Migration guide

Upgrade from legacy Lightship.dev and ARDK SDK to Scaniverse and NSDK 4.0. Developers must migrate Lightship.dev content to Scaniverse. Developers maintaining apps must also upgrade to NSDK 4.0.

Developers managing both VPS content and applications must complete both Lightship.dev and SDK migration. Developers who only manage Lightship.dev content without managing applications only need to migrate to Scaniverse. Before upgrading, create a backup or branch of your project.

There are two steps in the migration process: Lightship.dev migration and (optional) SDK migration.

1. Lightship.dev migration – Move Lightship content, including workspaces, private and public POIs, scans, and API keys, into Scaniverse. Applies to all developers managing Scaniverse content. Complete self-serve migration before February 27, 2027. After that date, contact support to migrate content.

2. SDK migration – Upgrade applications from ARDK 3.x/Lightship SDK to NSDK 4.0. Update namespaces, class names, and authentication to use Enterprise Authentication. Applies only to developers maintaining applications. NSDK 3.17 will receive critical bug and security fixes only through February 2027. Projects using legacy Wayspots that are not fully scanned must upgrade to maintain full functionality. Completed projects continue working but can upgrade to access the latest features and performance improvements.

Migrate to NSDK 4.0 and Scaniverse to ensure all your assets and applications remain fully functional and up to date. Completing migration allows you to:

• Use new Scaniverse capabilities: Access VPS 2.0, updated APIs, and improved scanning workflows.
• Transition seamlessly: Continue using existing workspaces, sites, scans, and API keys in Scaniverse without disruption.
• Keep applications up to date: Ensure ongoing compatibility with new projects and upcoming NSDK features.

Area	Motivation	Timeline / Notes
NSDK	NSDK 4.0 improves VPS performance, adds new features, and removes deprecated APIs such as SharedAR. NSDK 3.17 receives only critical bug fixes and security updates through February 2027.	Projects actively in development should migrate promptly. SharedAR functionality ends May 1, 2026. Completed projects continue functioning.
Scaniverse	Lightship.dev and the Geospatial Browser are deprecated. Migration preserves your content and assets including sites, scans, VPS maps, and API keys, though public POIs are converted to private sites.	Self-serve migration started Feb 20, 2026. Lightship.dev decommissioned on Feb 20, 2027. After then, contact support to migrate content.

Migrate Lightship.dev

Use the Scaniverse Web and the Scaniverse app to manage and access all migrated Lightship content:

• The Scaniverse Web handles organizations, sites, VPS maps, and API keys.
• The Scaniverse app captures scans, uploads them to the cloud, and generates assets for testing localization.

Migrate Lightship content to Scaniverse to preserve existing assets and continue using them in VPS experiences without interruption. No re-scanning or app rebuild is required to maintain current behavior. Migration moves workspaces, projects, sites (formerly POIs), scans, VPS maps, and API keys into the new Scaniverse platform as follows:

What Scaniverse replaces:

Legacy Lightship	Scaniverse Replacement
Workspace	Becomes an Organization.
Private POI	Becomes a Private Site.
Public POI	Migrates to a Private Site. Access to public POIs is no longer available. Contributed scans remain accessible.
Project	Converts to a Service Account.
Scans	Remain as Scans.
API Key	Remain valid for existing apps.

How to migrate to Scaniverse

You must migrate to Scaniverse on your desktop.

1. Navigate to the Scaniverse Web.
2. Select Migrate a Lightship account under the login screen.
3. Enter the email address associated with Niantic Spatial. Existing personal Scaniverse accounts cannot be merged with migrated business accounts. If needed, log out and sign in with the account associated with your Lightship content.
4. Select Continue.
5. Check your inbox for an email from Niantic Spatial. If you don't see it, check your spam or trash folders.
6. Select the Create Scaniverse Login button in the Niantic Spatial email.
7. Create a new password for your Scaniverse account.
8. Select Continue.

Key dates

The following dates highlight critical milestones for migration and SDK updates. Adhering to these dates ensures continued access to Scaniverse content, uninterrupted app functionality, and access to the latest NSDK features:

Date	Action / Guidance
February 20, 2026	Self-serve migration to Scaniverse opened. Developers can start moving Lightship content.
May 1, 2026	SharedAR functionality ends in NSDK 3.17. Upgrade active projects to NSDK 4.0 to maintain VPS functionality.
After February 20, 2027	Lightship.dev and Geospatial Browser decommissioned. Self-serve migration is no longer available. Contact support for migration.
For all new projects	Use NSDK 4.0 to access VPS 2.0 and updated APIs.

For migration issues, contact support@nianticspatial.com and include your Lightship email.

