Introduction: Augmented Reality Christmas Card (TfCD)

Make christmas unforgettable by impressing your family with a home made futuristic christmas card!
Augmented Reality (AR) is an upcoming and awesome technology. It allows you to add virtual visuals to reality through means of a screen and camera or a projection. It is applicable in many fields, but it is also good for simple fun. This instructable will show how easy it is to apply in a fun way, perfect for this christmas.

Step 1: Create a Nice Postcard Front

In this step we will create the front of your christmas card and you are free to choose how and what it will look like. Use your creativeness! You can also use the postcard template we added in the attachments.

  1. Choose a Creation Tool
    1. Pen/pencil and paper
    2. Photoshop
    3. Illustrator
    4. Paint
    5. Photography Other
  2. Draw up your Design
  3. Save as JPEG

Attachments

Step 2: Create a 3D Christmas Model

In this step we will create your virtual 3D visual which will be added to reality. You are free to choose weather you want to model your own Christmas object or to download the one we supplied in the attachments or to download any from the web.

  1. For downloading; google search one of the following items followed by Free 3D Model:
    1. Christmas tree
    2. Presents
    3. Snowman
    4. Reindeer
    5. Other
  2. For self modelling choose a creation tool like:
    1. Sketch-up
    2. Rhino (We used this, as shows in the picture)
    3. Solid works
    4. AutoCad
    5. Other
  3. Create Your model and save as .obj

Attachments

Step 3: Create Augmented Content

In this step we are going to upload the content you just created to a web application. This application is linked to A smartphone and tablet application, which allows other people to view the content you created. The virtual 3D visual will be linked to the postcard image so the recipient of the christmas card will automatically load the right model.

  1. Upload your 3D model
    1. Go to http://agmt.me
    2. Sign-up with your email
    3. when logged in, Click “Add Model”
    4. Select your .obj File and click “Choose”
    5. Give Your Model a cool name
    6. Select a category to place your model in
    7. Decide weather you want your model to be private or public and choose an option
    8. Click the “Save and Publish” button in the upper right corner of the page
  2. Upload and link your tracker
    1. In the menu on the left select My Trackers > All trackers
    2. Click “Ad Tracker”
    3. Select your Postcard .JPEG File and click “Choose”
    4. Give your Tracker a cool name
    5. Type in the size of your postcard
    6. From the dropdown Menu choose your 3D Model Which you uploaded and named in step 3.1
    7. Click the “Save and Publish” button in the upper right corner of the page

Step 4: Create Postcard Backside With Recipient Instructions

While you are getting to know this awesome and futuristic new technology through this instructable, the recipient of your christmas card will probably have never heard of it. Therefore we are making a very simple postcard backside with very clear instructions for the recipient.

  1. Use our Format (included in the attachments) or create a postcard backside yourself using one of the Postcard Creation Tools from step 1.1
  2. Put the following text on the bottom right side of the backside of your postcard:

IMPORTANT INSTRUCTION:

  • Download the Augment app from your tablet’s or smartphone’s App Store.
  • After installation open the app and select allow acces to Camera
  • Select Scan
  • Scan the frontside of the postcard
  • Backup a little and point your camera towards the postcard
  • Have fun

3. Save as JPEG

Step 5: Print Your Postcard

Since you made a beautiful postcard design or used our fancy kitsch one we are going to print it. Of coarse it is nice to use thick paper, but you are free to use any kind.

  1. Open Word or Pages
  2. Put the postcard front and back both on a separate page in the same location
  3. Print it double sided
  4. Cut out your postcard

Step 6: Test If Everything Works

You are almost finished but of coarse you want to test if you did everything right.

So follow the instructions on your own postcard and see if it works.

If not, check everything from the steps before.

If still not, Contact us please and we'll help and change this instructable.

Step 7: Finished

You've made it through the instructions, so now it is time to send your creative and technological master piece into the magical christmas world.

  1. Write a nice Christmas wish on your card
  2. Put down the address of someone you know
  3. Lick a post stap and stick on the card
  4. Attach it to a delivery dove or put it in a mailbox
  5. Wait
  6. Wait
  7. Answer the phone and listen to someone who can’t stop saying how awesome your christmas card was.