Patent ID: 7345687

Claim:
A computer implemented method for adaptively sampling static data sets, the method comprising: generating a data representation of a surface of an object; casting a plurality of rays onto the data representation of the surface from a single point of origin; determining a current sample density based upon intersection points with the data representation of a plurality of adjacent rays; comparing the current sample density to a desired sample density to form a comparison; and altering a subsequent sample density of a subsequent casting of a subsequent plurality of rays using the comparison, wherein an angle between adjacent rays is altered for the subsequent casting; wherein altering the subsequent sample density of the subsequent casting of the subsequent plurality of rays by altering the angle between the adjacent rays for the subsequent casting comprises: dividing an angle spanned by a current casting of the plurality of rays by a ratio, wherein the ratio is a ratio of a number of data samples covered by the angle between adjacent rays spanned by the current casting of the plurality of rays divided by a number of rays cast.