TrainAR

Overview

TrainAR brings lesson design into the Unity Editor: authors turn imported models into interactive objects, then arrange instructions, learner actions, and feedback in a visual stateflow. That structure makes it a fit for explaining how a procedure works, including before or after practical training. The maker explicitly draws a boundary at procedural understanding: TrainAR does not train the physical skills needed to perform the task.

The visual authoring route is intended for non-programmers, designers, and domain experts with media competency. Developers can instead use the standard Unity Editor overlay and C# programming, and stateflows can incorporate Unity Visual Scripting nodes. This gives technically capable teams room to extend beyond the visual workflow, but the Unity environment is a real prerequisite rather than an optional extra.

Key features

Authors import 3D models, convert them to TrainAR objects, and use a visual-scripting stateflow to connect instructions with actions and feedback. Learners can grab, interact with, or combine objects, and respond to UI actions such as questions. Onboarding animations, tracking solutions, assembly placement, layered feedback, evaluated interaction concepts, and training assessments provide a useful range of building blocks for procedural lessons.

The model pipeline has a meaningful constraint: a model must include a Transform, MeshFilter, and MeshRenderer to become a TrainAR object, and SkinnedMeshRenderers are not supported. Teams whose key assets rely on skinned meshes should account for that limitation before committing to the authoring workflow.

Pricing

TrainAR costs 0.00 USD per free. The open-source project is available for commercial and non-commercial use under the MIT license, with no acknowledgement required in the training or app itself. There is no paid plan or seat-based price in the TrainAR plan, making it an accessible option for teams able to handle the Unity-based setup and deployment themselves.

Platforms

The Unity Editor extension works with Unity on Windows, macOS (Silicon or Intel), and Linux. The installation guide calls for Unity 2022.3 LTS and the relevant platform build modules. Trainings can be deployed to Android and iOS; iOS deployment additionally requires Xcode on macOS after the app is built. That makes iOS delivery dependent on access to a Mac even when authoring happens elsewhere.

Who it's for

Choose TrainAR when the goal is to teach task sequence, object interaction, or procedural understanding through markerless AR, and the team has the media skills to prepare suitable 3D models. It can serve non-programmers through visual authoring while still accommodating Unity developers who want to work with C# or Unity Visual Scripting. Look elsewhere if the core training outcome is motor-skill development, or if required models depend on unsupported skinned meshes.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Free, open-source commercial and non-commercial use keeps licensing costs low for individuals and organizations.
• Pros: Visual stateflows combine instructions, object actions, feedback, and assessment, giving procedural lessons more structure than a simple 3D viewer.
• Pros: A programming route through Unity and C# leaves room for developer-led extension beyond the visual authoring overlay.
• Cons: Unity 2022.3 LTS and platform build modules are part of the setup, so this is not a standalone lesson editor.
• Cons: SkinnedMeshRenderers cannot be converted to TrainAR objects, which can rule out some model assets.
• Cons: The product supports understanding procedures, not the motor skills required to carry them out.
• Cons: iOS deployment requires Xcode on macOS after building, adding a platform-specific step.

Alternatives

For a broader selection of tools in this category, see Augmented Reality Learning Apps.

• JigSpace is worth comparing if a freemium option with a web platform better suits your team; its free plan is capped at 3 active Jigs, 3 steps, 100MB of team storage, and 2 user seats.
• Augmented Classroom offers a Demo Plan with one interactive test, mobile-only access, and a single user, making that plan a narrower starting point than TrainAR's open-source license.
• Delightex Edu (formerly CoSpaces Edu) is a classroom-oriented alternative: its free Basic plan supports up to 29 students, 2 projects, 1 class, 1 assignment, 10 external files, and basic CoBlocks.
• Merge EDU may suit educators seeking a classroom setup; its free Classroom plan includes both EDU and Creator suites, student seats, and classroom management.
• Quiver is a simpler alternative for AR coloring, with 10 free sheets and no subscription required.
• U.S. Army STARS Anatomy is a free option focused on anatomy, with 30+ levels, 3D skeleton exploration, quizzes, and Bone Hunter.
• Halo AR is another freemium AR option, with a free BASIC plan and a PRO plan at 99.00 USD per year.
• Arility is a free alternative for Android and iOS.

Verdict

TrainAR is a strong fit for teams that want to author markerless AR lessons around procedural understanding and can work within Unity's model and deployment requirements. Its combination of visual lesson structure, interaction and feedback tools, and MIT-licensed access is compelling for that purpose. Choose another approach if you need motor-skill training, rely on skinned meshes, or want to avoid a Unity-based workflow.