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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Building a custom render pipeline with RealityKit
Hello experts, and question seekers, I have been trying to get Gaussian splats working with RealityKit, however it seems not to work out for me. The library I use for Gaussian splatting: https://github.com/scier/MetalSplatter My idea was to use the renderers provided by RealityKit (aka RealityRenderer) https://developer.apple.com/documentation/realitykit/realityrenderer and the renderer provided by MetalSplatter (aka. SplatRenderer) https://github.com/scier/MetalSplatter/blob/main/MetalSplatter/Sources/SplatRenderer.swift Then with a custom render pipeline, I would be able to compose the outputs of the renderers, enabling the possibility, for example to build immersive scenery with realistic environment scans, as Gaussian splats, and RealityKit to provide the necessary features to build extra scenery around Gaussian splats, eg. dynamic 3D models inside Gaussian splats. However the problem is, as of now I am not able to do that with the current implementation of RealityRenderer. It seems to be, that first RealityRenderer is supposed to be an API, just to render colour information onto a texture, which in first glance might be useful, but misses important information, such as for example depth, and stencil information. Second issue is, even with that in mind, currently I am not able to execute RealityRenderer.updateAndRender, due to the following error messages: Could not resolve material name 'engine:BuiltinRenderGraphResources/Common/realityRendererBackground.rematerial' in bundle at '/Users//Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices//data/Containers/Bundle/Application//.app'. Loading via asset path. exiting spatial tracking service update thread because wait returned 37” I was able to build a custom Metal view with UIViewRepresentable, MTKView, and MTKViewDelegate, enabling me to build a custom rendering pipeline, by utilising some of the Metal developer workflows. Reference: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/xcode/metal-developer-workflows/ Inside draw(in view: MTKView), in a class derived by MTKViewDelegate: guard let currentDrawable = view.currentDrawable else { return } let realityRenderer = try! RealityRenderer() try! realityRenderer.updateAndRender(deltaTime: 0.0, cameraOutput: .init(.singleProjection(colorTexture: currentDrawable.texture)), whenScheduled: { realityRenderer in print("Rendering scheduled") }, onComplete: { RealityRenderer in print("Rendering completed") }) Can you please tell me, what I am doing wrong? Is there any solution, that enables me to use RealityKit with for example Gaussian splats? Any help is greatly appreciated. All the best, Ethem Kurt
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Feb ’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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Apr ’25
RoomPlan Framework v2 - Stairs missing
Hello Community, I'm encountering an issue with the latest iOS 17 update, specifically related to RoomPlan version-2. In iOS 16, when using RoomPlan version-1, we were able to display stairs in our app. However, after upgrading to iOS 17 and implementing RoomPlan version-2, the stairs are no longer visible. Despite thorough investigation, I couldn't find any option within the code to show or hide stairs, or any other objects for that matter. It seems like a specific issue with the update rather than a coding error on our part. Has anyone else encountered a similar problem? If so, I would greatly appreciate any insights or solutions you might have. It's crucial for our app functionality to have stairs displayed accurately, and we're currently at a loss on how to address this issue. Thank you in advance for any assistance you can provide. Best regards
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Sep ’25
visionOS plane anchor rotation and wall direction are inconsistent
I have a problem with the wall plane detection using visionOS/ARKit: I am using ARKitSession's PlaneDetectionProvider detection.wall in the space of visionOS. I recorded the position and rotation information of the first detected plane, but found that the rotation value will be facing when the user starts the space. There is a deviation in different directions. That is to say, even if the plane is located on the same wall, the rotation quaternion will be different. I hope that no matter from which direction the user enters the scan, the real direction of the wall can be correctly obtained so that the virtual content can be accurately aligned with the wall. I have tried to use anchor.originFromAnchorTransform or Transform.rotation directly, but the rotation value is still affected by the user's initial orientation. In addition, I would like to know whether the user's initial orientation will affect the location information. If so, please provide a solution. Thank you!
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Sep ’25
Unexpected behavior when writing entities and loading realityFiles.
