Discuss Spatial Computing on Apple Platforms.

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SpatialEventGesture Not Working to Show Hidden Menu in Immersive Panorama View - visionOS
SpatialEventGesture Not Working to Show Hidden Menu in Immersive Panorama View - visionOS Problem Description I'm developing a Vision Pro app that displays 360° panoramic photos in a full immersive space. I have a floating menu that auto-hides after 5 seconds, and I want users to be able to show the menu again using spatial gestures (particularly pinch gestures) when it's hidden. However, the SpatialEventGesture implementation is not working as expected. The menu doesn't appear when users perform pinch gestures or other spatial interactions in the immersive space. Current Implementation Here's the relevant gesture detection code in my ImmersiveView: import SwiftUI import RealityKit struct ImmersiveView: View { @EnvironmentObject var appModel: AppModel @Environment(\.openWindow) private var openWindow var body: some View { RealityView { content in // RealityView content setup with panoramic sphere... let rootEntity = Entity() content.add(rootEntity) // Load panoramic content here... } // Using SpatialEventGesture to handle multiple spatial gestures .gesture( SpatialEventGesture() .onEnded { eventCollection in // Check menu visibility state if !appModel.isPanoramaMenuVisible { // Iterate through event collection to handle various gestures for event in eventCollection { switch event.kind { case .touch: print("Detected spatial touch gesture, showing menu") showMenuWithGesture() return case .indirectPinch: print("Detected spatial pinch gesture, showing menu") showMenuWithGesture() return case .pointer: print("Detected spatial pointer gesture, showing menu") showMenuWithGesture() return @unknown default: print("Detected unknown spatial gesture: \(event.kind)") showMenuWithGesture() return } } } } ) // Keep long press gesture as backup .simultaneousGesture( LongPressGesture(minimumDuration: 1.5) .onEnded { _ in if !appModel.isPanoramaMenuVisible { print("Detected long press gesture, showing menu") showMenuWithGesture() } } ) } private func showMenuWithGesture() { if !appModel.isPanoramaMenuVisible { appModel.showPanoramaMenu() if !appModel.windowExists(id: "PanoramaMenu") { openWindow(id: "PanoramaMenu", value: "menu") } } } } What I've Tried Multiple SpatialTapGesture approaches: Originally tried using multiple .gesture() modifiers with SpatialTapGesture(count: 1) and SpatialTapGesture(count: 2), but realized they override each other. SpatialEventGesture implementation: Switched to SpatialEventGesture to handle multiple event types (.touch, .indirectPinch, .pointer), but pinch gestures still don't trigger the menu. Added debugging: Console logs show that the gesture callbacks are never called when performing pinch gestures in the immersive space. Backup LongPressGesture: Added a simultaneous long press gesture as backup, which also doesn't work consistently. Expected Behavior When the panorama menu is hidden (after 5-second auto-hide), users should be able to: Perform a pinch gesture (indirect pinch) to show the menu Tap in space to show the menu Use other spatial gestures to show the menu Questions Is SpatialEventGesture the correct approach for detecting gestures in a full immersive RealityView? Are there any special considerations for gesture detection when the RealityView contains a large panoramic sphere that might be intercepting gestures? Should I be using a different gesture approach for visionOS immersive spaces? Is there a way to ensure gestures work even when the RealityView content (panoramic sphere) might be blocking them? Environment Xcode 16.1 visionOS 2.5 Testing on Vision Pro device App uses SwiftUI + RealityKit Any guidance on the proper way to implement spatial gesture detection in visionOS immersive spaces would be greatly appreciated! Additional Context The app manages multiple windows and the gesture detection should work specifically when in the immersive panorama mode with the menu hidden. Thank you for any help or suggestions!
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201
Jun ’25
CapturedRoom.Section is missing a lot of information
The Section struct only publicly makes the center property available, but this is a SIMD3 that doesn't seem to line up with the rest of the model. All other objects have a 4x4 transform matrix that accurately gives each position and rotation. When inspecting a Section in the debugger, many more properties are visible such as polygon and transform. Why are these not visible? The transform in particular seems necessary to make any sort of use of the Sections.
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397
Sep ’25
Creating spatial video with one camera
Hello everyone I would like to create my own spatial video on my Apple Vision Pro. According to all the documentation from Apple, this requires two camera angles that enhance the spatial perception. I have purchased the Enterprise license with main camera access for this purpose. However, this only gives me access to the left main camera of the glasses. Is there a way to access the right camera as well? Or is the one camera image enough to create a spatial video by splitting the image, for example? I am open to any help and ideas. My goal is to create the video with the cameras on the glasses, not externally.
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314
Jun ’25
Displaying multiple immersive movies in spheres in an immersive environment
In visionOS, I'm trying to create an immersive environment which would feature several spheres in which immersive movies are visible. I'm starting from a sample code which creates a sphere, sets an immersive movie as its material, and opens it as an immersive environment. This works fine. But if I create a sphere in an open immersive environment using Reality Composer Pro and sets its material to an immersive movie, I can see the movie on the sphere while I move outside of it but if I try to get inside the sphere, it disappears. What would be the right way of doing this ?
