Method and system for determining a degree of correlation between a simulated camera image and an actual camera image

A method of determining a correlation between a simulated camera image and an actual camera image includes obtaining, from a camera field of view simulator, a simulated camera image of a scene, where the scene includes a view area and a reference pattern that is overlaid on the view area. The reference pattern segregates the view area into at least one region, and each region is further segregated into sections that together define a uniform orthogonal grid. The method also includes obtaining, from a camera, an actual camera image of the scene, analyzing the images to determine differences in image intensity between regions of the simulated camera image and the corresponding regions of the actual camera image; and determining a degree of correlation between the simulated camera image and the actual camera image based on the differences in image intensity.