Qualcomm Releases Augmented Reality SDK 1.5 Beta for Android

Qualcomm has just announced the availability of QCAR SDK version 1.5 Beta 1 for Android. is now available for download.

The Key features and improvements in this version of the QCAR SDK include:

• Video background texture access: The SDK now provides a simple and streamlined way of accessing the video background texture. Developers can now write custom special effects using powerful shaders resulting in far more exciting application experiences.
• Swapping datasets at runtime: If your app needs to augment more than 60 images, you can now create multiple datasets – using the web-based Target Management System (My Trackables tool)- and load the appropriate dataset at runtime. You no longer have to upgrade your app to change the target dataset, and you can now build AR experiences that work on a large number of images.
• Improved tracking performance: The new SDK features several enhancements that reduce jitter in the augmentations, speed up recovery from tracking failures, detect at steeper angles and track over longer distances. FrameMarkers can now be partially occluded – allowing them to be picked up and used as game pieces during the AR experience.
• Support for creating Frame Markers at runtime 
• Support for resizing Image Targets at runtime
• Faster QCAR start-up times

QCAR SDK 1.5 Beta 1 and corresponding Unity extension for Android are available for download at https://ar.qualcomm.at/qdevnet/sdk/android for Windows, Mac and Linux (Linux does not support Unity extensions). You can also find the release notes and QCAR 1.5 SDK documentation for further details.

There are some limitations. For example, the SDK does not support Android 4.0 yet. Other limitations and known issues can be found in the release notes above.

Qualcomm also promised a version for iOS developers in the next few weeks.

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.

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