# How can I generate an inflated cortical surface/map in 3D Slicer

**URL:** <https://discourse.slicer.org/t/how-can-i-generate-an-inflated-cortical-surface-map-in-3d-slicer/47906>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [August 17, 2026, 2:41pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/how-can-i-generate-an-inflated-cortical-surface-map-in-3d-slicer/47906 "2026-08-17T14:41:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![miral](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@miral](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/miral)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2026, 2:41pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/how-can-i-generate-an-inflated-cortical-surface-map-in-3d-slicer/47906/1 "2026-08-17T14:41:09Z")

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Hi everyone,

I am working with rhesus macaque MRI data in 3D Slicer and am trying to generate an inflated cortical surface for visualization and cortical mapping.

I currently have a 3D cortical surface/model in `.vtk` format that is already registered to my anatomical MRI in Slicer. I would like to transform this folded cortical surface into an inflated representation, while preserving the correspondence between the original cortical surface vertices and the inflated surface.

I have been looking at SlicerSALT / SurfacePlaneMapper, but I’m not sure whether this is the appropriate tool for generating an inflated cortical surface, or how I should prepare my `.vtk` cortical model for it.