# How to resume a segmentation in a 3D volume?

**URL:** <https://discourse.slicer.org/t/how-to-resume-a-segmentation-in-a-3d-volume/21773>\
**Category:** Support\
**Tags:** segmentation\
**Created:** [February 3, 2022, 5:55am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/how-to-resume-a-segmentation-in-a-3d-volume/21773 "2022-02-03T05:55:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pycad](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/pycad/32/14129_2.png) [@pycad](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/pycad)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 5:55am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/how-to-resume-a-segmentation-in-a-3d-volume/21773/1 "2022-02-03T05:55:18Z")

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Hi there,  
I am trying to segment some 3D volumes using 3D slicer, but sometimes I can not complete the whole segmentation on the same day and I want to save then complete the segmentation after but I do not know how to save the file so that it can be opened after and how to complete the segmentation from where I ended.

I will really appreciate that  
Thank you

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**Author:** ![ebrahim](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/ebrahim/32/13403_2.png) [@ebrahim](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/ebrahim)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 12:00pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/how-to-resume-a-segmentation-in-a-3d-volume/21773/2 "2022-02-03T12:00:02Z")

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You can save and then later load your scene, using the buttons in the top right that look like this:

![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/slicer/original/3X/d/f/dfa92090c7a4ad501edbb1c795e94b49b199e4f9.png)  
 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/slicer/original/3X/5/e/5e0fc3047483669fe38f319255bdc263ac78a81c.png)

[Here’s a description of the file formats for segmentation](https://slicer.readthedocs.io/en/latest/user_guide/data_loading_and_saving.html#segmentations)

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**Author:** ![DIV](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/div/32/12816_2.png) [@DIV](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/DIV)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2022, 6:28am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/how-to-resume-a-segmentation-in-a-3d-volume/21773/3 "2022-02-07T06:28:08Z")

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Typically when saving you get the option to save out a variety of separate files that each describe a different part of what you’ve done.  
Example:  
 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/slicer/original/3X/2/6/269e44cd1f13ecf4f2d4a63de8adc891e760abf1.png)

I tend to save them all, although you might decide that it’s not worth re-saving the `NRRD (.nrrd)` file containing the original data to a new location. Obviously you should save the `Segmentation`.

I then typically reload _everything_ via the `MRML Scene` file. (That’s one file.) An example is given below.

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/slicer/original/3X/d/2/d2ef938f97387128fb0a136ab33b0d367c981e45.png)  
That file tells Slicer to load all of the associated files, including segmentation.

Optionally you could load individual aspects, rather than _everything_, by choosing one of the other files that were saved out.

—DIV

P.S. Note that the `MRML Scene` file is different from the “scene views” that can be captured, and which tend to get saved out as separate `.png` image files.