Discuss spatial computing on Apple platforms and how to design and build an entirely new universe of apps and games for Apple Vision Pro.

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Is it Possible to Place a 3D Model at the Exact Position of a QR Code in AR with ARKit ?
I'm working on an iOS app using ARKit and RealityKit where I scan QR codes and want to place 3D models at the exact position of the QR code in the real world. Is it possible to accurately place a 3D model at the exact position of a QR code in AR using ARKit and RealityKit? Specifically, I want the model to appear at the precise location where the QR code is detected, rather than just somewhere in the AR space. If this is possible, could you point me in the right direction or recommend the best approach to achieve this? Thank you for your help!
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130
May ’25
visionOS 26 - Rendering Issues related to Transparency
Summary After updating to visionOS 26, we’ve encountered severe transparency rendering issues in RealityKit that did not exist in visionOS 2.6 and earlier. These regressions affect applications that dynamically control scene opacity (via OpacityComponent). Our app renders ultra-realistic apartment environments in real time, where users can walk or teleport inside 3D spaces. When the user moves above a speed threshold, we apply a global transparency effect to prevent physical collisions with real-world objects. Everything worked perfectly in visionOS 2.6 — the problems appeared only after upgrading to 26. Scene Setup Overview The environment consists of multiple USDZ models (e.g., architecture, rooms, furniture). We manage LODs manually for performance (e.g., walls and floors always visible in full-res, while rooms swap between low/high-res versions based on user position and field of view). Transparency is achieved using OpacityComponent, applied dynamically when the user moves. Some meshes (e.g., portals to skyboxes, glass windows) use alpha materials We also use OcclusionMaterials to prevent things to be seen through walls when scene is transparent Observed Behavior by Scenario (I can share a video showing the results of each scenario if needed.) Scenario 1 — Severe Flickering (Root Opacity) Setup: OpacityComponent applied to the root entity NO ModelSortGroupComponent used Symptoms: Strong flickering when transparency is active Triangles within the same mesh render at inconsistent opacity levels Appears as if per-triangle alpha sorting is broken Workaround: Moving the OpacityComponent from the root to each individual USDZ entity removes the per-triangle flicker Pros: No conflicts with portals or alpha materials Scenario 2 — Partially Stable, But Alpha Conflicts Setup: OpacityComponent applied per USDZ entity ModelSortGroupComponent(planarUIAlwaysBehind) applied to portal meshes Other entities have NO ModelSortGroupComponent Symptoms: Frequent alpha blending conflicts: Transparent surfaces behind other transparent surfaces flicker or disappear Example: Wine glasses behind glass doors — sometimes neither is rendered, or only one Even opaque meshes behind glass flicker due to depth buffer confusion Alpha materials sometimes render portals or the real world behind them, ignoring other geometry entirely Analysis: Appears related to internal changes in alpha sorting or depth pre-pass behavior introduced in visionOS 26 Pros: Most stable setup so far Cons: Still unreliable when OpacityComponent is active Scenario 3 — Layer Separation Attempt (Regression) Setup: Same as Scenario 2, but: Entities with alpha materials moved to separate USDZs Explicit ModelSortGroupComponent order set (alpha surfaces rendered last) Symptoms: Transparent surfaces behind other transparent surfaces flicker or disappear Depth is completely broken when there's a large transparent surface Alpha materials sometimes render portals or the real world behind them, ignoring other geometry entirely Workaround Attempt: Re-ordering and further separating models did not solve it Pros: None — this setup makes transparency unusable Conclusion There appears to be a regression in RealityKit’s handling of transparency and sorting in visionOS 26, particularly when: OpacityComponent is applied dynamically, and Scenes rely on multiple overlapping transparent materials. These issues did not exist prior to 26, and the same project (no code changes) behaves correctly on previous versions. Request We’d appreciate any insight or confirmation from Apple engineers regarding: Whether alpha sorting or opacity blending behavior changed in visionOS 26 If there are new recommended practices for combining OpacityComponent with transparent materials If a bug report already exists for this regression Thanks in advance!
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205
Nov ’25
How to add visual thickness to a glass background view
Hi guys, In visionOS, when using a ZStack decorated with .glassBackgroundEffect(), you can see the 3D glass background from the front, but when viewed from the side, the view appears to have no thickness. However, I noticed that in an app built by Apple, when viewing a glass background view from the side, it appears to have thickness. I tried adding .frame(depth:) to a glass background view, but it appears as two separate layers spaced by the depth value. My question is: Is there a view modifier that adds visual thickness to a glass background view, as shown in the picture? Or, if not, how should I write a custom view modifier to achieve this effect? Thanks!
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113
May ’25
Accessing LiDAR Depth Data and Scene Reconstruction on Apple Vision Pro
Hello, I'm developing a visionOS application for Apple Vision Pro that aims to scan unknown physical objects, capture their 3D data (such as meshes or point clouds), and export them as 3D models. Ideally, I'd also like to visualize these reconstructions in real-time within the headset. This functionality is similar to what's available in Reality Composer on iPad and iPhone, but I'm seeking to implement it natively on Vision Pro. I've reviewed the visionOS documentation but haven't found clear guidance on accessing LiDAR depth data or performing scene reconstruction. Specifically, I'm interested in: 1.Accessing LiDAR or depth data from Vision Pro's sensors. 2.Utilizing ARKit's scene reconstruction capabilities on visionOS. 3.Exporting captured 3D data as models (e.g., USDZ or OBJ formats). Are there APIs or frameworks in visionOS that support these features?
