Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced today that the Spark AR Studio augmented reality app creation platform will now have support for Windows and Mac, with more features for better efficiency and interactivity.
Facebook introduced its AR Studio software suite for developers in 2017 so they could make augmented reality experiences for smartphones. And since last year’s F8, over one billion people have used AR experiences powered by Spark AR, Facebook said.
Facebook is also opening Instagram to the entire Spark AR creator and developer ecosystem this summer.
Hundreds of millions of people use these experiences monthly across Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and Portal.
Speaking at F8 2019, Zuckerberg said the update to Spark AR Studio includes support for Windows, as well as new features that bring more efficiency, interactivity, and control to the AR creation process.
It includes a new feature that allows developers to break a project down into small reusable chunks called Blocks. They can use Blocks to better organize a project or create Blocks to help jumpstart a project. Developers can share these Blocks with each other.
In the latest version of Spark AR Studio, Facebook has rewritten its Patch Editor from the ground up with a new user interface with features such as Blocks and control over audio effects.
Zuckerberg showed his mother using Portal and a Spark AR app to wear a funny face while reading a book to his children.