The Challenge

Arkh had a bold vision: to create a platform where users could design intricate voxel creations, place them in real-world environments using augmented reality (AR), and share their works with others in a connected metaverse. This platform would need to not only provide powerful creation tools but also make the entire experience seamless across both Android and iOS, all while supporting high user volumes. The goal was to give users the ability to interact with their creations in real-time, blending the virtual and physical worlds in a way that felt intuitive and engaging.

However, realizing this vision required overcoming significant challenges. SLIDEFACTORY was approached to augment the team and take on the technical complexities of building a mobile-first, voxel-based AR creation platform. The project kicked off during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, presenting unique difficulties for remote collaboration and coordination across multiple agencies and teams. With everyone working remotely, we had to ensure that progress stayed aligned across all stakeholders, despite the physical distances.

Technically, the project demanded that we design a lightweight, yet powerful, cross-platform system that could handle the voxel creation process and AR interactions seamlessly. In addition, Arkh needed middleware that could scale with a growing user base, ensuring that as more creators joined the platform, performance remained optimal.

The task was not only about creating beautiful and interactive tools but also about engineering a scalable, future-proof solution. SLIDEFACTORY’s challenge was to integrate with our sister agencies and partners to bring all these pieces together—while maintaining a high standard of performance and usability.

Our Approach

Longside a collaborative team of sister agencies and client partners, SLIDEFACTORY collaborated closely with Arkh’s founder to bring this project to fruition. Our contributions focused on several key areas:

• Motion-Based AR Placement Tools: We developed AR tools in Unity 3D that allow users to place voxel creations into real-world environments, providing an intuitive and immersive experience.
• Custom Voxel Design Tool: SLIDEFACTORY designed a voxel creation tool with touch-based interactions, empowering users to create detailed models easily and intuitively.
• AR Translation of Voxel Creations: We enabled voxel models to be translated into AR assets, making it possible for users to see their designs in real-world settings.
• User Interface Design: Custom UI elements were built to enhance the voxel creation and AR placement process, ensuring smooth navigation and interaction.
• In-App Purchase System: SLIDEFACTORY implemented a system to provide access to premium features and tools, supporting Arkh’s monetization strategy.
• Cross-Platform Development: The app was built for both Android and iOS, ensuring consistency and quality across devices.

Challenges Overcome

The Arkh project presented a unique set of challenges that demanded seamless collaboration across multiple agencies and teams, all while navigating the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the entire team working remotely, SLIDEFACTORY had to overcome logistical hurdles to ensure progress remained on track. Despite these constraints, we embraced the challenge of developing a lightweight, scalable system that could bring voxel creations to life in augmented reality.

One of the most pressing challenges was creating a cross-platform solution that could deliver both high performance and visual fidelity, ensuring users could interact with their voxel creations seamlessly on both Android and iOS. The voxel creation process itself required a system that was powerful yet intuitive, capable of turning users’ designs into AR assets that maintained their integrity in real-world environments.

Additionally, scaling the platform to handle high user volumes was a critical technical hurdle. As the user base grew, it was essential that the system continued to perform smoothly. Taking on the challenge, SLIDEFACTORY worked closely with the various Arkh development teams to develop middleware that could manage significant traffic without sacrificing performance or the overall user experience.

By working iteratively and collaboratively, we were able to fine-tune the balance between performance and visual quality, ensuring the voxel creations remained engaging and immersive while the platform scaled to meet growing demand. This combination of technical precision and creative problem-solving helped us overcome the complexities of the project.

The Results

SLIDEFACTORY’s collaboration with Arkh resulted in a successful mobile app that allows users to create, share, and explore voxel creations in AR. Key outcomes include:

• Intuitive Voxel Design: The custom voxel tool made it easy for users to create intricate models, fostering creativity and accessibility.
• Immersive AR Integration: The AR tools enable users to place their voxel creations in real-world environments seamlessly.
• Cross-Platform Deployment: The app provides a consistent experience on both Android and iOS, delivering high performance across all devices.
• Monetization: The in-app purchase system provided a revenue stream, giving users access to enhanced features.

Conclusion

SLIDEFACTORY’s collaboration with Arkh brought together creativity, technology, and teamwork to deliver an innovative AR platform. Despite the challenges of working remotely during a global pandemic and collaborating with multiple teams, we successfully developed a cross-platform solution that allows users to create, share, and interact with voxel creations in real-world environments using augmented reality.

Our role went beyond Unity3D and AR development—we helped build middleware to support high user volumes, ensuring the platform could scale alongside its growing community of creators. The result is a powerful system that enables users to transform their surroundings into interactive galleries filled with voxel art, all while connecting with others in a global metaverse.

The ARKH platform now stands as a pioneering force in augmented reality, offering creators the tools they need to explore and push the boundaries of their imagination. This project highlights SLIDEFACTORY’s ability to tackle complex challenges and deliver a truly innovative solution that empowers users to shape the world around them.