Export to SwiftUI Project

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Crafting Stunning 3D Experiences: A Step-by-Step Guide with Spline for iOS Apps

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Create 3D UI for iOS and visionOS in Spline

Intro to Spline for iOS and visionOS

7:25

Basic Shapes in 3D Smart Home

10:12

Materials, Lights and Effects

12:11

Camera Animation and States

7:05

3D Thermostat and Cloner

14:38

Buttons and Components

8:26

Path Animation and Rotation

7:10

Create a 3D iOS App Icon

7:09

Create a visionOS App Icon

9:53

Create 3D UI Scene

9:49

Particles Animation

20:30

Export to SwiftUI Project

16:20

Getting Started with your 3D iOS App

Spline Documentation: https://docs.spline.design/native-3d-embeds-for-ios
Apple ID: Essential for app testing on devices. Sign up for free at Apple ID.
Apple Developer Program: Required for App Store publishing. Enroll at Apple Developer Program.

For membership details, see Choosing a Membership.

Team IDs: Necessary for app development in Xcode. Find your Team ID here.

Download Xcode

Minimum Version: 15.0

To build iOS apps, including those with Spline native embeds, install Xcode from the Mac App Store or Apple Developer website. Available for macOS only.

Download Xcode Projects

You can download these sample Xcode projects to test the 3D in SwiftUI. Spline also has a sample project in their documentation.

SwiftUIHouse.zip

SwiftUIThermostat.zip

Generate Xcode Project

To start, ensure you have Xcode installed on your macOS. Begin the process by inputting the details of your app, such as:

App Name: Thermostat. This is what your app will be called on devices and in the App Store.
Organization ID: io.designcode. Typically, this is your domain name in reverse, providing a unique identifier for your app.

After entering these details, click the Generate button to create your Xcode project.

Export to iOS

First, open Xcode and create a new project tailored for your iOS application. This initial step is crucial for structuring your app and preparing it for integration with Spline content.

Create a new Xcode Project

Install Package

To incorporate Spline’s 3D capabilities into your iOS project, add the Spline iOS Runtime package to your project by using the provided URL: https://github.com/splinetool/spline-ios

In your project, you'll need to import the Spline Runtime at the top of your Swift files where it's needed:

import SplineRuntime

Local Spline File

To use a Spline design locally within your app, you should first export your design from the Spline app as a .splineswift file. Once exported, add this file to your Xcode project's resources. This method allows your app to load and display the 3D content without requiring an internet connection, offering a seamless experience even offline.

import SplineRuntime
import SwiftUI

struct ContentView: View {
	var body: some View {
		// // fetching from local
		let url = Bundle.main.url(forResource: "scene", withExtension: "splineswift")!

		try? SplineView(sceneFileURL: url).ignoresSafeArea(.all)
	}
}

Spline URL

Alternatively, to load your Spline content dynamically, you can host your .splineswift file online and reference its URL in your app. This approach is beneficial for apps that frequently update their 3D content, as it allows for changes to be made on the Spline platform and reflected in the app without needing to redistribute or update the app itself.

import SwiftUI
import SplineRuntime

struct ContentView: View {
    var body: some View {
        // fetching from cloud
        let url = URL(string: "<https://build.spline.design/wumx7nDokhnW1ohf53wQ/scene.splineswift>")!

        try? SplineView(sceneFileURL: url).ignoresSafeArea(.all)
    }
}

Smart Home SwiftUI

import SwiftUI
import SplineRuntime

struct ContentView: View {
    var body: some View {
        // fetching from cloud
        let url = URL(string: "<https://build.spline.design/wumx7nDokhnW1ohf53wQ/scene.splineswift>")!

        try? SplineView(sceneFileURL: url)
            .ignoresSafeArea(.all)
            .overlay(InterfaceView())
            .preferredColorScheme(.dark)
    }
}

#Preview {
    ContentView()
}

3D House SwiftUI

import SwiftUI
import SplineRuntime

struct ContentView: View {
    var body: some View {
        // fetching from cloud
        let url = URL(string: "<https://build.spline.design/ufKKcG-e5a1FOx7Xu4TG/scene.splineswift>")!

        try? SplineView(sceneFileURL: url)
            .ignoresSafeArea(.all)
            .overlay(
                InterfaceView()
                    .frame(maxHeight: .infinity, alignment: .bottom)
            )
    }
}

#Preview {
    ContentView()
}

Export to Vision OS

For applications targeting Vision OS, the process involves a few additional steps:

Download App: Ensure you have the Spline app installed from the App Store.
Log in: Use your Spline account credentials to access your projects and designs.
Browse and Update Files: Navigate through your Spline files within the app to select the designs you wish to integrate. Utilize the update feature to ensure your app contains the latest versions of your Spline designs.
Read the documentation.

