For this week I have been given a task to understand what AR is and how we can create our own augmented reality such as Zapworks. We have been introduced to AR as a means to use it as a potential for our main project. Learning and getting familiar with augmented reality can help me to open up to new opportunities for creativity & innovation, as AR can be used for many purposes.
What is augmented reality?
Augmented reality is the perspective representation designed to show the user what an actual picture would look like with a perspective building or landscape or object when the object was actually made to show what the landscape would look like with the object in place. Augmented reality combines computer generated content mixed with real life. This is a great way to enhance the natural environments with digital elements.
Image 1 – A photo showing how the cartoon characters immerse within real life 
Image 2 – A Pokémon Go poster advertisement
A good example would be Pokémon Go, it is an app where you are able to explore your area to scavenge & collect cartoon characters. It uses your camera & GPS system to let these imaginary cartoon characters appear on top of whatever scenery the camera has access to. It is a free to use smartphone app that is extremely popular with children and adults alike. There are benefits when it comes to Pokémon Go such as not only it has augmented reality but it also encourages people to go outside more which encourages people to do more exercise. It is also beginner friendly & allows you to explore new places.
Zapworks
Zapworks is an AR platform that can create short, immersive short for of AR, VR or MR content experiences for handheld devices. Zapworks is designed to facilitate the broader adoption of Augmented reality which is good for app designers, businesses or educators. The benefits of using Zapworks are that Zapcodes can be customised to reflect reflect enterprise business branding, are used to point compatible mobile devices and browsers to the published, cloud-hosted AR experience. It can also has tracked Zapcodes that has its own analytics for user engagement that can be viewed.
Unity Hub exercise
The Unity Hub is an application that is a piece of programming and building software and its an open source software. It is a very flexible and a versatile design engine used in multiple industries and applications. For example, game developers use it, architects use it to create visual interpretations of the buildings and structures they want before building. Car manufactures use it to design cars. Movie makers can also use Unity too. It can also incorporate files from Blender, Maya, or even CAD. Unity can create 2D & 3D graphics and special effects.
For this weeks task I had to explore Unity Hub by following a set of instructions to set up my workspace. I began by creating a new 3D core template for my project then I changed the Unity build environment from MAC/Windows/Standalone to WebGL. I then tried installing a package by going to the ‘Windows‘ tab and selecting ‘Package manager‘. I have done this by pasting ‘https://github.com/zappar-xr/universal-ar-unity.git’ on the bar, this has allowed me to install a ‘Zappar‘ menu. I then saved my work as “ImageTrackingDemo” before continuing further. Next, I added a Zappar camera, I have done this by Zappar> Camera > Rear Facing Camera. I then added an Image tracking target by going Zappar> Image Tracking Target which would make my Unity scene to have the Directional light, Zappar Camera and the Zappar Image Tracking Target all in the Hierarchy with the ‘LowPolyShack’ PNG image displayed.
I then saved my scene before Assigning the Anchor Origin component of the Zappar Camera Script, this is to make sure the virtual objects in my AR experience is positioned correctly and aligned with the real world when you move the camera. I have done this by following on the instructions to select the Zappar Camera in the Hierarchy> left-click and drag and drop the Zappar Image Tracking Target from the Hierarchy to the Anchor Origin of the Zappar Camera Script in the Inspector. This is done to let us add custom content.
Next, I had to begin Training a custom image for Tracking to make sure the custom LowPolyShack PNG would be recognisable and track the image. I have done this by opening the Image training tool by going onto ‘Zappar>Editor>Open image Trainer‘. This will then present a pop-up window, this is where I can select my “LowPolyShack_2_png‘ image through the assets folder I have downloaded, I did this by clicking on the Three dots so I can browse around my files. To make sure it replaces existing files, I have ticked the ‘Allow ZPT Overwrite‘. Once the Image Trainer has been completed, I have selected the Zappar Image Tracking Target in the Hierarchy in the Inspector change the value of the Target Drop down to the Image Target I have created. This will result in a full image of the PNG chosen.
I then had to import a custom package onto Unity, I will need to do this to importing the 3D assets which has been created by Dan that contains the 3D model and relevant materials. I have done this by Assets>Import Package>Custom Package>select the ‘LowPolyShack‘ file in the Asset folder then imported the asset. I then see a new directory in the assets folder called ‘Prefabs’ which allows you to store a GameObject along with its components. I dragged the LowPolySeaShack Prefab in the scene and set all the axis to just 10 to reduce the model size. This will scale the model in the PNG image. I then set up the 3D model to load using the image tracker by selecting the LowPolySeaShack in the Hierarchy & dragged it onto the Zappar Image Tracking Target so it becomes a Child Object. Next I selected the Image Tracking Target and in the inspector I clicked the + to add a new ‘on seen event, dragged the ‘LowPolyShack’ in the empty slot for the new event. From the dropdown menu, I chose GameObject>SetActive (Bool) and ticked the box. This ensures the LowPolyShack will activate when the camera detects the Image Tracking Target. I then repeated the steps again except I didn’t tick the box which will deactivate when the Image Tracking Target is not detected. I then finalised the scene setup by deactivating the ‘LowPolyShack‘ to prevent it from appearing before the tracker is detected
Finally, I went onto Zappar>Editor> Update setting onto publish to auto configure my settings. From files, I selected ‘Build Settings’ and add the current scene to the build list by clicking ‘Add Open Scenes’, I needed to make sure I was in WebGL mode before clicking ‘Build‘ then navigating to the projects root folder. I created a file called ‘Builds’ and inside it named it ‘Part_One’. I then selected the part one folder to begin the building process. I then zipped my file making sure I zipped the contents correctly. I then uploaded my file onto the Zapworks website to active the QR code to view the AR I have created.
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Overall my experience of using Zapworks for the first time has been an overall challenging experience. Although the interface is clean and professional it has took some time for me to get used to all the features and tools available. I believe with more practise with learning the software the platform can be more accessible to new users.
References:
cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2016/06/pokemon-go-image.jpg?retina. Accessed 12 Nov. 2023.
th.bing.com/th/id/R.a4ae7420a8c5b2f2c1e562be4ecfec87?rik=VCCTGvKi7TxqAQ&riu=http%3a%2f%2fhypebeast.com%2fimage%2f2016%2f07%2fpokemon-go-tips-tricks-secrets-000.jpg&ehk=4Irc5%2bxo%2bvfre%2f2Uyb6sFWnaUAbHQynY0auCXWBJMpU%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw&r=0. Accessed 12 Nov. 2023.
Greenemeier, Larry. “Is Pokémon GO Really Augmented Reality?” Scientific American, 13 July 2016, www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-pokemon-go-really-augmented-reality/. Accessed 12 Nov. 2023.
“ZapWorks Overview.” GetApp, www.getapp.com/emerging-technology-software/a/zapworks/. Accessed 12 Nov. 2023.
Wikipedia Contributors. “Unity (Game Engine).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Oct. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unity_(game_engine). Accessed 12 Nov. 2023.