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Spatial Shapes (visionOS)

Spatial Shapes is a visionOS-only AR tool for Apple Vision Pro. It provides a glass-styled control surface to enter an AR space and add/manage 3D objects.

Table Of Contents​

Availability​

  • Spatial Shapes is available only on visionOS.
  • On iOS/iPadOS, the AR tool provides the AR experience instead.

Enter AR Space​

The right-side controls include an Enter AR Space / Exit AR Space button. You must enter AR Space before you can add objects.

Add Object​

At the top of the screen, the header button changes based on state:

  • Enter AR Space First: shown when AR Space is not active.
  • Add Object...: shown after entering AR Space.

When you tap Add Object..., a picker appears with three tabs:

  • Primitives -- a grid of four primitive shapes: Sphere, Cube, Cylinder, and Cone. Each has a distinct icon and color.
  • Bundled -- a searchable grid of bundled USDZ models. Use the search bar to filter by name.
  • Import -- a file import section with a Browse Files button that opens the Files app to import USDZ files from iCloud Drive, local storage, or any connected provider.

If an object is loading, the tool displays a loading overlay showing the name of the object being loaded.

Objects are placed at eye level, approximately 50 cm in front of the user by default.

Object List​

The left card shows the current object list:

  • When empty, it shows an empty-state hint.
  • When populated, you can select an object to focus it, or delete objects from the list.

Selected Object​

The Selected Object card shows:

  • Name
  • Scale
  • Position (X/Y/Z)
  • Rotation (Y)

Object Manipulation​

In the immersive space, objects can be directly manipulated using hand gestures. Use pinch and drag to move, rotate, and scale objects spatially. Objects stay where you place them after releasing your grip.

The Selected Object card updates in real time as you manipulate objects, keeping position, rotation, and scale values synchronized.

Hand Tracking​

Spatial Shapes includes real-time hand tracking using ARKit. For each hand (left and right), floating data panels are attached to your wrists (like a virtual wristwatch) and display:

  • Position (X, Y, Z in meters) from the wrist joint
  • Rotation (Euler angles in degrees)
  • Direction (forward vector)
  • Velocity (m/s)
  • Tracking status (green indicator when tracked, red when lost)

These panels follow hand movement in real time, providing live feedback on how ARKit perceives your hand positions.

Wireframe Mode​

Spatial Shapes includes a wireframe mode toggle. When enabled, all object materials are replaced with line-based rendering, showing only the mesh edges. Disabling wireframe mode restores the original materials.

Notes And Limitations​

  • The exact set of available objects depends on the build and what assets are bundled or supported for import.
  • Some bundled assets have preconfigured rotation and scale values that are applied on placement.
  • Spatial Shapes is only available on visionOS. On iOS/iPadOS, use the AR tool instead.
Last updated on by Rogerio Hirooka