Features of Slicer Dicer with 3VO, the viewer for Slicer Dicer, Volumetric Visualization Software

Items flagged are new features in v5.

Visualization

	Perspective view of data rendered on interactively selected orthogonal slices, oblique slices, blocks (arbitrary rectilinear sub-volumes), cutouts, isosurfaces (example), and projected volumes (projected maximum, minimum, maximum absolute, or minimum absolute) (example).
	Lighting model includes directional and non-directional (ambient) light. Light source can be placed anywhere.
	Optional annotations: caption, axes ticks and labels (default "pretty" ticks, or override to place ticks where you want them), color legend, data-cube outline.
	Text can be any size, font, style and color (example).
	Animation modes: slices, space (example), time (any parametric dimension), transparency, oblique slice orientation (example), rotation (example). Built-in animation viewer supports speed and image size controls, single-step, forward, backward, loop, and back-and-forth modes.
	Select color scale from 25+ built in color tables, or import from palette file. Any data level or range of levels can be painted with an arbitrary color.
	Any data level or range of levels can be rendered as either opaque or transparent (example).

3VO - the new OpenGL-based viewer for Slicer Dicer

Here are some of the features available in the 3VO window:

	Realistic 3D projection - precise control over camera field-of-view and distance.
	Interactive zoom - drag the cursor to increase or decrease the scale.
	Virtual-trackball interactive rotation - drag the cursor to rotate and/or spin the scene.
	Multiple lights - ambient plus any number of directional lights.
	Realistic surface light-reflection model - adjust diffuse and specular reflection coefficients for individual surfaces.
	Surface representation options - points, wireframe, or solid.
	Translucent surfaces - set opacity for any surface from 0% to 100%.
	Export 3D model data to a file - 3ds, cob, dxf, pov, and other formats are supported.

The last feature in this list, 3D model data export, is distinct from the others in that it is unrelated to interactive viewing. You can use this feature to export your scene to a file in any of several standard formats that are used in the 3D modeling industry. This makes it possible to extract 3D objects from your data set and merge them into other modeling environments. For example, the exported model-data file could be read by a stereolithography machine, or other rapid prototyping device, to produce a physical replica of a structure of interest extracted from your data.

DICOM Browser: Seeker^TM

	Search for and organize DICOM files.
	View 2D DICOM images.
	View DICOM header data, e.g. patient data.
	Load selected images into Slicer Dicer.

Ease-of-Use

See the Slicer Dicer user interface here (59K).

	Use interactive "slicing and dicing" tools to create display objects.
	Use Tongs tool to select and manipulate any display objects individually or as groups.
	Use keyboard arrow keys to move selected objects in any direction. Objects are continually redrawn as they move.
	Paint Can, Eyedropper, and Eraser tools operate directly on data or color bars to add, select or erase color associated with any data value.
	Distribute command moves selected objects to equally spaced positions.
	Show/Hide and Transparency On/Off attributes can be toggled for any object(s).
	Properties (size, position, and attributes) for selected objects can be viewed and edited.
	Cut/Copy/Paste between documents.
	Open a data or document file using another document as a template. The configuration information for the newly opened document is set to match that in the template document.
	Tools and commonly used commands are available from toolbars that can be floating or docked on main window frame.
	3D coordinates and data value under cursor shown continuously in InfoBar at bottom of main window. All values shown in units specified by user.
	Use controls in Color Mapping dialog to rotate, stretch, compress, translate or invert color scale interactively.
	Multiple documents (representing one or more data files) can be open simultaneously.
	Volumetric region of interest can be identified interactively and extracted for close-up viewing.
	Maintain Aspect Ratio option. You can select the "Maintain Aspect Ratio" option and then adjust any single scale factor. Slicer Dicer automatically adjusts the other scales to preserve aspect ratios.

Data Mapping Options

	Color scale applied to arbitrary dependent-variable range.
	Data volume can be scaled by arbitrary scale factors applied to each axis independently.
	Data volume can be rotated to any orientation.
	Interpolated data can be computed by either tri-linear (prettier) or nearest neighbor (faster) interpolation.

Input Data

	NetCDF (network Common Data Format),
	NetCDF "Large File Support" (LFS) is now included in Slicer Dicer.
	HDF (Hierarchical Data. Format)
	Reads more than 45 standard image formats, including DICOM, BMP, CLP, DIB, EPS, HDF, JPG, PICT, TIFF, WMF, and many others.
	Surfer (Golden Software Inc.) Grid Format, (both binary and text versions)
	Analyze 7.5 format is used by the Analyze program from the Biomedical Imaging Resource at the Mayo Foundation
	Support for voxel aspect metadata.
	Generic Binary Data: Unformatted file containing array with arbitrary headers and trailers associated with each dimension.
	Simpler and more capable interface for Generic Text Data: Formatted text file containing array with arbitrary headers and trailers associated with each dimension.
	Generic Metadata File: Text file defining the format and location of a particular generic data (binary or text) file.
	All standard data types supported: 8-, 16-, 32-bit integers, single or double precision floating-point real numbers.
	Import multiple-file data sets, e.g., slice-image sequences.
	Select any sub-volume for viewing. Each dimension can be decimated by any factor.
	Files can be larger than available (virtual) memory. Only sub-volume selected for viewing is loaded into (virtual) memory.
	AVI Animation files from any source can be opened and viewed interactively.
	Color palettes can be imported from PAL, RGB, and text files.

Output Formats

	Save Document (Normal or Compressed).
	Save Image as BMP, HDF, IFF, PBM, PCT, PCX, PNG, PSD, TGA, or TIF file. Image can be cropped arbitrarily.
	Save Animation (AVI file or sequence of image files).
	Color palettes can be exported to PAL, RGB, and text files.
	Print Image directly to any printer available on your system.
	Copy and paste image (bitmap) directly into external application (e.g., word processor, graphics program).

Installation

	Distributed as a 15-day free download (or upon request, on CD-ROM). The 15-day limit is removed by applying the name/key that is provided during purchase.
	Components installed via self-installing executable. Options include full installation or various partial installs that minimize disk-space requirements.
	Uninstall executable available to remove all components, including DLLs and program icons.

Online Help

	Complete on-line hypertext user's guide and reference accessible via Table of Contents, Index or text search.
	Press Help button (or F1 key) in any dialog to jump to relevant pages in user's guide.
	Select Help tool and click on any user interface item to jump to help text for that item.
	Tooltips and status bar "what's this?" text supported for all menu commands and toolbar buttons.
	Online tutorials cover introductory "quick start" material as well as advanced procedures.