Sample CodeiOS, iPadOSReviewed 2026-07-21View on Apple Developer

Placing objects and handling 3D interaction

At a glance

Item Summary
Purpose Place virtual content at tracked, real-world locations, and enable the user to interact with virtual content by using gestures.
App architecture A Swift sample with the source-visible chain AppDelegateStatusViewControllerVirtualObjectLoaderARKit APIs.
Main patterns View-controller organization, Protocol-oriented abstraction, Delegate or data-source callbacks
Project style 16 scanned source file(s) across Swift, organized around ranked entry, type, and file boundaries.

Project structure

Source bundle/
└── ARKitInteraction/
    ├── AppDelegate.swift
    ├── Additional View Controllers/
    │   ├── StatusViewController.swift
    │   └── VirtualObjectSelection.swift
    ├── Focus Square/
    │   ├── FocusSquareSegment.swift
    │   └── FocusSquare.swift
    ├── ViewController.swift
    ├── Virtual Objects/
    │   ├── VirtualObjectLoader.swift
    │   └── VirtualObject.swift
    ├── VirtualObjectARView.swift
    ├── ViewController+ARSCNViewDelegate.swift
    ├── ThresholdPanGesture.swift
    └── ViewController+Actions.swift

Structure observations

  • Architecturally prominent files are ranked from entry points and role-named declarations; resource-only paths are omitted.
  • Primary languages: Swift.
  • The verified tree contains 6 project/configuration file(s) and 19 source declaration(s).

Overall architecture

Reference code

ARKitInteraction/AppDelegate.swift:11 — architecture anchor

@UIApplicationMain
class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate {
    // ...
}

Interpretation

The arrows summarize the source-visible entry, role-named types or folders, and framework direction; when nodes come from structural folders, the sequence is a high-level interpretation rather than proof that every adjacent node calls the next. Ownership is claimed only where the next section cites a stored property or assignment. The diagram is intentionally limited to the dominant path into ARKit.

Ownership and state

Ownership evidence

ARKitInteraction/AppDelegate.swift:13 — stored dependency or nearest verified ownership anchor

@UIApplicationMain
class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate {
    var window: UIWindow?
    // ...
}
Owner Object or state Relationship Mutation authority
AppDelegate UIWindow (window) stores or receives App/module collaborators
StatusViewController Array (all) owns value state App/module collaborators
StatusViewController Callback (restartExperienceHandler) stores a callback App/module collaborators
StatusViewController TimeInterval (displayDuration) stores or receives Initialized by the owner; the binding is immutable

Composition arrows indicate a source-visible construction expression or locally owned value state; aggregation means the owner stores or receives a dependency without proving exclusive lifetime ownership.

Class and protocol design

ARKitInteraction/Additional View Controllers/VirtualObjectSelection.swift:31 — representative type boundary

protocol VirtualObjectSelectionViewControllerDelegate: AnyObject {
    func virtualObjectSelectionViewController(_ selectionViewController: VirtualObjectSelectionViewController, didSelectObject: VirtualObject)
    func virtualObjectSelectionViewController(_ selectionViewController: VirtualObjectSelectionViewController, didDeselectObject: VirtualObject)
}
Type Responsibility Depends on or conforms to
AppDelegate Receives callback-driven events UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate
VirtualObjectSelectionViewControllerDelegate Defines a capability or collaboration contract AnyObject
StatusViewController View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination UIViewController
ViewController View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination UIViewController
VirtualObjectLoader Loads and prepares feature data or resources Concrete collaborators/imported frameworks
VirtualObjectARView User-interface presentation and input forwarding ARSCNView
VirtualObjectSelectionViewController View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination UITableViewController
MessageType Defines a closed set of feature states or choices Concrete collaborators/imported frameworks
Corner Defines a closed set of feature states or choices Concrete collaborators/imported frameworks
Alignment Defines a closed set of feature states or choices Concrete collaborators/imported frameworks

The source explicitly defines local protocol relationships: ViewControllerVirtualObjectSelectionViewControllerDelegate.

