Implementing Augmented Reality in Flutter with ARCore and ARKit Plugins

Introduction

Augmented Reality (AR) brings digital objects into the real world using device cameras and sensors. Flutter’s cross-platform nature combined with ARCore on Android and ARKit on iOS enables you to deliver immersive AR experiences from a single codebase. This tutorial covers setting up your project, managing anchors and planes, handling user interactions, and optimizing performance with ARCore and ARKit plugins.

Setting Up ARCore & ARKit

Add platform-specific dependencies and permissions before coding. In Android’s android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml, request camera and AR permissions. On iOS, enable the camera and ARKit capability in Xcode under Signing & Capabilities.

In your pubspec.yaml, include the AR plugins:

dependencies:
  flutter:
    sdk: flutter
  arcore_flutter_plugin: ^0.0.9
  arkit_plugin

Run flutter pub get to fetch packages, then rebuild your iOS workspace (pod install in ios/).

Flutter Project Configuration

Create platform checks and initialize the correct AR view. Use Platform.isAndroid for ARCore and Platform.isIOS for ARKit. Wrap the widget tree in FutureBuilder to request runtime camera permissions via permission_handler or Flutter’s CameraController.

Example AR view selector:

Widget build(BuildContext context) {
  if (Platform.isAndroid) return ArCoreView(onArCoreViewCreated: _onARCoreCreated);
  if (Platform.isIOS) return ARKitSceneView(onARKitViewCreated: _onARKitCreated);
  return Center(child: Text('AR not supported')); }

In main.dart, ensure WidgetsFlutterBinding is initialized before calling runApp(). This avoids initialization errors on iOS with ARKit.

Handling Anchors & Planes

Anchors lock virtual content to real-world points. Both plugins detect horizontal/vertical planes and surface anchors. After view creation:

• ARCore: Listen to onPlaneDetected and call addArCoreNodeWithAnchor.

• ARKit: Use ARKitPlaneAnchor callbacks and add(ARKitReferenceNode).

Sample ARKit anchor code:

void _onARKitCreated(ARKitController controller) {
  arkitController = controller;
  arkitController.onAddNodeForAnchor = (anchor) {
    if (anchor is ARKitPlaneAnchor) {
      final node = ARKitReferenceNode(
        url: 'models.scnassets/ship.scn',
        position: vector.Vector3.zero(),
      );
      arkitController.add(node, parentNodeName: anchor.nodeName);
    }
  };
}

User Interaction Techniques

Allow users to tap and drag AR objects. Register touch events using onTap on both ARKit and ARCore controllers. Convert screen coordinates to world space:

• ARCore: Use hitTest on touch and addArCoreNodeWithAnchor at the hit position.

• ARKit: hitTest from ARKitController yields ARKitHitTestResult. Place or move nodes accordingly.

Example ARCore hit test handler:

void _onARCoreViewCreated(ArCoreController controller) {
  arCoreController = controller;
  arCoreController.onTap = (hits) {
    final hit = hits.first;
    final node = ArCoreReferenceNode(
      objectUrl: 'models/andy.sfb',
      position: hit.pose.translation,
      rotation: hit.pose.rotation,
    );
    arCoreController.addArCoreNodeWithAnchor(node);
  };
}

Performance & Troubleshooting

High-resolution textures and large models can degrade frame rate. Optimize by:

• Compressing textures and using glTF or Draco-compressed assets.
• Limiting the number of active anchors and nodes.
• Disposing controllers in dispose() to free native resources.

Common issues:

• App crash on iOS if Pods are out of sync: run pod repo update.
• Android ARCore unavailable: ensure the device supports ARCore and Google Play Services for AR is up to date.

Monitor logs with flutter run --verbose and platform logs (adb logcat or Xcode console) to track plugin errors.

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Conclusion

Integrating ARCore and ARKit in Flutter opens the door to cross-platform augmented reality applications. By following plugin setup steps, managing anchors and planes, implementing touch-based interactions, and optimizing assets, you can build smooth and engaging AR experiences. Experiment with different models and user flows to create unique AR apps for both Android and iOS.