What is Mixed Reality?
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Discuss your projectWhat is Mixed Reality?
What is Mixed Reality (MR)?
Mixed reality is the real-time connection between the physical and digital worlds. Digital 3D objects become part of the space around you: a virtual armchair can stay in place as you walk around it. Tracking, environment sensing, and the app determine whether real furniture occludes virtual content or objects interact. MR and augmented reality overlap; AR can also provide spatial awareness and interaction.
How does mixed reality work?
| Step | A Quick Explanation |
|---|---|
| 1 · Environmental Scan | Cameras and motion sensors track device movement. Depth can be estimated from camera images or supplemented by LiDAR/time-of-flight sensors. Inside-out tracking means tracking position with sensors on the device. |
| 2 · Spatial Mapping | The system may detect floors and tabletops or create a mesh of the room. The available geometry and update behavior depend on the device and API. |
| 3 · Rendering in the Render Engine | The render engine draws virtual objects from the current camera perspective. Light estimation, shadows, and occlusion help integrate them convincingly into the real room. |
| 4 - Input & Interaction | Hand tracking, controllers, gaze, or a touchscreen control the app. A physics engine can calculate collisions; rendering produces shadows. Both need to be set up for the specific experience. |
Distinctions:
- AR adds digital content to the visible real environment, including spatially anchored content.
- VR completely replaces the real world.
- MR often emphasizes the spatial connection and interaction between real and virtual elements. There is no universally agreed boundary between MR and AR.
From Technical Term to Visual Experience
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View WorkAdvantages for furniture & interior brands
Product experience in the customer’s space
Customers place a sofa in their own living room and compare proportions or upholstery options. This requires correctly scaled models. A tape measure and samples remain useful for exact dimensions and fabric feel.
Interactive Brand Spaces
MR showrooms combine an authentic in-person atmosphere with digital storytelling elements, ideal for trade shows.
Cost and Time Savings
Digital variants can reduce the number of physical display samples needed. A centrally managed product library makes updates easier; app development, devices, and support still belong in the project plan.
Omnichannel Synergy
The same master 3D data can underpin MR presentations, a virtual showroom, and web viewers. Each delivery version needs suitable geometry, texture sizes, and material support.
Typical Applications
1. Configurator 2.0: Change colors, fronts, and handles in real time.
2. In-store consultation: The salesperson displays the MR version right next to actual samples.
3. Remote sales: An app designed for collaboration lets sales teams and customers view product variants together. Shared views, state, and spatial anchors need deliberate synchronization.
4. Product Training: Technical components can be disassembled virtually; ideal for assembly training.
Workflow for an MR project
Step 1: Review data and build the 3D model. Prepare CAD data or other product references, verify real dimensions, and optimize geometry for the target device.
Step 2 -> PBR material setup - Metalness, Roughness and Normal maps.
Step 3: Baking and levels of detail. Use texture baking to transfer surface detail to efficient models; plan LODs for viewing distance. Baked lighting does not automatically match different real rooms.
Step 4: MR integration. Choose the target platform and SDK, program interactions, and integrate the assets. Asset creation and app development are separate tasks; at Danthree, we agree on the specific scope for each project.
Step 5: Testing and evaluation. Test placement, scale, occlusion, materials, and frame rate on the intended devices. Then check whether users can complete the tasks the experience was designed for.
FAQ - Mixed Reality
Is mixed reality possible without a headset?
Yes. Compatible phones and tablets can anchor digital objects in the camera view. This is usually called AR. A LiDAR or ToF sensor is not always required: ARCore Depth can also estimate depth from camera motion.
Which data formats are suitable?
glTF/GLB is often used for real-time delivery, while USDZ is used by Apple Quick Look, for example. Both can carry PBR material data. Check texture channels, supported material features, and scale in the target viewer; the format alone does not ensure an identical appearance.
Just how performance-hungry is MR?
Tracking, the camera view, and 3D rendering share the performance budget. Optimized geometry, suitable texture sizes, fewer draw calls, and appropriate shaders help. Measure CPU and GPU time on the target device; UV mapping alone does not stabilize frame rate.
Do I need special rendering engines?
You need a rendering solution connected to the target device’s tracking, display, and input systems. Unity and Unreal are options, as are native frameworks such as RealityKit. Material and shader support depend on the platform and render pipeline.
How much does an MR project cost?
Cost depends on source data quality, product and variant counts, target devices, interactions, and integrations. A product viewer has a different scope from a shared room presentation. For a useful estimate, define these functions and the scope of asset production, app development, and ongoing operation.
Which headsets support mixed reality?
- Apple Vision Pro: focuses on “spatial computing” and blends apps with the environment.
- Microsoft HoloLens 2: an example of optical see-through. Production has ended; for existing devices, check operating system and app support separately.
- Meta Quest 3 and 3S: headsets with color passthrough that show the real environment through cameras.
- XREAL Air 2 Ultra: glasses for spatial apps with a compatible computing device and SDK. Features such as hand tracking and room meshes depend on the supported setup.
How do I choose between a headset and a tablet?
A headset leaves your hands free and shows content from your changing viewpoint. A phone or tablet may be a better fit for an easily accessible product preview. Consider your audience’s devices and ease of use; Apple’s examples show AR on iPhone and iPad.
Which cloud services facilitate scaling & collaboration?
- Azure: Azure Remote Rendering retired on September 30, 2025 and is no longer a basis for new projects. Object Anchors identified and spatially aligned real objects; it did not stream CAD models. Dynamics 365 Guides and Remote Assist also end on December 31, 2026.
- Apple: CloudKit stores and syncs app data. For shared spatial experiences, Apple documents SharePlay with Group Activities; the app needs to exchange state changes explicitly.
- Autodesk: Workshop XR is a VR solution for collaborative architectural and construction design reviews. It supports Revit, Navisworks, and IFC; this does not imply general direct support for Fusion or MR.
Which authoring tools do I use for materials & assets?
Substance 3D Painter lets you create and export texture channels for the target material. Assign them to the 3D model in the target software, then prepare the result for glTF, USDZ, or an engine. Texture export, material definitions, and complete model export are separate steps.
How do I choose a real-time framework for MR?
Start with the target device, SDK support, input, and performance budget. Unreal Engine XR and Unity offer XR tools; RealityKit is another option for Apple devices. Unreal’s Path Tracer is designed for high-quality offline rendering, not as the default for interactive MR. Choose based on a prototype using your product data on the target device.
XR, AR, MR, what's the difference?
XR (extended reality) is the umbrella term for AR, MR, and VR. AR adds to the real environment, while VR replaces it with a virtual one. MR often refers to spatial connection and interaction. Microsoft describes mixed reality as a spectrum; manufacturers do not always use these terms consistently.
How do I integrate mixed reality into my existing 3D pipeline?
- Asset optimization - reduced poly counts & LODs.
- Material Conversion: PBR Maps to glTF / USDZ.
- Deployment: Build the app with a suitable XR SDK, test it on the target device, and deliver it through the intended channel. URP itself is a render pipeline, not an MR deployment target.
- Analytics - Heatmaps & session logs for KPI measurement.
Tip: Rendering takes place in a render engine that handles real-time shading and occlusion culling.