AR 3S was formerly known as ARES.Below you will find all the latest changes being introduced with AR 3S 1.3.1.0. It was published in May 2021. This release is focused on feedback we’ve received from users via our Feedback and Support Portals as well as our product roadmap.
OVERVIEW
The 1.3.1.0 Update is the third larger iterative version of AR 3S. Its primary focus are stabilization, reliability and scalability features. Improvements for the Object Management as well as GUI Upgrades.
NEW – Multi-User Cloud Sessions are now implemented
NEW – Multi-User connection experience was revamped and notifications were removed
NEW – Multi-User Connection is now possible via QR Code Scanning
NEW – File Sharing in Multi-User Mode is now handled in the Files Menu
NEW – File Sharing shows the progress of sharing as well as uploading
NEW – File Export for Scene Saving and File Sharing makes use of new and improved HL3D file format
NEW – Added Crash Reporter to Installer
NEW – Added BSOD Cleaner to Installation, allowing users to wipe their local ./AppData/LocalLow/Holo-Light settings in case of a black-screen startup
IMPROVED – Local Multi-User Sessions are now much more stable
IMPROVED – Asynchronous app Initialization implemented
IMPROVED – App Initialization now selects the correct profiles depending on the detected platform
FIXES
As part of our mission we continuously aim to improving AR 3S. And bugs are no exceptions. Based on feedback from users, partners and internal developers the following bugs have been squashed.
FIXED – Builds - Standalone Build throws Vuforia Exception
FIXED – Export - Unable to export .manifest files
FIXED – Forge - SVF Manifest of Revit Files cannot be read in the Forge
FIXED – Forge -Forge Button in File Browser breaks app in AR 3S Pro
FIXED – Image Tracking - MR QR Tracking Visualizer does not scale with QR Code Size
FIXED – Image Tracking - Image Visualizer and its transforms are not correctly aligned with the tracked image
FIXED – Import - Loading a Space containing an AssetBundle with texture is not possible
FIXED – Import - Loading Original Files with native File Formats from Forge Meta Data Panel is not supported
FIXED – Interaction - Manipulation Tools do not change position with re-alignment and are not correctly aligned
FIXED – Interaction - Undo/Redo functions do not behave correctly in a network after realigning an object
FIXED – Interaction - User is not able to leave QR Scanning Mode when Measure tool is activated
FIXED – Interaction - Undo/Redo functions do not behave correctly in a network after realigning an object
FIXED – Interaction - Near Interaction of certain Manipulation Tools does not work
FIXED – Licensing - Persistent notification that 'License is now active' when check-in time is exceeded
FIXED – Multi-User - Master Client is displayed twice in the Multi-User Panel if they leave and re-join a Session
FIXED – Multi-User - Shared files are still visible after deleting them in a Multi-User Session
FIXED – Multi-User - Files cannot be loaded correctly when being requested a second time in a Multi-User-Session
FIXED – Multi-User - Shared files are still visible after disconnecting from a Multi-User-Session
FIXED – Multi-User - Multiple Loading Cubes appear when pressing the Request File button several times
FIXED – Multi-User - Unshare button has no effect on files shared in a Multi-User Session
FIXED – Multi-User - User with Demo License can request every file from Host with an active valid License
FIXED – Multi-User - Start Session and Connect button stay disabled after disconnecting from a Multi-User Session as a client
FIXED – Multi-User - Objects are not properly deleted networkwide in Multi-User Session
FIXED – Multi-User - Spaces cannot be saved while currently being connected to a Multi-User Session
FIXED – Multi-User - Objects cannot be removed after they had been shared and deleted in the network once
FIXED – Multi-User - Client's Display Name is not correctly shown in a Multi-User Session after changing it
FIXED – Multi-User - Manipulation Tools are not adjusted correctly in Multi-User Mode
FIXED – Multi-User - Session disconnects shortly after third user joins
FIXED – Multi-User - Clients do not see each other's hands in Multi-User Sessions with 3 or more users
FIXED – Multi-User - Clicking Delete All during a Multi-User Session, where all parties have shared and received files, leads to wrong objects being deleted
FIXED – Multi-User - HLCAD Export changes coordinate system resulting in non-synchronous behavior for the re-align feature
FIXED – Multi-User - Starting a second Multi-User Server on the same PC causes an exception
FIXED – Multi-User - File Sharing sometimes cannot apply State and Network Identities during Multi-User Sessions on the same PC
FIXED – Multi-User - User receives no feedback in several situations like being able to receive a shared file
FIXED – Multi-User - Local Multi-User Session is not broadcasted to the same machine in AR 3S Pro
FIXED – Multi-User - Manipulating an object that is being shared results in disconnect
FIXED – Multi-User - Random Network Adapter is selected by PC resulting in connection issues
FIXED – Multi-User - Client's avatar remains visible even after host terminates the session
FIXED – Multi-User - Hand Meshes in Multi-User Sessions are broken
FIXED – Networking - Broadcasting is not working on IP spaces which are not 192.168.
