Going 3D: A Practical Spatial Toolkit for Education and beyond

On 8 and 9 July at the Apple Community Summit on the Gold Coast, I'll be sharing my Spatial Toolkit. This is a collection of Apps, AI tools, and devices that help schools, businesses and developers move beyond the flat screen and into the world of 3D, visualisation, immersion, and interaction.

I'd love to continue the conversation. Which of these tools do you see having the greatest value in education? Let's explore them together.

Capture the world around us tools:

Scaniverse App for lidar enabled iPhone and iPad Pro's:

Scaniverse allows you to create detailed mesh scans and Gaussian Splats of real-world environments.

Mesh scans are ideal for:

• Faces and people
• Solid objects
• Walls and surfaces
• Graffiti and textures

Gaussian Splats are ideal for:

• Large spaces
• Complex environments
• Highly detailed visual captures

Both formats allow measurements to be taken directly within the scan and can be exported for use on Mac or iPad.

During the session, I demonstrated face scanning and discussed how these scans could be integrated with digital avatars to create personalised digital characters for storytelling, simulations and immersive learning experiences.

RoomTwin for lidar enabled iPhone and iPad Pro's:

Room Twin quickly creates a detailed 3D model of an interior space and exports it as a USDZ file ready for augmented reality experiences.

Imagine scanning a classroom, library or learning commons and then inviting students to completely reimagine the environment:

• Remove walls
• Extend spaces
• Redesign furniture layouts
• Create future-focused learning environments

I shared an example where a school library was scanned and provided to students through CoSpaces. Students then redesigned the learning space as part of a creative design challenge.

Depending on your workflow, you may need to convert the USDZ file to GLB format. Fortunately, numerous free online converters are available. Just search for USDZ to glb converter.

Reality Composer for lidar enabled iPhones and iPad Pro's

Reality Composer provides a simple introduction to photogrammetry by allowing you to capture an object from multiple angles and generate a 3D model.

This approach works particularly well for:

• Historical artefacts
• Scientific specimens
• Student-created models
• Everyday classroom objects

The process is straightforward and produces USDZ files that can immediately be used in augmented reality experiences on Apple devices.

AI 3D creation tools:

Copilot 3D:

If your school account does not currently provide access, try signing in with a personal Microsoft, Google or any other email account.

Copilot 3D can generate a 3D model from a single image. For best results:

• Use a clear image
• Avoid overly complex scenes
• Choose an isometric or angled view where possible

During the summit, I demonstrated the creation of a windlass, an important piece of historical goldfields equipment.

One particularly effective workflow combines:

• ChatGPT to generate an accurate isometric illustration.
• Copilot 3D to convert that image into a 3D model.

This approach has been useful when creating custom 3D assets for use in Keynote presentations and learning experiences.

Copilot 3D currently exports models as GLB files. If you require USDZ, simply open the file on a Mac or use one of the many online conversion tools available. You can load an image into ChatGPT or create image directly by using a prompt such as:

"Create a clean isometric image of a windlass from Australian Ballarat Gold rush times. The image needs to be isometric view on clean white background without shadows and show all the authentic details. Keep lighting consistent"

AI 3D world generated tools:

SpAItial:

SpAItial is one of the most impressive tools I've explored recently. Using either text prompts or images, it can generate an entire 3D world in seconds.

During the session, I demonstrated how an image of the Artemis launch could be transformed into an immersive 3D environment.

While I would use this tool primarily for teacher creation rather than direct student use, the educational possibilities are exciting:

• Writing stimuli
• Historical reconstructions
• Virtual field trips
• Design inspiration
• Immersive storytelling environments

The quality of the generated scenes is remarkable and offers a glimpse into the future of content creation.

Throughout the session we explored Gaussian Splats, a technology that many believe represents the future of 3D scanning.

A common question is:

"Once I've created a Gaussian Splat, what can I actually do with it?"

For a long time, I couldn't find an application that allowed me to meaningfully interact with these files in an educational context.

So I built my own.

GausNote

For Mac and iPad

GausNote allows you to:

• Import SPZ files from Scaniverse
• Import worlds generated by SpatialAI
• Add notes and annotations, and other USDZ files (coming soon)
• Embed images and supporting resources
• Share interactive spatial experiences with others

Everything runs locally on the device, making it an excellent tool for exploration, documentation and collaborative learning.

You will need a recent operating system and a reasonably capable device, but if you are interested in Gaussian Splats, it is well worth exploring.

Many of the tools featured today are currently available at no cost. Whether that remains the case tomorrow is anyone's guess.

My hope is that these examples have sparked new ideas, challenged existing assumptions, or helped connect the dots between technologies you may already be using.

The move to 3D is no longer a future possibility. It's happening now. The question for educators is not whether spatial technologies will influence learning, but how we can harness them to create richer, more authentic experiences for our students.

So, what tools are you exploring, and where do you see the greatest opportunities for 3D learning in education?

Paul