Migrate SDK

Upgrading from ARDK 3.x/Lightship SDK to NSDK 4.0 ensures your applications remain compatible with the latest APIs, VPS workflows, and NSDK features. The migration involves updating project packages, code references, authentication, and VPS sessions in the following steps:

1. Install NSDK 4.0 – Replace ARDK/Lightship packages with NSDK 4.0 UPMs.
2. Update namespaces and API references – Replace legacy namespaces, class names, and properties/methods with NSDK equivalents.
3. Update project files – Rename settings files and update version control in Git.
4. Update authentication – Switch from API key to Enterprise Authentication.
5. Remove unsupported features - Remove features that are no longer supported in NSDK 4.0.
6. Upgrade VPS to VPS2 – Replace VPS/WPS sessions with VPS2 sessions, migrate anchors, and update AR↔geoposition conversions.

Install NSDK 4.0

Install NSDK 4.0 by replacing existing Lightship/ARDK packages with the new NSDK 4.0 as follows:

Remove all ARDK/Lightship packages before installing NSDK 4.0.

1. Download NSDK 4.0 UPMs.
2. In Unity, Remove the existing Lightship UPMs from Package Manager.
3. Add NSDK 4.0 UPMs using the package manager.
   • Note: Unity may re-open the project, and prompt for Safe Mode due to compilation failures. Click ignore and open the project anyway.
4. You may see many compilation errors in the console. Use the following steps to update your project and resolve them.

Update namespaces and API references

Update namespaces as follows:

1. Open your code editor.
2. Use your code editor's bulk replace operation with case-sensitive matching enabled.
3. Replace using Niantic.Lightship.AR. with using NianticSpatial.NSDK.AR.
   • If you have custom namespaces that use Niantic.Lightship.AR.*, either exclude them from the replacement or rename them. Leaving them unchanged may cause compile errors if they reference NSDK APIs.
4. Replace using Niantic.ARDK.AR. with using NianticSpatial.NSDK.AR.
5. Replace any other instances of Niantic.Lightship.AR or Niantic.ARDK.AR namespaces with NianticSpatial.NSDK.AR.

Update class names as follows:

All class names beginning with Lightship have been renamed to use the Nsdk prefix. Use your code editor's bulk replace operation to update the following class names:

• LightshipSettingsHelper → NsdkSettingsHelper
• LightshipOcclusionExtension → NsdkOcclusionExtension
• LightshipMeshingExtension → NsdkMeshingExtension
• LightshipNavMeshManager → NsdkNavMeshManager
• LightshipNavMeshAgent → NsdkNavMeshAgent
• LightshipSettings → NsdkSettings
• LightshipNavMeshRenderer → NsdkNavMeshRenderer
• LightshipNavMeshAgentPathRenderer → NsdkNavMeshAgentPathRenderer

Update property and method names

All Properties and methods containing Lightship now use the Nsdk prefix to distinguish NSDK 4.0 from legacy Lightship APIs. Search your project for properties and methods containing Lightship and rename them to use the Nsdk prefix to align with NSDK 4.0 APIs. For example:

• LightshipNavMeshManager.LightshipNavMesh → NsdkNavMeshManager.NsdkNavMesh

Update project files

The main settings file name changed from Lightship Settings to NSDK Settings. Add NSDK Settings.asset to your project and version control. Remove Lightship Settings.asset from the project and version control.

Update authentication

NSDK 4.0 no longer supports API key-based authentication. Configure Enterprise Authentication instead. To remove the API key from the project:

1. Open Unity's Player Settings.
2. Set NIANTICSPATIAL_NSDK_APIKEY_ENABLED in the script define symbols. This will reveal the API key in NSDK Settings.
3. Go to NSDK Settings, and remove the API key.
4. Return to player settings and remove NIANTICSPATIAL_NSDK_APIKEY_ENABLED to re-enable Enterprise Authentication.
5. Configure Enterprise Authentication as described in Access.

Remove unsupported features

NSDK 4.0 removes the following features. Update your project to:

1. Remove all SharedAR usage.
2. Replace or delete all APIs and properties previously marked as Obsolete.

Search your project for these references and refactor or remove the affected code before building with NSDK 4.0.

Upgrade from VPS to VPS2

While VPS is still available in NSDK 4.0, upgrading to VPS2 provides better localization accuracy, improved performance, and full support for NSDK 4.0 features. VPS2 ensures your projects stay compatible with new APIs, scanning workflows, and future updates.

To upgrade, developers must replace legacy VPS and WPS sessions with VPS2Session in NSDK 4.0. VPS2 unifies VPS and WPS functionality under a single session type and provides global geoposition, map-relative localization, anchor persistence, and AR↔geoposition conversion via a transformer. For detailed instructions, examples, and full guidance on migrating anchors, session code, and geolocation conversion, see the VPS2 migration guide.