Methods and systems for fabricating a composite structure are provided. The method (400, 500, 600) includes receiving data representing a portion of a surface (312) of the structure, measuring a surface of the structure, the measured surface corresponding to the received surface wherein the measuring is performed with the structure in a flexed condition, and determining a difference in a first and a second direction between the measured surface and the received surface at areas that correspond to the measured surface. The method also includes determining a difference in a third direction, transmitting to a morphing algorithm the determined differences in the first, second, and third directions, and determining a position in the first, second, and third directions of a point on the surfacein the flexed condition that corresponds to a respective point on the received surface when the structure is placed in the nominal condition.