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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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724
Oct ’25
Depth matrix accuracy with the iPhone 14 Pro and Lidar
Hello Community, I’m currently working with the sample code “CapturingDepthUsingTheLiDARCamera” and using it to capture the depth map of an image taken with the iPhone 14 Pro. From this depth map, I generate a point cloud using the intrinsic camera parameters. I've noticed that objects not facing the camera directly appear distorted in the resulting point cloud. For example: An object with surfaces that are perpendicular to each other appears with a sharper angle in the point cloud — around 60° instead of 90°. My question is: Is this due to the general accuracy limitations of the LiDAR sensor? Or could it be related to the sample code? To obtain the depth map, I’m using: AVCapturePhoto.depthData.converting(toDepthDataType: kCVPixelFormatType_DepthFloat32) Thanks in advance for your help!
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117
Apr ’25
拍摄画面亮度不稳定(动态波动)
画面亮度存在无规律动态波动(时亮时暗),且无手动控制入口,导致商品颜色还原失真、主播面部曝光异常(过曝 / 欠曝),严重影响直播展示效果。 期望 "· 优化直播模式的自动曝光算法,提升复杂光线环境下的亮度稳定性; · 增加 “直播模式” 专属亮度锁定功能,支持手动设定亮度参数并锁定,满足直播场景下的画质可控需求。 "
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264
Dec ’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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126
May ’25
Spaceship sample code does not compile
I'm getting the following error message when compiling the Apple provided sample, Spaceship game for the Apple Visio Pro. I've already tried deleting the derived data resetting the package cache and restarting Xcode but still getting the following error: [xrsimulator] Exception thrown during compile: Cannot get rkassets content for path /Users/myoungkang/Downloads/CreatingASpaceshipGame/Packages/Studio/Sources/Studio/Studio.rkassets because 'The file “Studio.rkassets” couldn’t be opened because you don’t have permission to view it.' error: Tool exited with code 1
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73
Apr ’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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194
Nov ’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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134
May ’25
Logitech Muse: OS-level support?
I've been experimenting with the Muse pen and understand that it can be accessed by my app through a SpatialTrackingSession, but is there any current or planned support for devices like this as for general UI input like game controllers are? For example, using the button as a tap analogue for SwiftUI views.
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107
Oct ’25
[Rnedering] Always display a Window in front of any Entity in a mixedImmersiveView?
Currently I am using mixed style immersive view to place both my WindowView(plain style) and ImmersiveView content together. The issue is that the rendering depth testing may always let the virtual content block my normal WindowView. Is it possible to manually set windowedVIew always displays in the front of my virtual view in mixed style immersion? (I know modelSortGroup but it doesn't quite fits here) Or if I can dynamically change the .progressive value when the immersive space is open (set the value to zero means .mixed itself right?)
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102
Mar ’25
Help Configuring Unity for Immersive VR on Vision Pro with Pinch Teleport
How do I configure a Unity project for a fully immersive VR app on Apple Vision Pro using Metal Rendering, and add a simple pinch-to-teleport-where-looking feature? I've tried the available samples and docs, but they don't cover this clearly (to me). So far, I've reviewed Unity XR docs, Apple dev guides, and tutorials, but most emphasize spatial apps. Metal examples exist but don't include teleportation. Specifically: visionOS sample "XRI_SimpleRig" – Deploys to device/simulator, but no full immersion or teleport. XRI Toolkit sample "XR Origin Hands (XR Rig)" – Pinch gestures detect, but not linked to movement. visionOS "XR Plugin" sample "Metal Sample URP" – Metal setup works, but static scene without locomotion. I'm new in Unity XR development and would appreciate a simple, standalone scene or document focused only on the essentials for "teleport to gaze on pinch" in VR mode—no extra features. I do have some experience in unreal, world toolkit, cosmo, etc from the 90's and I'm ok with code. Please include steps for: Setting up immersive VR (disabling spatial defaults if needed). Integrating pinch detection with ray-based teleport. Any config changes or basic scripts. Project Configuration: Unity Editor Version: 6000.2.5f1.2588.7373 (Revision: 6000.2/staging 43d04cd1df69) Installed Packages: Apple visionOS XR Plugin: 2.3.1 AR Foundation: 6.2.0 PolySpatial XR: 2.3.1 XR Core Utilities: 2.5.3 XR Hands: 1.6.1 XR Interaction Toolkit: 3.2.1 XR Legacy Input Helpers: 2.1.12 XR Plugin Management: 4.5.1 Imported Samples: Apple visionOS XR Plugin 2.3.1: Metal Sample - URP XR Hands 1.6.1 XR Interaction Toolkit 3.2.1: Hands Interaction Demo, Starter Assets, visionOS Build Platform Settings: Target: Apple visionOS App Mode: Metal Rendering with Compositor Services Selected Validation Profiles: visionOS Metal Documentation: Enabled Xcode Version: 26.01 visionOS SDK: 26 Mac Hardware: Apple M1 Max Target visionOS Version: 20 or 26 Test Environment: Model: Apple Vision Pro, visionOS 26.0.1 (23M341), Apple M1 Max No errors in builds so far; just missing the desired functionality. Thanks for a complete response with actionable steps.
