A method including: obtaining at least a characteristic of deformation of a resist layer in a first direction, as if there were no deformation in any directions perpendicular to the first direction; obtaining at least a characteristic of deformation of the resist layer in a second direction as if there were no deformation in the first direction, the second direction being perpendicular different to from the first direction; and obtaining at least a characteristic of three-dimensional deformation of the resist layer based on the characteristic of the deformation in the first direction and the characteristic of the deformation in the second direction.