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May ’25
PhotogrammetrySession Polygon Count Limit – How Is It Determined by Hardware?
Hi Apple Team, I’m working on a human portrait scanning application using PhotogrammetrySession, and I’ve been very impressed by the results. Thank you for building such a powerful and accessible photogrammetry solution into macOS! I do, however, have a question regarding mesh detail limitations on different Mac hardware configurations. When using PhotogrammetrySession.Request.Detail.custom and trying to set maximumPolygonCount = 1000000, I see the following log message: Clamped max poly count: 1000000 to device limit. 250000 is used. This is on an M1 Max with 32 GB RAM. I’m aware that PhotogrammetrySession.limits can report values like maximumInputImageDimension and maximumNumberOfInputImages, but I haven’t found documentation on how the maximumPolygonCount is determined, and what hardware specs influence it. Is it tied more to: • GPU performance (e.g. neural/graphics cores)? • CPU architecture? • Memory size or bandwidth? • Or is it fixed per SoC generation? I’d love to understand what kind of hardware upgrades (e.g. moving to M4 Pro or increasing RAM) could allow me to increase mesh complexity and generate more detailed models. Any insights would be greatly appreciated—and if this is covered in upcoming WWDC sessions or documentation, I’d be happy to tune in. Thanks in advance! KitCheng
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146
May ’25
How to get the transform of the joint in a skeleton when it is Animating
I have an entity that was created using Mixamo, and it has an animation. after the animation completes the mesh of the robot is not where the entity is positioned. I want to do something like when the animation finishes, I set the root entity's transform to the mesh's transform. There are no transformations applied to any of the children of this root of the model, which means that the transformations are applied to the skeleton due the the playing of animations. Is there a way where I can apply the final position of the root of the skeleton to the root entity to make sure to position the entity where the animation has ended just before the next animation plays?
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130
May ’25
Any recommended content-aware compression strategy for .ktx textures in Reality Composer Pro?
In my Reality Composer Pro workflow for Vision Pro development, I’m using xcrun realitytool image to pre-compress textures into .ktx format, typically using ASTC block compression. These textures are used for cubemaps and environment assets. I’ve noticed that regardless of the image content—whether it’s a highly detailed photo or a completely black image—once compressed with the same ASTC block size (e.g., ASTC_8x8), the resulting .ktx file size is nearly identical. There appears to be no content-aware logic that adapts the compression ratio to the actual texture complexity. In contrast, Unreal Engine behaves differently: even when all cubemap faces are imported at the same resolution as DDS textures, the engine performs content-aware compression during packaging: Low-complexity images are compressed more aggressively The final packaged file size varies based on content complexity Since Reality Composer Pro requires textures to be pre-compressed as .ktx, there’s no opportunity for runtime optimization or per-image compression adjustment. Just wondering: is there any recommended way to implement content-aware compression for .ktx textures in Reality Composer Pro? Or any best practices to optimize .ktx sizes based on image complexity? Thanks!
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190
Jun ’25
ARKit Eye Tracking Calibration Issues - Word-Level Reading Tracking Feasibility
Hi Apple Developer Community, I'm developing an eye-tracking application using ARKit's ARFaceTrackingConfiguration and ARFaceAnchor.blendShapes for gaze detection using Xcode. I'm experiencing several calibration and accuracy issues and would appreciate insights from the community. Current Implementation Using ARFaceAnchor.blendShapes (.eyeLookUpLeft, .eyeLookDownLeft, .eyeLookInLeft, .eyeLookOutLeft, etc.) Implementing custom sensitivity curves and smoothing algorithms Applying baseline correction and coordinate mapping Using quadratic regression for calibration point mapping Issues I'm Facing 1. Calibration Mismatch Red dot position doesn't align with where I'm actually looking Significant offset between intended gaze point and actual cursor position Calibration seems to drift or become inaccurate over time 2. Extreme Eye Movement Requirements Need to make exaggerated eye movements to reach screen edges/corners Natural eye movements don't translate to proportional cursor movement Difficulty reaching certain screen regions even with calibration 3. Sensitivity and Stability Issues Cursor jitters or jumps around when looking at center Too much sensitivity to micro-movements Inconsistent behavior between calibration and normal operation 4. I also noticed that tracking on calibration screen as well as tracking on reading screen works better as expected when head movement is there, but I do not want much head movement. I want tracking with normal eye movement while reading an Ebook. Primary Question: Word-Level Eye Tracking Feasibility Is word-level eye tracking (tracking gaze as users read through individual words in an ebook) technically feasible with current iPhone/iPad hardware? I understand that Apple's built-in eye tracking is primarily an accessibility feature for UI navigation. However, I'm wondering if the TrueDepth camera and ARKit's eye tracking capabilities are sufficient for: Tracking natural reading patterns (left-to-right, line-by-line progression) Detecting which specific words a user is looking at Maintaining accuracy for sustained reading sessions (15-30 minutes) Working reliably across different users and lighting conditions Questions for the Community Hardware Limitations: Are iPhone/iPad TrueDepth cameras capable of the precision needed for word-level tracking, or is this beyond current hardware capabilities? Calibration Best Practices: What calibration strategies have worked best for accurate gaze mapping? How many calibration points are typically needed? Reading-Specific Challenges: Are there particular challenges when tracking reading behavior vs. general gaze tracking? Alternative Approaches: Are there better approaches than ARKit blend shapes for this use case? Current Setup Devices: iPhone 14 Pro iOS Version: iOS 18.3 ARKit Version: Latest available Any insights, experiences, or technical guidance would be greatly appreciated. I'm particularly interested in hearing from developers who have worked on similar eye tracking applications or have experience with the limitations and capabilities of ARKit's eye tracking features. Thank you for your time and expertise!