Conclusion

As we wrap up this 3-hour course on 3D design with Spline, it’s exciting to see how much we’ve covered. Spline makes it easy and fun to bring your creative ideas to life in 3D. Plus, learning how to use these 3D designs in Apple’s world, from iPhones to Macs, opens up lots of new possibilities for making apps and other cool projects.

We started with the basics, moved on to more advanced stuff, and showed you how to make your 3D designs work smoothly on Apple devices. This journey has not only boosted your skills but also your confidence in creating something unique and interactive.

Follow our Journey

At our core, we're passionate about teaching the best tools in design and technology. Our journey is all about sharing knowledge, insights, and empowering you to create with confidence and innovation. Follow our adventure across various platforms where we post tutorials, tips, and behind-the-scenes looks into the creative process.

Twitter: For quick updates, tips, and links to our latest tutorials, follow us on Twitter.
Instagram: Dive into our visual diary on Instagram for inspiration, sneak peeks of upcoming courses, and more.
Threads: Join our community on Threads where we share deeper insights and engage in meaningful conversations about design and tech.
TikTok: For fun, engaging, and short tutorials, don't miss our content on TikTok.

Be part of our journey and stay updated on the latest in design and tech with us across these platforms!

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Particles Animation

Templates and source code

Download source files

Download the videos and assets to refer and learn offline without interuption.

Design template

Source code for all sections

Video files, ePub and subtitles

Assets

Videos

Intro to Spline for iOS and visionOS

Comprehensive 3D Design Course: From Basics to Advanced Techniques for iOS and visionOS using SwiftUI

7:25

Basic Shapes in 3D Smart Home

Transforming simple shapes into a 3D base for a house model scene

10:12

Materials, Lights and Effects

Enhance your 3D scene by incorporating elements from the lore ibrary and adding materials and lighting to add realism

12:11

Camera Animation and States

Creating dynamic scenes with the addition of animations

7:05

3D Thermostat and Cloner

Learn how to design a thermostat interface with basic shapes

14:38

Buttons and Components

Creating knobs and buttons elements and turning them to components

8:26

Path Animation and Rotation

Animating a Thermostat Interface: A Step-by-Step Guide

7:10

Create a 3D iOS App Icon

Crafting iOS 3D Icons: A Comprehensive Tutorial

7:09

Create a visionOS App Icon

Discover how to design the Photos app icon, enhancing the visual experience in visionOS.

9:53

Create 3D UI Scene

Learn how to design and implement 2D user interfaces to integrate within 3D scenes, enabling the triggering of actions on any 3D object

9:49

Particles Animation

Discover the new particle feature designed to create a range of visual effects like fire, smoke, rain, snow, and other dynamic phenomena

20:30

Export to SwiftUI Project

Crafting Stunning 3D Experiences: A Step-by-Step Guide with Spline for iOS Apps

16:20

Meet the instructor

We all try to be consistent with our way of teaching step-by-step, providing source files and prioritizing design in our courses.

Meng To

I design, code and write

Meng To is the author of Design+Code. Meng started off his career as a self-taught designer from Montreal and eventually traveled around the world for 2 years as his US VISA was denied. During his travels, he wrote a book which now has 35,000 readers.

39 courses - 184 hours

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2 hrs

Create 3D UI for iOS and visionOS in Spline

Comprehensive 3D Design Course: From Basics to Advanced Techniques for iOS and visionOS using SwiftUI

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4 hrs

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4 hrs

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5 hrs

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3 hrs

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1 hrs

Build an Animated App with Rive and SwiftUI

Design and code an iOS app with Rive animated assets, icon animations, custom layouts and interactions

3 hrs

Build a SwiftUI app for iOS 15 Part 3

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4 hrs

Build a SwiftUI app for iOS 15 Part 2

Design and code a SwiftUI 3 app with custom layouts, animations and gestures using Xcode 13, SF Symbols 3, Canvas, Concurrency, Searchable and a whole lot more

3 hrs

Build a SwiftUI app for iOS 15

Design and code a SwiftUI 3 app with custom layouts, animations and gestures using Xcode 13, SF Symbols 3, Canvas, Concurrency, Searchable and a whole lot more

4 hrs

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Learn how we can use React Hooks to build web apps using libraries, tools, apis and frameworks

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2 hrs

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2 hrs

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3 hrs

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3 hrs

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3 hrs

React Native for Designers

5 hrs

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3 hrs

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3 hrs

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9 hrs

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