Getting started with 3D graphics for augmented reality
How do you get your 3D models into augmented reality (AR) filters? Whether you are a beginner or an experienced 3D artist, this guide will show you the ins and outs of getting your 3D models into Lens Studio, Effect House, and Meta Spark Studio.
The great thing about AR is that it combines lots of different disciplines into one. The bad thing about AR is that it combines lots of different disciplines into one. You'll find 3D graphics, 2D graphics, programming, design, and machine learning all coming together to create awesome experiences. But most people aren't experts in all those fields. This guide will specifically address the 3D portion of AR. I'll walk you through all the concepts you need to know so that you'll have a foundation to build upon and keep learning 3D graphics. If you are already an experienced 3D artist, you may still find this guide useful because it will cover some of the nuances of preparing 3D assets for AR.
I will be using Blender as my 3D software of choice, but this is NOT a Blender tutorial. I will show what I am doing in the software so that you can then lookup tutorials for any knowledge gaps you have or find corresponding tutorials for your 3D software of choice.
My focus for AR is on social AR for Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. The principles I cover here will also apply to WebAR or custom AR apps, but I will be going over limitations and requirements of the specific social AR platforms. At the time of this video I'm using Lens Studio 4.34, Meta Spark v151, and Effect House 1.18.1.
The guidelines I share here will be a mix of information from the various platforms themselves along with some things I learned along the way. As you prepare your 3D assets, please refer to the guides for the platform you are building for in case things have changed since I wrote this guide. In general 3D asset creation is the same for all the platforms but they differ in some details. I'll try to note this when possible. Here are the platform-specific guides:
Lens Studio (Snapchat) -- https://docs.snap.com/lens-studio/ref...
Effect House (TikTok) -- https://effecthouse.tiktok.com/learn/...
Meta Spark (Instagram/Facebook) -- / creating-3d-objects-for-spark-ar-studio
00:00 - Introduction
01:11 - 3D meshes
04:17 - Be careful with modifiers and shape keys
06:25 - Exporting
07:04 - Rigging and animating
08:02 - Bone count limits
09:22 - Bone weights
12:57 - UV Mapping
16:18 - Adding textures
17:58 - Types of texture maps
23:01 - Packing texture maps into color channels
24:42 - Image optimization
26:18 - Importing into Lens Studio
33:09 - Importing into Meta Spark
38:56 - Importing into Effect House
Relevant links:
Writtin version -- https://arbootcamp.com/general/3d-for...
Texturing for Lens Studio -- https://docs.snap.com/lens-studio/ref...
Texturing for Effect House -- https://effecthouse.tiktok.com/learn/...
Texturing for Meta Spark -- / working-with-textures-and-materials
Types of normal maps -- https://www.texturecan.com/post/3/Dir...
Combine RGB channels -- http://flaticon.sodhanalibrary.com/co...
Crushee (image optimization) -- https://crushee.app/
Lens Studio 3D import -- https://docs.snap.com/lens-studio/ref...
Effect House 3D import -- https://effecthouse.tiktok.com/learn/...
Meta Spark 3D import -- / 3d-objects
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