Embedded Files
Since AR is at the core of the Totti experience, I had to make sure the AR platform I chose was the most accessible.
Adobe Aero
Adobe Aero
My first choice was Adobe Aero, not only had I used it before, but it is also free, so I would not have to worry about the my project being taken down if I unsubscribe. It also has a QR code that the users scan, this felt like it would be easy for most people to pick up on and use without complication.
However, what made me decide against Adobe Aero was that it seemed to always view my animations and objects with missing textures, or wonky modeling. Not only that, but from some feedback I got, I realized adobe aero might not be able to hand any heavy or complex animations, and so, I moved on to another option.
Adobe Aero.movUnity AR
Unity AR
My next choice was unity, not only would it be able to handle large projects, but I was also familiar with creating AR experiences on it, as I had created a face filter on it before, and even a VR game!
Unfortunately, the issue with unity was the accessibility, since I wanted an app that can be downloaded on any phone, only apk would have been possible, but iOS would have cost a lot. As for the webAR on unity, the best options were often limited in some way, like 8thWall and Zapworks which had paywalls and limited views. The compatibility and accessibility was not at the level I wanted, especially compared to the complexity of Unity.
WebAR & MindAR.js
WebAR & MindAR.js
After deciding against Unity, I tried to code my own WebAR experience using mindAR.js
The issue at first was the glb/gltf exports of my models. I spent hours trying to fix the issue, and tried multiple different online gltf viewers to test the changes I made but to no avail. However, i was successfully able to make it recognize the model. Using Image targets compiler and adding it into the code.
When I finally realized that glb/gltf was not working because of the native blender materials and simulations, like particle system and liquid simulation, I decided to go for transparent video animations. As you can see in the photos, the models were recognized but the videos refused to play. I tried multiple formats for the videos, all while trying to find a compatible format that can have transparent background. While at the end, WebAR did not work with me, which could have been a result of me testing it on Safari, the process I went through in exporting my animations helped me reach the final AR experience.
I exported my animations as image sequence with transparent background and put it through premiere pro to export with quicktime and use 8-bpc + alpha. I also had to instal Homebrew (package manager) on terminal in order to install ffmpeg, in order to convert videos to webm and keep the transparent background.
Artivive
Artivive
Since I really wanted to curate the AR experience and make it as accessible as possible, I completely overlooked the AR app Artivive. When I had exhausted all other measures, I realized Artivive is the perfect choice. Not only is it the biggest AR application out there at the moment, but its also accessible and downloadable on both iOS and Android. Furthermore, it is so easy to use, which was essential in the Totti experience, I wanted the AR experience to be easy, simple and fun. With all my animations already rendered and exported with transparent backgrounds, I was able to put the dishes and their corresponding animations on Artivive and test it in no time.
Lemonade AR.MP4Cheese Quiche AR.movMulukhiyeh AR.MP4Goulash Um Arbo AR.movGoogle Sites
Report abuse