Holo Brings ARKit to Your Photos and Home Videos
Now that Apple has released iOS 11 with ARKit, we're expecting (and already seeing) a deluge of apps using the new technology. It holds great potential in a lot of arenas, and of course people will want to use it to expand their repertoire of funny, interesting, or exciting photos and home videos. Holo was one of the first apps to embrace ARKit, using it to help you create those masterpieces featuring such characters as Chachi the dancer, Lola the tiger, skateboarders, and even a llama.
Holo is a fun app even for an old-timer like me. You can download short videos of various characters doing things, and incorporate those clips into your own videos. It's all done through augmented reality (AR).
Holo takes full advantage of ARKit in iOS 11 to give the "holograms" positional awareness. That means they can sense where the flat surfaces are in your camera's view, and put themselves in the right spot.
To get started with Holo (after you download it, of course), just choose your character and place it where you want it. There are a few already in your library, but you can add much more through the vast catalog offered within Holo.
Once you place your AR character, you can move it around, rotate it with two fingers, or use pinch-to-zoom to resize it. You can drag the holo from one place to another, or just tap where you want it to land.
Once you have everything framed the way you like it, it's time to call Lights, Camera, Action. Use the controls to record a video or snap a photo, with your friends interacting with the AR character.
Once you've recorded your video or shot the photograph, it's easy to share it or save the footage into your Photo Library. Then you can edit it however you want, turning it into a truly professional production.
Personally, I like to combine recording with Holo, and then doing some post-production editing in another app. You might be happy with what you get straight out of Holo, though.
Unfortunately, I haven't found a way to add multiple characters at a time. That's too bad, because I'd really love to see Lola the tiger licking her chops as the Shimmy girl does her little dance. Oh well, you can't have everything, I suppose.
Because everyone needs a high-fiving tiger in their videos
You'll find plenty to choose from in Holo's catalog, if the first few clips don't do it for you. Chachi the dancer has a lot more in store than just shimmying, and Lola the tiger isn't a one-trick wonder, either.
There are also superheroes to embed in your videos, a raccoon digging into his favorite treats, and much more. Download new characters to your iPhone in seconds, with more than 300 holograms to choose from. These include iconic characters, celebrities, athletes, musicians and entertainers, as well as fun original characters and animals.
New content is added weekly, and Holo has several offerings that are exclusive to the app and to the iPhone. The app also features collections from Spider-Man: Homecoming, celebrated astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Emmy-winning actor Jon Hamm, professional skateboarder Nyjah Huston, pop duo Superfruit, mixed martial artist Anderson Silva, among others.
I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan of creating photographs or videos with AR, but even I'm impressed by the library this app offers you. Saying there are more than 300 choices might even be an underestimation. I can see this app appealing greatly to a younger audience, especially teenagers trying to create viral videos.
I think the best part of Holo is that everything is free. There aren't any in-app purchases to worry about, just a ton of content you can use to your heart's content.
If you're looking to create some great content with augmented reality characters, Holo is probably your go-to app for that. The library is huge, the app is easy to use, and everything is free.