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738
Oct ’25
The folding and unfolding effect of the NBA sand table
Seeing this magical sand table, the unfolding and folding effects are similar to spreading out cards, which is very interesting. But I don't know how to achieve it. I want to see if there are any ways to achieve this effect and give some ideas. May I ask if this effect can be achieved under the existing API
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106
May ’25
Setting immerstionStyle while in immersive space breaks all entities.
I have my immersive space set up like: ImmersiveSpace(id: "Theater") { ImmersiveTeleopView() .environment(appModel) .onAppear() { appModel.immersiveSpaceState = .open } .onDisappear { appModel.immersiveSpaceState = .closed } } .immersionStyle(selection: .constant(appModel.immersionStyle.style), in: .mixed, .full) Which allows me to set the immersive style while in the space (from a Picker on a SwiftUI window). The scene responds correctly but a lot of the functionality of my immersive space is gone after the change in style; in that I am no longer able to enable/disable entities (which I also have a toggles for in the SwiftUI window). I have to exit and reenter the immersive space to regain the ability to change the enabled state of my entities. My appModel.immersionStyle is inspired by the Compositor-Services demo (although I am using a RealityView) listed in https://developer.apple.com/documentation/CompositorServices/interacting-with-virtual-content-blended-with-passthrough and looks like this: public enum IStyle: String, CaseIterable, Identifiable { case mixedStyle, fullStyle public var id: Self { self } var style: ImmersionStyle { switch self { case .mixedStyle: return .mixed case .fullStyle: return .full } } } /// Maintains app-wide state @MainActor @Observable class AppModel { // Immersion Style public var immersionStyle: IStyle = .mixedStyle
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248
Oct ’25
Metal Compositor Service & Persona (VisionOS)
Hello, I'm currently trying to make a collaborative app. But it just works only on Reality View, when I tried to use Compositor Layer like below, the personas disappeared. ImmersiveSpace(id: "ImmersiveSpace-Metal") { CompositorLayer(configuration: MetalLayerConfiguration()) { layerRenderer in SpatialRenderer_InitAndRun(layerRenderer) } } Is there any potential solution too see Personas in Metal view? Thanks in advance!
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774
Sep ’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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745
Oct ’25
Realitykit asset loading
With Xcode 26, loading ressources with RealityKit is extremely slow. Here my project takes almost 50 seconds to load. I also get multiple Hang detected messages in the console: When I uncheck "Debug executable" in the schema, the same project loads in 2 seconds. I'm using RealityKit asynchronous loading: private static func loadFromRealityComposerPro( named entityName: String, fromSceneNamed sceneName: String ) async -> Entity? { var entity: Entity? do { let scene = try await Entity( named: sceneName, in: visionPetsContentBundle ) entity = scene.findEntity(named: entityName) } catch { print( "Error loading \(entityName) from scene \(sceneName): \(error.localizedDescription)" ) } return entity } Anyone having the same problem?
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103
Jun ’25
version update in Vision Pro
Hi, I'm developing an app for Vision Pro using Xcode, while updating the latest update, things that worked in my app suddenly didn't. in my app flow I'm tapping spheres to get their positions, from some reason I get an offset from where I tap to where a marker on that position is showing up. here's the part of code that does that, and a part that is responsible for an alignment that happens afterwards: func loadMainScene(at position: SIMD3) async { guard let content = self.content else { return } do { let rootEntity = try await Entity(named: "surgery 16.09", in: realityKitContentBundle) rootEntity.scale = SIMD3<Float>(repeating: 0.5) rootEntity.generateCollisionShapes(recursive: true) self.modelRootEntity = rootEntity let bounds = rootEntity.visualBounds(relativeTo: nil) print("📏 Model bounds: center=\(bounds.center), extents=\(bounds.extents)") let pivotEntity = Entity() pivotEntity.addChild(rootEntity) self.pivotEntity = pivotEntity let modelAnchor = AnchorEntity(world: [1, 1.3, -0.8]) modelAnchor.addChild(pivotEntity) content.add(modelAnchor) updateModelOpacity(0.5) self.modelAnchor = modelAnchor rootEntity.visit { entity in print("👀 Entity in model: \(entity.name)") if entity.name.lowercased().hasPrefix("focus") { entity.generateCollisionShapes(recursive: true) entity.components.set(InputTargetComponent()) print("🎯 Made tappable: \(entity.name)") } } print("✅ Model loaded with collisions") guard let sphere = placementSphere else { return } let sphereWorldXform = sphere.transformMatrix(relativeTo: nil) var newXform = sphereWorldXform newXform.columns.3.y += 0.1 // move up by 20 cm let gridAnchor = AnchorEntity(world: newXform) self.gridAnchor = gridAnchor content.add(gridAnchor) let baseScene = try await Entity(named: "Scene", in: realityKitContentBundle) let gridSizeX = 18 let gridSizeY = 10 let gridSizeZ = 10 let spacing: Float = 0.05 let startX: Float = -Float(gridSizeX - 1) * spacing * 0.5 + 0.3 let startY: Float = -Float(gridSizeY - 1) * spacing * 0.5 - 0.1 let startZ: Float = -Float(gridSizeZ - 1) * spacing * 0.5 for i in 0..<gridSizeX { for j in 0..<gridSizeY { for k in 0..