Controlling augmented reality content via selection of real-world locations or objects

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:

• receiving position data indicating a position and orientation of a controller, the position data defining an axis of the controller;
• performing ray casting to determine a location in a 3D map of a real world that intersects the axis;
• receiving a selection indication;
• selecting, subsequent to the selection indication, the location in the 3D map that intersects the axis as a waypoint;
• defining a route for a virtual object to travel along based on the waypoint;
• and
• providing, to a client device, AR data including the virtual object traversing along the route, wherein a movement speed of the virtual object along the route is based on a material of a real-world object along the route.

A method for defining a route for a virtual object to travel along in an augmented reality (AR) application, the method comprising:

• receiving position data indicating a position and orientation of a controller, the position data defining an axis of the controller;
• performing ray casting to determine an object in a 3D map of a real world that intersects the axis;
• receiving a selection indication;
• selecting, responsive to the selection indication, the object in the 3D map that intersects the axis as a waypoint;
• defining the route to travel along based on the waypoint;
• and
• providing, to a client device, AR data including the virtual object traversing along the route, wherein a movement speed of the virtual object along the route is based on a material of a real-world object along the route.