Niantic, the augmented reality (AR) technology provider and the force behind the AR mobile game Pokémon GO, has recently revealed that Niantic VPS for Web is now completely integrated into Niantic Studio, offering developers a fresh method to create, test, and launch location-based WebAR experiences.
According to Niantic, this enhancement merges the capabilities of the Niantic Visual Positioning System (VPS) with the editing tools of Niantic Studio, allowing developers to generate WebAR content that interacts effortlessly with the digital environment.
Niantic stated in its announcement: “The integration of Niantic VPS for Web with the comprehensive tools available in Niantic Studio is establishing a new benchmark for potential in WebAR development. Developers can now craft immersive, location-based experiences deeply connected to the physical world—either by utilizing Niantic’s extensive collection of VPS-enabled locations or uploading their own.”
What is Niantic VPS?
Niantic VPS is the organization’s AR innovation that facilitates the localization of users and the anchoring of digital content in the real world with centimeter-level accuracy. VPS guarantees that digital components perfectly align with physical objects and sites, ensuring stability and precise placement for users.
What is Niantic Studio?
Niantic Studio is the company’s newly introduced visual interface designed for Niantic 8th Wall developers, providing a more user-friendly approach to crafting immersive 3D and XR experiences. Studio can facilitate the creation of various content, from AR scenes leveraging Face Effects or World Tracking, to intricate 3D web games and engaging XR experiences.
Why is the integration of Niantic VPS into Niantic Studio important?
With the complete integration of Niantic VPS into Niantic Studio’s visual editor and web gaming engine (more information below), developers are now able to create, test, and deploy WebAR experiences in a more simplified way.
Whether designing WebAR murals bound to a specific location, lifelike sculptures activated by scans, virtual art displays, or interactive gameplay in urban settings, developers can utilize a variety of tools in Niantic Studio to position and adjust AR elements within a scene, crafting lasting, location-aware experiences.
How does Niantic VPS function?
Niantic VPS operates using a rapidly expanding global map featuring over 600,000 VPS-activated sites, assembled from millions of community-contributed scans by Niantic developers and users. These locations are fine-tuned for high-quality interactions and immersive AR experiences, according to Niantic.
The mesh for each site is produced by merging multiple individual scans taken using Niantic’s Scaniverse for Developers app (available on iOS, with Android forthcoming) to create a precise, high-quality 3D model. Niantic has indicated that the map is in continuous growth, adding approximately 50,000 new locations weekly.
What features does Niantic Studio provide?
Niantic Studio includes a Geospatial Browser (GSB) that allows developers to browse Niantic’s repository of VPS-enabled locations or to introduce their own. Once a location is chosen, the associated VPS mesh is incorporated into the Studio Viewport, offering a 3D base to situate and modify digital content in real-time.
Moreover, developers can now test experiences remotely without needing to physically go to locations, ensuring that all functionalities operate as intended before going live. The Simulator tool in the Studio allows for the simulation of movement within a scene using simple ‘WASD’ controls to observe how WebAR components will interact with the real-world setting.
Niantic Studio’s web gaming engine
With the combination of VPS and Niantic Studio’s web gaming engine, developers can convert the physical environment into the stage for interactive WebAR gameplay. VPS guarantees that AR objects maintain accurate anchoring throughout gaming sessions, empowering developers to create lasting experiences that grow over time, and letting players revisit the same place to pick up where they left off.
With the support for both VPS and Gaussian splats, Studio enables developers to craft multi-modal gaming experiences applicable in both physical spaces and remotely in WebXR. Creators can capture a VPS mesh as well as a splat using the Niantic Scaniverse app, subsequently transforming these sites into real-world encounters that can be experienced on-site at a VPS-enabled location or remotely via WebXR.
Availability of Niantic VPS
Niantic VPS is now accessible for both Basic and Pro users within Niantic Studio. Developers and creators can begin utilizing VPS in Studio through a free tier that provides 25,000 monthly calls to the VPS server, with charges applying only after surpassing this limit.
For further details about Niantic Studio and to initiate building using Niantic’s sample projects, please check the company’s website.
