ARKit + SceneKit: Using reconstructed scene for physics?

Question

I'm using ARKit with SceneKit and would like to let my 3D objects physically interact with the reconstructed scene created by devices with LiDAR sensors (config.sceneReconstruction = .mesh). For example, having a virtual ball bounce off of the geometry of the reconstructed scene.

In RealityKit, this seems to be possible using sceneUnderstanding:

arView.environment.sceneUnderstanding.options.insert(.physics)

How can I achieve the same thing when using SceneKit?

Matt Bierner Matt Bierner · Accepted Answer · 2021-04-28T19:34:18

As far as I know, there is no built-in support for enabling this using SceneKit. However you can fairly easily put together a custom solution using the ARMeshAnchor created by ARKit.

First, configure ARKit to enable scene reconstruction:

let config = ARWorldTrackingConfiguration()
if ARWorldTrackingConfiguration.supportsSceneReconstruction(.mesh) {
    config.sceneReconstruction = .mesh
} else {
    // Handle device that doesn't support scene reconstruction
}

// and enable physics visualization for debugging
sceneView.debugOptions = [.showPhysicsShapes]

Then in your ARSCNViewDelegate use renderer nodeFor to create a scenekit node for newly created ARMeshAnchor instances:

func renderer(_ renderer: SCNSceneRenderer, nodeFor anchor: ARAnchor) -> SCNNode? {
    guard let meshAnchor = anchor as? ARMeshAnchor else {
        return nil
    }

    let geometry = createGeometryFromAnchor(meshAnchor: meshAnchor)

    // Optionally hide the node from rendering as well
    geometry.firstMaterial?.colorBufferWriteMask = []

    let node = SCNNode(geometry: geometry)

    // Make sure physics apply to the node
    // You must used concavePolyhedron here!
    node.physicsBody = SCNPhysicsBody(type: .static, shape: SCNPhysicsShape(geometry: geometry, options: [.type: SCNPhysicsShape.ShapeType.concavePolyhedron]))

    return node
}

// Taken from https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/130599
func createGeometryFromAnchor(meshAnchor: ARMeshAnchor) -> SCNGeometry {
    let meshGeometry = meshAnchor.geometry
    let vertices = meshGeometry.vertices
    let normals = meshGeometry.normals
    let faces = meshGeometry.faces
    
    // use the MTL buffer that ARKit gives us
    let vertexSource = SCNGeometrySource(buffer: vertices.buffer, vertexFormat: vertices.format, semantic: .vertex, vertexCount: vertices.count, dataOffset: vertices.offset, dataStride: vertices.stride)
    
    let normalsSource = SCNGeometrySource(buffer: normals.buffer, vertexFormat: normals.format, semantic: .normal, vertexCount: normals.count, dataOffset: normals.offset, dataStride: normals.stride)
    // Copy bytes as we may use them later
    let faceData = Data(bytes: faces.buffer.contents(), count: faces.buffer.length)
    
    // create the geometry element
    let geometryElement = SCNGeometryElement(data: faceData, primitiveType: toSCNGeometryPrimitiveType(faces.primitiveType), primitiveCount: faces.count, bytesPerIndex: faces.bytesPerIndex)
    
    return SCNGeometry(sources: [vertexSource, normalsSource], elements: [geometryElement])
}

Finally, update the scene nodes whenever the reconstructed geometry changes in the ARSCNViewDelegate renderer didUpdate: function:

func renderer(_ renderer: SCNSceneRenderer, didUpdate node: SCNNode, for anchor: ARAnchor) {
    guard let meshAnchor = anchor as? ARMeshAnchor else {
        return
    }
    
    let geometry = SCNGeometry.fromAnchor(meshAnchor: meshAnchor, setColors: false)
    geometry.firstMaterial?.colorBufferWriteMask = []

    node.geometry = geometry

    node.physicsBody!.physicsShape = SCNPhysicsShape(geometry: geometry, options: [.type: SCNPhysicsShape.ShapeType.concavePolyhedron])
}

Any physics objects you create in SceneKit should now be able to interact with reconstructed scene:

ARKit + SceneKit: Using reconstructed scene for physics?

1 Answers