In this blog post, we dive into the project AAXLP (AI-Assisted XR Layout Planning) to explore how VR is transforming the world of factory planning. Our HXRC team, Jenna Kärkkäinen, Alisa Mäntynen, Tino Behnen, and Samu Aikio, share their experience on developing a user-friendly VR tool for designing factory layouts in real scale. From 3D model optimization and intuitive UI design to interactive features like material flow and object snapping, the team worked seamlessly together to create a solution that AINAK could easily integrate into their workflow.
Text by Jenna Kärkkäinen, Alisa Mäntynen, Tino Behnen and Samu Aikio
The AAXLP project was a collaboration with AINAK, a company that helps to make interactive AR experiences. The main goal was to develop a virtual reality–based layout planning tool with the same functionalities as AINAK’s existing factory planning tool. Additionally, the tool was designed to be easily integrated into their existing workflow. The team wanted to experiment with real-scale layout planning in an interactive VR space.
Meet the team!
Trainee introduction: Jenna Kärkkäinen
Hey! My name is Jenna Kärkkäinen, and I’m currently studying XR Design at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. Previously I studied 3D Modeling at a vocational school and graduated in 2020.
I started my internship here at the Helsinki XR Center in the beginning of September 2024. I’m working as a project assistant focusing on 3D art. For AAXLP-project, I worked as a 3D Artist and my assignments included modeling, optimizing, and UV unwrapping assets in Blender. I designed the color plan for the 3D models that were used to add the colours. I also created a couple of shader graphs in Unity.
The project was a very interesting learning experience for me and I discovered a lot of new aspects about 3D model optimization for the VR tool. My Blender skills improved a lot and now I notice elements related to optimization more quickly. In the future I would like to have more opportunities to practice my 3D modeling skills and UV-unwrapping.
Staff introduction: Alisa Mäntynen
Hi! I am Alisa Mäntynen, and I am a 3D Artist working at the Helsinki XR Center. I recently graduated from Metropolia’s 3D Animation and Visualization degree.
In AAXLP I worked as a UI/UX designer. This was my first project in HXRC where I was responsible for UI, so I had to do some research on the subject.
I started the project by creating mockups of what the UI could look like. I would take a screenshot from Unity, and draw over it in Procreate. Starting my work in 2D drawing software like Procreate ensured that I could focus on UI’s color scheme, shape language and overall composition before making any implementation in Unity. It was crucial to make user experience clear and uncluttered.
Once we had decided on direction for UI, I would proceed to making finished UI assets. I would take my mockup illustrations and use them as reference while creating polished assets in Figma. Afterwards, I would export assets to Unity, where they would be implemented into functioning UI prefabs.
Overall I really enjoyed working on this project. UI design was completely new to me, but thanks to this project, I was able to pick it up much faster than I expected. I would say this was very different from previous projects I had been in, and I feel like I was able to gain important experience about working in VR projects.
Trainee introduction: Tino Behnen
Yo! My name is Tino Behnen. I’m a fourth-year Game Development student at Metropolia UAS and currently working as a Developer trainee here at the Helsinki XR Center. I joined this project a bit later on and was also juggling another ongoing project, so my time was a bit limited.
During my involvement, I worked on things like VR keyboard and free-roam teleportation. One of the cooler tasks I tackled was testing and making a system to show material flow using node-based connections. I made a simple prototype manager that let one pick objects and create one- or two-way links between them, which would then later be visualized using Unity’s Line Renderer. We also played around with the idea of animating the lines to show flow direction.
Even though we didn’t get to fully finish or implement the feature because of changing priorities and time constraints, it was still a great learning experience. I picked up new ways of fast prototyping and designing for VR interactions, and I got more comfortable working simultaneously on multiple projects.
Trainee introduction: Samu Aikio
Hellou, I’m Samu Aikio, a Software Development student at Metropolia UAS and a Game Developer trainee at Helsinki XR Center. I joined the project at the start of the second phase to assist with development. Despite moderate working hours, I became involved in very interesting tasks. These included refining the object grid movement and snap logic, as well as implementing behavior logic for workstations.
