A shape measuring apparatus includes a probe head that changes its posture by rotational motion of a first drive axis and a second drive axis, and a coordinate measuring machine that three-dimensionally displaces a location of the probe head by three translation axes (a third drive axis, a fourth drive axis, and a fifth drive axis). The location of a measurement tip is given by coordinate values of the third to fifth drive axes, and the posture of a probe head is given by a first rotating angle α and a second rotating angle β. An intersection point between a first rotation axis and a second rotation axis is set as a rotation center Q. An interpolation point in each control period is calculated for each of the first to fifth drive axes.