When Apple releases something, the world pays attention — especially when it’s the long-anticipated XR headset they started R&D on in 2015. Along with the announcement of Apple Vision Pro, they also announced visionOS, the operating system that the headset will run on. Many of the features will be familiar to those that already exist in the Apple ecosystem and some are brand new. The growth of 3D content development will create a new industry and inspire the need for 3D asset management so platforms like echo3D can help integrate into Apple’s development pipeline.
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Overview
visionOS was designed for both augmented and virtual reality to support the low-latency requirements of spatial computing. Originally the operating system was called xrOS but ultimately decided on visionOS. This feature-heavy operating system factors in the multiple cameras that are part of the Apple Vision Pro so there can be seamless presentation between digital content and real world space and interactions.
Something Apple promised was a seamless transition within physical environments without compromising digital content which makes stabilizing digital elements a challenge– not just with visual assets but with audio as well. visionOS utilizes audio ray-tracing to make sure soundscapes from 3D experiences are as accurate as possible even when the user is not stationary. This goes to show that visionOS must be sophisticated and one powerhouse of an operating system.
Blends With Other Apple Apps
Apple wouldn’t be Apple without considering device interconnectivity. Users can expect the same design ethos of intuitive usage and interactivity that’s present with all their products. They promise all iOS and iPadOS apps will work with visionOS but instead of tapping a screen, users will be able to use hand gestures and eye tracking to interact with the apps. While full-feature gaming has typically been a VR experience, users will be able to play Apple Arcade games using the Vision Pro with third party controllers.
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Apple also mentioned they will allow for physical keyboards and controllers but will focus on optimizing their virtual keyboard and gestures to work as perfectly as possible. According to The Verge, Apple designer Eugene Krivoruchko explained that it’s important to offer visual and audio feedback while using the virtual keyboard to make up for the missing tactile information. “While the finger is above the keyboard, buttons display a hover state and a highlight that gets brighter as you approach the button surface,” Krivoruchko said. “It provides a proximity cue and helps guide the finger to target. At the moment of contact, the state change is quick and responsive, and is accompanied by matching spatial sound effect.”
Customizing the 3D Experience
While we don’t know what the developer experience is like yet for the visionOS since access is not yet available, Apple has shared that they will allow for heavy customization on the development and user side. For example, visionOS will allow for audio dictation, programming gestures, eye tracking, vocal commands, spatial ray-tracing audio, facial scanning, a virtual keyboard with dictation feature for input and more.
EyeSight is a new feature exclusive to the Vision Pro and it works by tracking the user’s gaze. This provides many capabilities like customizing when they can or cannot be seen. Tracking gaze shows others that they’re engaged with the conversation and paying attention. Additionally, when a person approaches another person wearing the headset, the device feels transparent and lets the user see the other user’s eyes. It can be programmed to scan the user’s face capturing their likeness. This likeness is then used as a blueprint for their avatar and can be tracked and controlled by visionOS in different apps.
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echo3D (www.echo3D.com; Techstars 19’) is a cloud platform for 3D asset management that provides tools and cloud infrastructure to help developers quickly build and deploy 3D/AR/VR games, apps, and content.
