Techniques are described for improving the speed and accuracy of iterative visible-surface reconstruction algorithms. In particular, the importance of obtaining accurate early information is emphasized, both in the initial surface approximation and in the early localization of surface discontinuities. The first of these goals is attained using a simple technique known as constraint expansion, which yields a good initial approximation while accounting for detected discontinuities. The second goal is attained by using the locations of the image intensity edges as a guide in locating potential discontinuities.>