An auto-positioning apparatus for an x-ray imaging system, the auto-positioning apparatus comprising: a movable x-ray source; electronic storage containing a plurality of x-ray exam types, a plurality of patient heights and a plurality of x-ray source angles; a first transport apparatus configured to automatically move and position the x-ray source according to three spatial xyz coordinates relative to a detector in response to receiving the three spatial xyz coordinates and an x-ray source angle, the first transport apparatus comprising: a ceiling mount configured to move the x-ray source along a plane substantially parallel with a ceiling along xz axes, and a telescoping arm configured to raise or lower the x-ray source along an y axis and to adjust an angle of the x-ray source; and a processor communicatively coupled to the first transport apparatus, the processor programmed to: retrieve electronically stored data identifying one of the plurality of exam types with a corresponding x-ray source angle; retrieve electronically stored patient data including data identifying a height of a patient to be imaged; determine a current position of the x-ray source along each of the three spatial xyz coordinates and determine a source imaging position along each of the three spatial xyz coordinates according to the retrieved data identifying the exam type with the corresponding x-ray source angle and the retrieved height of the patient; and provide a first positioning signal identifying the three spatial xyz coordinates and the x-ray source angle to the first transport apparatus to automatically move the x-ray source from the determined current position to the determined source imaging position to start radiographically exposing the patient to be imaged. a movable x-ray source; electronic storage containing a plurality of x-ray exam types, a plurality of patient heights and a plurality of x-ray source angles; a first transport apparatus configured to automatically move and position the x-ray source according to three spatial xyz coordinates relative to a detector in response to receiving the three spatial xyz coordinates and an x-ray source angle, the first transport apparatus comprising: a ceiling mount configured to move the x-ray source along a plane substantially parallel with a ceiling along xz axes, and a telescoping arm configured to raise or lower the x-ray source along an y axis and to adjust an angle of the x-ray source; and a ceiling mount configured to move the x-ray source along a plane substantially parallel with a ceiling along xz axes, and a telescoping arm configured to raise or lower the x-ray source along an y axis and to adjust an angle of the x-ray source; and a processor communicatively coupled to the first transport apparatus, the processor programmed to: retrieve electronically stored data identifying one of the plurality of exam types with a corresponding x-ray source angle; retrieve electronically stored patient data including data identifying a height of a patient to be imaged; determine a current position of the x-ray source along each of the three spatial xyz coordinates and determine a source imaging position along each of the three spatial xyz coordinates according to the retrieved data identifying the exam type with the corresponding x-ray source angle and the retrieved height of the patient; and provide a first positioning signal identifying the three spatial xyz coordinates and the x-ray source angle to the first transport apparatus to automatically move the x-ray source from the determined current position to the determined source imaging position to start radiographically exposing the patient to be imaged. retrieve electronically stored data identifying one of the plurality of exam types with a corresponding x-ray source angle; retrieve electronically stored patient data including data identifying a height of a patient to be imaged; determine a current position of the x-ray source along each of the three spatial xyz coordinates and determine a source imaging position along each of the three spatial xyz coordinates according to the retrieved data identifying the exam type with the corresponding x-ray source angle and the retrieved height of the patient; and provide a first positioning signal identifying the three spatial xyz coordinates and the x-ray source angle to the first transport apparatus to automatically move the x-ray source from the determined current position to the determined source imaging position to start radiographically exposing the patient to be imaged.