Augmented reality (AR) tech firm Zappar has rolled out a host of new features for its AR content creation platform, ZapWorks Studio. The company said the additions provide brands, agencies and independent creators with a one-stop shop for building immersive augmented, virtual and mixed reality experiences.

“This new update is our most impressive release to-date and makes ZapWorks Studio one of the most versatile and scalable AR platforms currently on the market, continuing our mission to build the most accessible, affordable and feature-rich toolkit for AR creators across the globe,” said Zappaer CEO and co-founder, Caspar Thykier.

The previous iteration of the software prioritized lowering the barriers-to-entry by enabling creatives without coding knowledge or development background to build interactive short-form content for mobile. This latest update, ZapWorks Studio 6, aims to put more power and functionality into the hands of the creative community.

The new features include World Tracking, powered by ARKit & ARCore, which enables developers to position content in world space, at world scale. 

Mobile WebAR support for ZapWorks Studio is also now available in open beta in ZapWorks Studio 6. Zappar is road-testing the technology while browser support continues to improve. In the long run, mobile WebAR will make AR available via a browser, helping to counter the perceived user friction of an app download, while retaining all-important access to first-party data.

Studio now also supports powerful computer vision facial tracking algorithms, enabling AR developers to create more expressive face-tracked experiences using ZapWorks Studio’s built-in UI.

Finally, the platform now includes Sketchfab integration, offering access to Sketchfab’s extensive library of over 2m 3D models, characters, scenes, and environments. Powered by Zappar’s support for the gITF 3D model format, creatives can search and import chosen models quickly and reliably.

“Sketchfab’s mission has always been about making it as easy as possible to find, publish and share 3D content with the world,” said Sketchfab CEO, Alban Denoyel. “Having Zappar (and ZapWorks Studio) as one of our key partners further expands this mission into the world of AR”.

Thousands of creatives already use ZapWorks Studio to build AR experiences, from small businesses and creative agencies to big brands such as the BBC and Oath.

Peter Maddalena, Director at VRCraftworks, said: “ZapWorks Studio has become an essential tool for us to create engaging AR content for our clients – transforming their products, campaigns and ideas into interactive experiences that generate engagement, spontaneous media, and financial return. With every Studio upgrade, we are better equipped with the strategic tools to produce quality experiences while positioning ourselves as innovative and forward-thinking to our customers.”