A system for assisting an x-ray operator with properly positioning a patient's body part to be x-rayed. The system uses a range sensor supported on an x-ray emitter to collect data about the patient's body part to be x-rayed. The collected data is transmitted to a processor and used to create a mapped envelope of the patient's body part. The processor compares the mapped envelope to a selected reference envelope. If the processor determines that the mapped envelope is not fully contained within the reference envelope, the processor will provide the x-ray operator with a negative notification, indicating that the patient's body part needs to be adjusted. If the processor determines that the mapped envelope is fully contained within the reference envelope, the processor will provide the x-ray operator with a positive notification, indicating the patient's body part is ready to be x-rayed.
