Simulating a surface of a structure

A non-transitory computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium;
• program code, stored on the computer readable storage media, for creating a failure mode condition for excluding invalid samples, wherein the failure mode condition is a rate of change value for a part feature exceeding a rate of change constraint;
• program code, stored on the computer readable storage media, for determining relative positions in a virtual space of a plurality of points on a surface of a structure using the rate of change constraint, wherein the rate of change constraint is a maximum deviation of the surface for the plurality of points over a specified distance along the surface for the part feature, wherein each point in the plurality of points is displaced by the rate of change constant;
• program code, stored on the computer readable storage media, for generating a virtual model of the surface of the structure in the virtual space using the points, wherein each point is displaced independent of a neighboring point;
• program code, stored on the computer readable storage media, for using the virtual model and the rate of change constraint, comparing a rate of change value for the part feature to the rate of change constraint;
• and
• program code, stored on the computer readable storage media, for responsive to the rate of change value for the part feature exceeding the rate of change constraint, identifying the sample as an invalid sample.

An apparatus comprising:

• a bus;
• a memory connected to the bus;
• and
• a processor unit connected to the bus, wherein the processor unit is configured to create a failure mode condition for excluding invalid samples, wherein the failure mode condition is a rate of change value for a part feature exceeding a rate of change constraint, determine relative positions in a virtual space of a plurality of points on a surface of a structure using the rate of change constraint, wherein the rate of change constraint is a maximum deviation of the surface for the plurality of points over a specified distance along the surface for the part feature, wherein each point in the plurality of points is displaced by the rate of change constant, and generate a virtual model of the surface of the structure in the virtual space using the points, wherein each point is displaced independent of a neighboring point, use the virtual model and the rate of change constraint, comparing a rate of change value for the part feature to the rate of change constraint, and responsive to the rate of change value for the part feature exceeding the rate of change constraint, identify the sample as an invalid sample.