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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xform called "Scene" breaks animations on Quicklook starting with iOS15
Hello, We discovered that a bunch of our old animated models were no longer animated on iOS15 and onwards. After a few days of playing spot the difference between usda files I noticed that all the broken models had an xform called "Scene". Lo and behold, changing the name of that xform fixed the issue on all the models. Even lowercase "scene" makes the animations work again. Is "Scene" a reserved keyword or something? What other keywords do we need to avoid so we can create more robust USDZ files? I'm surprised this issue isn't more widespread considering Blender wraps models in a "Scene" node. At the drive link below you can find two animated cube USDZs. The only difference is the name of one of the xforms. The one with a "Scene" xform is not animated in quicklook (replicated on iPhone 13 iOS v15.2, iPhone 13 iOS v 18.3, and various devices on Browserstack including iPhone 16 iOS v18.3). https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dch1WaM9O6mbHy29S6NGWgnSHkZkPiBf?usp=sharing
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Mar ’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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May ’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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Nov ’25
HoverEffectStyle in visionOS 26.0
This is no longer highlighting my entity when looking at it: RealityView { content let hoverComponent = HoverEffectComponent(.spotlight( HoverEffectComponent.SpotlightHoverEffectStyle( color: .white, strength: 2.0 ) )) entity.components.set(hoverComponent) The entity is in a window. The same code works in an immersive view. Collision Component and Input type are set in RCP. It's also stopped working on my published app (built under visionOS 2.x) using my visionOS 26 device. If I use a 2.x simulator, it works. Is this a bug or is there something I'm missing? Thanks.
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Oct ’25
Cannot reassign worldTracking / planeDetection providers in my PlacementManager when switching environments
Environment Xcode: 16.2 VisionOS SDK 2.4 Swift 6.1 Targets: Apple Vision Pro (immersive space) Frameworks: ARKit, RealityKit, SwiftUI What I’m Trying to Do I have a view-model class PlacementManager that holds two AR providers: private var worldTracking: WorldTrackingProvider private var planeDetection: PlaneDetectionProvider I want to dynamically replace these providers in a setEnvironment(_:) method (so I can save/clear a JSON scene and restart ARKit). What’s Happening If I declare them as : private let worldTracking = WorldTrackingProvider() private let planeDetection = PlaneDetectionProvider() I get compile-errors when I later do: self.worldTracking = newWorldTracking // Cannot assign to property: 'worldTracking' is a 'let' constant If I change them to un-initialized vars: private var worldTracking: WorldTrackingProvider private var planeDetection: PlaneDetectionProvider then in my init() I get: self used in property access 'worldTracking' before all stored properties are initialized Code snipet @Observable final class PlacementManager : ObservableObject { private var worldTracking: WorldTrackingProvider private var planeDetection: PlaneDetectionProvider // … other props … @MainActor init() { // error: self.worldTracking used before init… planeAnchorHandler = PlaneAnchorHandler(rootEntity: root) persistenceManager = PersistenceManager( worldTracking: worldTracking, rootEntity: root ) // … } @MainActor func setEnvironment(env: Environnement) async { let newWorldTracking = WorldTrackingProvider() let newPlaneDetection = PlaneDetectionProvider() try await appState!.arkitSession.run( [ newWorldTracking, newPlaneDetection ] ) self.worldTracking = newWorldTracking self.planeDetection = newPlaneDetection // … } } What I’ve Tried Giving them default values at declaration (= WorldTrackingProvider()) Initializing them at the top of init() before any use Passing the new providers into arkitSession.run(...) My Question What is the recommended Swift-style pattern to declare and reassign these ARKit provider properties so that: They’re fully initialized before use in init(), and I can swap them out later in setEnvironment(...) without compiler errors? Any pointers (or links to forum threads / docs) would be greatly appreciated!
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May ’25
Shader Graph Material: Feather Edges Image Effect
Hi, I am trying to create a simple effect to create feather edges on the image using Reality Composer Pro. Something like this: As you can see it has softer edges on all sides that dissolves into transparency with the background. this is what I have been able to achieve on my own. I want to use the "feather" input node value (float) from 0.0 to 1.0 to increase or decrease the strength of the feather edges.
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Mar ’25
.glassEffect() view modifier in visionOS 26 beta 1 generates an error
.glassEffect(.regular, in: .rect(cornerRadius: 24)) error; 'glassEffect(_:in:isEnabled:)' is unavailable in visionOS This is not surprising since visionOS already has a native glass interface that formed a model for the other OS's, but this error will create additional overhead for developers creating multi-platform apps that include visionOS.