<gridSizeZ { if j < 2 || j > gridSizeY - 5 { continue } // remove 2 bottom, 4 top let cell = baseScene.clone(recursive: true) cell.name = "Sphere" cell.scale = .one * 0.02 cell.position = [ startX + Float(i) * spacing, startY + Float(j) * spacing, startZ + Float(k) * spacing ] cell.generateCollisionShapes(recursive: true) gridCells.append(cell) gridAnchor.addChild(cell) } } } content.add(gridAnchor) print("✅ Grid added") } catch { print("❌ Failed to load: \(error)") } } private func handleModelOrGridTap(_ tappedEntity: Entity) { guard let modelRootEntity = modelRootEntity else { return } let localPosition = tappedEntity.position(relativeTo: modelRootEntity) let worldPosition = tappedEntity.position(relativeTo: nil) switch tapStep { case 0: modelPointA = localPosition modelAnchor?.addChild(createMarker(at: worldPosition, color: [1, 0, 0])) print("📍 Model point A: \(localPosition)") tapStep += 1 case 1: modelPointB = localPosition modelAnchor?.addChild(createMarker(at: worldPosition, color: [1, 0.5, 0])) print("📍 Model point B: \(localPosition)") tapStep += 1 case 2: targetPointA = worldPosition targetMarkerA = createMarker(at: worldPosition,color: [0, 1, 0]) modelAnchor?.addChild(targetMarkerA!) print("✅ Target point A: \(worldPosition)") tapStep += 1 case 3: targetPointB = worldPosition targetMarkerB = createMarker(at: worldPosition,color: [0, 0, 1]) modelAnchor?.addChild(targetMarkerB!) print("✅ Target point B: \(worldPosition)") alignmentReady = true tapStep += 1 default: print("⚠️ Unexpected tap on model helper at step \(tapStep)") } } func alignModel2Points() { guard let modelPointA = modelPointA, let modelPointB = modelPointB, let targetPointA = targetPointA, let targetPointB = targetPointB, let modelRootEntity = modelRootEntity, let pivotEntity = pivotEntity, let modelAnchor = modelAnchor else { print("❌ Missing data for alignment") return } let modelVec = modelPointB - modelPointA let targetVec = targetPointB - targetPointA let modelLength = length(modelVec) let targetLength = length(targetVec) let scale = targetLength / modelLength let modelDir = normalize(modelVec) let targetDir = normalize(targetVec) var axis = cross(modelDir, targetDir) let axisLength = length(axis) var rotation = simd_quatf() if axisLength < 1e-6 { if dot(modelDir, targetDir) > 0 { rotation = simd_quatf(angle: 0, axis: [0,1,0]) } else { let up: SIMD3<Float> = [0,1,0] axis = cross(modelDir, up) if length(axis) < 1e-6 { axis = cross(modelDir, [1,0,0]) } rotation = simd_quatf(angle: .pi, axis: normalize(axis)) } } else { let dotProduct = dot(modelDir, targetDir) let clampedDot = max(-1.0, min(dotProduct, 1.0)) let angle = acos(clampedDot) rotation = simd_quatf(angle: angle, axis: normalize(axis)) } modelRootEntity.scale = .one * scale modelRootEntity.orientation = rotation let transformedPointA = rotation.act(modelPointA * scale) pivotEntity.position = -transformedPointA modelAnchor.position = targetPointA alignedModelPosition = modelAnchor.position print("✅ Aligned with scale \(scale), rotation \(rotation)")
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358
Oct ’25
Photogrammetry Session - new model?
Hi Apple Team, We noticed the following exciting changelog in the latest macOS 26 beta: A new algorithm significantly improves PhotogrammetrySession reconstruction quality of low-texture objects not captured with the ObjectCaptureSession front end. It will be downloaded and cached once in the background when the PhotogrammetrySession is used at runtime. If network isn’t available at that time, the old low quality model will be used until the new one can be downloaded. There is no code change needed to get this improved model. (145220451) However after trying this on the latest beta and running some tests we do not see any differences on objects with low textures such as single coloured surfaces. Is there anything we are missing? the machine is definitely connected to the internet but we have no way of knowing from the logs if the new model is being used? thanks
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714
Jul ’25
Nearby Sharing a Volume won't work
Hi, we've developed an app for Vision Pro that utilises the GroupActivitites SDK to provide shared experiences for our users. Remote Participation works great, but we can't get nearby sharing to work. The behaviour we're observing: User 1 engages share sheet from Volume, 2nd Vision Pro is visible. User 1 starts nearby sharing Session initialisation runs for approx. 30 seconds, then fails Sometimes, the nearby participant doesn't show up at all after the initialisation has failed once. As stated in the Configure your visionOS app for sharing with people nearby article, we didn't make any changes to our implementation to support nearby sharing. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Kind regards, David
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974
Jan ’26
visionOS pushWindow being dismissed on app foreground
We seen to have found an issue when using the pushWindow action on visionOS. The issue occurs if the app is backgrounded then reopened by selecting the apps icon on the home screen. Any window that is opened via the pushWindow action is then dismissed. We've been able to replicate the issue in a small sample project. Replication steps Open app Open window via the push action Press the digital crown On the home screen select the apps icon again The pushed window will now be dismissed. There is a sample project linked here that shows off the issue, including a video of the bug in progress
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888
Jan ’26
visionOS widget dimensions?
