Quick artist guide

Prepare 3D scenes
for mobile AR

Stage 3DGS with glTF, GLB, and FBX characters—including multiple animation clips—key material fades and timeline audio volume on the Timeline for AR, then package web AR with touch gesture Actions, HTML viewers, and movies.

Import → Build → Clips → Timeline → Gestures → AR → Export

  1. Build the scene — FBX / GLB / splat, arrange
  2. Clips & timeline — multi-clip list, material & audio keys
  3. Gestures & AR — touch Actions, World vs Image Target
  4. Deliver — export AR / HTML / Selection, mobile test
  5. Examples in motion — short video clips
3DGS WebTools · Artist Manual · Text edition
1 · Build the scene

Import meshes (incl. FBX), splats, and arrange

Import
Build
Clips
Timeline
Gestures
AR
Export

What this editor is for

A visual staging room: bring in a character and a captured environment, pick presentation clips, bind simple AR gestures, preview, and package. Work mostly in the viewport; use Model Info when you need values or the clip list.

Main menus · Tools Window (Outliner, transforms, Animation clips, materials) · Viewport · AR Experience

Mindset: prepare and present—not a full Maya/Blender replacement. Prefer clips authored in DCC; use the editor to stage, pick takes, key simple material motion, and wire AR Actions.

Open vs Import

Open… replaces the scene. Import… adds another mesh or splat. Drag-and-drop uses the same formats.

Meshes & 3DGS environment

  1. File → Open / Import… a GLB, glTF, or FBX (static or skinned: joints, textures, animation).
  2. FBX uses the same mesh / skin / clip pipeline as GLB—clips appear under Model Info → Animation.
  3. Prefer metallic-roughness PBR from DCC. Subsurface, true glass, anisotropy, and clearcoat may be approximated.
  4. Import a splat: PLY, SPLAT, KSPLAT, SPZ, SOG, CSV, or compatible GLB.
  5. Select Scene and press F to frame. Mesh and splat share one viewport.

Shaders & material presets

  1. Model Info → Materials: pick a library card, then Shader. Standard (PBR) is the default for imported glTF / GLB / FBX; Phong and Basic are simpler lit/unlit options.
  2. Physical — transmission (glass), clearcoat, and advanced PBR; use HDR / env lighting for refraction. New Physical drafts start as Glass; Preset offers Glass, Chrome, Brushed metal, Plastic, Water, Car paint.
  3. Movie — video (+ audio) on texture slots; playback controls sit above the map list. AR Actions can drive the same movie.
  • Shadow Catcher — floor shadows only (color + opacity); exports to AR.
  • Occlusion — hides splats/meshes behind the surface.

Shader changes keep compatible maps when possible. Timeline → Material keys opacity and other scalars for AR fades.

Transform and hierarchy

W / E / R = move, rotate, scale. Exact values live in Model Info.

  • Outliner: expand parts; Ctrl-click → Edit → Group.
  • Eye icons hide/show; middle-drag reparents.
  • Freeze Transform / Reset Pivot when you need clean pivots without moving the look.
FBX · GLB · glTF · splat · transforms
2 · Clips & timeline

Animation clips and Timeline authoring

Import
Build
Clips
Timeline
Gestures
AR
Export

Multiple animation clips

  1. Select the character root in the Outliner.
  2. Open Model Info → Animation. Imported GLB/glTF/FBX takes list here—reorder, rename, Play / Pause / Stop, scrub.
  3. Need more takes on the same rig? Import animation… from another .fbx / .glb / .gltf (match by name or hierarchy). Clips stick through material edits; remove only via Delete on a clip (or the whole asset).
Pick the presentation clip before HTML export. For AR, bind clip names to gesture Actions on the next page. Use Timeline → Material for opacity / emissive / UV fades that must match in Preview 3D and the AR zip.

Material animation (Timeline)

  1. Select a material in Model Info, open Windows → Timeline, Material tab.
  2. Key Opacity, Emissive Int, or UV Off U / V / Rotate at the playhead (I or S). Scrub or Play to preview.
  3. Right-click a curve key → Edit Value to type an exact scalar. Keys save in Scene zip and export with AR as timeline sidecar data.

Transform keys use Dope / Graph upper pane; Tracks Editor handles clip overlap and strip timing. Material motion is not baked into Export Anim FBX/GLB—it rides the timeline in AR.

Scene audio & volume (Timeline)

  1. Add files in Model Info → Audio. Select the clip you want on the timeline.
  2. Open Windows → Timeline. Place the clip with Tracks → Audio → audio or Graph → Volume → audio. Click the clip name in the Volume column list (or select its strip in Tracks) before keying.
  3. With that clip selected, scrub and press I or S (or Insert Key) to add volume keys. Edit the lower volume curve in Graph (or Dope volume row); right-click a key → Edit Value for an exact level (0–2).

