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This page is for anyone who will author or run procedures. It explains the one idea that makes mixed-reality guidance work: spatial anchoring — how a printed QR code and step-level anchor gems keep 3D models, media, and instructions in exactly the right physical place.

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Why anchoring matters

A procedure’s 3D models, gems, and instructions are placed at real positions in a physical workspace. For that content to appear in the right place every time — for every worker, on every session — the device needs a fixed reference point in the room. That reference point is the QR anchor.
  • Authors scan the QR code, then place 3D models, gems, media, and instructions in the physical space. Everything is stored relative to the QR’s position.
  • Operators scan the same QR at the same physical location, so all authored content appears exactly where the author placed it.
Once a QR is used to anchor a procedure, it must remain in the exact same physical position for that procedure. Moving the QR later shifts the anchor and misaligns every model, gem, and instruction placed against it — for both authors and operators.

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The QR code

The Altoura Frontline QR code is a physical marker: you print it once, fix it to a stable surface at the work site, and reuse it for every procedure anchored to that location.
Use the QR code provided by Altoura for anchoring. Third-party or self-generated QR codes might not work reliably with the Frontline QR scan flow. Download the print-ready PDF, printing guidance, and scanning tips from QR for Author and Operator.
Practical rules of thumb from the field:
  • One QR per anchor location — a dedicated printout per physical workspace, kept fixed.
  • High contrast, matte, flat. Glossy or wrinkled printouts cause scan failures.
  • Look straight at it from roughly 30–60 cm for the fastest lock.
  • Re-scan if drift appears. If placed content looks off-position, exit and re-scan the QR to re-anchor — a rescan updates the QR anchor, and every placed item repositions with it, preserving the author’s relative placement.
When you enter a procedure on your device, the app prompts you through the scan: a QR scan instruction panel appears, the camera interface opens, and after a QR is detected you confirm the anchor before the procedure opens. The device walkthroughs cover this flow in detail — HoloLens: Anchor with QR and iPad: Anchor with QR.

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Anchor gems — step-level markers

The QR anchor aligns the whole procedure. Anchor gems go one level finer: they link an individual step to a specific point in the environment.
Author Mode step panel with the diamond-shaped gem icon and a tethered line connecting to a placed anchor in the physical environment
  • In Author Mode, each step panel has a diamond-shaped gem icon. The author clicks it, points at a location in the physical space, and places the anchor there.
  • A visible tethered line (thread) connects the step panel to the placed anchor.
  • Gem placement is per step — one step may have an anchor while the next has none. Navigating between steps updates the tether to match that step’s configuration.
  • Gems are stored relative to the QR anchor, so they survive re-anchoring.

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What the operator sees

Operator Mode step panel with the diamond-shaped gem icon and the tethered line connecting to the anchor placed during authoring
In Operator Mode, anchor gems are visible exactly as authored but are not configurable — operators can’t place, move, or remove them. When a step has a gem, the tethered line connects the step panel to the anchor and updates dynamically as the worker moves, showing:
  • Where the step applies
  • Which physical location is relevant
  • Where attention or action is required
If the author placed no gem for a step, no gem or tether appears for that step.

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The mental model

Next: see where authored, anchored content gets published and how it reaches operators in How Content Flows.