FIXED – Object Management - Cannot save or load files with too long file paths
FIXED – Object Management - Selection Shader is not applied on the receiving side when sharing selected objects
FIXED – Object Management - Export process keeps going on after file is exported
FIXED – Object Management - Load and Delete button do not work properly after certain actions
FIXED – Object Management - Delete Button next to an loaded file within the Files Menu does not respond properly
FIXED – Object Management - Re-Aligning a object via Hierarchy Tree does not always align it correctly
FIXED – Object Management - Object can be realigned as soon as its mesh appear, even before Loading Cube has been confirmed
FIXED – Object Management - Loading Cube's Preview does not work properly
FIXED – Spaces - Saving process gets stuck when Delete All is clicked first and then Save Scene is pressed immediately after
FIXED – UX - Welcome Screen and Load Space Confirmation window overlap when going back from Loading Space selection to Welcome Screen
FIXED – UX - Closing the hand menu proves difficult
FIXED – UX - Transform Updates for objects, hands and avatars are not smooth
FIXED – UX - Several toggle buttons have misleading labels
KNOWN ISSUES
Below you will find a list of known issues. These issues are defined as bugs, or at times missing features, that is known to the development team and are being actively investigated or developed.
- Licensing QR Codes may be difficult to read – QR Codes without border are possibly not readable when displayed on a black surface. As the licensing website has set up a white background you can read the QR Code on the webpage without issues. If you are scanning a physical QR code, make sure the background is neutral and bright and that you have good lighting conditions. Scan the QR code from a short distance (less than 50cm).
- Attaching the File Picker closes the browser – On HoloLens 2, if the File Picker is detached, you can only reattach it by using the hand ray instead of the finger press. If you use the finger press, the picker will be closed instead.
- GLTF Importer - Import Process is Extremely Slow – The glTF Importer from the MRTK is very slow. Apparently, the import process does not make use of all available CPU cores. This could slow down the progress.
- Interaction Input is possibly blocked by Scrollbar – Scrollbar blocks Near Interaction Touch, if the Poke Pointer is near to the scrollbar.
- User Experience must be revamped– Several Buttons are hard to press and the Far Interaction feels clunky at times. When using Far Interaction e.g. to rotate an object with the Rotation widget, the interaction feels blocked. Some placeholder texts have to be reworked for a more polished User Interface.
- Object is upside down after scaling – When scaling an object by hand, the scale can possess negative values, causing the object to be displayed upside down.
- Proxy Server prevents communication with Licensing Server – When there is a Proxy server between the device using the AR 3S licensing and the Licensing Server, communication does not work. Which direction is blocked/hindered or whether both, has to be investigated.
- Application Instability w/ various versions of Stylus Toolkit – In some rare scenarios, the AR 3S application may experience a crash when utilizing the stylus. This is dependent on the integrated version of the STK (Stylus Toolkit). Please insure that you're on the latest firmware version of the Stylus XR and AR 3S.
- User cannot interact with Stylus on Keyboard or Browser – The Stylus cannot interact with any GUI that is not part of the AR 3S app. Those are, in fact, currently the web browser as well as (native) keyboards
- App crashes when importing many models during Stylus Auto-Connect – If the user imports one or several models while the auto-connect process of the Stylus is currently running, the app tends to crash (resulting in a black-screen).
- Main Menu Button cannot be pressed right after moving a Measurement – After creating a Measurement, the first click on the Main Menu appears to have no effect.
- Wrong hand used for Measurement input action – In some cases, one hand may have the cursor attached, but the user must perform an air tap with the other hand to fix the measurement point.
- Measurement Cursor is attached to the hand while using Stylus – If there is no focus on the Stylus in certain cases (e.g. Stylus Connection, placing an object with Tap-to-place or turning on the Measurement Mode) then the Measurement Cursor is attached to the hand not wielding the Stylus.
