Scanning and Detecting 3D Objects
At a glance
| Item | Summary |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Record spatial features of real-world objects, then use the results to find those objects in the user’s environment and trigger AR content. |
| App architecture | A Metal, Swift sample with the source-visible chain AppDelegate → ShareScanViewController → ARKit APIs. |
| Main patterns | View-controller organization, Protocol-oriented abstraction, Delegate or data-source callbacks |
| Project style | 31 scanned source file(s) across Metal, Swift, organized around ranked entry, type, and file boundaries. |
Project structure
Source bundle/
└── ScanningApp/
├── Controllers/
│ ├── AppDelegate.swift
│ ├── ShareScanViewController.swift
│ ├── ViewController.swift
│ ├── Scan.swift
│ ├── TestRun.swift
│ ├── ViewController+ApplicationState.swift
│ ├── ViewController+Gestures.swift
│ └── ViewController+NavigationBar.swift
├── Utility Extensions/
│ └── Utilities.swift
├── 3D UI and Visualizations /
│ ├── BoundingBox.swift
│ └── BoundingBoxSide.swift
└── Views/
└── MessageLabel.swift
Structure observations
- Architecturally prominent files are ranked from entry points and role-named declarations; resource-only paths are omitted.
- Primary languages: Metal, Swift.
- The verified tree contains 6 project/configuration file(s) and 31 source declaration(s).
Overall architecture
flowchart LR
N1["AppDelegate"]
N2["ShareScanViewController"]
N3["ARKit APIs"]
N1 --> N2
N2 --> N3
Reference code
ScanningApp/Controllers/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
classDiagram
BoundingBox o-- Notification : extentChangedNotification
BoundingBox o-- Notification : positionChangedNotification
BoundingBox o-- Notification : scanPercentageChangedNotification
BoundingBox o-- Extent : extent
Ownership evidence
ScanningApp/3D UI and Visualizations /BoundingBox.swift:13 — stored dependency or nearest verified ownership anchor
class BoundingBox: SCNNode {
// ...
static let extentChangedNotification = Notification.Name("BoundingBoxExtentChanged")
// ...
}| Owner | Object or state | Relationship | Mutation authority |
|---|---|---|---|
BoundingBox |
Notification (extentChangedNotification) |
stores or receives | Initialized by the owner; the binding is immutable |
BoundingBox |
Notification (positionChangedNotification) |
stores or receives | Initialized by the owner; the binding is immutable |
BoundingBox |
Notification (scanPercentageChangedNotification) |
stores or receives | Initialized by the owner; the binding is immutable |
BoundingBox |
Extent (extent) |
stores or receives | App/module collaborators |
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
ScanningApp/3D UI and Visualizations /PointCloud+CreateVisualization.swift:11 — representative type boundary
protocol PointCloud {
func createVisualization(for points: [SIMD3<Float>], color: UIColor, size: CGFloat) -> SCNGeometry?
}| Type | Responsibility | Depends on or conforms to |
|---|---|---|
AppDelegate |
Receives callback-driven events | UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate |
ShareScanViewController |
View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination | UIActivityViewController |
ViewController |
View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination | UIViewController, ARSCNViewDelegate, ARSessionDelegate, UIDocumentPickerDelegate |
PointCloud |
Defines a capability or collaboration contract | Concrete collaborators/imported frameworks |
Scan |
Owns feature behavior and collaborator lifecycle | Concrete collaborators/imported frameworks |
State |
Represents mutable feature state | Concrete collaborators/imported frameworks |
Axis |
Defines a closed set of feature states or choices | Concrete collaborators/imported frameworks |
PlaneDrag |
Represents a feature value or composable behavior | Concrete collaborators/imported frameworks |
Ray |
Represents a feature value or composable behavior | Concrete collaborators/imported frameworks |
TestRun |
Owns feature behavior and collaborator lifecycle | Concrete collaborators/imported frameworks |
The source explicitly defines local protocol relationships: DetectedPointCloud → PointCloud, ScannedPointCloud → PointCloud.
Access control
| Symbol | Access | Verified effect | Likely rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
maxDistanceToFocusPoint (ScanningApp/3D UI and Visualizations /BoundingBox.swift:38) |
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. |
minSize (ScanningApp/3D UI and Visualizations /BoundingBox.swift:40) |
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. |
currentSideDrag (ScanningApp/3D UI and Visualizations /BoundingBox.swift:49) |
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. |
currentSidePlaneDrag (ScanningApp/3D UI and Visualizations /BoundingBox.swift:51) |
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. |
Reference code
ScanningApp/3D UI and Visualizations /BoundingBox.swift:38 — representative boundary
class BoundingBox: SCNNode {
// ...
private var maxDistanceToFocusPoint: Float = 0.05
// ...
}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 | ShareScanViewController, ViewController |
The source’s Controller suffix makes this role explicit. |
| Receives callback-driven events | AppDelegate |
The source’s Delegate suffix makes this role explicit. |
Design patterns
| Pattern | Source evidence | Purpose or tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| View-controller organization | ScanningApp/Controllers/ShareScanViewController.swift:10 |
A controller is the verified coordination boundary; this is MVC-style only where a separate model is present. |
| Protocol-oriented abstraction | ScanningApp/3D UI and Visualizations /DetectedPointCloud.swift:11 |
A local protocol and concrete conformance create an explicit capability boundary. |
| Delegate or data-source callbacks | ScanningApp/Controllers/AppDelegate.swift:12 |
Callback protocols invert event delivery back into the sample’s owner. |
Naming conventions
- Types: Controller: ShareScanViewController, ViewController; Delegate: AppDelegate.
- Protocols:
PointCloud. - Methods:
application,applicationWillEnterForeground,applicationWillResignActive,applicationDidBecomeActive,viewWillAppear,viewWillDisappear,viewDidLoad,viewDidLayoutSubviews. - Files:
ScanningApp/Controllers/AppDelegate.swift,ScanningApp/Controllers/ShareScanViewController.swift,ScanningApp/Controllers/ViewController.swift,ScanningApp/Controllers/Scan.swift,ScanningApp/Controllers/TestRun.swift,ScanningApp/3D UI and Visualizations /BoundingBox.swift.
Architecture takeaways
AppDelegateis the main source-visible entry or composition anchor for this sample.- Framework work reaches ARKit, UIKit, SceneKit, AVFoundation 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 |
|---|---|
ScanningApp/Controllers/AppDelegate.swift |
AppDelegate |
ScanningApp/Controllers/ShareScanViewController.swift |
ShareScanViewController |
ScanningApp/Controllers/ViewController.swift |
ViewController |
ScanningApp/Controllers/Scan.swift |
Scan, State |
ScanningApp/Utility Extensions/Utilities.swift |
Axis, PlaneDrag, Ray |
ScanningApp/Controllers/TestRun.swift |
TestRun |
ScanningApp/Controllers/ViewController+ApplicationState.swift |
State |
ScanningApp/3D UI and Visualizations /BoundingBox.swift |
BoundingBox, SideDrag |
ScanningApp/3D UI and Visualizations /BoundingBoxSide.swift |
BoundingBoxSide, Position |
ScanningApp/Views/MessageLabel.swift |
Message, MessageLabel |