Trim and start frame stay in Tracks Editor. Volume keys save in Scene zip and play with timeline preview and AR exports (separate from per-gesture one-shots in AR Actions).

Multi-clip · Import animation · Material · audio volume
3 · Gestures & AR

Touch Actions and AR modes (World vs Image Target)

Import
Build
Clips
Timeline
Gestures
AR
Export

Touch gesture Actions

In Windows → AR Experience, set Default / On start (clip, movie, or bed audio), then add Action rows bound to touch input:

  • Tap, press, swipe, drag, two-finger tap—each can drive play / stop clip, movie, etc.
  • Optional When finished → Play action N; clip blend / movie fade frames for softer cuts.
  • Same bindings run in Preview 3D and in the exported AR zip (World or Image Target).
Leave Action rows empty for autoplay only. Settings persist in Scene zip.

Desktop preview (authoring)

In the AR panel, pick the World Placement or Image Target tab, then Preview 3D (webcam composite). Try gestures and timeline playback before device test.

Preview is not full mobile SLAM or print tracking—use it for scale, materials, clips, and gesture wiring. Device validation comes after Export AR zip… on the next page.

World placement AR

  1. World Placement tab in AR Experience — SLAM finds floors / tables; user scans, then taps the Tomoe marker to place content on the surface.
  2. On phone: Start AR → allow camera → scan → place → pinch to scale. Default / On start runs after placement.
  3. Exported zip uses World HTML + Tomoe asset; host on HTTPS. No printed marker required.

Image-target AR

  1. Image Target tab — Select Image (or Take Photo), crop if needed, Create Target from Image. Set wall vs floor mapping and model size vs target.
  2. Print the marker; on device, Start AR and point the camera until the target is detected—content appears without a Tomoe tap.
  3. Export (next page) must include a complete target (targets.json + image-targets/ JPEGs). Same gesture Actions apply after detect.
Gesture Actions · World SLAM · Image target
4 · Deliver

Export packages and device test

Import
Build
Clips
Timeline
Gestures
AR
Export

Before exporting

  • Frame the scene; confirm scale.
  • Confirm multi-clip list / presentation clip.
  • Scrub Timeline once if you authored material or Tracks motion.
  • Wire Default Start + touch gesture Actions if needed.
  • Simplify heavy splats for mobile; preview once.

Choose the deliverable

AR ZIP — hosted mobile AR + gestures.
HTML ZIP — orbitable web review.
Selection FBX / GLB — hand-off to DCC or engine.
Screen record — presentation movie.

Optional: Animation Edit / full Timeline for transform keying and Tracks overlap—most artists ship DCC clips + Material tab fades + AR gesture Actions.

Export Selection…

Selected mesh: GLB, embedded glTF, glTF + textures zip, or FBX (+ textures/ and a relink guide when maps exist). Selected splat: splat formats. Full project save remains File → Save → Scene zip (not FBX).

Export AR zip…

File → Export AR zip… or the AR panel — packages scene GLB/JSON, splats, runtime, and authored gesture Actions. The active AR tab sets the mode:

  • World Placement tab → SLAM + Tomoe placement pages (includes LTomoe.png).
  • Image Target tab → marker tracking (needs complete target + image-targets/; no Tomoe).
Important: unzip and host on HTTPS for camera access. Movie-material video bytes are omitted from AR packages (stills) to save memory.

HTML zip & screen record

File → Export as HTML zip… — unzip and open HTML beside sidecars (orbit / zoom / pan). Keep the presentation clip selected.

Screen record (camera icon / Timeline Record) for a presentation movie when you need a linear clip.

Test on mobile (HTTPS)

  1. After Export AR zip…, unzip and host the folder on HTTPS.
  2. Open in iOS Safari / Android Chrome → Start AR → allow camera.
  3. World: scan, Tomoe tap, pinch scale. Image Target: point at the printed marker until detect. Use bound touch gestures to switch clips.

See iPad Editor AR on the last page for a sample device capture.

AR ZIP · HTML · Selection FBX · Scene zip
5 · Examples in motion

AR and web presentation clips

Short captures of finished experiences—play while you follow the steps above.

iPad Editor AR

World Placement on iPad—place the scene and review on device (gestures when authored).

glTF web presentation

HTML viewer with a mesh—orbit, zoom, and clip playback.

Splat + glTF web page

Combined 3DGS splat and mesh from an HTML ZIP export.

Tip: open at /docs/artist-manual/ so movie files resolve next to this page. Fullscreen expands the clip inside the browser window (Esc or × to exit).
movies/ · iPad AR · glTF web · splat + glTF web