Augmented Reality for Developers

By : Linowes, Babilinski

3.7 (7)

Buy this Book

Augmented Reality for Developers

3.7 (7)

By: Linowes, Babilinski

Buy this Book

Overview of this book

Augmented Reality brings with it a set of challenges that are unseen and unheard of for traditional web and mobile developers. This book is your gateway to Augmented Reality development—not a theoretical showpiece for your bookshelf, but a handbook you will keep by your desk while coding and architecting your first AR app and for years to come. The book opens with an introduction to Augmented Reality, including markets, technologies, and development tools. You will begin by setting up your development machine for Android, iOS, and Windows development, learning the basics of using Unity and the Vuforia AR platform as well as the open source ARToolKit and Microsoft Mixed Reality Toolkit. You will also receive an introduction to Apple's ARKit and Google's ARCore! You will then focus on building AR applications, exploring a variety of recognition targeting methods. You will go through multiple complete projects illustrating key market sectors including business marketing, education, industrial training, and gaming. By the end of the book, you will have gained the necessary knowledge to make quality content appropriate for a range of AR devices, platforms, and intended uses.

Preface

What this book covers

What you need for this book

Who this book is for

Conventions

Reader feedback

Customer support

Free Chapter

Augment Your World

What is augmented reality?

Augmented reality versus virtual reality

How AR works

Types of AR targets

Technical issues in relation to augmented reality

Applications of augmented reality

The focus of this book

Summary

Setting Up Your System

Installing Unity

Introduction to Unity

Using Cameras in AR

Getting and using Vuforia

Getting and using ARToolkit

Summary

Building Your App

Identifying your platform and toolkits

Building and running from Unity

Targeting Android

Targeting iOS

Targeting Microsoft HoloLens

Summary

Augmented Business Cards

Planning your AR development

Setting up the project (Vuforia)

Adding the image target

What makes a good image target?

Adding objects

Building and running

Understanding scale

Animating the drone

Building for iOS devices

Building for HoloLens

Building with ARToolkit

Summary

AR Solar System

The project plan

Setting up the project

Building the earth

Lighting the scene

Building an earth-moon system

A quick introduction to Unity C# programming

Animating the moon orbit

Orbiting the sun

Adding the other planets

Using VuMark targets (Vuforia)

Adding a master speed rate UI

Building and running

Markerless building and running

Summary

How to Change a Flat Tire

The project plan

Software design patterns

Setting up the project

Creating the UI (view)

Creating an Instructions Controller

Creating an instruction data model

Loading data from a CSV file

Abstracting UI elements

Adding image content

Adding video content

Adding a scroll view

Summary

Augmenting the Instruction Manual

Setting up the project for AR with Vuforia

Switching between AR Mode

Using user-defined targets

Adding visual helpers to the AR Prompt

Integrating augmented content

Making the augmented graphics

Including the instructions panel in AR

Using ARKit for spatial anchoring

A Holographic instruction manual

Summary

Room Decoration with AR

The project plan

Setting up the project and scene

About Mixed Reality Toolkit Input Manager

Creating a toolbar framework

Move tool, with spatial mapping

Scale tool with Gesture Recognizer

Supporting Cancel

Abstract selection menu UI

Adding the frame menu

Adding the Image menu

Adding and deleting framed pictures

UI feedback

Building for iOS with ARKit

Building for mobile AR with Vuforia

Summary

Poke the Ball Game

The game plan

Setting up the project

Boxball game graphics

Throwing the ball

Detecting goals

BallGame component

Keeping score

Tracking high score

Augmenting real-world objects

Playing alternative games

Other toolkits

Summary

Customer Reviews

3.7 (7)

5 star

57.1%

4 star

3 star

14.3%

2 star

14.3%

1 star

14.3%

Augmenting the Instruction Manual

It took a bit of work, but in the previous chapter we built a solid app that guides someone through the instructional steps of how to change a flat tire. How can we make it even better? Using augmented reality, of course!

In this project, we are thinking of AR as just another media type you can add to enhance learning materials, and make them more effective, immersive, and engaging. While in some augmented reality apps, the AR is the central feature and raison d'etre of the app, not so here. We started with text, images, and video content. And now we will add AR, too.

In this chapter, you will learn about: