Adobe Aero turns Photoshop layers into interactive AR experiences

Adobe is releasing its augmented reality app Aero today at its annual Max conference. The free iOS app lets designers build AR experiences without coding knowledge. Instead, the app makes use of Adobe programs, letting users import 3D files from Dimension and 2D layers from Photoshop and Illustrator to create interactive experiences.

Aero is meant to be intuitive for designers without 3D design experience, letting users build AR scenes inside the app with step-by-step instructions. The app can also be used with third-party software like Maya and C4D. Users can place scalable objects into scenes viewed through their phone or tablet cameras, and add animation triggers that react to touch. Artists can also add interactive experiences by drawing the path of motion for an object to follow.

Aero was first previewed at Apple’s WWDC last year, where Adobe announced it was partnering with Apple and Pixar to create a new unified file format, called USDZ, that would work across iOS. The file format lets users send previews of their Aero projects to their friends over iMessage, and they’ll automatically play on iPhones without the other user having to download anything.

Adobe Aero represents the company’s ambitions to move into the AR and mixed reality space, and encourage more designers to create immersive content by making use of the Creative Cloud apps they’re already familiar with. For more details, check out Adobe’s announcement blog post here.