- TriLib Importers block Main Thread and Overflow Memory – When using the TriLib Importers to import FBX or STL files, at several points during the import the app’s Main Thread is blocked and the memory bloats up. This is likely due to GameObject creation and Material creation and assignment in too few frames. On HoloLens 2, for files larger than 30MB of size, this results in a memory overflow and a subsequent app crash.
- Access Token is never refreshed – The QR Code and downloaded HoloToken.txt file do not contain a Refresh Token. That means, that the Token lifetime is never actually refreshed. This leads to a "No valid license found" notification, when the Refresh Time expires.
- Rigged Models have an Offset of Bounding Box/ Grab/ Tap To Place – When using AR 3S to import a model with leaf transforms without meshes, several features like Bounding Box, Grab and Tap-to-Place have an unidentified Offset that looks wrong to the user. This happens every time with models that have bones or are rigged.
- Scene View Panel button stops responding to Near Interaction after enabling it again – When the Scene View Panel sets the button to disabled and then back to enabled (e.g. when deleting an object), the button seems enabled, but does not call any function anymore when using Near Interaction.
- Object in Bounding Loading Box has wrong size when loading again after deleting – When importing an object (with an customized size) again after deleting it, the object has the wrong size in the Loading Box and also after loading.
- Load Object button in Files Menu does not work after using Interaction Tool – The Load Object Button in the Files Menu stops working when the Hierarchy Tree Window and the Interaction Window are open. Even after closing the Hierarchy and Interaction Window, the Load Button cannot be used.
- Users are not able to release Licenses with certain HoloTokens in AR 3S and AR 3S Pro – Occasionally when pressing the Release License Button, an error message informs the user that it is not possible to connect to the License Server. This only happens with certain HoloTokens. If you have any problems with your license, please contact our support team.
- Object in Loading Cube is placed differently if Realign Origin has been used before – If an user loads an object after they have used the Realign Origin feature and scanned a QR Code, the object inside the Loading Cube is now at a different position than if the user would not have used Realign Origin at all.
- Measurement Tool can render the user's hand unable to interact with UI elements – The Measurement Tool might cause an error where one or both hands cannot be used for performing gestures or interacting with UI elements. This could happen when the hand comes too close to a Measurement Point. If both hands should be affected by this, AR 3S needs to be restarted.
- No confirmation when creating a new Space after loading a Space – Normally when the user loads an object and clicks the New Space button, they need to confirm it as creating a new Space deletes all the objects loaded prior. However, if the user loaded an already existing Space and then clicks on New Space no confirmation is needed. Instead all objects are deleted instantly.
- Wrong Tab is shown as active in Multi-User Session – Three Tabs are displayed in the Multi-User Menu (Cloud, Local and Participants). When starting a Multi-User Session (either in Local or Cloud Mode) the tab changes to the Participants tab. In the tab bar of the Multi-User Menu Screen however, the active tab is still set to either Local or Cloud, even though it should be the Participants bar. This does not affect any functionalities, although.
- Sometimes the Load Object button in the Welcome Panel opens the demo files folder – In some situations, pressing the Load Object button in the Welcome Panel may open the demo files folder. If this happens, no other folders can be accessed.
- Loading process does not stop when a file cannot be loaded – When trying to load a file that has missing information or data information like a texture, the loading process does not come to a halt. The user does not receive a notification that something went wrong.
- FBX files cannot be loaded – It is at this time not possible to load FBX files in AR 3S. Trying to import such a file results in a Loading Cube that never ceases loading.
- Clicking Delete All with a Loading Cube present, sets all buttons in Files Menu to inactive – Pressing Delete All while having a Loading Cube present in the current scene renders every button (Load Object, Load Space, Save Space, New Space, Delete All) as inactive. A sole exception is the Delete Button in the File List, which is still working. By removing the object via Delete All every previously inactive button becomes applicable again.
- Avatar Model has a stray ray shooting from its right shoulder occasionally – Sometimes participants of a Multi-User Session can observe that rays shoot out of the avatar models of the other users at shoulder height.
- Inconsistency between Delete and Delete All for received files in Multi-User Sessions – Clicking Delete leads to the file being removed from the receiver's file list, but it is still available for its owner and can be requested again. By clicking Delete All only the files that the user loaded from their HoloLens are deleted. Requested files are still visible for the receiving users.
- Object is realigned incorrectly after App Origin has been moved – After moving the App Origin (e.g. via Realign Function in Main Menu) when realigning an imported object, the object is placed with an offset that appears to be the offset which the App Origin has been moved before.