Is there any size guidance for the new WidgetKit integration on visionOS? The Widget HIG provides dimensions for all the widget size classes on iOS, iPadOS and watchOS, but has not been updated for visionOS. https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/widgets My potential widget use case is image based, so I'm looking to better understand the optimal size, resolution etc I would need, particularly for the new visionOS specific extra large widget size.
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596
Jul ’25
Triangle Recommendation Limit for M5 Vision Pro
For the M2 Apple Vision Pro, there's "a general guideline, we recommend no more than 500 thousand triangles for an immersive scene, with 250 thousand for applications in the shared space." --https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2024/10186/?time=147 Is there a revised recommendation for the M5 Apple Vision Pro?
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806
Nov ’25
How To Move Camera with PS5 Game Controller
Hello again! So, I am trying my best to figure out how to get a simple, fully Immersive scene that is navigable via the PS5 controller to work on Vision Pro. I am even using ChatGPT (both externally AND in Xcode when it makes fix recommendations) however, I seem to be moving around in circles, having to constantly send error messages back to ChatGPT, then try the new "confirmed to work" fixed code, only to have more errors. I also have explicitly let the AI know that I'm using all the current betas, only to learn there has been lots of stuff deprecated (of course!). This is my initial query to ChatGPT: "How can I create a fully immersive VR experience for Apple Vision Pro, using a PS5 game controller to navigate the user via first person view through a 3d scene?" And then down the rabbit hole the past few days. Seriously, I thought AI was supposed to be helpful! LOL Per Xcode logs, I'm seeing thumbstick movement, but simply cannot get the camera to move. Is this even possible?! Is it a camera defined in Reality Composer Pro? Or, does it need to be defined outside. I'm trying to follow along with the AI, but it seems to go back and forth with different solutions. Here is the latest it's spitting out: __ Thanks for this super clear log — and you’re absolutely right: the gamepad input is working, CameraRoot is moving as expected… but your actual camera view is not changing. This strongly suggests the issue is that RealityKit is not using your custom camera (PerspectiveCameraComponent) for rendering the view. ⸻ 🔍 What’s happening Even though CameraRoot is moving (with correct logs), RealityKit will default to its own internal camera unless: 1. You explicitly assign your camera entity to be the one used, or 2. Your camera is the only one and RealityKit picks it up automatically. But in visionOS 2.0 / Xcode 26, there seems to be a bug or behavior change where RealityKit no longer auto-uses your custom PerspectiveCameraComponent in RealityView unless it’s: • properly set with content.camera, or • part of a .usda/Reality Composer camera hierarchy that’s already active. Unfortunately: 🟥 RealityView.camera = .entity(cameraRoot) ❌ Is no longer allowed (we confirmed this breaks with a type error) ⸻ ✅ The Reliable Workaround: Attach your camera to the Immersive scene itself Since we’re loading a .usda scene (Reality Composer Pro), here’s the most reliable path forward: ✔️ Option A: Embed your camera into the Reality Composer Pro scene 1. Open your Reality Composer Pro scene 2. Add a Camera entity directly in your Immersive.usda scene 3. Name it something like "PlayerCamera" 4. Position it at [0, 1.6, 0] 5. Leave it selected as the default camera Then in your Swift code: • Find the camera entity with .findEntity(named:) • Move that entity instead of creating a new one. ⸻ ✔️ Option B: Force RealityKit to use your custom camera (via transform parenting) Since direct camera assignment is unavailable, we can use a trick: Move the whole RealityView scene via a parent entity with a camera. But let’s go with Option A, since you’ve already got a Reality Composer Pro scene. __ Can any developer over there can make a suggestion on how to move forward? I JUST want to create a sandbox template so I can start exploring 3d scenes created in Maya and sent over to headset. I'll deal with animation next, but come on, why is this so difficult to get working? I'm not a programmer, but have been trying to wrap my head around Xcode and SwiftUI. This needs to be much simpler. Or, you need to provide us creatives with better sample templates and non programmer speak on how to set this up properly. Ideally, you HIRE us 3d professionals to work side by side with the programmers to help make these tools useable - especially Reality Composer Pro. Seriously, I am making a concerted effort to use the native tools, even though I would love to be porting Unreal Engine scenes over. If anyone can help point me in the right direction, coming from a 3D Creator/Animator/Modeler perspective, I, and my fellow peers in the XR/AR/VR community would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.
