Patent ID: 8107737

Claim:
A shape evaluation method for evaluating a surface shape of an object to be evaluated comprising: a shape recognition step for recognizing the surface shape of the object to be evaluated based on a measurement value obtained from a measurement result of the surface shape of the object to be evaluated, or by reading imaginary shape data representing a shape of the object to be evaluated; a representative point extraction step for extracting representing points from the recognized surface shape of the object to be evaluated; a shape specifying step for specifying a shape for a predefined area around the extracted representing point; a vector defining step for defining a light source direction vector with respect to each of the representing points based on a relative position of a light source to radiate light; a representing point select step for selecting, from among all of the representing points, only representing points for which imaginary reflection vectors corresponding to the defined light source direction vectors are contained within a predefined range from a direction that is imaginarily defined as a visual recognition direction; and a highlight line creation step for creating, by using a group of all of the selected representing points as a highlight point group, a highlight line that is imaginarily generated on the surface of the object to be evaluated based on the highlight point group; wherein an evaluation point is added on the created highlight line; a curved line is approximated based on the evaluation point and an evaluation of the surface shape of the object to be evaluated is performed based on a curvature of the approximated curved line.