ViroCore: SceneKit for Android Developers
ViroCore is the Android equivalent of SceneKit, providing Android developers with native AR/VR development capabilities in Java.
Two New Products to Help Accelerate AR/VR Development on Android
- ViroCore — a SceneKit equivalent for Android, enabling native AR/VR development using Java.
- ViroReact: ARCore support — we added ARCore support for ViroReact. Developers can now build cross platform AR/VR apps across Android and iOS using a single code base.
Our mission at Viro is enabling AR/VR everywhere by building tools that simplify development. Enabling more developers to build AR/VR experiences will lead to a better, larger and more diverse ecosystem of apps. We started with ViroReact, our AR/VR platform for web and mobile developers leveraging React Native. With the launch of ARKit, we saw how Apple democratized AR development on iOS with SceneKit. We wanted to offer that same experience, native performance with descriptive API’s, to Android developers with ViroCore. (Read what XDA has to say about ViroCore.)
The Viro platform is free with no limits on distribution. Sign up for an API key and start building AR/VR apps today using ViroCore or ViroReact.
ViroCore
ViroCore is SceneKit for Android developers using Java. ViroCore combines a high-performance rendering engine with a descriptive API for creating immersive AR/VR apps. While lower-level APIs like OpenGL require you to learn and precisely implement rendering algorithms, ViroCore requires only high-level scene descriptions and the events and interactions you desire. Easily add animations, physics, particle effects, and more to your Android applications.
ViroCore is the perfect alternative to specialized game engines for building AR/VR apps. It allows companies to focus on what they do best, in the languages they know best, instead of training or hiring specialized 3D developers. ViroCore supports ARCore, Google Cardboard, Daydream and Gear VR.
With ViroCore, developers have access to a feature-rich platform necessary to build robust AR apps:
- Create stunning scenes with HDR rendering, lighting, and shadows
- Enable mixed reality with full support for immersive media such as 3D models (FBX and OBJ), 360 photos/videos and stereoscopic photos/videos
- Add real-world mechanics to your objects with physics and animation
- Emit smoke, fog, fire and other moving liquids with a full-featured particle system
You can build your first AR/VR app in minutes. Just sign up for a free API key and follow our easy Getting Started instructions. For more detail check our extensive development Guides and Javadoc API reference. We are excited to see what the Android community builds with ViroCore.
Arcore Support for Viroreact
ViroReact now supports ARCore, in addition to ARKit, making it fully cross-platform compatible for mobile AR development. Developers can use one code base for their AR/VR apps across iOS and Android. Current ViroReact developers, your ARKit apps should work out of the box on ARCore!
ViroReact brings the best features of React Native to AR/VR development: declarative API’s, flexible layouts, responsive components and cross-platform support. Viro enables fast and iterative development by offering testbed apps for iOS and Android, eliminating the need for Xcode or Android Studio while developing. Build immersive standalone AR apps or add features like Snapchat’s AR effects into existing apps with ViroReact.
Getting started with ViroReact is easy. Sign up for a free API key, then follow our Quick Start Guide to be set up in minutes. Check out our tutorials and code samples to start building your own app today.
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Add Snapchat-like AR Lenses to any app
We are excited to see the great AR/VR apps you build with ViroCore and ViroReact. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for updates and announcements.
Published at DZone with permission of Danny Moon. See the original article here.
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