1. A method for characterizing a surface of an object comprising the steps of: projecting from a projector a plurality of images onto a surface desired to be characterized, the images comprising a first set of images and a second set of images distinguishable from the first set, each of the first and the second set of images having a corresponding source element having known two-dimensional coordinates relative to the projector; determining a pose of a first and a second camera positioned in spaced relation from each other and in position to image at least a portion of the desired surface; determining three-dimensional coordinates of at least some of the first set of images on the surface using the first and the second cameras; calculating from the determined three-dimensional coordinates an initial pose of the projector; matching each of the at least some of the first set of images with a corresponding source element; determining from the matching step an improved pose of the projector. determining three-dimensional coordinates of at least some of the second set of images using the improved projector pose and the first and the second camera; and characterizing the surface from the three-dimensional coordinates of the first and the second set of images.