Microsoft’s PowerApps has hit a major milestone with the debut of mixed reality on the platform. With it, organizations will be able to build augmented reality applications without the need for a development team, aiding productivity or providing experiences for their partners.
“With hundreds of millions of Augmented Reality capable mobile devices in the hands of business users, every maker will be able to leverage the power of mixed reality to extend their Power Apps with the ease of drag-and-drop development,” said Microsoft of the addition. “With these new capabilities, makers can start to digitize workflows in physical space in new and innovative ways using tools they are already familiar with.”
PowerApps have already proven popular with many businesses, allowing them to provide modern functionality with less overhead. Mixed reality is far more niche, but the inclusion should let organizations easily experiment to see the effect on internal productivity.
Four mixed reality features will be introduced soon: fit validation, measurements, 3D models, and 2D models. All are fairly related; fit validation lets you see if an object will fit in a space, measurements ties in by showing the size of the space, and the ability to place 3D and 2D models in the real world utilizes both of those mechanics. Of the three, the ability to place 2D jpegs in 3D space is the most intriguing, letting users visualize without creating assets.
Microsoft is currently trailing the functionality in private with Pepsi, a HVAC company, and more. The additions will launch into public preview in May, and more information will be provided at Microsoft Business Applications Virtual Launch Event.
