An embodiment of the present invention includes a technique to represent three-dimensional (3-D) object using signed distance functions. A bounding box containing an object is constructed in a 3-D coordinate system. The bounding box has at least a bounding plane. A ray is projected from a grid point on the bounding plane to the object with a pre-defined direction. The ray intersects a surface of the object at an intersection point. A parameterization value of the intersection point associated with the grid point is computed. The parameterization value corresponds to a distance from the grid point to the intersection point.