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How Meta’s Spatial SDK Is A New Era For Mixed Reality Development

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Savio MeniferellipsOct 23, 2024ellips4 min read

How Meta’s Spatial SDK Is A New Era For Mixed Reality Development

Meta’s recent announcement of the Meta Spatial SDK marks a significant shift in the development of mixed reality (MR) applications. Until now, developers largely relied on game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine to create apps for Meta’s Quest devices. With the Spatial SDK, Meta aims to lower the barriers for developers, especially web and mobile app creators, to enter the MR space without needing a game engine.

What is Meta Spatial SDK?

The Meta Spatial SDK allows developers to create “spatial apps” — applications that use 3D elements and immersive media — directly for Meta’s Horizon OS. Unlike previous development environments, this SDK enables developers to use tools and languages they are already familiar with, such as Android development and Kotlin.

This new SDK allows mobile app developers to quickly enhance their existing apps or create new immersive experiences by adding features like floating 3D objects, spatial audio, and immersive videos. Importantly, developers no longer need to rely on Unity or Unreal Engine, making mixed reality development accessible to a much broader audience.

Key Features of Meta Spatial SDK

Meta Spatial SDK offers a range of features that make it easier to create immersive apps:

  1. Mixed Reality Support: The SDK provides tools for creating apps that blend the virtual and physical worlds, supporting key MR features such as passthrough, scene anchors, and the Mixed Reality Utility Kit (MRUK).
  2. Realistic 3D Graphics: Developers can leverage modern graphics pipelines, including GLTF, physically-based rendering (PBR), and image-based lighting. This means they can create high-quality, realistic 3D graphics with ease.
  3. Complete Scene Composition: Developers can build entire scenes using 3D assets, animations, physics, and sound. They can either create these scenes visually with Meta Spatial Editor or generate them at runtime with code.
  4. Interactive Panels: The SDK supports interactive 2D panels within your spatial apps, allowing developers to use their preferred 2D UI frameworks. This is particularly useful for adding UI elements like menus or dashboards to mixed reality environments.

Lowering the Barriers for Mobile Developers

One of the biggest challenges developers faced in the past was that creating MR apps for Meta’s platform required knowledge of game engines. However, with the Meta Spatial SDK, Android developers can now build immersive apps using tools they are already familiar with. This includes Kotlin-based APIs, meaning that developers don’t have to learn a new language or engine to get started.

In addition, Meta has introduced the Meta Spatial Editor, a tool that simplifies spatial composition. Developers can import and organize assets visually, making it easier to manage 3D objects and create immersive environments without needing to write complex code.

Porting Existing Apps

Meta has made it possible to port existing mobile apps into Horizon OS. This opens up opportunities for developers to extend their apps by adding spatial features, making them more interactive and immersive. Apps built with the Meta Spatial SDK can now take advantage of features like resizing, multitasking, and spatial audio, enhancing the overall user experience.

Open Store for Spatial Apps

Another important part of Meta’s vision is its open store, which now supports a variety of app types, including 2D, web, hybrid, 3D, and spatial apps. This open ecosystem allows developers to release their spatial apps on Meta’s platform and benefit from increased visibility and discoverability.

By enabling developers to use their favorite programming languages and tools to build for Meta Horizon OS, Meta is positioning itself as the next big app store for immersive experiences. Notably, companies like Amazon, Twitch, and even Meta’s own Facebook and Instagram apps have already started using these tools to create new experiences for Horizon OS.

Getting Started with Meta Spatial SDK

Meta has made it easy to get started with the Meta Spatial SDK by offering an open beta version, as well as open-source showcase apps like Focus, Geo Voyage, and Media View. These apps demonstrate how to integrate 2D panels, 3D objects, and spatial media into your projects, giving developers a head start on building their own spatial apps.

Conclusion

Meta’s Spatial SDK opens the door for a wider range of developers to create immersive experiences for the Meta Quest ecosystem. By using tools and languages familiar to Android developers, the SDK reduces the learning curve and allows more developers to bring their ideas to life in the world of mixed reality. With the addition of the Meta Spatial Editor and the open store, developers have everything they need to build and distribute spatial apps quickly and efficiently.

Table of Contents
  • Introduction
  • How Meta’s Spatial SDK Is A New Era For Mixed Reality Development
  • What is Meta Spatial SDK?
  • Key Features of Meta Spatial SDK
  • Lowering the Barriers for Mobile Developers
  • Porting Existing Apps
  • Open Store for Spatial Apps
  • Getting Started with Meta Spatial SDK
  • Conclusion
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