I have a simple visionOS app that creates an Entity, writes it to the device, and then attempts to load it. However, when the entity file get overwritten, it affects the ability for the app to load it correctly. Here is my code for saving the entity. import SwiftUI import RealityKit import UniformTypeIdentifiers struct ContentView: View { var body: some View { VStack { ToggleImmersiveSpaceButton() Button("Save Entity") { Task { // if let entity = await buildEntityHierarchy(from: urdfPath) { let type = UTType.realityFile let filename = "testing.\(type.preferredFilenameExtension ?? "bin")" let documentsURL = FileManager.default.urls(for: .documentDirectory, in: .userDomainMask)[0] let fileURL = documentsURL.appendingPathComponent(filename) do { let mesh = MeshResource.generateBox(size: 1, cornerRadius: 0.05) let material = SimpleMaterial(color: .blue, isMetallic: true) let modelComponent = ModelComponent(mesh: mesh, materials: [material]) let entity = Entity() entity.components.set(modelComponent) print("Writing \(fileURL)") try await entity.write(to: fileURL) } catch { print("Failed writing") } } } } .padding() } } Every time I press "Save Entity", I see a warning similar to: Writing file:///var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/1140E7D6-D365-48A4-8BED-17BEA34E3F1E/Documents/testing.reality Failed to set dependencies on asset 1941054755064863441 because NetworkAssetManager does not have an asset entity for that id. When I open the immersive space, I attempt to load the same file: import SwiftUI import RealityKit import UniformTypeIdentifiers struct ImmersiveView: View { @Environment(AppModel.self) private var appModel var body: some View { RealityView { content in guard let type = UTType.realityFile.preferredFilenameExtension else { return } let documentsURL = FileManager.default.urls(for: .documentDirectory, in: .userDomainMask)[0] let fileURL = documentsURL.appendingPathComponent("testing.\(type)") guard FileManager.default.fileExists(atPath: fileURL.path) else { print("❌ File does not exist at path: \(fileURL.path)") return } if let entity = try? await Entity(contentsOf: fileURL) { content.add(entity) } } } } I also get errors after I overwrite the entity (by pressing "Save Entity" after I have successfully loaded it once). The warnings that appear when the Immersive space attempts to load the new entity are: Asset 13277375032756336327 Mesh (RealityFileAsset)URL/file:///var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/1140E7D6-D365-48A4-8BED-17BEA34E3F1E/Documents/testing.reality/Mesh_0.compiledmesh failure: Asset provider load failed: type 'RealityFileAsset' -- RERealityArchive: Failed to open load stream for entry 'assets/Mesh_0.compiledmesh'. Asset 8308977590385781534 Scene (RealityFileAsset)URL/file:///var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/1140E7D6-D365-48A4-8BED-17BEA34E3F1E/Documents/testing.reality/Scene_0.compiledscene failure: Asset provider load failed: type 'RealityFileAsset' -- RERealityArchive: Failed to read archive entry. AssetLoadRequest failed because asset failed to load '13277375032756336327 Mesh (RealityFileAsset)URL/file:///var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/1140E7D6-D365-48A4-8BED-17BEA34E3F1E/Documents/testing.reality/Mesh_0.compiledmesh' (Asset provider load failed: type 'RealityFileAsset' -- RERealityArchive: Failed to open load stream for entry 'assets/Mesh_0.compiledmesh'.) The order of operations to make this happen: Launch app Press "Save Entity" to save the entity "Open Immersive Space" to view entity Press "Save Entity" to overwrite the entity "Open Immersive Space" to view entity, failed asset load request Also Launch app, the entity should still be save from last time the app ran "Open Immersive Space" to view entity Press "Save Entity" to overwrite the entity "Open Immersive Space" to view entity, failed asset load request NOTE: It appears I can get it to work slightly better by pressing the "Save Entity" button twice before attempting to view it again in the immersive space.
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Aug ’25
Partial Occlusion Material
I am looking for a material that functions in the same way that Occlusion Material does, except that it only partially occludes whatever is behind it. One way that I have thought of doing this was to change the opacity of the entity that was covered in Occlusion Material, however this did not change anything. Please let me know if this is possible.
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Apr ’25
How to Achieve Volumetric Lighting (Light Shafts) in RealityKit on visionOS?
Hello everyone, I am currently developing an experience for visionOS using RealityKit and I would like to achieve volumetric light effects, such as visible light rays or shafts through fog or dust. I found this GitHub project: https://github.com/robcupisz/LightShafts, which demonstrates the kind of visual style I am aiming for. I would like to know if there is a way to create similar effects using RealityKit on visionOS. So far, I have experimented with DirectionalLight, SpotLight, ImageBasedLight, and custom materials (e.g., additive blending on translucent meshes), but none of these approaches can replicate the volumetric light shaft look shown in the repository above. Questions: Is there a recommended technique or workaround in RealityKit to simulate light shafts or volumetric lighting? Is creating a custom mesh (e.g., cone or volume geometry with gradient alpha and additive blending) the only feasible method? Are there any examples, best practices, or sample projects from Apple or other developers that showcase a similar visual style? Any advice or hints would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!
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Aug ’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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Aug ’25
When placing a TextField within a RealityViewAttachment, the virtual keyboard does not appear in front of the user as expected.
