How to use the Aurasma App by: Alyssa Meyer
"Since launching in 2011, Aurasma has quickly become the world's leading augmented reality platform...Our vision is to enable an augmented world, where every image, object and place has its own Aura." -Aurasma's About Us
Aurasma is an interactive platform that uses image recognition technology through the lense of a smartphone or tablet camera to recognize images and overlay media on top in the form of videos, animations, 3D models, and webpages.
So, now that you know a bit about Aurasma, let's learn how to utalise the app.
The Aurasma app is available for download in both the Google Play Store and the App Store. Establish a good internet connection before downloading and proceeding.
Login
When you first load the app, it will introduce you to the basics of how it works. Once you read the three introductory pages, it will ask you to login, create an account, or give you the option to skip this step. If you have an account, feel free to login. If you do not have an account, either create an account or skip this step. If you choose to skip this step, your auras will save to your phone not to the Aurasma server.
Explore
After you login, the Explore page will load. This works the same as the Explore page in a browser. Here you can see the most recent, most popular, featured, and your recently viewed Auras. Feel free to scroll through the 'Explore' tab before clicking the magnifying glass icon to continue to the 'Search' tab.
Search
In the Search tab, you can search for Auras, Channels, and hashtags. Channels are the groupings that are used to catagorize the Auras. To view an Aura created by an organization, you must first be following their channel. To follow their channel, search for the channel name and select the channel.
Practice this technique by searching for CHS Yearbook and then continuing to the next step.
Following
To view Auras from any organization, you must be following their Aurasma Channel. To ensure that you can see the Auras, once you have searched for and selected the channel, click the 'Follow' button. Once you are following the channel, the button will look like the picture below.
Practice this technique by following the CHS Yearbook Channel.
Now that you can see other school's Auras, it is time to create your own Auras using the app. Select the Add button at the bottom of the screen to get started.
Selecting the Overlay
To begin creating your Aura in the Aurasma app, the first step is to choose an Overlay. You can select a standard animation or a video, photo, or animation currently on your device. Once you have selected your Overlay, press the select button to continue.
Selecting the Trigger Image
After you have selected your Overlay, it is time to create your Trigger Image. When you use the app, you have to take the picture that will serve as your Trigger Image. If the picture is already on your device, it is recommended that you use the online studio to create your Aura. If you want to continue using the app to create your Aura, you will need to take a picture of what you want your Trigger Image to be. The bar at the bottom of the screen will show how likely the photo is to be registered by Aurasma. Red means it will not register, yellow means it will be hard to register and green means the photo will register.
Once your picture has been accepted, Slit the arrow button to continue.
Arranging Your Aura
Now that you have selected your Overlay and Trigger Image, it is time to arrange your Overlay over the Trigger Image. This is where you position the Overlay where you want it to play. To do this, just select the Overlay and move it around over the Trigger Image until it is positioned how you want. Once the images are arranged, select the arrow button to continue.
Finish your Aura
Now that your Aura is set up, it is time to name and publish it. First, name the Aura whatever you want. The best way to name an Aura is a descriptive name that will allow you to easily identify it at a glance. The next step is to select the Add to Channel button and slide it to Yes.
The final step is to choose what Channel you want the Aura to be published on. If you have an account, select the Public button and then either create a new channel or select an existing channel to publish your Aura to. If you do not have an account and do not wish to create an account at this time, you have to leave the Aura on a Private channel. To do this, create a new channel under the Private tab. Select the Finish button to Publish your Aura and you are done.
