Build 15 Augmented Reality (AR) apps with Unity & Vuforia

Kick off with a Unity One project to master moving, rotating, and scaling 3D objects, apply colors and textures, and learn prefabs with parent and child relationships, C# rotation script.

Create a new Unity One 3D project in Unity Hub using Unity version 2019.3.9, then explore key panels and the role of the main camera, direction light, and scenes.

Learn to move, rotate, and scale game objects in Unity using move, rotate, and scale tools, and understand the pivot, axis colors, and 3d versus 2d scaling.

Explore the Unity game panel to view your output through the main camera's field of view, compare game and scene layouts, and adjust gizmo visibility.

Add physics components to a 3D spear in Unity, apply a rigid body with gravity, and test behavior in play mode, using pause and step controls to inspect frame-by-frame motion.

Increase scene lighting in Unity by navigating to Windows rendering lighting settings and selecting generate lighting, making objects like the cube and sphere appear properly lit.

Create a materials folder, build red and blue materials, use the color picker, and drag these materials onto cube and sphere in Unity for real-time color updates.

Apply textures to Unity game objects by importing a texture into a materials folder, creating a wooden material with albedo, or drag the texture onto objects to auto-create a material.

Explore how to organize objects in Unity using parent and child game objects and the hierarchy. Move parents to affect children, and use empty holders to group objects.

Explore the pivot center tool to view the parent's pivot or center with its children, and compare local versus global tools for moving and rotating in Unity.

Explore prefabs in Unity as asset templates created from a GameObject and reused across scenes. Editing a prefab updates all its instances and materials in real time.

Create a C# script in Unity by making a script folder, naming the file with a capital letter and no spaces, then explore the mono behavior start and update methods.

Rotate spheres in Unity using a rotate spheres script with a vector3 movement and transform.Rotate, exposing Xi Yi Zi in the inspector to control Y rotation for all prefab spheres.

Attach the rotate sphere script to a sphere holder and observe spheres two and three revolve around sphere one as children, using drag-and-drop or add‑component methods in Unity.

Build your first augmented reality project with Unity and Vuforia, import the package, capture images as image targets, obtain a license key, and test on iOS or Android.

Set up a new unity arone project, create a vuforia account, and import the vuforia sdk as a unity package to convert a normal project into an augmented reality project.

Import the Vuforia package into a Unity project and verify version compatibility with Core Samples. When package resolving stalls, use the Vuforia Core Samples workaround to complete the import quickly.

Learn to view webcam output in play mode using the AR camera, switch between webcams, and create and link a Vuforia development license key (ARONE) to your Unity project.

Capture an image to create an image target, crop to the essential area, and save it for AR recognition using Office Lens to trigger a 3D projection.

Create a Vuforia database, upload a single image target, set its width, and import the Unity package into Unity to use in AR projects, with guidance on database reuse.

Project the barbarian 3D model onto an image target using Unity and Vuforia, test with a cube, adjust scale and lighting, and loop animations.

Build and run the ARONE augmented reality app on an iPhone or iPad using Unity and Xcode on Mac, and configure iOS build settings to deploy to a connected device.

Build the ARONE app for Android by verifying JDK and SDK in Unity, switching to Android, adding the sample scene, then adjust settings and build the APK for transfer.

Sketch image targets for the AR book to achieve four to five augmentation stars. Center the main image, add edge lines, use darker colors, include text, and use sketch pens.

Create a new Unity project named ARBook and import the Vuforia package. Install Vuforia 9.2.7 via package manager to avoid 9.2.8 bugs and paste the license key into AR camera.

Upload six image targets—airplane, book cover, car, house, ship, and sun—into the Vuforia database, rename it ARBOOK database, download the Unity package, and import it into Unity for sun customization.

Create a sun image target in vuforia, attach a sun-textured sphere with an unlit shader, surround it with heat wave particles, then rotate the sun and test in play mode.

Customize the house image target in Unity and Vuforia by importing a low poly holiday house, applying a grass texture, adding trees, aligning components, and testing in play mode.

Project a car 3D model onto a car image target using Unity and Vuforia, including importing assets, scaling, rotating, and adding a circular base with a border.

Create a ship image target, project a daytime ocean using a water surface prefab, and sail a boat model in circular motion by parenting to a rotating boat container.

Learn to customize the airplane image target in Unity with Vuforia for augmented reality, import and position a fighter plane, rotate the propeller, and create a translate script.

Add and move cloud objects on the airplane image target in Unity using a low poly cloud asset, organize them under a cloud objects holder, and apply a translate script.

Activate the aeroplane and cloud models only when the aeroplane ImageTarget is detected, using on target found and on target lost to set active; deactivate when the target leaves view.

Reset the aeroplane model to its original position after colliding with a wall in a Unity and Vuforia AR scene, using onTriggerEnter, colliders, and a rigidbody.

Reset cloud models in a Unity and Vuforia AR scene by using colliders, a cloud wall, and a reset position script to return to the original position after collision.

Customize the book cover image target by creating prefabs from house, car, and plane models, and arrange and texture them on the AR book cover.

Add and customize 3D text on the AR book image target in Unity with Vuforia, adjusting anchor, font, scale, and rotation, then use Josefin Sans and color for developer text.

Learn to build and test the AR Book app in Unity by switching to iOS, configuring player settings, bundle identifier, and camera usage, and deploying to an iPhone.

Create a Unity project for the arbook app, enable Vuforia AR support, configure the development license key, and build the arbook database with seven image targets for AR camera tracking.

Project a sun model on the sun image target with Vuforia and Unity, then color it with a sun material and add dust storm particle effects.

Open the AR Book Android app to verify outputs for seven image targets, showing sun, house, car, and forest, while ship and airplane targets fail to display 3D models.