Hello, Thank you for your time. I have a question regarding visionOS app development. When placing a SwiftUI TextField inside RealityView.attachments, we found that focusing on the field does not bring up the virtual keyboard in front of the user. Instead, the keyboard appears around the user’s lower abdomen area. However, when placing the same TextField in a regular SwiftUI layer outside of RealityView, the keyboard appears in the correct position as expected. This suggests that the issue is specific to RealityView.attachments. We are currently exploring ways to have the virtual keyboard appear directly in front of the user when using TextField inside RealityViewAttachments. If there is any method to explicitly control the keyboard position or any known workarounds—including alternative UI approaches—we would greatly appreciate your guidance. Best regards, Sadao Tokuyama
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Jul ’25
Launching a timeline on a specific model via notification
Hello! I’m familiar with the discussion on “Sending messages to the scene”, and I’ve successfully used that code. However, I have several instances of the same model in my scene. Is it possible to make only one specific model respond to a notification? For example, can I pass something like RealityKit.NotificationTrigger.SourceEntity in userInfo or use another method to target just one instance?
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May ’25
Loading USDZ asset into Model3D causes visionOS 2.0 beta 5 to crash
We've recently discovered that our app crashes on startup on the latest visionOS 2.0 beta 5 (22N5297g) build. In fact, the entire field of view would dim down and visionOS would then restart, showing the Apple logo. Interestingly, no app crash is reported by Xcode during debug. After investigation, we have isolated the issue to a specific USDZ asset in our app. Loading it in a sample, blank project also causes visionOS to reliably crash, or become extremely unresponsive with rendering artifacts everywhere. This looks like a potentially serious issue. Even if the asset is problematic, loading it should not crash the entire OS. We have filed feedback FB14756285, along with a demo project. Hopefully someone can take a look. Thanks!
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Jul ’25
Enterprise API with Education Account
Hello, I am trying to develop an app that broadcasts what the user sees via Apple Vision Pro. I am a graduate student studying at the university. And I have two problems, If I want to use passthrough in screen capture (in VisionOS), do I have to join Apple Developer Enterprise Program to get Enterprise API? and Can I buy Apple Developer Enterprise Program (Enterprise API) with my university account? Have any of you been able to do this? Thank you
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Jul ’25
Can developers use spatial image in third App's Spatial widget
Spatial widget is a new feature of visionos 26. I notice The system’s Photo app can add a Spatial Image in the widget. I wonder if third apps can use spatial image or any 3D content in it's widget? I try to use RealityView in widget and it run with a crash. So does spatial Image in widget only supported by the system Photo app, and not available to developers now?
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Jul ’25
Technical Inquiry regarding iPhone LiDAR Specifications and ARKit Data Integrity
Hardware Specifications Regarding the LiDAR scanner in the iPhone 13/14/15/16/17 Pro series, could you please provide the following technical details for academic verification: Point Cloud Density / Resolution: The effective resolution of the depth map. Sampling Frequency: The sensor's refresh rate. Accuracy Metrics: Official tolerance levels regarding depth accuracy relative to distance (specifically within 0.5m – 2m range). Data Acquisition Methodology For a scientific thesis requiring high data integrity: Does Apple recommend a custom ARKit implementation over third-party applications (e.g., Polycam) to access raw depth data? I need to confirm if third-party apps typically apply smoothing or post-processing that would obscure the sensor's native performance, which must be avoided for my error analysis.
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LiDAR Projector Pattern iPhone 15 Pro vs. 12 Pro – Research Project Question
Dear Apple Team, I’m a high school student (vocational upper secondary school) working on my final research project about LiDAR sensors in smartphones, specifically Apple’s iPhone implementation. My current understanding (for context): I understand Apple’s LiDAR uses dToF with SPAD detectors: A VCSEL laser emits pulses, a DOE splits the beam into a dot pattern, and each spot’s return time is measured separately → point cloud generation. My specific questions: How many active projection dots does the LiDAR projector have in the iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 12 Pro? Are the dots static or do they shift/move over time? How many depth measurement points does the system deliver internally (after processing)? What is the ranging accuracy (cm-level precision) of each measurement point? Experimental background: Using an IR night vision camera, I counted approximately 111 dots on the 15 Pro vs. 576 dots on the 12 Pro. Do these match the internal specifications? Photos of my measurements are available if helpful. Contact request: I would be very grateful if you could connect me with an Apple engineer or ARKit specialist who works with LiDAR technology. I would love to ask follow-up questions directly and would be happy to provide my contact details for this purpose. These specifications would be essential for my research paper. Thank you very much in advance! Best regards, Max! Vocational Upper Secondary School Hans-Leipelt-Schule Donauwörth Research Project: “LiDAR Sensor Technology in Smartphones”
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