1. A method for identifying salient points from three-dimensional image data associated with a structure, the method comprising: executing instructions on a computer system, including a computer or processor circuit, to generate a three-dimensional surface mesh from the three-dimensional image data; categorize lengths of paths on the three-dimensional surface mesh, the paths connected to one or more points of a plurality of points on the three-dimensional surface mesh; and identify a subset of the plurality of points as salient points based upon the categorized lengths of paths; for one or more identified salient points on the surface mesh, determining an orientation for each identified salient point as a function of a path between each identified salient point and corresponding vertices connecting the identified salient point to a corresponding central point; and according to a set of parts of a model representing the structure, extracting local descriptors associated with the salient points and selecting subsets of the three-dimensional image data that include a corresponding one of the salient points, and assessing a correlation between candidate locations of the set of parts and the selected subsets of the three-dimensional image data.