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731
Oct ’25
Pass Video/ Frames to a Shader Graph?
Wondering if this is even possible without using CVImageBuffer and passing each frame as an image which I imagine will be very expensive. Have a PoC of a shader graph that applies a radial zoom effect to an image. In RealityKit I'm passing the image as a resource: if let textureResource = try? await TextureResource(named: "fuji") { let value = MaterialParameters.Value.textureResource(textureResource) try? material.setParameter(name: "MyImage", value: value) model.model?.materials = [material] } Thanks in advance
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134
Apr ’25
How to implement the semi-transparent overlay effect in Immersive View?
I noticed that when I drag the menu window in an Immersive View, the entities behind it becomes semi-transparent, and the boundary between virtual and real-world objects is very pronounced. May I ask how does VisionOS implement this effect? Is there any API or technique I can use in my own code to enable the same semi-transparent overlay - even when I am not dragging the menu window?
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141
May ’25
Header Blur Effect on visionOS SwiftUI
Hi, I'm looking to build something similar to the header blur in the App Store and Apple TV app settings. Does anyone know the best way to achieve this so that when there is nothing behind the header it looks the same as the rest of the view background but when content goes underneath it has a blur effect. I've seen .scrollEdgeEffect on IOS26 is there something similar for visionOS? Thanks!
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138
Sep ’25
AR sessions fails with "Required sensor failed"
The AR based app I am working on right now is experiencing an issue. Sometimes, the AR session fails with a call to my ARSessionObserver's session(_ session: ARSession, didFailWithError error: Error) with the following error: Error Domain=com.apple.arkit.error Code=102 "Required sensor failed." NSLocalizedFailureReason="A sensor failed to deliver the required input.," NSLocalizedRecoverySuggestion="Make sure that the application has the required privacy settings." The underlying error seems to point to the CoreMotion framework: Domain=CMErrorDomain Code=102 "(null) Some people seem to have experienced this issue and solved it by making sure that the Compass Calibration switch is ON in Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services. For context, the ARWorldTrackingConfiguration.worldAlignment is set to .gravity The thing is it is already ON when I experience this issue. I also noticed that this issue happens way more often on the iPhone 16e than in any other device. Has anyone had similar experiences? I am looking for a way to prevent this error from happening (ideally) or handling in a way that does not affect the user. Any help is appreciated
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245
Aug ’25
Entity jittering when using hand anchor
Hello! I'm a developer of Ping Pong for Apple Vision Pro (Ping Pong Club). I'm experiencing an issues with collisions between ball and paddle. Sometimes the ball just unexpectedly flying away like it has been hit to hard. I believe this is happening because hand anchors are jittering (ping pong paddle has hand anchor component) and at the time of collision unnecessary micro motion produced. I've build a demo app to demonstrate that: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gBh-DsXuVZdvDrrD7gJcbJ_hg7tvVKUV/view?usp=share_link Video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1poPbsJdBz87edqrWIfBt1eSVzfm5CTek/view?usp=sharing Is there a way to add some threshold to prevent jittering?
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106
Jun ’25
.usdz files not loading in iOS app
Hello everyone, I'm a new developer and I'm still learning the foundations of Swift and SwiftUI while building my first app. Today I wanted to ask you how to implement AR Quixck Views inside my app. I wanna be able to dynamically preview AR objects in a dedicated view, however, I don't seem to have understood where and how to locate AR objects inside my project. I tried including them in the Assets folder of the project, or in the Recources folder, or within the main folder of my project alongside the MyAppApp.swift file. None of the methods I used seemed have worked in that none of the objects was ever located. I made sure to specify the path to the files every time, but somehow the location isn't recognized. I also tried giving no path so that the app would search for the files in their default location (which I apparently haven't grasped yet), but still my attempt failed. I don't have the code sample on me at the moment, but I will write a followup comment on this post to show you what I wrote in case anyone was interested in debugging my code. Meanwhile, if anyone would be so kind to point me at the support article or to comment below the sample code they used in their app, I would very much appreciate it, so that I can start debugging. Thank you for reading this, I appreciate you.
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141
Jun ’25