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Jul ’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
SpatialEventGesture Not Working to Show Hidden Menu in Immersive Panorama View - visionOS
SpatialEventGesture Not Working to Show Hidden Menu in Immersive Panorama View - visionOS Problem Description I'm developing a Vision Pro app that displays 360° panoramic photos in a full immersive space. I have a floating menu that auto-hides after 5 seconds, and I want users to be able to show the menu again using spatial gestures (particularly pinch gestures) when it's hidden. However, the SpatialEventGesture implementation is not working as expected. The menu doesn't appear when users perform pinch gestures or other spatial interactions in the immersive space. Current Implementation Here's the relevant gesture detection code in my ImmersiveView: import SwiftUI import RealityKit struct ImmersiveView: View { @EnvironmentObject var appModel: AppModel @Environment(\.openWindow) private var openWindow var body: some View { RealityView { content in // RealityView content setup with panoramic sphere... let rootEntity = Entity() content.add(rootEntity) // Load panoramic content here... } // Using SpatialEventGesture to handle multiple spatial gestures .gesture( SpatialEventGesture() .onEnded { eventCollection in // Check menu visibility state if !appModel.isPanoramaMenuVisible { // Iterate through event collection to handle various gestures for event in eventCollection { switch event.kind { case .touch: print("Detected spatial touch gesture, showing menu") showMenuWithGesture() return case .indirectPinch: print("Detected spatial pinch gesture, showing menu") showMenuWithGesture() return case .pointer: print("Detected spatial pointer gesture, showing menu") showMenuWithGesture() return @unknown default: print("Detected unknown spatial gesture: \(event.kind)") showMenuWithGesture() return } } } } ) // Keep long press gesture as backup .simultaneousGesture( LongPressGesture(minimumDuration: 1.5) .onEnded { _ in if !appModel.isPanoramaMenuVisible { print("Detected long press gesture, showing menu") showMenuWithGesture() } } ) } private func showMenuWithGesture() { if !appModel.isPanoramaMenuVisible { appModel.showPanoramaMenu() if !appModel.windowExists(id: "PanoramaMenu") { openWindow(id: "PanoramaMenu", value: "menu") } } } } What I've Tried Multiple SpatialTapGesture approaches: Originally tried using multiple .gesture() modifiers with SpatialTapGesture(count: 1) and SpatialTapGesture(count: 2), but realized they override each other. SpatialEventGesture implementation: Switched to SpatialEventGesture to handle multiple event types (.touch, .indirectPinch, .pointer), but pinch gestures still don't trigger the menu. Added debugging: Console logs show that the gesture callbacks are never called when performing pinch gestures in the immersive space. Backup LongPressGesture: Added a simultaneous long press gesture as backup, which also doesn't work consistently. Expected Behavior When the panorama menu is hidden (after 5-second auto-hide), users should be able to: Perform a pinch gesture (indirect pinch) to show the menu Tap in space to show the menu Use other spatial gestures to show the menu Questions Is SpatialEventGesture the correct approach for detecting gestures in a full immersive RealityView? Are there any special considerations for gesture detection when the RealityView contains a large panoramic sphere that might be intercepting gestures? Should I be using a different gesture approach for visionOS immersive spaces? Is there a way to ensure gestures work even when the RealityView content (panoramic sphere) might be blocking them? Environment Xcode 16.1 visionOS 2.5 Testing on Vision Pro device App uses SwiftUI + RealityKit Any guidance on the proper way to implement spatial gesture detection in visionOS immersive spaces would be greatly appreciated! Additional Context The app manages multiple windows and the gesture detection should work specifically when in the immersive panorama mode with the menu hidden. Thank you for any help or suggestions!
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1
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201
Activity
Jun ’25
CapturedRoom.Section is missing a lot of information
The Section struct only publicly makes the center property available, but this is a SIMD3 that doesn't seem to line up with the rest of the model. All other objects have a 4x4 transform matrix that accurately gives each position and rotation. When inspecting a Section in the debugger, many more properties are visible such as polygon and transform. Why are these not visible? The transform in particular seems necessary to make any sort of use of the Sections.
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1
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0
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397
Activity
Sep ’25
Creating spatial video with one camera
Hello everyone I would like to create my own spatial video on my Apple Vision Pro. According to all the documentation from Apple, this requires two camera angles that enhance the spatial perception. I have purchased the Enterprise license with main camera access for this purpose. However, this only gives me access to the left main camera of the glasses. Is there a way to access the right camera as well? Or is the one camera image enough to create a spatial video by splitting the image, for example? I am open to any help and ideas. My goal is to create the video with the cameras on the glasses, not externally.
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1
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0
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314
Activity
Jun ’25
Displaying multiple immersive movies in spheres in an immersive environment
In visionOS, I'm trying to create an immersive environment which would feature several spheres in which immersive movies are visible. I'm starting from a sample code which creates a sphere, sets an immersive movie as its material, and opens it as an immersive environment. This works fine. But if I create a sphere in an open immersive environment using Reality Composer Pro and sets its material to an immersive movie, I can see the movie on the sphere while I move outside of it but if I try to get inside the sphere, it disappears. What would be the right way of doing this ?
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1
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738
Activity
Oct ’25
The folding and unfolding effect of the NBA sand table
Seeing this magical sand table, the unfolding and folding effects are similar to spreading out cards, which is very interesting. But I don't know how to achieve it. I want to see if there are any ways to achieve this effect and give some ideas. May I ask if this effect can be achieved under the existing API
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1
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106
Activity
May ’25
Setting immerstionStyle while in immersive space breaks all entities.
I have my immersive space set up like: ImmersiveSpace(id: "Theater") { ImmersiveTeleopView() .environment(appModel) .onAppear() { appModel.immersiveSpaceState = .open } .onDisappear { appModel.immersiveSpaceState = .closed } } .immersionStyle(selection: .constant(appModel.immersionStyle.style), in: .mixed, .full) Which allows me to set the immersive style while in the space (from a Picker on a SwiftUI window). The scene responds correctly but a lot of the functionality of my immersive space is gone after the change in style; in that I am no longer able to enable/disable entities (which I also have a toggles for in the SwiftUI window). I have to exit and reenter the immersive space to regain the ability to change the enabled state of my entities. My appModel.immersionStyle is inspired by the Compositor-Services demo (although I am using a RealityView) listed in https://developer.apple.com/documentation/CompositorServices/interacting-with-virtual-content-blended-with-passthrough and looks like this: public enum IStyle: String, CaseIterable, Identifiable { case mixedStyle, fullStyle public var id: Self { self } var style: ImmersionStyle { switch self { case .mixedStyle: return .mixed case .fullStyle: return .full } } } /// Maintains app-wide state @MainActor @Observable class AppModel { // Immersion Style public var immersionStyle: IStyle = .mixedStyle
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1
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248
Activity
Oct ’25
Metal Compositor Service & Persona (VisionOS)
Hello, I'm currently trying to make a collaborative app. But it just works only on Reality View, when I tried to use Compositor Layer like below, the personas disappeared. ImmersiveSpace(id: "ImmersiveSpace-Metal") { CompositorLayer(configuration: MetalLayerConfiguration()) { layerRenderer in SpatialRenderer_InitAndRun(layerRenderer) } } Is there any potential solution too see Personas in Metal view? Thanks in advance!
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2
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774
Activity
Sep ’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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0
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745
Activity
Oct ’25
Realitykit asset loading
With Xcode 26, loading ressources with RealityKit is extremely slow. Here my project takes almost 50 seconds to load. I also get multiple Hang detected messages in the console: When I uncheck "Debug executable" in the schema, the same project loads in 2 seconds. I'm using RealityKit asynchronous loading: private static func loadFromRealityComposerPro( named entityName: String, fromSceneNamed sceneName: String ) async -> Entity? { var entity: Entity? do { let scene = try await Entity( named: sceneName, in: visionPetsContentBundle ) entity = scene.findEntity(named: entityName) } catch { print( "Error loading \(entityName) from scene \(sceneName): \(error.localizedDescription)" ) } return entity } Anyone having the same problem?
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2
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103
Activity
Jun ’25
version update in Vision Pro
Hi, I'm developing an app for Vision Pro using Xcode, while updating the latest update, things that worked in my app suddenly didn't. in my app flow I'm tapping spheres to get their positions, from some reason I get an offset from where I tap to where a marker on that position is showing up. here's the part of code that does that, and a part that is responsible for an alignment that happens afterwards: func loadMainScene(at position: SIMD3) async { guard let content = self.content else { return } do { let rootEntity = try await Entity(named: "surgery 16.09", in: realityKitContentBundle) rootEntity.scale = SIMD3<Float>(repeating: 0.5) rootEntity.generateCollisionShapes(recursive: true) self.modelRootEntity = rootEntity let bounds = rootEntity.visualBounds(relativeTo: nil) print("📏 Model bounds: center=\(bounds.center), extents=\(bounds.extents)") let pivotEntity = Entity() pivotEntity.addChild(rootEntity) self.pivotEntity = pivotEntity let modelAnchor = AnchorEntity(world: [1, 1.3, -0.8]) modelAnchor.addChild(pivotEntity) content.add(modelAnchor) updateModelOpacity(0.5) self.modelAnchor = modelAnchor rootEntity.visit { entity in print("👀 Entity in model: \(entity.name)") if entity.name.lowercased().hasPrefix("focus") { entity.generateCollisionShapes(recursive: true) entity.components.set(InputTargetComponent()) print("🎯 Made tappable: \(entity.name)") } } print("✅ Model loaded with collisions") guard let sphere = placementSphere else { return } let sphereWorldXform = sphere.transformMatrix(relativeTo: nil) var newXform = sphereWorldXform newXform.columns.3.y += 0.1 // move up by 20 cm let gridAnchor = AnchorEntity(world: newXform) self.gridAnchor = gridAnchor content.add(gridAnchor) let baseScene = try await Entity(named: "Scene", in: realityKitContentBundle) let gridSizeX = 18 let gridSizeY = 10 let gridSizeZ = 10 let spacing: Float = 0.05 let startX: Float = -Float(gridSizeX - 1) * spacing * 0.5 + 0.3 let startY: Float = -Float(gridSizeY - 1) * spacing * 0.5 - 0.1 let startZ: Float = -Float(gridSizeZ - 1) * spacing * 0.5 for i in 0..<gridSizeX { for j in 0..<gridSizeY { for k in 0..