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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 29/09/2026

If Apple ever decides to deprecate Animation Graph, it'll be because I made stuff like this

Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 28/09/2026

Setting aside my terrible animation clips, I'm learning a little bit more about Animation Graph. I can use some basic inputs to have Clownbear Gymbro animate between idle, walk, and run. Then I can trigger jumps that will blend (badly) with whatever state he was in at the time.

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 27/09/2026

I don't think I've touched an animation graph since 2018, so I'm a little rusty. Slowly piecing things together in RCP3. ✅ Character USDC file, with skeletal rig ✅ Separate animation files ✅ Animation library component on an entity ✅ Animation graph to blend states

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 27/09/2026

Everyone else is making super impressive stuff with AI agents and 3D tools. I'm just over here making nightmare fuel. Meet Clownbear Gymbro

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 27/09/2026

Clown Bear Gym Bro wants to know why you haven't been working out

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 27/09/2026

RCP3: we can scale nodes along a motion path and our entity will animate to that scale

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 27/09/2026

RCP3: We can rotate nodes in a motion path and our entity will follow animate to match that orientation.

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 27/09/2026

RCP3: Motion Path Orbit - Create a sequence - Select a root entity for the sequence - Create a track and select track entity - Add motion path and change shape to Orbit We can adjust nodes, path axis, and even enable entity spin during the orbit.

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 27/09/2026

RCP3 Motion Path Basics - Create a sequence - Target a root entity/scene for the sequence - Add a track, select an entity for the track - Add the Motion Path action - Select the last point, then click in the space to add nodes - Transform each node as needed - Optionally, close the path

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 26/09/2026

Felt coffee, might delete later idk

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 25/09/2026

RCP3 has a basic Animation Sequencer, but only a few built-in actions. One of those is Motion Path. We can animate an entity along a path, orbit, or spin. We can adjust the easing of every point along the path. We even have options like "Look Along Path"

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 25/09/2026

Another silly example with DocumentPreviewSession. This time using a USDStage to create a simple bar chart.

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 24/09/2026

DocumentPreviewSession from the Spatial Preview Framework is starting to feel a lot like Remote QuickLook. I've tried sending over a variety of file types and they all worked. Image, PDF, Video, Pages File, Excel File, Plain Text, HTML File, and even a Webarchive.

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 23/09/2026

I meant to ask what the temperature was, but it didn’t come out right

Me asking Siri what time it is outside and Siri answering that it’s 1:25 PM outside

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 23/09/2026

Nobody asked, and I doubt anybody cares, but I extended Apple's SpatialPreview sample to include PDF. Unfortunately, DocumentPreviewSession doesn't stream changes from the device back to the Mac app like the USD one does. We can make changes on Mac and see them on headset though.

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 22/09/2026

The sample project for the new SpatialPreview framework is pretty good. It has example of document (image) and UDS preview sessions. As a nice bonus, they also use the new USDKit to create a custom USD stage, modify the layout, and play an animation.

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 22/09/2026

What the food in my microwave sees

A blurry black-and-white portrait of me wearing glasses, with features indistinct and uncertain in detail.

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 21/09/2026

OhioXR 2026 is Ohio's first cross-industry XR conference. I'll be doing a session on visionOS development for anyone who is interested in learning about the Apple Vision Pro ecosystem. #OhioXR2026 www.ohioxr.com

Promotional image for the OhioXR conference

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 20/09/2026

RCP3: Preview on device is not perfect, but it can save a lot of time. We can live preview many changes, and we can sync others with a button press. Tip: create an entity with a perspective camera and place it at a good viewpoint. When previewing in immersive mode, you can switch to this camera.

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 20/09/2026

Apple is so freaking weird. They just casually drop 3D authoring into the preview app on macOS. I can sign annoying PDFs and render a scene with ray tracing for 3D graphics in the same app.

A 3D scene shown in macOS Preview with ray tracing enabled

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 20/09/2026

RCP3: we can configure an asset to reimport from source automatically. This is pretty helpful when you're quickly iterating on something in Blender or Maya. Set up an export workflow to the same file, and then have RCP3 watch that file.

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 20/09/2026

RCP3: We can reimport assets from source files, including variations on the original. Here I imported a file I made in Blender and added it to a scene. Then I duplicated the USDZ, made some changes in Preview. I replaced the assets using Reimport From to see the change across my RCP project.

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 10/09/2026

Using rotation3DLayout, adjust angle, and animating some changes to the custom radial layout. stepinto.vision/labs/lab-069...

