3D Design Takes a Turn with Apple Vision Pro

swatchbook Inc., a materials library and marketplace for the fashion and interior design industry, has introduced Remix, a new app that provides a glimpse of capabilities that could have relevance for the engineering sector as a new era of spatial computing takes shape.

Apple’s recent release of its $3,499 Vision Pro mixed reality headset lays the groundwork for making spatial computing, which blends digital content with physical spaces, more mainstream, opening up applications in research, engineering, and healthcare. The system’s high-performance features, including 12 outward-facing cameras, microphones, a 23-million pixel screen, sensors, and other components, are designed to create a near-real-time display that melds the digital world with real-life objects and spaces, creating an immersive mixed-reality experience.

Apple CEO Tim Cook likened the release of the Vision Pro to other transformative technology announcements, including the iPhone, which laid the foundation for now ubiquitous mobile computing.  In a memo published to employees, Cook described Apple Vision Pro as “joining the pantheon of groundbreaking products that have defined Apple and redefined technology as we know it.”

“It's exhilarating to imagine the unbelievable new entertainment experiences our customers will discover, and the innovative apps our amazing developers will create,” Cook wrote. “It's exciting to think of everything this unlocks for industries the world over, and of the incredible opportunities that still lie ahead. Because with spatial computing, this is just the beginning of the impact we can make.”

swatchbook is among the first to attempt that kind of impact—their contribution to the professional design and consumer community. Remix enables users to observe and engage with highly-detailed 3D products and materials within their own personal surroundings, ensuring they can apply color and digitized materials from real-world suppliers in real-time to actualize design concepts for interior design or fashion items quickly. The intuitive visualization tools, coupled with the sensory perception of spatial computing, transform the Apple Vision Pro into an immersive design studio where the app seamlessly merges digital and physical realms, swatchbook officials said.

The ability to bring design concepts to life enhances both digital creativity and democratizes the realm of sophisticated design, making it more accessible to those without a professional design background, the officials added. This same kind of benefit could apply to the engineering and design space, expanding the ability to leverage sophisticated tools and making it easier to bring concepts to life and test them in a real-world-like environment.

“Remix bridges the gap between high-end design and accessible creativity,” said Yazan Malkosh, founder and CEO of swatchbook. “Its impact extends beyond mere functionality, aiming to inspire and revolutionize the way the creative community engages with design.”

This video shows how remix works.

Watch this video to get some perspective by Apple experts on how the Vision Pro can enhance professional productivity.

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