<gridSizeZ { if j < 2 || j > gridSizeY - 5 { continue } // remove 2 bottom, 4 top let cell = baseScene.clone(recursive: true) cell.name = "Sphere" cell.scale = .one * 0.02 cell.position = [ startX + Float(i) * spacing, startY + Float(j) * spacing, startZ + Float(k) * spacing ] cell.generateCollisionShapes(recursive: true) gridCells.append(cell) gridAnchor.addChild(cell) } } } content.add(gridAnchor) print("✅ Grid added") } catch { print("❌ Failed to load: \(error)") } } private func handleModelOrGridTap(_ tappedEntity: Entity) { guard let modelRootEntity = modelRootEntity else { return } let localPosition = tappedEntity.position(relativeTo: modelRootEntity) let worldPosition = tappedEntity.position(relativeTo: nil) switch tapStep { case 0: modelPointA = localPosition modelAnchor?.addChild(createMarker(at: worldPosition, color: [1, 0, 0])) print("📍 Model point A: \(localPosition)") tapStep += 1 case 1: modelPointB = localPosition modelAnchor?.addChild(createMarker(at: worldPosition, color: [1, 0.5, 0])) print("📍 Model point B: \(localPosition)") tapStep += 1 case 2: targetPointA = worldPosition targetMarkerA = createMarker(at: worldPosition,color: [0, 1, 0]) modelAnchor?.addChild(targetMarkerA!) print("✅ Target point A: \(worldPosition)") tapStep += 1 case 3: targetPointB = worldPosition targetMarkerB = createMarker(at: worldPosition,color: [0, 0, 1]) modelAnchor?.addChild(targetMarkerB!) print("✅ Target point B: \(worldPosition)") alignmentReady = true tapStep += 1 default: print("⚠️ Unexpected tap on model helper at step \(tapStep)") } } func alignModel2Points() { guard let modelPointA = modelPointA, let modelPointB = modelPointB, let targetPointA = targetPointA, let targetPointB = targetPointB, let modelRootEntity = modelRootEntity, let pivotEntity = pivotEntity, let modelAnchor = modelAnchor else { print("❌ Missing data for alignment") return } let modelVec = modelPointB - modelPointA let targetVec = targetPointB - targetPointA let modelLength = length(modelVec) let targetLength = length(targetVec) let scale = targetLength / modelLength let modelDir = normalize(modelVec) let targetDir = normalize(targetVec) var axis = cross(modelDir, targetDir) let axisLength = length(axis) var rotation = simd_quatf() if axisLength < 1e-6 { if dot(modelDir, targetDir) > 0 { rotation = simd_quatf(angle: 0, axis: [0,1,0]) } else { let up: SIMD3<Float> = [0,1,0] axis = cross(modelDir, up) if length(axis) < 1e-6 { axis = cross(modelDir, [1,0,0]) } rotation = simd_quatf(angle: .pi, axis: normalize(axis)) } } else { let dotProduct = dot(modelDir, targetDir) let clampedDot = max(-1.0, min(dotProduct, 1.0)) let angle = acos(clampedDot) rotation = simd_quatf(angle: angle, axis: normalize(axis)) } modelRootEntity.scale = .one * scale modelRootEntity.orientation = rotation let transformedPointA = rotation.act(modelPointA * scale) pivotEntity.position = -transformedPointA modelAnchor.position = targetPointA alignedModelPosition = modelAnchor.position print("✅ Aligned with scale \(scale), rotation \(rotation)")
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358
Activity
Oct ’25
Photogrammetry Session - new model?
Hi Apple Team, We noticed the following exciting changelog in the latest macOS 26 beta: A new algorithm significantly improves PhotogrammetrySession reconstruction quality of low-texture objects not captured with the ObjectCaptureSession front end. It will be downloaded and cached once in the background when the PhotogrammetrySession is used at runtime. If network isn’t available at that time, the old low quality model will be used until the new one can be downloaded. There is no code change needed to get this improved model. (145220451) However after trying this on the latest beta and running some tests we do not see any differences on objects with low textures such as single coloured surfaces. Is there anything we are missing? the machine is definitely connected to the internet but we have no way of knowing from the logs if the new model is being used? thanks
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5
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1
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714
Activity
Jul ’25
Nearby Sharing a Volume won't work
Hi, we've developed an app for Vision Pro that utilises the GroupActivitites SDK to provide shared experiences for our users. Remote Participation works great, but we can't get nearby sharing to work. The behaviour we're observing: User 1 engages share sheet from Volume, 2nd Vision Pro is visible. User 1 starts nearby sharing Session initialisation runs for approx. 30 seconds, then fails Sometimes, the nearby participant doesn't show up at all after the initialisation has failed once. As stated in the Configure your visionOS app for sharing with people nearby article, we didn't make any changes to our implementation to support nearby sharing. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Kind regards, David
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3
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0
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974
Activity
Jan ’26
visionOS pushWindow being dismissed on app foreground
We seen to have found an issue when using the pushWindow action on visionOS. The issue occurs if the app is backgrounded then reopened by selecting the apps icon on the home screen. Any window that is opened via the pushWindow action is then dismissed. We've been able to replicate the issue in a small sample project. Replication steps Open app Open window via the push action Press the digital crown On the home screen select the apps icon again The pushed window will now be dismissed. There is a sample project linked here that shows off the issue, including a video of the bug in progress
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3
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1
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888
Activity
Jan ’26
Is it possible to play Fisheye VR180 video directly?
Hi I know it's possible to play equirectangular VR180 video either SBS or MV-HEVC. And for fisheye video, the only way I know is to convert it into an AIVU for playback. Is there any way to directly play fisheye video using AVPlayer? Thanks a lot!
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2
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0
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513
Activity
Oct ’25
visionOS widget dimensions?
