# 3D Model from MRI scan
**URL:** https://discourse.itk.org/t/3d-model-from-mri-scan/2420
**Category:** Beginner Questions
**Tags:** dicom
**Created:** [November 18, 2019, 12:17pm UTC](https://discourse.itk.org/t/3d-model-from-mri-scan/2420 "2019-11-18T12:17:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@tkindu](https://discourse.itk.org/u/tkindu)
#### Post date: [November 18, 2019, 12:17pm UTC](https://discourse.itk.org/t/3d-model-from-mri-scan/2420/1 "2019-11-18T12:17:15Z")
Hi i’m researching whether I can use ITK to create a software which would convert MRI scan (DICOM format) into a 3D model. Please direct me to any similar examples and if not possible please provide any tips on where I could start?
Thank you.
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### Author:  [@dzenanz](https://discourse.itk.org/u/dzenanz)
#### Post date: [November 18, 2019, 1:47pm UTC](https://discourse.itk.org/t/3d-model-from-mri-scan/2420/2 "2019-11-18T13:47:59Z")
“Converting” and MRI scan into a 3D model is called **segmentation**.
Something like that already exists. [Slicer](https://www.slicer.org/) is an open source end-user application built on top of ITK (and Qt, and VTK and some other libraries). You can find [tutorials for segmentation](https://www.slicer.org/wiki/Documentation/Nightly/Training#Slicer4_Image_Segmentation).
If you want to write your own software, [segmentation chapter in the user guide](https://itk.org/ITKSoftwareGuide/html/Book2/ITKSoftwareGuide-Book2ch4.html#x35-1770004) can be a good starting point.
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### Author:  [@tkindu](https://discourse.itk.org/u/tkindu)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2020, 10:01am UTC](https://discourse.itk.org/t/3d-model-from-mri-scan/2420/3 "2020-01-22T10:01:16Z")
Thank you for for your response, however its not possible for me to use that software. I’ve used the DicomSeriesReadImageWrite2.cxx example and it’s produced an .nrrd file for me. Is this .nrrd file something that can be viewed on VTK to give me 3D visualisation? thank you
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### Author:  [@dzenanz](https://discourse.itk.org/u/dzenanz)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2020, 2:15pm UTC](https://discourse.itk.org/t/3d-model-from-mri-scan/2420/4 "2020-01-22T14:15:29Z")
That NRRD file can be used for volume rendering in VTK. Start from this [example](https://vtk.org/Wiki/VTK/Examples/Cxx/VolumeRendering/SmartVolumeMapper), and replace `vtkXMLImageDataReader` by [vtkNrrdReader](https://vtk.org/doc/nightly/html/classvtkNrrdReader.html).
You could also use this [example](https://vtk.org/Wiki/VTK/ExamplesBoneYard/Cxx/VolumeRendering/itkVtkImageConvert), which reads the image using ITK and visualizes it using VTK.
However, both of these examples just volume-render the image, they don’t “convert” it.