How to fill a volume with spheres?

Hi,

I'd like to import *.stl files of different shapes and fill the volume with overlapping spheres. How can I do it. I already did this task for 2D shapes using bwdist. But for 3D shapes, I don't know how to do it. Thanks

[Walter Roberson]

What constraint keeps the number of spheres used finite? Filling a non-spherical volume would normally require an infinite number of non-overlapping spheres of varying sizes, and allowing overlapping spheres would, at first blush, only increase the number of spheres involved. (If the spheres are permitted to extend past the edges of the object, then why not just use a single large sphere?)

[chen xiaoyu]

same question!

[Walter Roberson]

chen xiaoyu: then I would put the same question to you: since the spheres are overlapping, what is your constraint that keeps the volume finite, or the number of spheres finite?

Are the spheres permitted to overlap the edges of the 3D area?

By the way, what will you do with the filled areas?