1. A method comprising: determining a projection vector for data of an image data set in a multidimensional property space wherein the projection vector maximizes a ratio of between-class scatter to within-class scatter of the image data set using a processor; determining a reference on the projection vector using the processor; classifying at least some of the data into a plurality of unambiguously defined data classes based on a nesting analysis of distances of the data from the reference using the processor; eliminating at least some of the unambiguously defined classified data classes from the image data set based on the classification operation to produce a modified image data set containing only unclassified data using the processor; and determining another projection vector for the unclassified data of the modified image data set that maximizes a ratio of between-class scatter to within-class scatter of the modified image data set using the processor.