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# Anchors

Lock virtual content to the real world.

## Overview

RealityKit anchors all entities in a scene to an anchor target in the same scene,
such as the ground, an image, or a position relative to its parent view.
RealityKit provides several types you can use as the target for your anchors.

## Topics

### Anchoring components

[`AnchoringComponent`](/documentation/RealityKit/AnchoringComponent)

A component that anchors virtual content to a real world target.

[`Target`](/documentation/RealityKit/AnchoringComponent/Target-swift.enum)

Defines the kinds of real world objects to which an anchor entity can be tethered.

[`TrackingMode`](/documentation/RealityKit/AnchoringComponent/TrackingMode-swift.struct)

Options for how an entity tracks its target anchor.

[`ARKitAnchorComponent`](/documentation/RealityKit/ARKitAnchorComponent)

A component that exposes the backing ARKit data of an anchored entity.

[`AnchorEntity`](/documentation/RealityKit/AnchorEntity)

An anchor that tethers entities to a scene.

[`HasAnchoring`](/documentation/RealityKit/HasAnchoring)

An interface that enables anchoring of virtual content to a real-world
object in an AR scene.

### Surface anchor characterization

[`Alignment`](/documentation/RealityKit/AnchoringComponent/Target-swift.enum/Alignment)

Defines the alignment of real-world surfaces to seek as targets.

[`Classification`](/documentation/RealityKit/AnchoringComponent/Target-swift.enum/Classification)

Defines types of real-world surfaces to seek as targets.

### Image and object tracking

[`ImageAnchoringSource`](/documentation/RealityKit/AnchoringComponent/ImageAnchoringSource)

Defines the source of image anchoring target based on how it is created.

[`ObjectAnchoringSource`](/documentation/RealityKit/AnchoringComponent/ObjectAnchoringSource)

Defines the source of object anchoring target based on how it is created.

### Hand tracking

  <doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/visionOS/happybeam>

[`HandLocation`](/documentation/RealityKit/AnchoringComponent/Target-swift.enum/HandLocation)

Defines the locations of tracked hands to look for.

[`Chirality`](/documentation/RealityKit/AnchoringComponent/Target-swift.enum/Chirality)

Defines the chirality of tracked hands to look for.

### Spatial tracking

[`SpatialTrackingSession`](/documentation/RealityKit/SpatialTrackingSession)

An object that incorporates spatial tracking capabilities into your RealityKit apps.

[`Configuration`](/documentation/RealityKit/SpatialTrackingSession/Configuration)

A type for configuring the spatial tracking session.

[`AnchorCapability`](/documentation/RealityKit/SpatialTrackingSession/Configuration/AnchorCapability)

A type that defines various anchor tracking capabilities.

[`SceneUnderstandingCapability`](/documentation/RealityKit/SpatialTrackingSession/Configuration/SceneUnderstandingCapability)

Defines how system behaviors use scene understanding.

[`Camera`](/documentation/RealityKit/SpatialTrackingSession/Configuration/Camera)

Defines the camera feed the RealityView renders.

[`UnavailableCapabilities`](/documentation/RealityKit/SpatialTrackingSession/UnavailableCapabilities)

A type that contains the unavailable capabilities of the current spatial tracking session.

### Body and face tracking

[Creating an App for Face-Painting in AR](/documentation/RealityKit/creating-an-app-for-face-painting-in-ar)

Combine RealityKit’s face detection with PencilKit to implement virtual face-painting.

  <doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/ARKit/occluding-virtual-content-with-people>

  <doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/visionOS/placing-entities-using-head-and-device-transform>

[`BodyTrackingComponent`](/documentation/RealityKit/BodyTrackingComponent)

A component for tracking people in an AR session.

[`BodyTrackedEntity`](/documentation/RealityKit/BodyTrackedEntity)

An entity used to animate a virtual character in an AR scene by tracking a
real person.

[`HasBodyTracking`](/documentation/RealityKit/HasBodyTracking)

An interface that enables the animation of a virtual character by tracking a
real person in AR.

### Accessory tracking

[Tracking a handheld accessory as a virtual sculpting tool](/documentation/RealityKit/tracking-a-handheld-accessory-as-a-virtual-sculpting-tool)

Use a tracked accessory with Apple Vision Pro to create a virtual sculpture.

### Physics simulation space

[`PhysicsSimulation`](/documentation/RealityKit/AnchoringComponent/PhysicsSimulation-swift.enum)

Describes the physics simulation space of the entity and its descendants.


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