Oliver Edis

Convert Your 8th Wall Project to React Native with ViroReact and the ReactVision MCP

Convert 8th Wall to ViroReact thumbnail

If you still have an 8th Wall project after the Niantic shutdown, and you want a React Native path rather than a visual Studio rebuild, this is the code-first route. Point your agent at the ReactVision MCP, upload a Buildable Code Export, and convert it into a ViroReact scaffold without leaving your IDE.

This post is the companion to How to migrate your 8th Wall project into Studio. Studio is the visual path. The MCP is the repo path. Same ReactVision stack either way: phones, Quest, visionOS and the web from one codebase.

Two paths, one destination

Studio import is for teams that want to keep editing scenes visually, publish Scene Links, and embed with StudioSceneNavigator.

MCP convert is for teams (and agents) that live in the repo. You get a ViroReact project scaffold (package.json, App.tsx, scenes/*.tsx) plus a migration report. Extracted assets land in your team library.

Pick based on how you actually work. You do not have to do both on day one.

Prerequisites

Before you start:

  • A ReactVision team with the MCP connected in your IDE (Claude, Cursor, Codex or similar)
  • A Buildable Code Export zip from 8th Wall (prefer that over a hand-zipped leftovers folder)
  • Enough team storage quota for the extracted assets
  • Zip under the 200 MB cap

Migration itself is free. The practical gates are quota and zip size.

Step-by-step MCP flow

1. Create the migration

Call reactviro_create_8thwall_migration. That reserves the job and returns a signed upload URL. Optionally pass the zip file name, size (for an early cap check), and local path so your agent can build the upload command.

2. Upload the zip

PUT the zip straight to the signed URL. Bytes go to storage, not through the MCP process. Wait until the upload finishes before converting.

3. Convert

Call reactviro_convert_8thwall_project with the conversion_id from step 1. The server verifies the zip, converts what it can, uploads extracted assets and image targets into your team's library, and returns the ViroReact scaffold plus the migration report.

Write the returned files to disk at the paths the tool gives you. Do not invent structure the report did not produce.

4. Validate and preview

Afterwards, validate each scene with reactviro_validate_scene and preview with reactviro_render_scene (format tsx). That is how you catch TODOs and layout gaps before you wire navigators for device.

What converts well vs what lands as a TODO

Niantic Studio exports that include an .expanse.json scene graph get the fullest conversion: scenes map into ViroReact TSX with assets and targets attached where we have a faithful mapping.

A-Frame / three.js style exports get assets and image targets extracted, plus a migration report for what could not be mapped automatically. Expect more hand work on custom behaviour.

Honest caveats:

  • Nothing is invented for unmapped features. Gaps show up in the migration report or as TODO comments in the code. Read both.
  • Image targets and common scene graph pieces map well. Exotic custom A-Frame logic often needs a manual rewrite.
  • Web vs native. Your original experience was browser-born. After conversion you are on the React Native / ViroReact stack, so you can stay web-adjacent via Studio Scene Links later, or go native for Quest, visionOS, co-location and Platform anchors.
  • Test on a phone early. Desktop previews help. Device cameras tell the truth.

Optional convert flags worth knowing: upload_assets (default true) lands extracted files in the team library; set false if you only want the scaffold with TODO sources. include_unreferenced_media (default false) also lands media the scene graph never referenced.

Soft next steps

If your team is visual-first, start with the Studio import flow instead, then come back here when you want a repo scaffold.

If you are already in the IDE:

  • Connect the ReactVision MCP from your account / docs
  • Run create migration → upload → convert → validate / preview
  • Join Discord via reactvision.xyz when an export will not convert cleanly. Real projects make the converter better.

Same codebase theme as the rest of the 3.0 / Studio launch: one React Native XR stack, not a dead web-only lineage.

Oli

Upcoming events

Hackathons and talks that fit life after single-platform web AR. Full details: reactvision.xyz/community/events

  • Ctrl+Space: Expo x ReactVision Hackathon - San Francisco 15 October 2026; London 8 October; Toronto 10 October; Bengaluru 18 October
  • Meetup, 8 October, London: Beyond the App: What Comes After Mobile?
  • Virtual, 10 November: The Next Platform Shift
  • Virtual, 17 November: Building Platform-Agnostic AR/VR