Update default trackable event handler for Unity 2019.0.2 and later by creating a new script in assets, declaring a public go, and reflecting it in the inspector on image targets.

Reset the ship’s position in a Unity and Vuforia AR project by colliding with the ship wall, storing the original position, and applying a reset script.

Reset the aeroplane and cloud positions using two trigger walls with colliders and rigidbodies; attach a reset position script and apply a transparent material to the walls.

Learn to build an AR greeting card app in Unity with Vuforia, convert images to targets, customize targets with models, display video, play audio when opened, and detect multiple targets.

Choose a greeting card with two detectable sides for reliable marker recognition, using a ready made or pop up design, and note how a paper flower attachment impacts webcam tracking.

Create an ar greeting card project in Unity 2020.1.3, import the Vuforia package 9.4, delete the main camera, and paste the license key into the ar camera configuration.

Learn to create image targets inside Unity using the From Image type, adjust the target width, and ensure high star ratings, then test recognition with a cube to verify overlay.

Customize the first image target by adding a CC-BY licensed cake model from poly.google.com, import the OBJ, apply Cartoon FX particle effects, and test rotation with a script.

Create a second image target in Unity with Vuforia, overlay a collage on card two, adjust planes and textures, and explore simultaneous multi-target detection.

Increase the maximum simultaneous track images to two in the Vuforia configuration to track two image targets at once, enabling a cake model and a collage of images.

Discover how to play a video on a plane in augmented reality with Unity and Vuforia, attaching a video player to an image target and enabling looped playback.

Play a 'Happy Birthday' audio clip in Unity when the greeting card opens using on target found/lost with CardOneTarget and audio source. Trigger video on CardTwoTarget with a video player.

Create and position a 3D text reading 'happy birthday' below the greeting card between two image targets, then center the pivot and apply the Bangers font in Unity.

Duplicate the existing 3d text to create an author credit, set the font to Arial, resize, and position beneath the first image target with pink color.

Configure build settings and package an AR greeting card app in Unity for Android. Transfer the APK to a smartphone and install to test the AR output.

Create a Unity menu system linked to AR greeting card scene, with a canvas, 2D text, and Open Gift and Exit buttons, and a back button to return to menu.

Create a menu scene, add a canvas and a raw image, apply a CC0 background texture, and stretch it to cover the entire canvas using the direct transform tool.

Create a 2D UI text inside a canvas and define its container with the rect tool. Center the text, adjust font and color, and compare 2D text to 3D text.

Design and customize two UI buttons in the canvas for opening gift and exiting the app, including sizing, fonts, color states, and responsive scaling with screen size.

Discover how the Unity event system handles UI and game object interactions by processing inputs from keyboard, mouse, or custom events, and why it is created with the canvas.

Program two UI buttons in Unity to switch from the menu to the AR greeting card scene and log 'you have quit the app' in the editor.

Create and program back and exit buttons in an AR greeting card scene to switch to the menu scene and back, using the scene manager to load scenes on click.

Explore virtual buttons in Vuforia to interact with image targets, cover six factors, and build an AR app using a virtual button on a target to activate or deactivate objects.

Create a Unity AR project, import Vuforia 9.4, apply the AR camera, and add a Vuforia license key and database to configure a virtual button on an image target.

Create and customize a virtual button on an image target by placing textured cube and sphere, configuring lighting and scale, and testing sensitivity settings in Unity with Vuforia.

Attach a c# script to the image target to toggle cube and sphere visibility via a virtual button in Vuforia, using GetComponentInChildren and on button pressed/released events.

Build and run the ARVirtualButton app in Unity on Android devices by configuring build settings, switching platforms, removing Vulkan, and building the APK for transfer.

Create an AR business card project in Unity and Vuforia using multiple virtual buttons and an image target to trigger videos for development, training, and travel.

Create the ar business card project, import the euphoria package, and paste the license key into the ar camera. Upload the image target and import the virtual button database.

Create and customize three virtual buttons on the image target by naming them DeveloperVB, TrainerVB, and TravelerVB, adjust size and medium sensitivity, then validate the six virtual button parameters.

Create three planes to play distinct videos on top of an image target, each linked to a separate virtual button in Unity, with future C# control for button-triggered playback.

Create a script to deactivate three planes at startup by wiring public game object references for developer, trainer, and traveler planes on the image target in a Unity AR scene.

Program three Vuforia virtual buttons in Unity to activate developer, trainer, and traveller planes and play corresponding videos using GetComponentsInChildren, a for loop, and button pressed events.

Build and run an AR business card app on Android, configuring build settings, scenes, landscape orientation, package name com.EngineersDream.ARBusinessCard, API level 23, and APK name AR business card.

Explore Vuforia markerless ground planes and midair features to place objects in the real world. Learn to position a box on detected ground and a miniature helicopter in midair.

Verify ground plane support by checking AR kit and AR core pages, and test on iPhone/iPad (AR kit) or Nokia 6.1 (AR core) using Vuforia Fusion.

Set up a ground plane project in Unity with the Euphoria package, replace the main camera with an AR camera, and insert the AR one license key for markerless AR.

Place a 3D box on a detected ground surface using markerless AR with Vuforia, leveraging the ground plane stage, reticle, and tap-to-place interaction.

Import a free HQ racing car asset from the Asset Store, then scale it to fit the ground plane marker in Unity and align it on the ground plane stage.

Learn to add realistic shadows to AR objects in Unity using a custom ARShadow shader, making a transparent plane shadow-enabled, adjusting shadow projection and lighting, and testing on mobile.

Learn to place a helicopter in midair using Vuforia’s midair feature in Unity. Set up a midair stage and rotate the rotors with a simple script for realism.