A method of generating a virtual collision map for use in optimizing planning of a radiation treatment by a radiation beam to be delivered from an associated treatment device on a gantry to a patient target volume within a treatment volume of an associated patient disposed on a couch operatively coupled with the associated treatment device, the method comprising: acquiring segmented data, the segmented data being representative of a characteristic of the PTV, and representative of a non-treatment volume comprising an organ at risk of the associated patient; modeling the PTV of the segmented data as a source of simulated rays projecting outwardly relative to the PTV and having a predetermined initial value; modeling the OAR of the segmented data as having an assigned ray attenuation feature to reduce an intensity of a selected one or more of the simulated rays passing through the OAR; defining a virtual collision map surface surrounding the PTV and the OAR; calculating an accumulated intensity value for points on the virtual collision map surface having the simulated rays passing through the points, the accumulated intensity value of each point being i) the predetermined initial value for areas of the virtual collision map surface having simulated rays passing directly from the PTV to the virtual collision map surface, and ii) the predetermined initial value attenuated by the assigned ray attenuation feature of the OAR for areas of the virtual collision map surface having the OAR disposed between the PTV and the virtual collision map surface; generating an intensity distribution on the virtual collision map surface in accordance with the calculated accumulated intensity values, wherein the areas or points on the map surface which exhibit the highest calculated accumulated intensity are used to define one or more suitable directions for irradiating the PTV; and determining, in accordance with the intensity distribution, the virtual collision map defining an optimized relationship between the associated patient disposed on the couch and one or more optimum positions of the treatment device on the gantry that maximize an amount of the radiation beam delivered to the PTV and minimize an amount of the radiation beam delivered to the OAR. acquiring segmented data, the segmented data being representative of a characteristic of the PTV, and representative of a non-treatment volume comprising an organ at risk of the associated patient; modeling the PTV of the segmented data as a source of simulated rays projecting outwardly relative to the PTV and having a predetermined initial value; modeling the OAR of the segmented data as having an assigned ray attenuation feature to reduce an intensity of a selected one or more of the simulated rays passing through the OAR; defining a virtual collision map surface surrounding the PTV and the OAR; calculating an accumulated intensity value for points on the virtual collision map surface having the simulated rays passing through the points, the accumulated intensity value of each point being i) the predetermined initial value for areas of the virtual collision map surface having simulated rays passing directly from the PTV to the virtual collision map surface, and ii) the predetermined initial value attenuated by the assigned ray attenuation feature of the OAR for areas of the virtual collision map surface having the OAR disposed between the PTV and the virtual collision map surface; generating an intensity distribution on the virtual collision map surface in accordance with the calculated accumulated intensity values, wherein the areas or points on the map surface which exhibit the highest calculated accumulated intensity are used to define one or more suitable directions for irradiating the PTV; and determining, in accordance with the intensity distribution, the virtual collision map defining an optimized relationship between the associated patient disposed on the couch and one or more optimum positions of the treatment device on the gantry that maximize an amount of the radiation beam delivered to the PTV and minimize an amount of the radiation beam delivered to the OAR.