A system and method for shape sensing assistance in a medical procedure includes a three-dimensional image (111) of a distributed pathway system (148). A shape sensing enabled elongated device (102) is included for insertion into the pathway system to measure a shape of the elongated device in the pathway system. A pathway determination module (144) is configured to compute a planned path to a target in the three-dimensional image and compute permissible movements of the elongated device at diverging pathways in the pathway system to provide feedback for deciding which of the diverging paths to take in accordance with the planned path.