New in: Explore Wikitude SDK 9.3

Paula

Update: SDK 9.3.1 is now available including iOS 14 compatibility.

August flew by, and a new release of the Wikitude SDK is already available. Today we’re bringing you version 9.3 of our AR toolkit, the last update for the summer. 

For AR developers, this means more stability for experiences based on 3D models as an input method, lots of improvements for Unity Editor, NatCorder support, and expansion of our Alignment Initialization feature for Professional Edition (PE). 

You can test SDK 9.3 by downloading your SDK of choice here. 

Shout out to our awesome community for all the feedback and interaction via the forum this month. Want to have your say? Share your feedback about this release and what you’d like us to improve in the next SDK. 

Got a subscription license? Download Wikitude SDK 9.3 to update your platform free of charge.

What’s new in the Wikitude SDK 9.3?

Tracking improvements for 3D model-based AR experiences (Expert Edition)

In our last update, we introduced a new 3D Model as an input method for developers working with Object Tracking. This means you can use glTF 2.0 files, CAD models, and other 3D model formats exclusively or additional to images to build AR experiences based on all kinds of physical objects.

SDK 9.3 delivers a smoother tracking behavior and better alignment with real objects. 

In addition to significant stability improvements, we roll out a new SDK mode called ‘Assisted Tracking’ to compliment Object Tracking. This mode gathers complementary information from native AR frameworks (ARCore, ARKit) to provide further tracking stability in typically rough conditions for the engine, such as heavy shaking or erratic movements.   

With this update, the Wikitude SDK gives everything you need to build robust AR in the widest variety of objects possible: from buildings to industrial machines, toys, home appliances, and more. 

As we bring this new method of building AR experiences to the finish line (public release), you can request early access by applying to our beta program. All you need to do is provide details on what kind of object you’re looking to augment, your project goal, and company details.

Stay tuned for what’s to come! These are the initial steps that are preparing our technology for future improvements, expansion of objects that can be tracked, and enhancements in our Object Tracking feature moving forward.

3D Model Object Tracking benefits at a glance:

• More Object Target Input methods available
• Input source materials are interchangeable and combinable (images + 3D models)
• Broader range of recognizable and trackable physical objects
• Improved recognition and tracking performance

Find out which method (3D Model or Image) is best for your specific use case by using our AR Tracking Guide. 

Alignment Initializer now available for Professional Edition

Our Alignment Initializer feature now became available in the Wikitude Professional Edition and received a performance boost for Expert Edition. 

Based on initial experiments by some of our early beta testers, SDK 9.3 has received additional improvements in the initialization behavior. In particular,  the new release features improved accuracy when initialization is correctly triggered. This means that the alignment initialization process has become more selective, which guarantees significantly improved customer experience. With a smoother and more intuitive process, developers can expect more reliability when tracking objects what may look alike.

 When pointing a device to recognize an object, the improved Alignment Initialization guides the user towards a pre-defined viewpoint, rapidly kicking off the AR experience. 

You’ll benefit from more stability when tracking objects and less jitter for Object Tracking experiences based on 3D Models (Expert Edition) and images (Professional and Expert Editions). 

Improved experience for Unity developers

The Wikitude Unity plugin makes it easy to create cross-platform apps with immersive augmented reality functionalities within a single development environment. 

Thanks to the feedback of our devoted community in the forum and customer discussions, we were able to identify and improve several features within the Unity Editor, delivering a smoother development experience for Wikitude users.

SDK 9.3 brings the following improvements:

• Point Cloud preview is now properly destroyed upon unloading of a scene 
• Fixed Live Preview webcam augmentation pose
• Removed duplicate event setter in all tracker inspectors (Expert Edition only)

Additionally, our team took the opportunity to include compatibility for the popular NatCorder, a lightweight API that allows you to record videos in just a few steps in Unity. 

Other main features developers can now enjoy include recording MP4 videos, animated GIF images, JPEG image sequences, and WAV audio files, as well as recording any texture (or anything that can be rendered to texture) or any pixel data.

Support for iOS 14

It’s official: Apple has released it’s the Golden Master to third-party developers and Wikitude developers get access faster. SDK 9.3.1 includes full compatibility for iOS JavaScript, iOS Native, Unity (Professional and Expert Editions), Flutter, Cordova and Xamarin.

How do I get SDK 9.3?

It’s easy! Just choose your SDK of choice, get a free trial, and start with your next augmented reality experience today.

New to Wikitude? Welcome! We have a free Wikitude trial version for testing purposes. 

If you’re already a user and like what you’re testing, reach out to our team to discuss your upgrade to SDK 9.3.