FAQ¶

General¶

What is SceneView?¶

SceneView is a Jetpack Compose library for 3D and AR on Android. It wraps Google Filament (rendering) and ARCore (augmented reality) in declarative composables — the same way you write Column { } or Row { }.

Is it free?¶

Yes. SceneView is open source under the Apache 2.0 license. Free for personal and commercial use.

What's the relationship to Sceneform?¶

Google created Sceneform and archived it in 2021. SceneView started as a community continuation, then was completely rewritten in v3.0 as a Compose-native library. It's not a fork — it's a new codebase.

What Android versions are supported?¶

Min SDK 24 (Android 7.0). This covers 99%+ of active devices.

Setup¶

Do I need to install the NDK?¶

No. SceneView bundles pre-compiled native libraries. No NDK or CMake setup required.

Can I use it without Compose?¶

SceneView 3.x is Compose-only. If you need a View-based API, use SceneView 2.x (legacy, no longer actively developed).

What model formats are supported?¶

glTF 2.0 (.gltf + .bin) and GLB (binary glTF). These are the industry standard — exported by Blender, Maya, 3ds Max, and most 3D tools.

Where do I put my model files?¶

In src/main/assets/models/. Reference them by path: "models/helmet.glb".

3D¶

How do I change a model's position at runtime?¶

Use Compose state:

var pos by remember { mutableStateOf(Position(0f, 0f, -2f)) }

Scene(...) {
    model?.let {
        ModelNode(modelInstance = it, position = pos)
    }
}

// Update pos from a button, slider, or animation — the node moves automatically.

How do I play a specific animation?¶

ModelNode(
    modelInstance = instance,
    autoAnimate = false,
    animationName = "Walk",   // name from the glTF file
    animationLoop = true,
    animationSpeed = 1f
)

Can I render multiple models?¶

Yes — just add multiple ModelNode calls inside Scene { }:

Scene(...) {
    ModelNode(modelInstance = helmet, position = Position(x = -1f))
    ModelNode(modelInstance = sword, position = Position(x = 1f))
}

How do I add lighting?¶

Use LightNode with the named apply parameter:

LightNode(
    type = LightManager.Type.SUN,
    apply = { intensity(100_000f); castShadows(true) }
)

Or use rememberMainLightNode(engine) { intensity = 100_000f } as a Scene parameter.

What is `scaleToUnits`?¶

It scales the model so its longest dimension equals the given value in meters. scaleToUnits = 1.0f means the model fits in a 1-meter bounding box. This normalizes models of any original size.

AR¶

Does AR work on emulators?¶

Partially. ARCore has limited emulator support. For reliable AR development, use a physical device with ARCore support.

How do I detect when the user taps a plane?¶

ARScene(
    onTouchEvent = { event, hitResult ->
        if (event.action == MotionEvent.ACTION_UP && hitResult != null) {
            anchor = hitResult.createAnchor()
        }
        true
    }
) { /* ... */ }

Can I track real-world images?¶

Yes — use AugmentedImageNode with an AugmentedImageDatabase. See the ar-augmented-image sample.

Performance¶

What FPS should I expect?¶

60fps on mid-range devices (2020+) with typical scenes (1-3 models, 1 light, HDR environment). Complex scenes with many models or post-processing effects may need optimization.

How much does SceneView add to APK size?¶

Approximately 5 MB (native Filament libraries + Kotlin code). ARSceneView adds ARCore (~1 MB extra, shared with Play Services).

Yes — create the engine at a higher scope (e.g., ViewModel or CompositionLocal) and pass it to each Scene. This avoids creating multiple Filament engines.

Troubleshooting¶

See the full Troubleshooting guide for detailed solutions to common issues.