Abstract: A methodology for the optimal design of projection patterns for stereometric structured light systems is presented. The similarity as well as the difference between the design of projection patterns and the design of optimal signals for digital communication are discussed. The design of K projection patterns for a structured light system with L distinct planes of light is shown to be equivalent to the placement of L points in a K dimensional space subject to certain constraints. optimal design in the MSE sense is defined, but shown to lead to an intractable multi-parameter global optimization problem. Intuitively appealing suboptimal solutions derived from the family of K dimensional space-filling Hilbert curves are obtained. Preliminary experimental results are presented.