Is there any size guidance for the new WidgetKit integration on visionOS? The Widget HIG provides dimensions for all the widget size classes on iOS, iPadOS and watchOS, but has not been updated for visionOS. https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/widgets My potential widget use case is image based, so I'm looking to better understand the optimal size, resolution etc I would need, particularly for the new visionOS specific extra large widget size.
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0
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596
Activity
Jul ’25
Triangle Recommendation Limit for M5 Vision Pro
For the M2 Apple Vision Pro, there's "a general guideline, we recommend no more than 500 thousand triangles for an immersive scene, with 250 thousand for applications in the shared space." --https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2024/10186/?time=147 Is there a revised recommendation for the M5 Apple Vision Pro?
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2
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1
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806
Activity
Nov ’25
.hoverEffect scaleEffect breaks scrolling in visionOS 26 beta 1
This modifier in visionOS 2.5 works perfectly with LazyVgrid inside a Stack in ScrollView: .hoverEffect { effect, isActive, _ in effect.scaleEffect(isActive ? 1.1 : 1.0) But the grid does not scroll in visionOS 26 beta 1 unless the scaleEffect is commented out. FB17941468
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1
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124
Activity
Jun ’25
some meet with apple videos not appearing on developer app, but in YouTube
Hi, Few days ago, Apple had another "Meet with Apple" event regarding immersive video : Create immersive media experiences for visionOS | Meet with Apple days one and 2 and it is not appearing on my Developer app in Mac. The same happened to IETF HLS Interest Day | Meet with Apple. Any tip? Kind regards , Bruno
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1
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307
Activity
Nov ’25
How To Move Camera with PS5 Game Controller
Hello again! So, I am trying my best to figure out how to get a simple, fully Immersive scene that is navigable via the PS5 controller to work on Vision Pro. I am even using ChatGPT (both externally AND in Xcode when it makes fix recommendations) however, I seem to be moving around in circles, having to constantly send error messages back to ChatGPT, then try the new "confirmed to work" fixed code, only to have more errors. I also have explicitly let the AI know that I'm using all the current betas, only to learn there has been lots of stuff deprecated (of course!). This is my initial query to ChatGPT: "How can I create a fully immersive VR experience for Apple Vision Pro, using a PS5 game controller to navigate the user via first person view through a 3d scene?" And then down the rabbit hole the past few days. Seriously, I thought AI was supposed to be helpful! LOL Per Xcode logs, I'm seeing thumbstick movement, but simply cannot get the camera to move. Is this even possible?! Is it a camera defined in Reality Composer Pro? Or, does it need to be defined outside. I'm trying to follow along with the AI, but it seems to go back and forth with different solutions. Here is the latest it's spitting out: __ Thanks for this super clear log — and you’re absolutely right: the gamepad input is working, CameraRoot is moving as expected… but your actual camera view is not changing. This strongly suggests the issue is that RealityKit is not using your custom camera (PerspectiveCameraComponent) for rendering the view. ⸻ 🔍 What’s happening Even though CameraRoot is moving (with correct logs), RealityKit will default to its own internal camera unless: 1. You explicitly assign your camera entity to be the one used, or 2. Your camera is the only one and RealityKit picks it up automatically. But in visionOS 2.0 / Xcode 26, there seems to be a bug or behavior change where RealityKit no longer auto-uses your custom PerspectiveCameraComponent in RealityView unless it’s: • properly set with content.camera, or • part of a .usda/Reality Composer camera hierarchy that’s already active. Unfortunately: 🟥 RealityView.camera = .entity(cameraRoot) ❌ Is no longer allowed (we confirmed this breaks with a type error) ⸻ ✅ The Reliable Workaround: Attach your camera to the Immersive scene itself Since we’re loading a .usda scene (Reality Composer Pro), here’s the most reliable path forward: ✔️ Option A: Embed your camera into the Reality Composer Pro scene 1. Open your Reality Composer Pro scene 2. Add a Camera entity directly in your Immersive.usda scene 3. Name it something like "PlayerCamera" 4. Position it at [0, 1.6, 0] 5. Leave it selected as the default camera Then in your Swift code: • Find the camera entity with .findEntity(named:) • Move that entity instead of creating a new one. ⸻ ✔️ Option B: Force RealityKit to use your custom camera (via transform parenting) Since direct camera assignment is unavailable, we can use a trick: Move the whole RealityView scene via a parent entity with a camera. But let’s go with Option A, since you’ve already got a Reality Composer Pro scene. __ Can any developer over there can make a suggestion on how to move forward? I JUST want to create a sandbox template so I can start exploring 3d scenes created in Maya and sent over to headset. I'll deal with animation next, but come on, why is this so difficult to get working? I'm not a programmer, but have been trying to wrap my head around Xcode and SwiftUI. This needs to be much simpler. Or, you need to provide us creatives with better sample templates and non programmer speak on how to set this up properly. Ideally, you HIRE us 3d professionals to work side by side with the programmers to help make these tools useable - especially Reality Composer Pro. Seriously, I am making a concerted effort to use the native tools, even though I would love to be porting Unreal Engine scenes over. If anyone can help point me in the right direction, coming from a 3D Creator/Animator/Modeler perspective, I, and my fellow peers in the XR/AR/VR community would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.
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8
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843
Activity
Jul ’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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224
Activity
Nov ’25