This is the 27th day of my participation in the August More Text Challenge

Spark AR is Facebook’s free AR creation platform that enables users to create interactive AR experiences for Facebook and Instagram. More than 400,000 creators in 190 countries have used Spark AR to create their own AR creations

Since the software requires no coding knowledge to use, anyone can now lead the world by creating the next crazy viral Instagram AR effects with little experience in the AR world.

Specialized AR filter designers can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $30,000.

Adding 3D objects to your Spark AR effects is a great way to create more immersive effects that take place in people’s real environments.

You can create your own 3D objects using tools such as Blender, a free open source 3D content creation suite.

Spark AR Toolkit is a plug-in that you can use in Blender to optimize your 3D objects and check if it is ready to be imported into Spark AR Studio.

Using Spark AR Toolkit:

  • Make your 3D objects lighter;
  • Setting height and axis point position;
  • Fast and easy to export.

Download the latest version of Blender here. Older versions of Spark AR Toolkit are incompatible with Blender 2.9.

Install Spark AR Toolkit

Install the toolbox:

  • First, in the desktop version of this page, download the Spark AR Toolkit ZIP file from the Baidu web disk at the bottom.

Link: pan.baidu.com/s/1QHcx4MsA… Extraction code: BN6O

  • The compressed file is then saved to your computer without unzipping.

In a Blender,

  • From the top bar, select Edit and Preferences.
  • From the Blender Preferences window, select Add-ons and click Install an Add-on.
  • Locate the Spark AR Toolkit package on your computer and click Install Add-on.

Enabling and starting the Spark AR Toolkit:

  • On the Add-ons menu, search for Spark AR Toolkit.
  • Select import-export: Spark AR Toolkit to start Spark AR Toolkit.

You can now access the Spark AR Toolkit from the sidebar. To do this:

  • Open the sidebar by clicking the small arrow icon in the upper right corner or pressing the N key (shortcuts may vary).
  • Click the Spark AR Toolkit TAB.

Optimize your 3D objects

You can optimize only one grid at a time using the Spark AR Toolkit.

If your 3D object is made up of multiple grids, try merging all surfaces into a single grid, or optimizing each grid individually before merging and exporting into a single grid.

Choose your grid

Choose a grid to start with. It will be listed under the Mesh of the Spark AR Toolkit.

Check the count of triangles

The Optimization section of the Spark AR Toolkit shows the current triangle count for the grid.

The right bookmark in the count will let you know if the triangle count meets Spark AR — Technical Guidance and Optimization (2) in Spark AR Studio.

If you see a white exclamation mark, the triangle count is ok, but it works better if you reduce the mesh. The red exclamation mark indicates that the triangle count is too high and you need to reduce it.

Reduce the number of sides of the triangle

Use reduced triangular sections to make your mesh as light as possible without adversely affecting the visual quality of your 3D objects. Try reducing the number of triangles by varying percentages, and check that your object retains its sense of reality and shape before applying any changes.

For example, to reduce the triangle count by 50%, follow these steps:

  • In the box following Reduce Triangles, enter the number 50.
  • Click in to examine the appearance of the object from all angles.
  • Click Apply to Apply the changes to the grid.

Clean up the

Next, click Apply in the Clean Up Mesh. This further reduces the number of triangles by fixing and removing geometric shapes that can cause problems when exporting to Spark AR.

The cleanup includes:

  • Remove loose Geometry
  • Create planar Faces
  • Split non-planar faces
  • The concave faces
  • Degenerate decomposition agent

Scaling and positioning

Scale and Positioning displays the height of the 3D object and allows you to adjust the height and pivot position.

Set the height

The right bookmark in the height of the object will let you know if it follows the Spark AR technical guide.

The height is fine if you see a white exclamation mark, but the grid looks better if you reduce it. The red exclamation mark indicates the need to reduce altitude.

Setting height:

  • In the Scale section, enter a value in the box below Height.
  • Select centimeters, inches, or feet from the drop-down menu on the right side of the Depth box.

The default unit of measurement for Spark AR Studio is meters.

Set the pivot point

Click Center or Bottom to move the pivot point of the grid to the desired position.

Export your 3D object

When you are happy with the result, all you need to do is click Export Mesh to save the 3D object to your computer. If the Export Mesh button is grey, then your object is not ready to be exported, you need to adjust the triangle count and try again. Once you click Export Mesh, there is no need to worry about file format and Export Settings, your 3D objects will be ready to be imported into Spark AR Studio!

Some users experienced problems when trying to optimize and export the same grid multiple times. If you have this problem, we recommend re-opening the Blender project before applying any optimizations and re-exporting the grid

Add 3D objects to Spark AR Studio

After exporting objects, add 3D objects to the Spark AR project. If you are used to using Blender, you can also learn how to add Blender image-based lighting to your scenes using Blender Environment Textures.