With the recent launch of Pokémon Go, augmented reality has wandered into the mainstream – as well as streets and structures around the world. Architectural products manufacturer Forms+Surfaces offers a more sophisticated use of the technology, with a tool that simplifies specifying outdoor furniture and surfacing.

The Augmented Reality app makes it easy to visualize design possibilities by putting a range of the brand’s most popular products right in your hands. Taking the guesswork out of choosing the right products for your project, the app pushes the creative process beyond static photos to quickly illustrate potential installations.

The tool pairs printed tracking markers with the camera on a smartphone or tablet to generate realistic 3-D models right on your screen. Just choose from a wide range of Forms+Surfaces outdoor lighting, site furniture or surfacing, then print a marker on standard paper and place it wherever you want to try out the product. The models can be viewed from any angle, in a real, non-virtual setting – anytime, anywhere.

From within the app, architects and designers can visualize different products at life size, in different colours and configurations, and easily move them from location to location without the hassle of full-size samples. If you’re not on the job site, there are also miniature markers that create small-scale 3-D model images in a studio, on a table during a client lunch, or in front of photos or renderings on your desktop.

By enabling designers to demonstrate to clients and colleagues exactly how products will look in a setting, Augmented Reality simplifies communication, even over distances: photos of the visualizations can be captured and emailed or texted for instant remote review.

“It’s a great tool for our clients to use as they work with their own clients, to assess design options, and move quickly from decision-making to specification. Best of all, it’s easy, informative and fun,” says Julie Kazanjian, director of product marketing.

The Forms+Surfaces Augmented Reality app is available for free download from the iTunes App Store or Google Play, and the full range of tracking markers are available via the F+S website.

This content was published by Azure on behalf of Forms+Surfaces.