An Adobe Aero Review from AMP Creative
Staying on top of emerging technologies is one way the team at AMP Creative ensures we provide innovative learning solutions for our clients. For example, we’re excited by the potential of augmented reality to tell stories, share experiences, and create learning opportunities. AR allows you to map graphical information on top of real-world settings, which can be an extremely useful teaching tool. But until now, developing even simple prototypes has been complex and time-consuming. Adobe is changing all that with the release of Aero.
There’s something new in the Creative Cloud
Aero debuted at Adobe’s 2019 Max user conference. Since then, it’s been gaining cred as a useful tool for authoring AR. A collection of curious AMP team members decided to kick the tires on this exciting new app. Here’s what we found.
The interface is easy to master and includes a tutorial that clearly lays out all the basic functions. This means even someone with zero experience can quickly block out a scene using 3D models or a layered Photoshop document in a matter of hours. Once you’ve added assets to your project you can assign them “behaviors”. Behaviors are simple animations triggered by screen taps or proximity settings. The results can be visually compelling.
Aero does have its limits. It’s currently only available as a mobile app, although a desktop version is reportedly on the way. And the interactions are far more basic than something you’d develop on a more robust platform like Unity. More irksome to many is the fact that the app only runs on iOS devices. But if you’re rocking an iPad and want to prototype a new idea for a client, Aero is on point.
Putting Aero to the Test
We didn’t think our Adobe Aero review would be complete without exploring its practical applications. So, having mastered Aero’s basic functionality, our test team decided to develop a prototype aimed at solving a real-world problem. After some consideration, we chose to generate an AR scenario that spoke to the current moment of social responsibility around distancing.
With help from our animation department, we designed a scene to reinforce the importance of maintaining a 6ft (1.83 m) perimeter while indoors. A text animation begins the moment the experience is activated. If viewers move their phones too close to AMP Creative’s puffy little mascot, Ampy, a proximity trigger prompts a more direct warning. You can see the evolution of our prototype in the video below.
Our Takeaway
As you can see, the test does a nice job of highlighting AR’s effectiveness for dynamically delivering information. Plus, augmented reality messaging is easier to update than traditional signage. That makes Aero a great choice for creating content that needs to change frequently or be delivered while messaging is still in flux.
Final thoughts
Adobe’s ever-growing tool set empowers creatives to express themselves through everything from traditional video to advanced animations. This is another arrow in their quiver. With the growing interest in augmented reality as a mature technology, it’s no surprise that Adobe would want in on the action. Aero is new on the block, but the testing we did for this Adobe Aero review gives us a lot of hope for the app’s future.
So far Aero works best as a tool for developing prototypes and simple AR interactions. However, Adobe is putting a lot of focus on the product, with new features coming at a fast clip. So if you’re an iOS user, Adobe Aero is a great way to dip your toe in the virtual waters of AR.
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