Augmented Reality (AR) firm Metaio has released the latest version of Metaio Creator, which it describes as “the only commercially available drag-and-drop design software”. The new version offers the ability to manage content and apps directly from the cloud.
“People aren’t necessarily experts in Augmented Reality yet,” said Metaio CTO, Peter Meier. “The Creator makes it easy for them to not only launch an experience but also to scale their content massively, through simple cloud content management.”
The Metaio Creator allows non-technical users to take print media and link it to websites, video, 3D models, graphics or any other digital content.
Users can also link digital content to more complex real world objects such as products, buildings or even complete environments. This, says Metaio, enables digital producers to create interactive manuals or tour guides, which could be accessed via a smartphone app.
The latest version of Metaio Creator updates the user interface and experience to make it more intuitive and familiar. The company says that creative professionals can drag, drop, point and click their way to their first AR experience in minutes, without the need for any coding or programming skills.
Additionally, through integration with the Metaio Cloud, app developers and producers don’t need to worry about app resubmissions and updates. Using Metaio Creator, content can be swapped out and pushed to the consumer in real-time. 
Metaio says the platform supports every level of AR app development. Users can export to native apps on major mobile platforms such as Android or iOS, or launch it directly to the Junaio mobile AR browser, which has over 3m users. To assist with existing content pipelines, Metaio has added support for all Autodesk 3-D Content through a new .fbx converter.
Metaio notes that the Metaio Creator platform is currently being used by publishers, agencies and brands worldwide to manage their digital and AR content. In 2012, over 300m magazines and catalogues were printed with digital and AR content powered by Metaio technology.
One publisher keen on Metaio is Andreas Fuhlisch, director of advertising for Bauer Media Group Germany, who said: “For the Bauer Media Group, Augmented Reality is the optimal link between print and digital. Our readers love the supplementary editorial content, and our business clients can explore innovation in advertising.”
The latest version of the Metaio Creator is available for download today for OSX or Windows here. You can try the free version or buy the full version for €490 (£395).
