Spatial 3D API

Define the scene before the endpoint

A 3D project becomes easier to reason about when its data has a clear meaning. Start with the scene identifier, the objects that belong to it, and the coordinate conventions they use. Then decide how the renderer, application state, and asset delivery process communicate.

Use the architecture guide to write a small contract. Name the origin and units. Keep logical object identity separate from the particular mesh revision used to represent it. Make missing assets and unsupported features explicit states rather than leaving the interface in an indefinite loading phase.

A practical first prototype

Choose one asymmetric object with a recognizable front and top. Load it in a neutral scene, place it at a known scale, and give it one meaningful interaction. This fixture gives the team a repeatable way to discuss transforms, pivots, and model revisions without a complex environment hiding the source of an error.

The Scene Lab provides a simple local coordinate visualization. It is not a renderer SDK or a sensor demo; use it to introduce the relationship between a view and an object's axes before moving to your own implementation.

Turn model delivery into a contract

A correct filename is not a complete asset handoff. Document the package, its dependencies, the intended dimensions, the pivot, and the quality variants. Review the exact delivery artifact from a clean environment rather than approving whatever happens to load from a development folder.

Follow the glTF and GLB guide for that workflow. Then connect it to the asset pipeline hub when the project needs repeatable publishing, diagnostics, and rollback.

What to decide before adding XR

Keep the scene task independent of a particular input method. A useful model viewer can establish identity, loading, and selection before a headset or environment-tracking feature is introduced. Preserve that ordinary viewing path as the immersive experience grows.

Document what each component owns: content authors provide usable geometry, the delivery process supplies an exact revision, and the application interprets it within a named scene. These boundaries make later VR, AR, and AI features easier to evaluate without turning every defect into an unexplained “3D problem.”