Working with the source code of spARcl
Contributions to sparcl are very welcome. Getting started to do so might look pretty difficult at the beginning, as there are so many dependencies and concepts combined. The Experiment mode might be the easy way in, by modifying some provided examples. The full explanation of the experiment setup looks difficult, but it is much easier to do than write. If not, please let us know what’s too difficult to do.
What makes the Experiment mode useful is that all the main functionality of sparcl is available but hidden away, so you can concentrate on your code and don’t need to care about the nitty gritty details of XR and 3D engines. The default modes are implemented using the same mechanics, so the experiment mode is a regular part of the application.
Currently, WebXR is used as the XR engine, but it should be easy to replace it. A potential use case could be that WebXR is used where available, and another XR engine is used as a fallback where WebXR isn’t available (for example iOS at the moment). This would extend the usability of sparcl to much larger set of devices, in case someone wants to use it for a end user facing experience. More info in ‘Using the XR engine’.
The 3D engine in use right now is OGL, because it is very lightweight but covers the naugty details of WebGL very well. As it is the case with the XR engine, we aim to make the graphics engine easily replaceable so we can react on new requirements easily or you can just use the engine you’re comfortable with. More info in ‘Using the 3D engine’.