How to simulate a line laser diode? I'm interested in simulating the way a laser line deforms when it strikes an object and runs along the surface of it. Which concepts would be involved? Is there any 3D modeling software out there that does this already? I'd like to implement it into my Eyeshot-based program at some point.
It's a variant to projective texture mapping. 

The simple way to do this in the fragment shader by using the position of the fragment to decide whether it is close enough to the plane of the laser to light up.