebase is open source so anyone can contribute improvements back into the project as well as use it themselves without paying royalties or licensing fees (as long as they abide by certain restrictions).
A-Frame (HTML)
A-Frame is a web framework for building virtual reality (VR) experiences. It’s based on top of HTML and WebGL, and uses entity-component system that allows you to define objects as entities and define their behavior by attaching components.
A-Frame provides all the necessary components for building VR scenes: camera, lights, shadows, models/geometries with material support (incl depth), sound sources and particle systems.
Brigade3D
Brigade3D is a free, open source and cross-platform 3D game engine that supports the Babylon.js framework. It uses the HTML5 Canvas element and provides a full suite of tools including:
- A powerful visual editor for creating 3D scenes
- Automatic physics simulation with rigid bodies, cloth & hair dynamics, ragdolls etc…
- Easy importing from SketchUp or Blender models (OBJ files)
Conclusion
The final takeaway is that AR apps are an exciting new frontier for app developers and designers. They allow us to combine the best of both worlds–the digital and physical–and create something completely new in the process. We’ve covered some of the most popular tools available today, but there are many more out there that can help with everything from modeling objects in 3D space to designing realistic environments where they can inhabit. If you’re interested in creating your own AR app or game, then check out one of these options!
