At its sixth annual Lens Fest AR developer conference, Snap revealed new tools available for augmented reality content creators.
Snap built a new version of its AR development tool, Lens Studio 5.0, which is now available in beta. The updated tool promises faster project loading times and includes the ability for multiple developers to work on the same project simultaneously.
Lens Studio 5.0 includes a new 3D face mask generator that combines generative AI and Snap’s face mesh technology. Snap also partnered with Open AI to allow Lens creators to add ChatGPT technology to their Lenses.
In addition to these Lens Studio updates, Snap made its Lenses With Digital Goods option available to all developers. These Lenses allow developers to create exclusive AR features that Snapchat users can pay to unlock. A new section of Lens Explorer in the Snapchat app will promote Lenses With Digital Goods.
“Lens Studio was originally built for Lens designers and developers to create AR experiences on Snapchat, and we’ve since made significant investments to expand the tool’s power and performance,” said Trevor Stephenson, senior manager of software engineering for the Snap AR platform.
“Today, we’re unveiling the Lens Studio 5.0 public beta, an advanced development tool supporting the next generation of AR experiences. It’s tailor-made for advanced development teams and crafting experiences for a wide range of use cases and devices.”
At Lens Fest, Snap said 330,000 AR creators are building content on its AR platform. Creators have built almost 3.5 million Lenses, which have been viewed by Snapchat users more than 3 trillion times in the past year. This is an increase from December 2022, when Snap said it had 300,000 AR creators and 3 million Lenses.
