The Useful Guide to ARCore Analytics

Whether you’re a professional 3D designer or a hobbyist, Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Extended Reality (XR) and Mixed Reality (MR) are all phrases you’re likely very familiar with. Once seen as the exclusive reserve of science fiction, they are now firmly in the realm of science fact. You’ll also know that crafting such detailed and immersive environments requires more detailed graphics and smart coding. They must be based on data, end users, and how they’re engaging with your projects. Today, we’ll be specifically talking about ARCore analytics, and how leveraging their full power is the only way to stand out in what is becoming a saturated market. Before we get to that, however, we’ll talk about the basics first.

What is ARCore?

Developed by Google, ARCore was designed to allow developers to create immersive Augmented Reality (AR) experiences on Android, iOS, Unity, and Web. By harnessing the full power of ARCore, developers can seamlessly blend digital elements with the real world. It uses a device’s camera and sensors to detect feature points and planes in the environment which allows it to recognise flat surfaces, walls, and other objects. Some of the core features of ARCore include motion tracking, environmental understanding, depth understanding, light estimation, and integration with game development engines such as Unity. Besides gaming, it has many other use cases including marketing, education, entertainment, retail, navigation, and interior design.

Understanding ARCore Analytics

ARCore analytics refers to the systematic approach to collecting and analysing dating within AR environments created using ARCore. Such data is a virtual treasure trove of insights into your projects’ performance and your end users’ engagement. By tracking user interactions and overall performance, developers can take the guesswork out of optimising their digital experiences.

Integrating seamlessly with ARCore, Metalitix is the only platform developers need for their Mixed Reality (MR) analytics needs. Using both technologies in tandem means you’ll never miss a beat, giving you a holistic view of your projects’ performance and how your users are interacting with them. By using this knowledge effectively, you’re able to constantly refine and optimise 3D experiences, placing a premium on interactivity and impact.

Distinguishing Between 2D and 3D Analytics

2D and 3D analytics are as different as gaming the 90s versus gaming in 2023. Both offer an insight into the experience of users, but the depth and scope of 3D analytics is much greater. 2D analytics have primarily focused on capturing data from 2D screens, i.e., phone, tablet, and PC screens. This data includes clicks, sessions, impressions, page views, and conversions. All this is useful to developers, marketers, and business owners (to name a few), but their reach is limited because they’re unable to capture the full extent of a user’s experience.

Therein lies the great distinction between 2D and 3D analytics. 3D analytics go beyond the limitations of their 2D counterparts by taking real time data from VR, AR, and other 3D environments. In these digital environments, users move around, interact with various objects, and engage with these worlds that were, until recently, impossible.

3D analytics can track a broad array of complex actions. These include – but aren’t limited to – user movements through heat maps, gaze tracking, and interactions with virtual objects. By extracting these types of metrics, 3D analytics enables developers and businesses to fine tune their 3D creations with precision, confidence, and based solely on data. The result is a more refined and stimulating experience, and one that hopefully functions much better too.

Adding 3D Analytics into Your ARCore Projects

Here at Metalitix, we’ve got a platform that we are immensely proud of. Versatile and customisable, it’s perfect for using the full power of ARCore analytics to optimise your ARCore creations. Plus, it’s super simple to get started.

Step 1:

Create your Metalitix account

Step 2:

Create a new ARCore project: Creating your project is easy, and it will serve as the hub for all your analytics data. This makes data management and analysis straightforward and user-friendly.

Step 3:

Whitelist your domains: It’s important to configure your domain whitelist so that only those from expected origins can log into your project.

Step 4:

Integrate your ARCore project with Metalitix:

For further assistance, be sure to check out our getting started guide.

And that’s all there is to getting started. Now it’s time to start putting your ARCore analytics to use and get the most out of your projects.

Streamline 3D Experiences Using ARCore Analytics

Using 3D analytics is the only way to reach the full potential of your ARCore projects. Below are just a few of the ways Metalitix is helping 3D developers raise their game.

Identify popular areas:

With Metalitix, you can identify the areas users have visited the most. Analysing users’ movements via heat maps helps to identify where the map needs some work and where to add interactive elements.

Streamline user flow:

Bottlenecks or other areas your users are struggling with can have a serious impact on your projects. By refining navigation, you’ll improve overall user experience.

Personalisation:

Users love experiences catered to them. It’s the best way to create more engaging environments. By assessing individual user preferences, you can make your projects more bespoke.

Test and tweak:

Constant testing and tweaking are the best way to tell if previous changes have made a difference – for better or worse. By using real-time data, you can continually improve projects based on performance, user behaviour, and feedback.

So, ready to start getting the most out of your ARCore projects?