Why Exporting Doesn't Save 3D Editing

OsiriX and Horos Course · 3D Reconstruction

In this lesson I explain a point that seems simple but causes a lot of confusion in OsiriX: how to save the “editing” (sculpting/cropping) work done on a 3D Volume Rendering so that you can keep editing it later. The example is a CT angiography of a patient with a stent graft. I create a 3D Volume Rendering, apply a vascular preset and start “skeletonizing” the image by removing surrounding structures (bone and unwanted vessels) using the scissors and the Delete key. I also show that, if you make a wrong cut, you can cancel it with ESC. The big point: “exporting” is not the same as “saving to keep editing” In OsiriX there are several ways to export what you are seeing, but most of them do not preserve the ability to keep editing later. What does NOT work for continued editing If you are in 3D (Volume Rendering) and do: File → Export to Movie ✅ good for lectures/presentations ❌ it becomes just a video rotating the scene Export JPEG / Export TIFF ✅ produces an image of what is on screen ❌ you cannot go back and edit the cuts Export to DICOM Files (from the 3D) ❌ here is a common trap: OsiriX may generate an animated series (like a “movie” in DICOM), meaning you get a rotation of the image but keep neither the tools nor the editing for further work In the video, I show this: when I export directly from the 3D, the result opens as an object you can rotate, but you cannot keep cutting, because the tools (scissors, etc.) are no longer there. The right way to save the “edited 3D” to continue later What really stores your work (the cuts) is the original dataset (the axial slices) — because the cuts you make in the VR are also reflected as changes in the axial series. How to do it (step by step) Do your editing in the 3D Volume Rendering (scissors + Delete) Go to Window and open/look at the axial image of the study You will see that the cuts appeared in the axial slices Now, in the axial series, do: File → Export → DICOM Files Export the entire series (from start to end) and give it a name (in the video: “3d volume lapidado”, i.e., “edited 3D volume”) Result When you open this newly exported series (“3d volume lapidado”, the edited 3D volume), all the cuts are still there Then you can: Create a new Volume Rendering from this already-edited series Apply the preset again (e.g., “standard”/vascular) And keep editing (cut more bone, adjust details, zoom in, etc.) Practical tips mentioned in the video To edit better: look for different angles, including “unusual” angles that make it easier to remove structures. For fine details: zoom in/magnify to reach more delicate areas. In the end, you get a skeletonized aorta/stent graft with minimal bone interference, ready for high-quality viewing.