We present a prototype system called ARpm, (augmented reality for polygonal modeling). Created as a front-end to a commercially available 3D animation program (3D Studio Max), it does not require it's modification through inaccessible software code. Users look through a head mounted display (HMD) and the object being modeled appears as a 3D augmentation in the real world. This object can be manipulated using a tangible interface of marker panels that correspond to the modeling tools in 3D Studio Max, and a wireless pointer device. Unlike virtual reality which brings the user into the virtual world, this system places the 3D model in the user's world while allowing the use of a large range of complex 3D polygonal modeling tools provided by 3D Studio Max.