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 09/09/2026

Building on the custom layouts from Lab 067, we can add some 3D models and use SwiftUI modifiers to control rotation and position. stepinto.vision/labs/lab-068...

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 08/09/2026

Custom layouts in SwiftUI are a super neat. These 2D layouts server as a foundation that we can extend with depth and 3D concepts later. stepinto.vision/labs/lab-067...

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 06/09/2026

Weekend Reading: VR Glasses Era Starts In 2027 www.goodvirtualreality.com/p/vr-glasses...

A better framing for what’s happening is that Meta and Apple and Google and Valve are competing with one another to evolve their software platforms in the lowest cost way possible. The end result is a paradigm shift in personal computing that will enable instantaneous transportation to places all over the world. Pessimists with a poor grasp of the larger trends, confused by marketing jargon, can’t see the thing Vision Pro and Meta Quest have in common.

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 24/08/2026

Just a bit of fun with hover effect namespaces. stepinto.vision/labs/oops-al...

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 23/08/2026

Revisit Lab 050 where we take a quick look (haha) at using namespaces with Hover Effect in visionOS stepinto.vision/labs/lab-050...

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 19/08/2026

Today on "yeah sure, I guess you can 🤷🏻‍♂️". Using Opacity Component with Particle Emitters stepinto.vision/labs/lab-057...

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 18/08/2026

In Lab 049 we take a quick look at splitting mesh faces to use separate materials. stepinto.vision/labs/lab-049...

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 17/08/2026

I'm dropping the grid patten in favor of concentric polar rings. Both pattens may show up in the new app, but the rings will make some things feel special.

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 17/08/2026

Lab 058 shows how particles can emit particles stepinto.vision/labs/lab-058...

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 16/08/2026

Lab 056 using the same texture resource idea from 055, this time to render emoji for particle emitters. stepinto.vision/labs/lab-056...

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 15/08/2026

In Lab 055 we convert SF Symbols to textures that we can in particle emitters stepinto.vision/labs/lab-055...

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 14/08/2026

Lab 028 reminds us that ornaments can be position anywhere around a window using UnitPoint. stepinto.vision/labs/lab-028...

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 13/08/2026

In Lab 048 the Open Window button doesn't work as expected. stepinto.vision/labs/lab-048...

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 12/08/2026

At least you read the instructions. Imagine how confused everyone was when I showed up with coriander in 2024. I threw some at the sun for good measure

A screenshot of some of my eclipse photos from 2024

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 08/08/2026

Lab 047 was a fun one where I made some little emoji spheres to bounce around my office. stepinto.vision/labs/lab-047...

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 07/08/2026

Lab 023 is a mini-game that uses a hand anchor to control a box to bounce a ball toward a target. Pretty rough around the edges, but a fun idea stepinto.vision/labs/lab-023...

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 06/08/2026

In Lab 022 I made a very simple hand menu. I need to revisit this. I've learned so much since I made this lab. stepinto.vision/labs/lab-022...

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 05/08/2026

Step Into Vision has always been my sandbox. Right now that means playing with new design ideas for the brand. What do you think of the new Office Hours flyer?

Promotional image talking about Step Into Vision office hours

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 02/08/2026

Did you think I was kidding? Happy 300 Fucks to me and my man 🖤🖤🖤

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 02/08/2026

Step Into Vision has a lot going on. We have example code and labs. We curate resources, and articles. We host weekly events for visionOS developers and we help run community projects. If you appreciate the work we do for the community, please consider supporting us. stepinto.vision/support/

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 31/07/2026

Same logo, better background?

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 29/07/2026

Still a WIP but I'm happy with code line selection in the article view. We can copy an entire block or just tap and drag over the lines we want to copy.

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 29/07/2026

Lab 114 - Using the Glass Box from Lab 078, we can dynamically show and hide panes based on the user’s viewpoint relative to the volume. stepinto.vision/labs/lab-114...

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 29/07/2026

Lab 078 updated and included in the new app we're building.

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 26/07/2026

I think I found a cat nightclub

A cat tree stands on grass beside a sign reading “NO CARRY-IN ALCOHOL” in a parking lot. In the background, a brick building labeled “ARNOLD” and “SCHIFF” sits behind trees under a cloudy sky. A black dumpster is on the right, and a pole with signs including “NO PARKING” and “PARKING FOR ARNOLD SCHIFF & ROVER CO. LTD” is on the left.

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Joseph Simpson @vrhermit.com · 24/07/2026

Adding line numbers, syntax highlighting, and copy entire block. I also added a gutter on the right that we can use to select one or more lines, then only copy those.

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