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Jun ’25
visionOS 3d interactions like the native keyboard when no longer observed in passthrough
While using apple's vision pro, we noticed that we can continue to use the visionOS keyboard when we no longer actually see it in passthrough. In other words, when we focus on a field to type, visionOS displays the keyboard for us in such a way that we actually see it. Then, we noticed if we look away a little bit, either up, or down, or left, or right, in such a way that the keyboard is no longer visible by us in the passthrough, the keyboard still remains responsive to taps from our fingers at the location where it is. It seems the keyboard remains functional and responsive to taps even though we can no longer observe/see it. We are trying to figure out how to implement similar functionality in our app whereby the user can continue to manipulate a 3d entity when the user can no longer actually observe it in passthrough (like the visionOS keyboard appears to allow). I assume the visionOS keyboard has this functionality thanks to the downward facing sensors on the hardware that allow hand tracking even though the hands can no longer be observed by the user. That is likely how we can rest our hands on our lap is still be able to interact with visionOS. How can we implement a similar functionality for 3D entities? Is there a way to tap in, or to allow hand tracking, from those toward facing cameras? Is it possible to manipulate a 3D entity when it is no longer observed by the user for example when they shift their attention somewhere else in the field of vision? How does the visionOS keyboard achieve this?
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Nov ’25
CustomMaterial disable unlit tone mapping
Hi, since iOS 18 UnlitMaterial and ShaderGraphMaterial have the option to disable tone mapping, e.g via https://developer.apple.com/documentation/realitykit/unlitmaterial/init(applypostprocesstonemap:) Is it possible to do the same for CustomMaterial? I tried initializing a CustomMaterial based on an UnlitMaterial where tone mapping is disabled, like so: let unlitMat = UnlitMaterial(applyPostProcessToneMap: false) let customMaterial = try CustomMaterial( from: unlitMat, surfaceShader: surfaceShader, geometryModifier: geometryModifier ) but that does not seem to work. The colors of my texture still look altered in comparison to a plain UnlitMaterial or a ShaderGraphMaterial where its disabled. Any hints? Thank you!
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Jun ’25
Implementing multi-pass rendering in VisionOS
I’m working on a Vision Pro app using Metal and need to implement multi-pass rendering. Specifically, I want to render intermediate results to a texture, then use that texture in a second pass for post-processing before presenting the final output. What’s the best approach in visionOS? Should I use multiple render passes in a single command buffer or separate command buffers? Any insights on efficiently handling this in RealityKit or Metal? Thanks!
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Mar ’25
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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732
Oct ’25
Unity PolySpatial – Live handheld camera feed of graspable objects not rendering on Vision Pro
I am developing a Unity application for the Apple Vision Pro using PolySpatial and RealityKit integration. The goal is to create a graspable object (for example, a handheld cube) that includes a secondary camera. When the user grabs and moves the object, the secondary camera should render its view to a RenderTexture, which is displayed on a quad attached to the object, simulating a live camera screen. In the Unity Editor, this setup works correctly. The RenderTexture updates in real time, and the quad displays the camera’s view as expected. However, when building and running the application on the Vision Pro, the quad only displays the clear background color of the secondary camera. No scene content appears. The graspable interaction itself works fine: the object can be grabbed and moved as intended. Steps I have taken: Created a new layer (CameraFeed) and assigned the relevant objects to it. Set the secondary camera’s culling mask to render only the CameraFeed layer. Assigned the RenderTexture as the camera’s target texture. Applied the RenderTexture to an Unlit/Texture material on a quad. Confirmed the camera is active and correctly positioned relative to the object. From my research, it appears that once objects are managed by RealityKit through PolySpatial (for example, made graspable), they are no longer rendered through Unity's normal camera pipeline. Only the main XR camera (managed by RealityKit) seems able to see these objects. Secondary Unity cameras cannot render RealityKit-synced content to a RenderTexture. If this is correct, it seems there is currently no way to implement a true live secondary camera feed showing graspable objects on Vision Pro using Unity PolySpatial. My questions are: Is there any official way to enable multiple camera rendering of RealityKit-managed objects through PolySpatial? Are there known workarounds to simulate a live camera feed that still allows objects to be grabbed? Has anyone found alternative design patterns or methods for this kind of interaction? Environment: Unity 6.0 , PolySpatial 2.2.4, Apple Vision OS XR 2.2.4 Any insight or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
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Apr ’25