After Meta shut Spark at the start of the year and Adobe retired Aero this week, it seemed there was a space for a simple no-code app for creating augmented reality (AR) experiences and effects. Right on cue, along comes Trace looking to fill the gap.
Described by its developers as the “Canva of AR”, the iPad and iPhone app is intended to allow people to create high-fidelity location-based AR experiences without code and without needing specialist knowledge.
Trace was developed by a team of alumni from the AR developer Magic Leap. The app allows users to design and share interactive AR experiences, building digital objects that interact contextually with physical spaces.
The app features scene editing, 3D recording, 3D drawing and annotation and persistent anchoring so users can add content permanently to any space. There are content libraries of AR-ready models to get started, and experiences can be shared with links or QR.
Cross-device support is intended to ensure that experiences built for mobile devices today will scale to the next generation of mixed-reality headsets and glasses.
AR creations can currently be viewed through the Trace Viewer app, which is available for free on the App Store and Google Play, and existing 3D assets can be imported in the Web Studio app, available at studio.trace3d.app. Users can request early access for a headset viewer for Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest.
Trace says the app has already been used by early enterprise adopters such as ESPN, T-Mobile, Telefónica, Lenovo, and Deutsche Telekom for brand activations, retail experiences, trade show installations, visualisation and employee training. Major live activations have included the 50 Years of Hip Hop summit in NYC in 2023, pictured top.
CEO Greg Tran says the app was born out of a frustration with the complexity of existing AR workflows remained “locked behind technical walls” even as XR devices become more capable. As such, it's designed to be fast and intuitive, with the developer providing learning resources on its website.
The Trace app is free to download from the Apple App Store, while an optional premium subscription costing $20 per month. For creators feeling stung by Meta and Adobe leaving the space, Trace is offering three free months of its premium plan to displaced Aero and Spark creators.
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