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Combining Modalities

XRTracker's modalities can be combined to leverage the strengths of each. The most common combinations and when to use them.

Available Combinations

Combination Use Case
Silhouette only General-purpose, no depth sensor
Edge only Industrial parts, cluttered backgrounds, no depth sensor
Silhouette + Depth Best robustness for AR with depth sensor (iPhone Pro, RealSense)
Edge + Depth Industrial parts with depth sensor

Note

Silhouette and Edge are mutually exclusive — you pick one tracking method. Depth is a complementary modality that enhances either method but cannot be used alone.

The most robust combination for mobile AR. Silhouette handles rotational tracking while depth provides strong positional accuracy.

Enable:

  1. Set Tracking Method to Silhouette
  2. Check Depth Tracking

Best for: iPhone/iPad Pro with LiDAR, Android with ToF, Intel RealSense on desktop.

Edge + Depth

Preferred for industrial scenarios where geometric edges are reliable and backgrounds are cluttered.

Enable:

  1. Set Tracking Method to Edge
  2. Check Depth Tracking

Best for: Factory floors, mechanical assemblies, warehouse settings.

How Modalities Interact

When multiple modalities are active, they work together to find the best pose:

  • Each modality contributes its own measurements
  • The tracker combines all information to produce the most accurate pose
  • Quality is reported as the best across active modalities

Adding depth doesn't slow down contour tracking — all modalities are processed together efficiently.