# Load curvenodes from stl/vtk file

**URL:** <https://discourse.slicer.org/t/load-curvenodes-from-stl-vtk-file/12091>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [June 18, 2020, 11:23am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/load-curvenodes-from-stl-vtk-file/12091 "2020-06-18T11:23:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Neda](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/neda/32/7160_2.png) [@Neda](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/Neda)\
**Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 11:23am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/load-curvenodes-from-stl-vtk-file/12091/1 "2020-06-18T11:23:35Z")

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Hi,  
I am using 3D slicer 4.11.0 for analyzing dental CT. I need a bunch of points around mandible curve to compute a panoramic X-ray from a cone-beam dental CT ([https://gist.github.com/lassoan/b445c734f118a5fb7643f3fb05f98b07](https://gist.github.com/lassoan/b445c734f118a5fb7643f3fb05f98b07)). I have segmented this curve using “segment editor” -\> “draw tube” (to generate the curve from points) -\> with fiducial markups (points). This segment can be saved in .vtk or .stl format. From this saved files (vtk or stl) how can I get the points coordinates in python interactor to proceed with my 3D to 2D projection?  
Slicer crashes and exists by running this line:  
curve = vtk.vtkPolyData(‘path\_to/mandible\_bow.vtk’)

Do I need to forget about this segmentation (curve in stl/vtk) and save the points in CSV file? If so how should I load points coordinates from it in slicer python interactor?

Any suggestion is appreciated!  
Thank you

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**Author:** ![lassoan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/lassoan/32/13_2.png) [@lassoan](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/lassoan)\
**Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 9:16pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/load-curvenodes-from-stl-vtk-file/12091/2 "2020-06-18T21:16:32Z")

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You can reverse-engineer the curve-shaped segment into a curve using VMTK extension’s brand new “Extract centerline” module - to be released tomorrow for Slicer Preview Release. Give it a try tomorrow and write here if you need help figuring out how to use it.

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**Author:** ![lassoan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/lassoan/32/13_2.png) [@lassoan](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/lassoan)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2020, 4:46pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/load-curvenodes-from-stl-vtk-file/12091/3 "2020-06-19T16:46:42Z")

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See announcement of the new module here: [New module: Extract Centerline (in SlicerVMTK extension)](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/new-module-extract-centerline-in-slicervmtk-extension/12117)