Whole Latte Love is incredibly proud to present a new, exclusive feature that will change the way you shop espresso machines forever. We're talking about Augmented Reality. We've gone ahead and recreated select products as 3D scale models that you can view from any angle, right on the product page. From there, you can activate Augmented Reality on a phone or tablet and bring that espresso machine into the real world, placing it right on your kitchen counter with the touch of a button. Seeing is believing, so do yourself a favor and give it a try right now. If you want to learn more, keep reading.
How to Use the 3D Viewer & Augmented Reality
There are two ways to view our 3D models: the 3D model viewer and Augmented Reality. Let's start with the 3D model viewer.
On desktop, if you're looking at a product with a 3D model available, click the "See it in 3D & Augmented Reality" button located under the product's image gallery or "3D Model" on the product page navigation bar. This will bring you to the 3D viewer section where you can launch the 3D viewer to freely rotate or zoom in on the model of the product you're considering. With your mouse, simply click and drag to rotate in any direction or scroll to zoom in and out.
The process is the same for mobile/tablet. Launch the 3D model viewer and you'll be presented with the 3D model, which you can tap to rotate, pinch to twist, or pinch to zoom in and out, and you can select from a number of 3D backgrounds to try out different lighting. An icon on the bottom right of the viewer will let you view in full screen. However, if you have a compatible device, this will trigger Augmented Reality as well.
Enter Augmented Reality
If you have a compatible device, clicking that icon on the bottom right will bring up a full screen view and activate Augmented Reality, letting you see a see a 3D scale model in the real world through your phone or tablet using the device's camera. When clicking this button on an iOS device, Augmented Reality will launch automatically, but on Android you may need to follow additional on-screen prompts. So far, Augmented Reality works best on iOS devices, but you can find a full compatibility list further down.
Find an open, well-lit space where you would like to place the 3D scale model and slowly wave your phone back and forth to scan the space. A 3D scale model will pop into existence, just like that. From here you can do the following:
- Pinch to grow or shrink the model
- Double tap the model to "reset" its size if you accidentally made it gigantic or miniature
- Tap and drag to reposition the model
- Tap and hold, and then move your camera to reposition the model to wherever your camera is looking (word to the wise: it's a lot more fun doing it this way)
- Tap the big circle at the bottom of your screen to snap pictures
You can place the 3D scale model on just about any flat surface (or right in your hand if you're feeling clever). Check it out around your house or office and see what your next machine or grinder will look like on your counter. From here, you can take pictures or screenshots to keep for reference or share with your friends (which you should absolutely do, it's a lot of fun and all of my friends keep asking how I got my hands on so many espresso machines).
Building a Better Experience
Augmented Reality is a feature we're so, so incredibly excited about and it's something we'll continue to build on going forward. Only certain products have 3D models available as of writing this article, but the catalog is growing more and more. To see a full list of all product pages equipped with Augmented Reality & 3D, click here. For a few great examples of what we're talking about, look below at the Gaggia Classic Pro, the JURA GIGA 6, and the ECM Synchronika.
Expectations may vary, but we've done our absolute best to faithfully recreate these products so that you have an accurate representation to play with. We thoroughly test and review each and every model as they're created, analyzing ever seam, surface, and side panel to ensure the highest fidelity possible.
Go ahead and try it out! If you're ready, jump right into the collection of Augmented Reality enabled products, or explore a little further on our Augmented Reality home page.
Compatibility
For a list of AR compatible iOS devices, click here. For a list of AR compatible Android devices, click here.
If you have any trouble using Augmented Reality with any of the devices listed above, let us know and we'll do our best to get it working for you, because it's something we really want you to try.