I found it challenging to test and evaluate the functionality of the workstations using mock data, because we didn’t have enough time to implement all the parts that would actually use the workstations. Additionally, tweaking the object movement and placement was a bit tricky due to overlapping functionality between our code and OpenXR. As a result, it took quite a bit of time to learn and integrate both systems effectively.
Although the development time was short, I’m glad I had the chance to work on this project with a highly passionate development team. It was my first time using the MVC software architectural pattern in a Unity project, and I also gained valuable insight into the world of asset optimization. I deepened my understanding of OpenXR and picked up new coding techniques that I look forward to using in future projects.
Inside the AAXLP project
AAXLP stands for AI-Assisted XR Layout Planning. The goal of the project was to develop a virtual reality –based layout planning tool for AINAK. Instead of relying on traditional paper-based methods, the application enables users to design and arrange a generic factory layout in an immersive VR environment.
Improving the user experience in a VR environment was also a key part of this project. The design included an interactive planning UI and a workstation system.
Interactive planning UI and the workstation. Planning for UI and it’s graphical elements were done in Figma.
We used Unity to develop the tool and created various project documents to support it. One of the key documents was the ‘Project Bible’, which contained essential information, links, and technical details about AAXLP. The clear documentation was appreciated by AINAK and helped them successfully import the project into a clean Unity environment.
The Project Bible included our vision for the functionalities of the app with visualizations.
The project had a busy schedule and there were many surprises along the way. At first, the goal was to create a complete integrated version of the tool, but as time went on, we only had time to provide a functional package that AINAK could continue developing. The optimized models we delivered were praised by AINAK, and the catalog feature, along with the overall project and prefab architecture, was recognized for its modularity and clarity.
Challenge: From heavy to ready
One of the challenges for this project was heavy 3D models. The original models that we got were overly complicated; too many edges and unnecessary details. Resource-intensive models caused problems and performance issues. And because the planning tool can have many objects placed, the heavy models create the application to run slower. So it was important to optimize the models.
The optimization journey started in Blender. Original models were imported into the software and 3D retopology began; manually re-modelling with simple shapes. The goal was to make optimized and simple meshes with no unnecessary details, so that the tool can run via stand-alone VR, even with hundreds of objects!
Manual optimizations were necessary as no tool is capable of making human decisions on what detail to keep and what to lose.
One aspect of the model optimization was materials. Having a large number of different materials can also cause performance problems. The solution for optimizing materials was to create at least one texture map that all meshes used. The 1024×1024 pixel canvas was made in Photoshop and the colors added to what was needed for the models based on the colour plan. The UVs were unwrapped to overlap the wanted colors. In the end all the models use a single texture with simple materials and a common color plan.
The texture map of the robotic arm.
From individual roles to a unified result
An important aspect of the project was the collaboration within our team. Each of us focused on different areas, and our individual contributions came together to form a cohesive whole — all working toward the shared goal of delivering the best possible user experience!
Conclusion
The AAXLP project was really engaging and we would have liked to continue developing it further. We received positive feedback from AINAK regarding the quality of our model optimization. They appreciated our retopology work: the models were well-optimized and visually satisfying. And core functionality like the game state system was directly integrated into their project. Overall, the project gave us valuable experience in VR development, collaboration, and user-centered design — skills we will definitely carry into future work.
Key Stakeholders and Collaboration
The AAXLP project is a joint collaboration between Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and AINAK, a Finnish company that provides AR and 3D-based solutions to help businesses redesign and visualize spaces. AAXLP stands for AI-Assisted XR Layout Planning, and the main goal of the project was to develop a VR-based layout planning tool that enables users to design and arrange generic factory layouts in an immersive virtual environment.
Theproject is funded by MASTER XR, a Horizon Europe–funded initiative focused on building a mixed reality ecosystem to enhance robotics training in manufacturing through an open XR platform.
The AAXLP project is a collaboration of:
To see previous news about our trainees’ projects, head over to the Trainee news section.
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