Access control

Symbol Access Verified effect Likely rationale
displayDuration (ARKitInteraction/Additional View Controllers/StatusViewController.swift:47) private Use is restricted to the lexical declaration and same-file extensions allowed by Swift. Inference: keep state mutation or dependency lifetime inside the owning implementation.
messageHideTimer (ARKitInteraction/Additional View Controllers/StatusViewController.swift:50) private Use is restricted to the lexical declaration and same-file extensions allowed by Swift. Inference: keep state mutation or dependency lifetime inside the owning implementation.
timers (ARKitInteraction/Additional View Controllers/StatusViewController.swift:52) private Use is restricted to the lexical declaration and same-file extensions allowed by Swift. Inference: keep state mutation or dependency lifetime inside the owning implementation.
restartExperience (ARKitInteraction/Additional View Controllers/StatusViewController.swift:119) private Use is restricted to the lexical declaration and same-file extensions allowed by Swift. Inference: hide an implementation step that is not part of the collaboration surface.

Reference code

ARKitInteraction/Additional View Controllers/StatusViewController.swift:47 — representative boundary

    private let displayDuration: TimeInterval = 6
    
    // Timer for hiding messages.
    private var messageHideTimer: Timer?
    
    private var timers: [MessageType: Timer] = [:]

Swift declarations without a modifier are internal; explicit private, fileprivate, private(set), public, or open entries above are interpreted by language semantics. Objective-C/C samples instead rely on header and implementation boundaries, which are not equivalent to Swift lexical privacy.

Logic ownership and placement

Logic Owning type or file Placement rationale
View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination StatusViewController, ViewController, VirtualObjectSelectionViewController The source’s Controller suffix makes this role explicit.
Receives callback-driven events AppDelegate, VirtualObjectSelectionViewControllerDelegate The source’s Delegate suffix makes this role explicit.
Loads and prepares feature data or resources VirtualObjectLoader The source’s Loader suffix makes this role explicit.
User-interface presentation and input forwarding VirtualObjectARView The source’s View suffix makes this role explicit.

Design patterns

Pattern Source evidence Purpose or tradeoff
View-controller organization ARKitInteraction/Additional View Controllers/StatusViewController.swift:16 A controller is the verified coordination boundary; this is MVC-style only where a separate model is present.
Protocol-oriented abstraction ARKitInteraction/ViewController+ObjectSelection.swift:11 A local protocol and concrete conformance create an explicit capability boundary.
Delegate or data-source callbacks ARKitInteraction/AppDelegate.swift:12 Callback protocols invert event delivery back into the sample’s owner.

Naming conventions

  • Types: Controller: StatusViewController, ViewController, VirtualObjectSelectionViewController; Delegate: AppDelegate, VirtualObjectSelectionViewControllerDelegate; Loader: VirtualObjectLoader; View: VirtualObjectARView.
  • Protocols: VirtualObjectSelectionViewControllerDelegate.
  • Methods: application, applicationWillResignActive, applicationDidBecomeActive, showMessage, scheduleMessage, cancelScheduledMessage, cancelAllScheduledMessages, showTrackingQualityInfo.
  • Files: ARKitInteraction/AppDelegate.swift, ARKitInteraction/Additional View Controllers/StatusViewController.swift, ARKitInteraction/ViewController.swift, ARKitInteraction/Virtual Objects/VirtualObjectLoader.swift, ARKitInteraction/VirtualObjectARView.swift, ARKitInteraction/Focus Square/FocusSquare.swift.

Architecture takeaways

  • AppDelegate is the main source-visible entry or composition anchor for this sample.
  • Framework work reaches ARKit, UIKit, SceneKit through a deliberately small high-level chain; the detailed API graph remains inside the cited implementation files.
  • Stored-property evidence identifies lifecycle collaboration; it does not by itself prove exclusive object ownership.
  • Access-control conclusions separate verified language visibility from the likely design rationale.
  • Local protocol relationships provide an explicit substitution boundary.

Source map

Source file Relevant symbols
ARKitInteraction/AppDelegate.swift AppDelegate
ARKitInteraction/Additional View Controllers/StatusViewController.swift StatusViewController, MessageType
ARKitInteraction/Focus Square/FocusSquareSegment.swift Corner, Alignment, Direction, Segment
ARKitInteraction/ViewController.swift ViewController
ARKitInteraction/Virtual Objects/VirtualObjectLoader.swift VirtualObjectLoader
ARKitInteraction/VirtualObjectARView.swift VirtualObjectARView
ARKitInteraction/Additional View Controllers/VirtualObjectSelection.swift ObjectCell, VirtualObjectSelectionViewControllerDelegate, VirtualObjectSelectionViewController
ARKitInteraction/ViewController+ARSCNViewDelegate.swift Feature implementation
ARKitInteraction/Focus Square/FocusSquare.swift FocusSquare, State
ARKitInteraction/ThresholdPanGesture.swift ThresholdPanGesture