Placing content on a table top in AR

Seeing Flow visualizations floating over a table top, particularly when shared with multiple users seeing the same content in the same place, is particularly useful for two use cases:

Collaborative data meetings in AR

Capturing AR videos

At this time, aligning the content in the room across various platforms has different implementations based on the device and version of Flow you are using. We'll document these one by one.

WebXR Meta Quest (formerly Oculus): Quest 2, Quest Pro, and Quest 3

Using the browser on Quest devices, when you get into the Flow (navigate to the Flow, click on "Enter AR", you can look down and find the "Calibrate" button on the "look-down menu".

-> Select the Calibrate button.

"Simple mode" to set the position on the floor

First, we're going to learn to set the position in space, then we'll go back a second time to discuss how to set the height automatically or manually.

NOTE: if the cursor doesn't appear to be on the floor. Go to your Oculus settings room calibration and reset the "floor" position as part of the operating system.

-> After the first click, select the "Last click: backwards direction". This click will indicate the orientation of the content, and it should be directly away or behind the first click.

To have multiple users place the content in the same room, it is suggested that a piece of tape or other object be placed at both the first click and second click locations, and all users use the market to know where to click.

This method has been shown to place all users within a few inches or centimeters of each other, which can be verified by looking at the other users and seeing how close the origin of their laser pointer is to their real-world controller.

Set the height manually in the Flow Editor

To get the height correct, there are two methods. The first, which is recommended, is to alter the "height" parameter in the Flow's settings with the Flow Editor. Select Settings from the three-line menu in the upper right:

The settings for Quest are determined by the bottom of this screen shot: Mobile AR center-point height offset: From floor X.X meters. This is set by default to 1.25 meters, which is just a bit above most tables. You can adjust this value and, based, on where the Swarm's height parameter has been placed, you can adjust to make the content appear above the table.

"Advanced mode" to Set the height in real time.

Whether or not the Flow height is set in the Editor, you can alter the setting via the "calibrate" button when you are in AR in headset:

-> Select the calibrate button like before

-> This time, also press the "B" button on the right controller. Now you will see an additional 'height' numeric value appearing above the vertical line. This height is changed by raising or lowering your controller. When the height looks like it is where you want it in relation to the table, tell your multiuser colleagues to use the same height, and press the trigger to lock it in.

-> Set the backward direction with another click, similar as before.

Native Oculus App

-> Select the calibrate button on the 'look-down menu'

-> You'll see a way to set the content "origin" (center point of the visual space at XYZ or 0,0,0) via a circular cursor and a vertical line, labelled with the text "First click: centerpoint". You will see an additional 'height' numeric value appearing above the vertical line. This height is changed by raising or lowering your controller. When the height looks like it is where you want it in relation to the table, tell your multiuser colleagues to use the same height, and press the trigger to lock it in.

-> After the first click, select the "Last click: backwards direction". This click will indicate the orientation of the content, and it should be directly away or behind the first click.

Web-based Mobile Phone AR

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