Systems and methods expedite and improve the process of configuring an augmented reality environment. A method of pose determination according to the invention includes the step of placing at least one synthetic fiducial in a real environment to be augmented. A camera, which may include apparatus for obtaining directly measured camera location and orientation (DLMO) information, is used to acquire an image of the environment. The natural and synthetic fiducials are detected, and the pose of the camera is determined using a combination of the natural fiducials, the synthetic fiducial if visible in the image, and the DLMO information if determined to be reliable or necessary. The invention is not limited to architectural environments, and may be used with instrumented persons, animals, vehicles, and any other augmented or mixed reality applications.