# Dicom images fail to read

**URL:** <https://discourse.slicer.org/t/dicom-images-fail-to-read/43765>\
**Category:** VMTK\
**Tags:** dicom\
**Created:** [July 17, 2025, 9:45pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/dicom-images-fail-to-read/43765 "2025-07-17T21:45:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![MLPPD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c67d28/32.png) [@MLPPD](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/MLPPD)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2025, 9:45pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/dicom-images-fail-to-read/43765/1 "2025-07-17T21:45:21Z")

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Hello all,

I’m a new user of VMTK, trying to read in a set of processed DICOM images with the command “vmtkimagereader -ifile C:\Users\Admin\Documents\s0.5-10\1 -f dicom”. When I do so, it produces the following error:  
Traceback (most recent call last):  
File “C:\Users\Admin\miniforge3\envs\vmtk\lib\site-packages\vmtk\pypeserver.py”, line 46, in RunPypeProcess  
pipe.Execute()  
File “C:\Users\Admin\miniforge3\envs\vmtk\lib\site-packages\vmtk\pype.py”, line 324, in Execute  
scriptObject.Execute()  
File “C:\Users\Admin\miniforge3\envs\vmtk\lib\site-packages\vmtk\vmtkimagereader.py”, line 266, in Execute  
self.ReadITKIO()  
File “C:\Users\Admin\miniforge3\envs\vmtk\lib\site-packages\vmtk\vmtkimagereader.py”, line 203, in ReadITKIO  
matrix.GetElement(0,0), matrix.GetElement(0,1), matrix.GetElement(0,2), matrix.GetElement(0,3),  
AttributeError: ‘NoneType’ object has no attribute ‘GetElement’

as well as the following, in the pypepad output:

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/slicer/original/3X/6/c/6c304ee6435372b40c13f5a81b021ac0921b6379.png)

I’ve tried importing multiple different sets of DICOM images, both those I am working with and test datasets, on two different PCs (Windows 10/11), with both binary installation versions as well as through conda forge. Any help in resolving this issue would be greatly appreciated.

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**Author:** ![muratmaga](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/muratmaga/32/3622_2.png) [@muratmaga](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/muratmaga)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 1:20am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/dicom-images-fail-to-read/43765/2 "2025-07-18T01:20:26Z")

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Is there a reason why you are not using the Slicer’s DICOM module?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MLPPD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c67d28/32.png) [@MLPPD](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/MLPPD)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 2:02pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/dicom-images-fail-to-read/43765/4 "2025-07-21T14:02:54Z")

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I’m trying to use VMTK standalone (hence why I posted under the VMTK community).

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**Author:** ![chir.set](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/chir.set/32/66982_2.png) [@chir.set](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/chir.set)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 3:15pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/dicom-images-fail-to-read/43765/5 "2025-07-21T15:15:41Z")

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> [@MLPPD](#):
>
> I’m trying to use VMTK standalone

_Just in case_ you have been tasked by doctors to press the juice from a DICOM series in _one click_, please consider it is **impossible**.

You may automate a lot of tasks if you use Slicer itself, that’s the way to go and it won’t ever be `one-click-get-all`.

Admittedly, your purpose may be something else and my comments are unrelated to your intent. Nevertheless, I still point out that it’s not fun playing with VMTK standalone.

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**Author:** ![muratmaga](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/muratmaga/32/3622_2.png) [@muratmaga](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/muratmaga)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 4:26pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/dicom-images-fail-to-read/43765/6 "2025-07-21T16:26:46Z")

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> [@MLPPD](#):
>
> I’m trying to use VMTK standalone (hence why I posted under the VMTK community).

Sorry don’t know anything about standalone VMTK. All I know, as @chir.set is alluded DICOM is a complicated format, and developers of Slicer has put a lot of effort into building a robust DICOM module that handles myriads of exceptions and oddities vendors provide.

Hope someone on the forum can help you with your question.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MLPPD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c67d28/32.png) [@MLPPD](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/MLPPD)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 7:23pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/dicom-images-fail-to-read/43765/7 "2025-07-21T19:23:27Z")

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![thumbnail_image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/slicer/original/3X/b/e/bee0007b3773200626ac022ace990119312b7c80.png)  
I seem to have attached the wrong image, I’ve just noticed. The error is roughly the same but the path is to an actual DICOM image.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MLPPD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c67d28/32.png) [@MLPPD](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/MLPPD)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 7:49pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/dicom-images-fail-to-read/43765/8 "2025-07-21T19:49:07Z")

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In noticing this I’ve discovered why I’m getting this error: in all cases either the directory I was working in began with a python escape character, or my images began with a number (causing the same effect). Adding an extra slash has prevented the error (though the image viewer now appears to be showing an entirely black volume).