PyObjC ARKit Framework

12.1 · active · verified Wed Apr 15

This library provides Python bindings for Apple's ARKit framework, enabling Python applications to leverage Augmented Reality capabilities on macOS and iOS. The current version is 12.1, with releases typically tied to macOS SDK updates, introducing major versions for new macOS support and minor versions for bug fixes and incremental SDK changes.

Warnings

breaking The ARKit framework bindings were first introduced in PyObjC version 12.0. If your project targets an older PyObjC version (e.g., 11.x or prior), the `ARKit` framework will not be available.
Fix: Upgrade `pyobjc-framework-arkit` to version 12.0 or later to access ARKit bindings.
breaking PyObjC 12.0 dropped support for Python 3.9. Users must ensure their Python environment is running Python 3.10 or a newer version.
Fix: Upgrade your Python environment to 3.10 or newer before upgrading `pyobjc-framework-arkit` to version 12.0 or later.
gotcha PyObjC and its framework wrappers, including `pyobjc-framework-arkit`, are exclusively for macOS and iOS (via cross-compilation tools like BeeWare). This library cannot be used on Windows, Linux, or other non-Apple operating systems.
Fix: Ensure your development and deployment environment is macOS or an iOS-based platform.
gotcha Starting with PyObjC 11.1, the core bridge's Automatic Reference Counting (ARC) behavior for Objective-C `init` methods was aligned more strictly with `clang`'s documentation. `init` methods now correctly 'steal' a reference to `self` and return a new one. This change might subtly affect object lifecycle and memory management, especially if you have custom `init` implementations or rely on previous PyObjC behavior.
Fix: Review object lifecycle management, particularly for custom `init` method implementations, when migrating from PyObjC versions older than 11.1.
gotcha PyObjC currently does not support the experimental free-threading (PEP 703) introduced in Python 3.13. Running PyObjC with free-threading enabled in Python 3.13 may lead to undefined behavior, crashes, or incorrect functionality.
Fix: Avoid using PyObjC in a free-threaded Python 3.13 environment. Monitor PyObjC releases for official free-threading support.

Install

pip install pyobjc-framework-arkit Install pyobjc-framework-arkit

Imports

ARSession
```
from ARKit import ARSession
```

ARWorldTrackingConfiguration

from ARKit import ARWorldTrackingConfiguration

Quickstart

This quickstart demonstrates how to import key ARKit classes like `ARSession` and `ARWorldTrackingConfiguration` using PyObjC. It shows basic object instantiation and checks for ARKit availability, which is crucial as it's an Apple-specific framework. The example also calls a class method (`isSupported()`) to illustrate interaction with the underlying Objective-C API.

import objc
from ARKit import ARSession, ARWorldTrackingConfiguration
from Foundation import NSObject # Useful for general Cocoa classes

# ARKit is a macOS/iOS framework, so check for its presence
if not objc.is_defined('ARSession'):
    print("ARKit framework is not available on this system or macOS version.")
else:
    print("ARKit framework is available.")
    
    # Allocate and initialize an ARSession
    session = ARSession.alloc().init()
    print(f"Created ARSession object: {session}")
    
    # Create a configuration for the session
    config = ARWorldTrackingConfiguration.new()
    print(f"Created ARWorldTrackingConfiguration object: {config}")
    
    # Check if ARSession is supported on the device
    is_supported = ARSession.isSupported()
    print(f"ARSession.isSupported(): {is_supported}")
    
    # In a full application, you would run the session like this:
    # session.runWithConfiguration_(config)
    # print("ARSession started.")

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