ARTabletop

The BattleMap can be placed on any flat surface.
Users can upload stats for their character, allowing us to show the maximum range of movement per turn.
Delve deep into the dungeon!

Inspiration

Google recently released ARCore, and both of us had experience in VR applications so we decided to try to make an app in AR. We both had played DnD in the past and wanted a better way to visualize what environment our characters were in without just drawing boxes on a mat to represent buildings and cities. Buying sets of physical 3D models to enhance the experience is costly, so we decided to make this app as an option that is both cheaper and more immersive.

What it does

GMs/DMs can create campaigns for their RPG of choice (DnD, Pathfinder, etc), and invite their friends to join. The GM/DM can build a map with our website and place monsters/NPCs in the map. The other users can then create and place their characters in the map. All users can view the map on separate devices at the same time, and any changes made to a character on one device will appear to all other users viewing the map instantaneously.

How we built it

We built a RESTful API that is used to keep track of the location of all walls and characters, and to supply the information in real time to the Android ARCore app. The Android app then sends back to the API any changes that a user makes to the map, which then appear on the other devices. The backend is written in node.js with Express and MongoDB. The frontend was built in Unity using C# and the Google ARCore framework.

Challenges we ran into

With ARCore having just came out two days ago, there are limited examples and documentation on how to implement its features. This caused us to have to spend time tinkering around with the framework to figure out how to accomplish what we needed to. In addition, Silas spilled water on his laptop halfway though, causing us to need to share a laptop to complete the project.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

The ability to understand how ARCore works and to have made a functioning application with the brand new framework was something we valued because it required us to do a lot of research into how framework itself works. Seeing how immersive the app was through the framework was really awesome.

What we learned

We learned how to use Google ARCore, an up and coming framework that will be extremely valuable to know in the future as AR apps become more accessible to more users. We also learned more advanced Unity techniques, including how to use Raycasters to detect collision and how to work with advanced models.

What's next for ARTabletop

By adding more variety of terrains, environment objects, and character models, we will be able to greatly increase the immersiveness and flexibility of the application. The 3D immersiveness is already there, but adding customization features takes the immersion even further. Adding in light combat rules (range, damage input, HP display) will also allow for DMs, GMs, and players alike to further utilize the advantages of augmented reality for their games.