A system for emulating an augmented reality human machine interface in a virtual reality environment, comprising: executable components comprising software instructions; a memory that stores the software instructions; and a processor, operatively coupled to the memory, that executes the software instructions, the executable components comprising: a simulation component configured to execute a simulation of an industrial automation system under control of an emulated industrial control program based on a digital model of the industrial automation system; a user interface component configured to render a virtual reality presentation of an industrial environment that includes the industrial automation system, wherein the virtual reality presentation animates a three-dimensional virtual representation of the industrial automation system in accordance with the simulation; and an augmented reality human-machine interface, HMI, emulation component configured to emulate execution of an augmented reality HMI application (1004, 222) and to overlay, in accordance with execution of the augmented reality HMI application (1004, 222), augmented reality data items onto the virtual reality presentation based on user location and orientation data generated via user interaction with the virtual reality presentation, wherein the user location and orientation data indicates a simulated user location and orientation within the virtual reality presentation of the industrial environment. executable components comprising software instructions; a memory that stores the software instructions; and a processor, operatively coupled to the memory, that executes the software instructions, the executable components comprising: a simulation component configured to execute a simulation of an industrial automation system under control of an emulated industrial control program based on a digital model of the industrial automation system; a user interface component configured to render a virtual reality presentation of an industrial environment that includes the industrial automation system, wherein the virtual reality presentation animates a three-dimensional virtual representation of the industrial automation system in accordance with the simulation; and an augmented reality human-machine interface, HMI, emulation component configured to emulate execution of an augmented reality HMI application (1004, 222) and to overlay, in accordance with execution of the augmented reality HMI application (1004, 222), augmented reality data items onto the virtual reality presentation based on user location and orientation data generated via user interaction with the virtual reality presentation, wherein the user location and orientation data indicates a simulated user location and orientation within the virtual reality presentation of the industrial environment. a simulation component configured to execute a simulation of an industrial automation system under control of an emulated industrial control program based on a digital model of the industrial automation system; a user interface component configured to render a virtual reality presentation of an industrial environment that includes the industrial automation system, wherein the virtual reality presentation animates a three-dimensional virtual representation of the industrial automation system in accordance with the simulation; and an augmented reality human-machine interface, HMI, emulation component configured to emulate execution of an augmented reality HMI application (1004, 222) and to overlay, in accordance with execution of the augmented reality HMI application (1004, 222), augmented reality data items onto the virtual reality presentation based on user location and orientation data generated via user interaction with the virtual reality presentation, wherein the user location and orientation data indicates a simulated user location and orientation within the virtual reality presentation of the industrial environment.