The invention relates to a method and a device for generating at least one virtual image of a measurement object, in which a virtual position and/or a virtual orientation of the measurement object is determined and a virtual position and/or virtual orientation of at least one imaging or image recording device of a coordinate measuring machine is determined. The virtual image is generated on the basis of geometric data of the measurement object and on the basis of optical properties of the measurement object and the virtual image is additionally generated on the basis of imaging parameters of the imaging or image recording device.