A method for controlling movement of a probe of a shape measuring apparatus, the apparatus including a probe having a stylus tip at a tip and a moving mechanism which moves the probe, and configured to record a sequence of contour data points by detecting a contact between the stylus tip and a surface of the workpiece, the method comprising: in order to calculate a nominal scanning path (i, i+1,...) to move the stylus tip based on design data of the workpiece, and to move the stylus tip along the nominal scanning path (i, i+1,...) while controlling the stylus tip so as to keep an amount of deflection of the probe to the workpiece W to be a reference amount of deflection corresponding to the stylus tip radius, generating a movement instruction for the probe according to a combined velocity vector V represented by a following expression: V → = Gf ⋅ Vf → + Ge ⋅ Ve → + Gc ⋅ Vc 2 →, where Vf is a path velocity vector to move the probe along the nominal scanning path, Ve is a deflection correcting vector to keep the amount of deflection of the probe to the workpiece to be the reference amount of deflection given by Ve → = K Ep → − E 0 eu →, where K is an arbitrary constant, Ep is sensor output of the probe, E0 is the reference amount of deflection, eu is a unit vector in a deflection direction of the probe, Vc 2 is a second trajectory correcting vector, given by Vc 2 → = Vc 1 → ⋅ q → q → Vc 1 is a first trajectory correcting vector which is parallel to a perpendicular from the probe portion to the nominal scanning path, in order to correct a position of the probe so that the stylus tip heads to a point where the distance between the center of the stylus tip and the nominal scanning path is minimized, q is a trajectory correcting direction vector given by eu → × Vf → / eu → × Vf → or Vf → × eu → / Vf → × eu → and Gf, Ge, and Gc are a scanning driving gain, a deflection correcting gain, and a trajectory correcting gain respectively. in order to calculate a nominal scanning path (i, i+1,...) to move the stylus tip based on design data of the workpiece, and to move the stylus tip along the nominal scanning path (i, i+1,...) while controlling the stylus tip so as to keep an amount of deflection of the probe to the workpiece W to be a reference amount of deflection corresponding to the stylus tip radius, generating a movement instruction for the probe according to a combined velocity vector V represented by a following expression: V → = Gf ⋅ Vf → + Ge ⋅ Ve → + Gc ⋅ Vc 2 →, where Vf is a path velocity vector to move the probe along the nominal scanning path, Ve is a deflection correcting vector to keep the amount of deflection of the probe to the workpiece to be the reference amount of deflection given by Ve → = K Ep → − E 0 eu →, where K is an arbitrary constant, Ep is sensor output of the probe, E0 is the reference amount of deflection, eu is a unit vector in a deflection direction of the probe, Vc 2 is a second trajectory correcting vector, given by Vc 2 → = Vc 1 → ⋅ q → q → Vc 1 is a first trajectory correcting vector which is parallel to a perpendicular from the probe portion to the nominal scanning path, in order to correct a position of the probe so that the stylus tip heads to a point where the distance between the center of the stylus tip and the nominal scanning path is minimized, q is a trajectory correcting direction vector given by eu → × Vf → / eu → × Vf → or Vf → × eu → / Vf → × eu → and Gf, Ge, and Gc are a scanning driving gain, a deflection correcting gain, and a trajectory correcting gain respectively. where Vf is a path velocity vector to move the probe along the nominal scanning path, Ve is a deflection correcting vector to keep the amount of deflection of the probe to the workpiece to be the reference amount of deflection given by Ve → = K Ep → − E 0 eu →, where K is an arbitrary constant, Ep is sensor output of the probe, E0 is the reference amount of deflection, eu is a unit vector in a deflection direction of the probe, Vc 2 is a second trajectory correcting vector, given by Vc 2 → = Vc 1 → ⋅ q → q → Vc 1 is a first trajectory correcting vector which is parallel to a perpendicular from the probe portion to the nominal scanning path, in order to correct a position of the probe so that the stylus tip heads to a point where the distance between the center of the stylus tip and the nominal scanning path is minimized, q is a trajectory correcting direction vector given by eu → × Vf → / eu → × Vf → or Vf → × eu → / Vf → × eu → and Gf, Ge, and Gc are a scanning driving gain, a deflection correcting gain, and a trajectory correcting gain respectively. K is an arbitrary constant, Ep is sensor output of the probe, E0 is the reference amount of deflection, eu is a unit vector in a deflection direction of the probe, Vc 2 is a second trajectory correcting vector, given by Vc 2 → = Vc 1 → ⋅ q → q → Vc 1 is a first trajectory correcting vector which is parallel to a perpendicular from the probe portion to the nominal scanning path, in order to correct a position of the probe so that the stylus tip heads to a point where the distance between the center of the stylus tip and the nominal scanning path is minimized, q is a trajectory correcting direction vector given by eu → × Vf → / eu → × Vf → or Vf → × eu → / Vf → × eu → and Gf, Ge, and Gc are a scanning driving gain, a deflection correcting gain, and a trajectory correcting gain respectively.