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245
Oct ’25
How to combine Occlusion nodes with soft edges.
At a recent community meeting we were wondering how Apple creates this soft-edge effect around the occlusion cutouts. We see this effect on keyboard cutouts, iPhone cutouts, and in progressive spaces. An example: Notice the soft edged around the occlusion cutout for the keyboard One of our members created some Shader Graph materials to explore soft edges. These work by sending data into the opacity channel of the PreviewSurface node. Unfortunately, the Occlusion Surface nodes lack any sort of input. If you know how to blend these concepts with RealityKit Occlusion, please let us know!
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908
Sep ’25
Can't establish spatial connection after visionOS update
After updating to visionOS 26.2 Beta 2 (and Beta 3), I'm unable to establish a spatial connection to Vision Pro. This was working fine before the update. To test, I've created a fresh spatialApp project from the Xcode template with zero modifications, but I'm hitting the same issue - the Vision Pro is discovered but won't connect. Am I forgetting to update the config somewhere? Any ideas what might be causing this and how to fix it? Thanks! Warning: -[NSWindow makeKeyWindow] called on <NSWindow: 0xa1f811900> windowNumber=1b9 which returned NO from -[NSWindow canBecomeKeyWindow]. ((processConfiguration != nil && configuration != nil) || (processConfiguration == nil && configuration == nil)) - /AppleInternal/Library/BuildRoots/4~CBS0ugAIF7BrQZjLe6r0lhPXO4GJmNDTovxYoV0/Library/Caches/com.apple.xbs/Sources/ExtensionKit/ExtensionKit/Source/HostViewController/Internal/EXHostSessionDriver.m:80: `processConfiguration` and `configuration` must be both non-nil or both nil Unable to obtain a task name port right for pid 415: (os/kern) failure (0x5) CCContextDeviceGroup.mm(291):+[CCContextDeviceGroup checkBinaryArchivesForDevice:withBundle:]: Failed to find any binary shader archive
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105
Nov ’25
Apple Vision Pro - hand tracking with gloves
I am considering adding finger pad haptics (Data flow for haptic feedback is directed from the AVP to the fingers, not vice versa). Simple piezos wired to a wrist connection holding the driver/battery. But I'm concerned it will impact the hand tracking. Any guidance regarding gloves and/or the size of any peripherals attached to fingers? Or, if anyone has another (inexpensive) low profile option on the market please LMK. Thanks
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238
Feb ’25
USDZ Security
I am working on an app that will allow a user to load and share their model files (usdz, usda, usdc). I'm looking at security options to prevent bad actors. Are there security or validation methods built into ARKit/RealityKit/CloudKit when loading models or saving them on the cloud? I want to ensure no one can inject any sort of exploit through these file types.
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484
Jul ’25
VisionOS Unity - VR Mode - Control Render Resolution?
I'm using Unity 2022.3.56f, with Apple VisionOS App Mode set to 'Virtual Reality - Fully Immersive Space'. It seems that the render resolution of my game in the Apple Vision Pro when I build is well below the native resolution of the AVP displays. I can't see a setting in XR Plug-in Management Apple visionOS options, or in Quality settings, to increase the render resolutions. Is this possible? I tried setting: UnityEngine.XR.XRSettings.eyeTextureResolutionScale= 2.0f For example, but this doesn't seem to do anything to the render resolution in the build.
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362
Feb ’25