# How to "slice through" the model, like when browsing a series of images?

**URL:** <https://discourse.slicer.org/t/how-to-slice-through-the-model-like-when-browsing-a-series-of-images/32861>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [November 16, 2023, 3:59pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/how-to-slice-through-the-model-like-when-browsing-a-series-of-images/32861 "2023-11-16T15:59:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Blizna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f0a364/32.png) [@Blizna](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/Blizna)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 3:59pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/how-to-slice-through-the-model-like-when-browsing-a-series-of-images/32861/1 "2023-11-16T15:59:01Z")

</div>

Hello!  
I’m a new user, neuroscientist, and I’m just exploring this amazing tool. I viewed a few tutorials and I managed to import a DICOM series of a brain MRI into the tool, and get it shown in 3D. However - and this is likely silly - I cannot figure out how to “slice through” the model. I can see the full model of the head, reconstructed from the complete DICOM series, and I cannot find a way how to render e.g. only half of it.  
I’m sorry for my English, hope the question makes sense.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Deep\_Learning](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/deep_learning/32/15345_2.png) [@Deep\_Learning](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/Deep_Learning)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 4:37pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/how-to-slice-through-the-model-like-when-browsing-a-series-of-images/32861/2 "2023-11-16T16:37:18Z")

</div>

From your post, I believe that you are using volume rendering.  
Volume rendering is not based on a segmentation and it cannot be be viewed as you desire.

Segmentation though the segmentation module, can be displayed over the images and one can slice though the images.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Blizna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f0a364/32.png) [@Blizna](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/Blizna)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 4:42pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/how-to-slice-through-the-model-like-when-browsing-a-series-of-images/32861/4 "2023-11-16T16:42:57Z")

</div>

Ah, thank you. Could you please advise me what to do when I would like to simply browse the model “through”? In my case, I see the whole head of a patient, and would like to move through to get to the brainstem.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pieper](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/pieper/32/8_2.png) [@pieper](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/pieper)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 6:49pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/how-to-slice-through-the-model-like-when-browsing-a-series-of-images/32861/5 "2023-11-16T18:49:48Z")

</div>

> [@Blizna](#):
>
> I see the whole head of a patient, and would like to move through to get to the brainstem.

Maybe if you show a picture illustrating what you are trying to achieve we could advise you. I.e. from another software or from a publication.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Blizna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f0a364/32.png) [@Blizna](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/Blizna)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 6:55pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/how-to-slice-through-the-model-like-when-browsing-a-series-of-images/32861/6 "2023-11-16T18:55:54Z")

</div>

I mean, this should be fairly basic. Imagine you load a MRI study, so that the volume rendering shows a complete human head/face. But I obviously need to look inside, ideally step by step, as if viewing the 2D images.  
Or simply - how do I show just a half of the model, so that I see inside? I can see a human bust 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pieper](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/pieper/32/8_2.png) [@pieper](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/pieper)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 6:58pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/how-to-slice-through-the-model-like-when-browsing-a-series-of-images/32861/7 "2023-11-16T18:58:28Z")

</div>

It sounds like you want to use the cropping feature of the volume rendering module.

[https://slicer.readthedocs.io/en/latest/user\_guide/modules/volumerendering.html](https://slicer.readthedocs.io/en/latest/user_guide/modules/volumerendering.html)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Blizna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f0a364/32.png) [@Blizna](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/Blizna)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 8:50pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/how-to-slice-through-the-model-like-when-browsing-a-series-of-images/32861/8 "2023-11-16T20:50:57Z")

</div>

That was exactly it - THANK YOU!