Meta's New Mixed Reality App Lets You See Quest 3 With Different Eyes
Caddy is a mixed reality application that allows you to view CAD models. I tried it out and took Quest 3 apart.
The application is a 3D visualization relying on mixed reality and hand tracking. Virtual reality and the Touch controllers are not supported. It also has a multi-user feature for collaboration: you can work on the same 3D model either over a network or locally in the same room.
A 3D model of the Quest 3 lets you try out Caddy's features, and an overlay panel shows all the different gestures supported by the Mixed Reality app.
I can grab the headset with my hand, and with a gesture I can zoom in on the model to see details. With another gesture, I can pull it apart and study each component in the exploded view. This gives me insight into the many layers and design intricacies of the hardware.
I've never seen Quest 3 like this before
The level of detail in the 3D model is impressive. I can pick out and zoom in on even the smallest components, such as the depth sensor. For the first time, I see how thin the Quest 3's battery is and how the displays are angled. I marvel at how small the chip that powers the headset is, and I look at the pancake lenses that allow for the device's slim form factor. It makes you appreciate the engineering in a whole new way.
Caddy also allows you to view 3D models in cross-section, make simple drawings, and even measure digital or physical objects. The latter is a bit fiddly, though.
That being said, the app is still in an early stage. The small team has plans for new features and wants to release the code soon so that others can build similar applications.
Caddy is free
Caddy is not limited to specific CAD native formats. I'm curious to see if I can view scanned 3D models with it, and will try it soon.
The app was developed by Meta's hardware engineers Raghavan Vasudevan, Jason Putnam, and Eduardo Valarezo to visualize prototypes in an easy and immersive way.
You can download the mixed reality app in the App Lab. All Quest headsets are supported. You can find a video guide to the individual features on the project's blog.
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