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Set up a web server

Let's prepare our local environment in order to create our first WebAR experience.

We're going to use the Free Edition of MARTINS.js in this guide. The Free Edition is suitable for personal study, educational purposes and open-source projects. More information in this link.

Create a file structure

Let's create a file structure for our AR experience:

  1. Create a new folder called ar-demo in your filesystem
  2. Download the latest release of MARTINS.js and extract dist/martins.js to ar-demo/
  3. Create a new empty file called index.html and store it in ar-demo/

You will have the following file structure:

ar-demo/
├── index.html
└── martins.js

Add boilerplate code

Use the code editor of your choice to write the following content to index.html:

index.html
<!doctype html>
<html>
    <head>
        <meta charset="utf-8">
        <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,initial-scale=1">
        <title>MARTINS.js WebAR demo</title>
        <script src="martins.js"></script>
        <style>body { background-color: #3d5afe; }</style>
    </head>
    <body>
    </body>
</html>

Set up a local web server

Let's set up a local web server in your machine for development purposes. I'll be showing you an easy-to-follow approach. Feel free to use a different approach if you're an experienced web developer.

This is an easy solution that works on Windows, Linux and macOS:

  1. Download and run Servez, a simple web server for local web development.
  2. In Folder to Serve, specify the ar-demo folder we have just created.
  3. Change the Port to 8000.
  4. Click on Start to launch the local web server.
  5. Click on Launch Browser to open a web browser at http://localhost:8000.

Servez
Setting up Servez: make sure that Folder to Serve points to the correct path in your filesystem!

If you're familiar with the command line, you can use programs such as python, node or php to launch a local web server. Navigate to the ar-demo directory and then run:

python -m SimpleHTTPServer 8000

python3 -m http.server 8000

npx http-server -p 8000

php -S localhost:8000

Next, open your web browser and go to http://localhost:8000.

You should see a blue screen in your web browser:

Expected web page

Blue Screen of Success

If you see that blue screen, you're ready to proceed. If not, review your settings.

Why port 8000?

Port 8000 is commonly used in web development. Although you may use a different port, I suggest that you stick to this convention throughout this guide.