Model placement metadata is defined and stored for a three-dimensional (“3D”) model. The model placement metadata specifies constraints on the presentation of the 3D model when rendered in a view of a real-world environment, such as a view of a real-world environment generated by wearable computing device like an augmented reality (“AR”) or virtual reality (“VR”) device. A wearable computing device can analyze the geometry of a real-world environment to determine a configuration for the 3D model that satisfies the constraints set forth by the model placement metadata when the 3D model is rendered in a view of the environment. Once the configuration for the 3D model has been computed, the wearable device can render the 3D model according to the displayed configuration and display the rendering in a view of the real-world environment.