Snap recently held its annual Lens Fest AR showcase event, conducting the event online due to COVID-19 still posing a potential threat.
Then again, conducting an event such as Lens Fest online almost seems appropriate. Lens Studio, the Snapchat hub for creator’s AR tools that help generate interesting and fun content is entirely a virtual experience. Therefore, holding an entire event around it in a virtual setting almost seems appropriate. Either way, Lens Studio is a cornerstone at Snap, and is almost the defining feature that helps separate Snapchat as a social media platform from the rest of its peers. Sure, if stories and the like can be stolen from the platform, so can its AR technology be appropriated accordingly. The likes of Facebook and TikTok are already hard at work developing their own AR studios and features. However, Snap’s grip on the subject matter is a lot more comprehensive, and comes with years’ worth of experience as well.
The AR showcase revealed quite a few new features in store for the Lens Studio. There’s been the introduction of yet another creator’s tool, allowing users to make digital animations that can interact with real world stimulus. However, this pales in comparison with what was a clear highlight of the entire event: the integration of real world physics to 3D renders. This means that a lot more realistic and clever animations can be added to whatever creators look to create. Combined with the World Mesh mapping tool, which accurately maps out the depth and lay of one’s surroundings, we can surely expect a lot of interesting renders and concept applications in the coming year.
Lens Fest also ended up being an opportunity for Snap to introduce the next beta release of its Spectacles smart-glasses. Spectacles were announced five years ago to a rather positive reception. The integration of AR in one’s smart-glasses truly seemed like the future that movies like Back to the Future dreamt of. New features have been added to the glasses, for example the addition of a new Connected Lenses tool which allows multiple individuals to experience the same virtual constructs simultaneously. Location Triggers also allows creators to build new virtual structures within a certain breadth of location while not having to physically be there.
There are a lot more tools and features that were introduced in this single event, all of which can be found on the Lens Fest webpage.
Read next: Consumers in the 56 to 74 years-old demographic are more tech savvy
Then again, conducting an event such as Lens Fest online almost seems appropriate. Lens Studio, the Snapchat hub for creator’s AR tools that help generate interesting and fun content is entirely a virtual experience. Therefore, holding an entire event around it in a virtual setting almost seems appropriate. Either way, Lens Studio is a cornerstone at Snap, and is almost the defining feature that helps separate Snapchat as a social media platform from the rest of its peers. Sure, if stories and the like can be stolen from the platform, so can its AR technology be appropriated accordingly. The likes of Facebook and TikTok are already hard at work developing their own AR studios and features. However, Snap’s grip on the subject matter is a lot more comprehensive, and comes with years’ worth of experience as well.
The AR showcase revealed quite a few new features in store for the Lens Studio. There’s been the introduction of yet another creator’s tool, allowing users to make digital animations that can interact with real world stimulus. However, this pales in comparison with what was a clear highlight of the entire event: the integration of real world physics to 3D renders. This means that a lot more realistic and clever animations can be added to whatever creators look to create. Combined with the World Mesh mapping tool, which accurately maps out the depth and lay of one’s surroundings, we can surely expect a lot of interesting renders and concept applications in the coming year.
Lens Fest also ended up being an opportunity for Snap to introduce the next beta release of its Spectacles smart-glasses. Spectacles were announced five years ago to a rather positive reception. The integration of AR in one’s smart-glasses truly seemed like the future that movies like Back to the Future dreamt of. New features have been added to the glasses, for example the addition of a new Connected Lenses tool which allows multiple individuals to experience the same virtual constructs simultaneously. Location Triggers also allows creators to build new virtual structures within a certain breadth of location while not having to physically be there.
There are a lot more tools and features that were introduced in this single event, all of which can be found on the Lens Fest webpage.
Read next: Consumers in the 56 to 74 years-old demographic are more tech savvy