A method for creating a three-dimensional texture atlas, which comprises: subdividing a three-dimensional triangle mesh into a plurality of refined triangles using a computer processor; grouping the plurality of refined triangles into one or more groups of refined triangles (302, 402) using a computer processor, wherein each group of refined triangles (302, 402) is grouped according to its spatial relationship to one of one or more octree leaves (202, 204, 206, 208), and wherein each refined triangle is assigned to the group of an octree leaf if it is substantially within that octree leaf, and is assigned to the group of the octree leaf containing its largest portion if it overlaps between two or more octree leaves; scanning each group of refined triangles (302, 402) within a three-dimensional bounding volume (304, 404) either to form a standardized texture tile, which has a size and shape that is substantially the same size and shape as other standardized texture tiles formed by scanning the refined triangles, when a size of the three-dimensional bounding volume (304, 404) meets a preferred three-dimensional bounding volume size or, otherwise, when the size of the three-dimensional bounding volume exceeds the preferred three-dimensional bounding volume size, to form a non-standardized texture tile, which does not have a size or shape that is substantially the same size and shape as standardized texture tiles formed by scanning the refined triangles, and has a size larger than the size of a standardized texture tile, using a computer processor; and combining each standardized texture tile to form at least one three-dimensional texture atlas using a computer processor. subdividing a three-dimensional triangle mesh into a plurality of refined triangles using a computer processor; grouping the plurality of refined triangles into one or more groups of refined triangles (302, 402) using a computer processor, wherein each group of refined triangles (302, 402) is grouped according to its spatial relationship to one of one or more octree leaves (202, 204, 206, 208), and wherein each refined triangle is assigned to the group of an octree leaf if it is substantially within that octree leaf, and is assigned to the group of the octree leaf containing its largest portion if it overlaps between two or more octree leaves; scanning each group of refined triangles (302, 402) within a three-dimensional bounding volume (304, 404) either to form a standardized texture tile, which has a size and shape that is substantially the same size and shape as other standardized texture tiles formed by scanning the refined triangles, when a size of the three-dimensional bounding volume (304, 404) meets a preferred three-dimensional bounding volume size or, otherwise, when the size of the three-dimensional bounding volume exceeds the preferred three-dimensional bounding volume size, to form a non-standardized texture tile, which does not have a size or shape that is substantially the same size and shape as standardized texture tiles formed by scanning the refined triangles, and has a size larger than the size of a standardized texture tile, using a computer processor; and combining each standardized texture tile to form at least one three-dimensional texture atlas using a computer processor.