--- key: mechanic/phone-camera--family-ar-geometry type: mechanic id: phone-camera--family-ar-geometry lang: en title: 'AR: surfaces and spatial geometry' summary: >- Scanning links images to spatial geometry. Polycam builds room models; the method, hardware requirements and accuracy depend on mode and device. updatedAt: '2026-10-22' status: active url: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/phone-camera--family-ar-geometry/ jsonUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/phone-camera--family-ar-geometry.json markdownUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/phone-camera--family-ar-geometry.md aliases: [] tags: - Phone camera interactions - Mechanics catalog sourceIds: - source-0599b2ea6361e813 - source-ed7020b965238bb1 - source-2d9202f2f950f384 - source-d4dc04c30d22b206 sources: - id: source-0599b2ea6361e813 title: 'ARCore: motion tracking, planes, anchors' url: 'https://developers.google.com/ar/develop/fundamentals' verifiedAt: null - id: source-ed7020b965238bb1 title: 'ARCore Depth: depth and occlusion' url: 'https://developers.google.com/ar/develop/depth' verifiedAt: null - id: source-2d9202f2f950f384 title: 'Apple ARKit: world tracking' url: >- https://developer.apple.com/documentation/arkit/understanding-world-tracking verifiedAt: null - id: source-d4dc04c30d22b206 title: Polycam 3D Scanner & Modeling url: >- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/polycam-3d-scanner-modeling/id1532482376?uo=4 verifiedAt: null relations: [] placements: - catalogId: phone-camera id: family-ar-geometry title: Phone camera interactions url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/phone-camera/#family-ar-geometry' categoryIds: - section-1 supersededBy: [] attributes: preview: updatedAt: '2026-10-22' title: 'AR: surfaces and spatial geometry' description: >- Scanning links images to spatial geometry. Polycam builds room models; the method, hardware requirements and accuracy depend on mode and device. image: src: images/mechanics/camera-polycam-0.webp width: 663 height: 1440 crop: x: 83 'y': 369 width: 499 height: 979 game: Polycam 3D Scanner & Modeling sourceUrl: >- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/polycam-3d-scanner-modeling/id1532482376?uo=4 originalUrl: >- https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/PurpleSource211/v4/14/41/bc/1441bcd9-8346-7904-55b4-693c5667d983/as16.9Base.png/720x1560bb.jpg credit: Polycam Inc. rights: >- © Polycam Inc.. Publisher-distributed App Store screenshot; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0. caption: 'Polycam: a reconstructed three-dimensional room model' alt: 'Polycam: a reconstructed three-dimensional room model' markers: - x: 50 'y': 57 label: The 3D model represents the room’s surface layout tips: - >- Handle tracking loss and difficult glass, mirrors and featureless surfaces. examples: - title: Polycam 3D Scanner & Modeling url: >- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/polycam-3d-scanner-modeling/id1532482376?uo=4 endsAt: null provenance: >- Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review. license: CC-BY-4.0 codeLicense: MIT attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors catalogKey: catalog/phone-camera --- # AR: surfaces and spatial geometry id: phone-camera--family-ar-geometry type: mechanic key: mechanic/phone-camera--family-ar-geometry lang: en status: active url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/phone-camera--family-ar-geometry/ Scanning links images to spatial geometry. Polycam builds room models; the method, hardware requirements and accuracy depend on mode and device. ## At a glance ![Polycam: a reconstructed three-dimensional room model](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/camera-polycam-0.webp) [Polycam 3D Scanner & Modeling](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/polycam-3d-scanner-modeling/id1532482376?uo=4) · © Polycam Inc.. Publisher-distributed App Store screenshot; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0. 1. The 3D model represents the room’s surface layout - Handle tracking loss and difficult glass, mirrors and featureless surfaces. - [Polycam 3D Scanner & Modeling](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/polycam-3d-scanner-modeling/id1532482376?uo=4) ## How it works The camera, together with tracking, connects digital objects with the surrounding space. Conventional AR often combines video and IMU. Depth does not necessarily require LiDAR, but support and accuracy vary by device and scene. Glass and mirrors are difficult to reconstruct. ## Variants ### Variants and applications - Placement on the surface. Action: Find a table, floor or wall and attach a digital object to it. Application: Tabletop strategy, furniture arrangement, miniature world. Technologies: AR spatial tracking. - Link to image. Action: Attach a digital object to a recognized page, map or poster. Application: A book that comes to life, a card game, interactive instructions. Technologies: Markers; AR spatial tracking. - Measuring space. Action: Select points and estimate the distance, area or suitable size. Application: Geometric tasks, scaling of buildings, model fitting. Technologies: AR spatial tracking. - Real obstacles. Action: Use estimated furniture and wall geometry for digital collisions. Applications: Balls around the room, arena, terrain puzzles. Technologies: AR spatial tracking; Sensor or depth estimation. - Deep overlap. Action: Hide virtual objects behind real surfaces using a depth map. Application: Hide and seek, search for creatures, convincing AR scene. Technologies: AR spatial tracking; Sensor or depth estimation. - Filling the volume. Action: Use a spatial map for virtual water, snow or fill. Application: Flooding simulation, terraforming, creative effects. Technologies: AR spatial tracking; Sensor or depth estimation. - The surface is like a route. Action: Build a path or game grid using recognized geometry. Application: Indoor tower defense, robot route, spatial puzzle. Technologies: AR spatial tracking; Own algorithm. - Geometry as a condition. Action: Find a large enough free surface or a suitable configuration. Application: Selecting an arena, finding a location for a base, educational spatial puzzle. Technologies: AR spatial tracking; Own algorithm. ## Context and limits Games, learning, creativity and interactive applications. Author's systematization of game rules based on proven technical capabilities. Examples are application ideas and not statements of released products. ## Connected materials ## Sources and provenance Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review. - [ARCore: motion tracking, planes, anchors](https://developers.google.com/ar/develop/fundamentals) (id: source-0599b2ea6361e813) - [ARCore Depth: depth and occlusion](https://developers.google.com/ar/develop/depth) (id: source-ed7020b965238bb1) - [Apple ARKit: world tracking](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/arkit/understanding-world-tracking) (id: source-2d9202f2f950f384) - [Polycam 3D Scanner & Modeling](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/polycam-3d-scanner-modeling/id1532482376?uo=4) (id: source-d4dc04c30d22b206) CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors