Building Cross-Platform AR Experiences with Flutter

Introduction

Flutter has revolutionized mobile development by offering a single codebase for iOS and Android. You can extend this efficiency to augmented reality (AR) by combining Flutter with platform-specific AR frameworks. This tutorial walks through building a cross-platform AR experience using Flutter and the ar_flutter_plugin. You’ll learn how to configure each platform, integrate ARCore and ARKit, render 3D models, and handle user interactions.

Setting Up Flutter for AR

Begin by creating a new Flutter project. Add the ar_flutter_plugin in your pubspec.yaml under dependencies:

dependencies:
  flutter:
    sdk: flutter
  ar_flutter_plugin

Run flutter pub get and verify your setup with flutter doctor. Ensure your environment targets Android 7.0+ (API level 24+) and iOS 11.0+. Keep your Flutter SDK updated to avoid compatibility issues.

Configuring Android and iOS Platforms

ARCore on Android and ARKit on iOS require specific permissions and settings:

Android (android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml):

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA"/>
<uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.camera.ar" android:required="true"

Add inside the tag:

<meta-data android:name="com.google.ar.core" android:value="required"/>

iOS (ios/Runner/Info.plist):

<key>NSCameraUsageDescription</key>
<string>AR experiences require camera access</string>
<key>UIRequiredDeviceCapabilities</key>
<array>
  <string>arkit</string>
</array>

Build targets in Xcode must be set to iOS 11.0 or above. Confirm that your Podfile platform reflects the same minimum.

Integrating ARCore and ARKit

Use ar_flutter_plugin’s ARView widget to abstract platform differences. Initialize AR session and handle anchors. In your main Dart file:

import 'package:ar_flutter_plugin/ar_flutter_plugin.dart';

ARView(
  onARViewCreated: (controller) async {
    await controller.initialize();
    controller.onPlaneOrPointTap = (hits) {
      // handle placement
    };
  },
);

The plugin detects the runtime platform: ARKitSessionManager is used on iOS and ArCoreSessionManager on Android. You won’t need separate UI code for each—just platform checks when you require platform-specific APIs.

Rendering 3D Objects with SceneKit and Sceneform

Once the session is running, load 3D assets. The plugin supports loading .glb and .usdz from assets or network:

Future<void> placeObject(
  ARSessionManager session,
  ARObjectManager objects,
  Vector3 position,
) async {
  final node = ARNode(
    type: NodeType.webGLB,
    uri: "assets/models/chair.glb",
    scale: Vector3(0.1, 0.1, 0.1),
    position: position,
  );
  await objects.addNode(node);
}

Sceneform on Android and SceneKit on iOS handle rendering under the hood. Fine-tune scale and orientation to match real-world anchors. Use ARAnchorManager to fix nodes in world space.

Handling User Interaction and Gestures

User interaction is key for AR. Implement gesture detectors over the ARView to allow drag, scale, and rotate:

GestureDetector(
  onScaleUpdate: (details) {
    currentNode.scale = Vector3.all(details.scale);
    nodeManager.updateNode(currentNode);
  },
  onTapUp: (details) async {
    final hitResults = await arSessionManager.hitTest(
      details.localPosition.dx,
      details.localPosition.dy,
    );
    if (hitResults.isNotEmpty) {
      placeObject(arSessionManager, arObjectManager, hitResults.first.worldTransform.position);
    }
  },
  child: ARView(onARViewCreated: onARViewCreated),
)

Combine hit testing with the session’s plane detection mode to ensure objects land on horizontal or vertical surfaces. Release events can trigger object selection or deletion.

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Conclusion

You’ve seen how Flutter and ar_flutter_plugin enable you to build AR experiences that run on both Android and iOS from a unified codebase. By configuring each platform, leveraging ARCore and ARKit APIs through Flutter abstractions, rendering 3D models, and handling user gestures, you create immersive, interactive AR content. Experiment with complex animations, physics, or multiplayer AR to take your application further.