SlicerCMF

SlicerCMF is a free, open-source set of 3D Slicer modules for dental and craniofacial image analysis: registration of CBCT scans, 3D landmark measurements, surface distances and shape analysis. It is built for orthodontic, oral and maxillofacial surgery and TMJ researchers and for postgraduate students who need to compare scans over time. It was created by the DCBIA group (University of Michigan School of Dentistry and UNC Chapel Hill) with Kitware and Isomics.

SlicerCMF is not a standalone program and has no version number of its own. It is installed inside 3D Slicer through the Extension Manager, which also pulls in the dozen extensions it bundles. Its source code was last changed in April 2022, so the project is effectively dormant, yet it is still built for the current 3D Slicer 5.12.4 (September 2026) on Windows, macOS and Linux. Anyone searching for a SlicerCMF download should install it this way; the old standalone packages are no longer maintained.

SlicerCMF at a glance

What it does

• CMFreg – region-based registration of CBCT scans, for example superimposing pre- and post-treatment scans on the cranial base.
• Q3DC – quantitative 3D cephalometrics: from placed landmarks it computes yaw, pitch and roll angles, splits 3D distances into right-left, anterior-posterior and superior-inferior components, creates midpoints and exports the values to CSV.
• AnglePlanes – measures angles between planes defined by landmarks.
• EasyClip – clips 3D models along chosen planes to standardise regions before comparison.
• ModelToModelDistance and ShapePopulationViewer – compute point-to-point distances between two surfaces and display several surfaces side by side with colour-coded distance maps.
• PickAndPaint, MeshStatistics and MeshToLabelMap – mark regions of interest on models, produce descriptive statistics and convert models back into label volumes.
• SPHARM-PDM and ShapeVariationAnalyzer – shape correspondence between surfaces and deep-learning-based classification of 3D shapes.
• BoneTexture and DatabaseInteractor – texture and bone morphometry feature maps computed from images, and a connection to web-based data storage.

How dental teams use it

Superimpose two CBCT scans on the cranial base

1. Load the pre- and post-treatment CBCT scans into 3D Slicer (DICOM module).
2. Define the stable reference region – typically the cranial base – as a segmentation or label map.
3. Run CMFreg to register the follow-up scan to the baseline using that region.
4. Build 3D surface models of the structures you want to compare from both registered scans.

Measure 3D cephalometric changes

1. Open Q3DC and place the same landmarks on the baseline and follow-up models, using identical landmark names.
2. Read the angles and the 3D distances split into right-left, anterior-posterior and superior-inferior components; use AnglePlanes for plane-to-plane angles.
3. Export the measurements to CSV for statistical analysis.

Show where the bone changed

1. Clip both models to the same region with EasyClip.
2. Compute surface differences with ModelToModelDistance.
3. Open ShapePopulationViewer to see colour-coded distance maps and compare several patients at once.

These workflows are described in the group’s 2020 paper on the 3D Slicer craniomaxillofacial module (Bianchi et al.), which also covers shape analysis and TMJ assessment.

Install and first run

1. Install 3D Slicer for Windows, macOS or Linux (current stable release 5.12.4; the SlicerCMF site itself suggests the latest preview release).
2. Open the Extension Manager, search for SlicerCMF and install it. The bundled extensions (CMFreg, Q3DC, EasyClip and the others) are installed with it.
3. Restart 3D Slicer when prompted.
4. Find the new modules by name with the module finder or in the module list.

• Gotcha – versions: extensions are built for a specific 3D Slicer release. If SlicerCMF does not appear, check that you are on a current stable or preview build.
• Gotcha – old packages: the standalone SlicerCMF packages from the DCBIA download site are no longer maintained or supported.
• Learning: documentation is thin; the DCBIA YouTube channel and the SlicerCMF forum are the main help sources.

Limitations

• Dormant as a bundle: the SlicerCMF repository has had no code changes since April 2022 and has no releases or tags, even though the package still builds for current 3D Slicer. Some bundled extensions are maintained separately (Q3DC, for example, was updated in 2025).
• No implant planning, surgical guide design or automatic segmentation in SlicerCMF itself.
• 3D Slicer’s licence states the software is designed for research purposes only and has not been reviewed or approved by the FDA or any other agency.
• Workflows assume you already know 3D Slicer (DICOM loading, segmentation, transforms).

SlicerCMF vs alternatives

For maintained dental tools inside 3D Slicer, the same DCBIA group now develops the Automated Dental Tools extension (automatic CBCT segmentation, landmark identification, orientation and registration for CBCT and intraoral scans), and the DentalSegmentator extension offers automatic segmentation of dental CT and CBCT; both are available for 3D Slicer 5.12.4. Outside 3D Slicer, MITK is an actively developed general workbench with AI-assisted segmentation and STL export, and 3DimViewer is a simpler CBCT viewer with STL export, though no longer developed. CustusX targets surgical navigation research rather than dental measurement.

FAQ

What is SlicerCMF?

SlicerCMF is a 3D Slicer extension that bundles registration, segmentation-related and quantification modules for dental and craniofacial image analysis.

How do I get the SlicerCMF download?

Install 3D Slicer, open its Extension Manager and install SlicerCMF there. Project information is on cmf.slicer.org.

Is SlicerCMF free?

Yes. It is free and open source under the BSD-style 3D Slicer licence.

Does SlicerCMF work on Mac?

Yes. It runs wherever 3D Slicer runs – Windows, macOS and Linux – and is currently built for 3D Slicer 5.12.4 on all three.

Is SlicerCMF still maintained?

Its code has not changed since April 2022, so treat it as dormant. It still installs in current 3D Slicer; for new projects also look at the Automated Dental Tools extension from the same group.

Can SlicerCMF plan dental implants?

No. It is a research toolkit for registration, landmarks and shape analysis, not an implant planning program.

SlicerCMF vs MITK?

SlicerCMF provides ready-made craniofacial measurement tools; MITK is a general imaging workbench without dental modules but with strong segmentation.

Last checked against official sources: 28 September 2026 (developer website: cmf.slicer.org). Versions and licence terms change — confirm on the developer's site before deploying in a clinic.