XArammeverket

XArammeverket is a cross-platform open-source framework designed for building augmented reality (AR) applications. It provides a modular runtime, developer tools, and a standardized set of interfaces intended to simplify the creation of AR experiences that run across mobile devices, desktops, and web environments.

History and development

XArammeverket originated in the Nordic AR community as an effort to unify tooling for AR projects and reduce fragmentation across platforms. The project began releasing public updates in the late 2010s and has evolved through several major releases, with emphasis on portability, performance, and ease of use. It is maintained by a community of contributors and is widely used in educational settings and by independent developers for prototyping and product demos.

Architecture and design

The framework adopts a component-based design centered on a core runtime and a scene graph. At its heart is a data-driven entity component system that allows developers to compose AR scenes from reusable modules. XArammeverket uses a plugin architecture to abstract rendering backends and sensing technology, enabling adapters for WebGL-based renderers, OpenXR, ARKit, ARCore, and WebXR. The framework also provides a declarative description language for scene composition, alongside APIs for input handling, camera access, plane and image tracking, anchors, and basic lighting.

Features

Key features include markerless and image tracking, plane detection, feature-based localization, object anchoring, real-time rendering, occlusion, and simple UI overlays for AR interfaces. It supports TypeScript and JavaScript, offers a package manager, and ships with examples, documentation, and tooling for debugging and profiling. The ecosystem emphasizes interoperability and an approachable learning curve for students and professional developers.

Licensing and reception

XArammeverket is released under an open-source license (compatible with MIT/Apache-style terms) to encourage community collaboration. It has seen adoption in universities, research projects, and small to mid-sized startups, noted for its balance between flexibility and simplicity.