Skip to main content
Version: Release 4.0.0

Release Notes version 4.0

Highlights​

Features/Fixes​

Integration with Scaniverse​

  • Developers can use Scaniverse to capture Sites, generate VPS maps, meshes, and splats, and use them directly in NSDK 4.0 workflows.
  • Adds support for 360 camera capture to generate splats.

VPS2 unifies VPS and WPS workflows​

  • NSDK 4.0 now exposes VPS2 as an improved localization service for Unity, Swift, and Kotlin. VPS2 unifies VPS and WPS under a single session and API surface, providing both coarse and precise localization.
  • VPS2 improves localization reliability, including in previously unmapped environments.
  • Existing ARDK 3.x projects continue to function without interruption.
  • NSDK 4.0 is the forward path for new work, with VPS2 as the default VPS integration.

Token-based authentication model​

  • NSDK 4.0 introduces a token-based authentication model for Niantic Spatial, replacing the legacy API-key-only approach used by Lightship ARDK, simplifying implementation and improving security to align with industry standards.

Fully supported Swift and Kotlin SDKs​

  • APIs for the Swift SDK and Kotlin SDK align with native platform conventions, use standard location-based types, and integrate with Xcode and Android Studio package managers for streamlined setup.
  • Updated Swift samples and Kotlin samples to show how to use the new APIs.

On-device playback for Swift and Kotlin​

  • Adds native playback support for local testing and debugging workflows without requiring a live VPS session.

Cloud-based geopositioning​

  • (Experimental) VPS2 supports an optional cloud-based coarse geopositioning mode that sends camera imagery to the cloud to compute an improved geoposition and heading. Enable using the Universal Localization Enabled configuration option.

Improved onboarding documentation​

Breaking Changes​

  • Removed Object Detection, Navigation Mesh, and the following semantic channels:
    • Water
    • Person
    • Building
    • Foliage
    • FlowerExperimental
    • TreeTrunkExperimental
    • PetExperimental
    • SandExperimental
    • TvExperimental
    • DirtExperimental
    • VehicleExperimental
    • FoodExperimental
    • LoungeableExperimental
    • SnowExperimental
  • This release includes significant namespace updates that will break compatibility with version 3.17. Review the migration guide for detailed instructions.
  • The VPS Coverage API is only compatible with VPS locations created or activated through the Geospatial Browser (GSB). Locations created on Scaniverse are not supported. A unified Sites API will replace the VPS Coverage API in a future release.

Notes​

  • We have removed support for Magic Leap 2 and Quest 3.
  • Documentation for 3.16 and earlier is available from Niantic Spatial's Github repository.

Known Issues​

  • Importing the ARDK UPM in a project started from Universal 3D template might cause a few build errors reported in the console. Restarting the editor should fix this.
  • Playback rendering on Android native may not match live results. Some features, such as occlusion, may not function as expected. Improvements are planned in a future update.
ON THIS PAGE