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The viewer: MPR, panoramic and oblique

The viewer is where radiologic work happens. It opens from the Open in viewer button of any exam — or directly from the link shared by a colleague. No installation needed: it runs in the browser with WebAssembly acceleration.

Viewer overview: top bar with view selector (Orthogonal / Panoramic / Oblique / 3D), side panels for tools and report.
Viewer overview: top bar with view selector (Orthogonal / Panoramic / Oblique / 3D), side panels for tools and report.

The four views

The top bar lets you pick how to see the volume. Each view fits a different clinical case.

Orthogonal

The three classic volume planes — axial, sagittal and coronal — with synced crosshairs. Moving in one updates the other two automatically.

Orthogonal view: three planes with synced crosshairs.
Orthogonal view: three planes with synced crosshairs.
TipTo navigate slices use the mouse wheel over any of the three windows, or arrows ↑ ↓.
Panoramic

Reconstructed panoramic + cross-sectional slices of the entire arch. The most-used view for implantology, third molars and mandibular canal study.

  1. 1
    Activate the Panoramic tab.
  2. 2
    On the top axial slice, click each point you want the curve to pass through (following the arch). Double-click to close the curve. If you make a mistake, click Redo curve.
  3. 3
    CBCTHub generates the reconstructed panoramic + serial cross-sections along the curve.
  4. 4
    Use the Crop button to limit the volume height — useful to isolate maxilla from mandible so the panoramic isn't cluttered by the opposite arch.
Panoramic view with curve traced over the axial and cross-sections generated.
Panoramic view with curve traced over the axial and cross-sections generated.
TipThe grid selector in the header lets you change how many cross-sections show (1×4, 2×4, 4×8…). More slices = more detail but smaller.
Oblique

Rotatable slices at any angle of the volume. Useful when you need to see a structure from an orientation that axial, sagittal or coronal don't give you cleanly.

  1. 1
    Activate the Oblique tab.
  2. 2
    In the main viewport, drag the rotatable crosshairs to define the cutting angle you want.
  3. 3
    The secondary viewport shows the resulting slice perpendicular to the chosen angle.
Oblique slices: the crosshair angle defines the plane of the second viewport.
Oblique slices: the crosshair angle defines the plane of the second viewport.
3D

Three-dimensional rendering of the volume, in two modes: Volume (volume rendering with transparency) or Surface (iso-surface based on marching cubes).

3D View in Surface mode with active clipping planes.
3D View in Surface mode with active clipping planes.
TipIn Surface mode, the X/Y/Z clipping planes let you cut the model virtually to see the interior. The spherical eraser removes unwanted areas (artifacts, chin rest, etc.).

Controls common to all views

These controls work in any viewer viewport regardless of the active view:

  • · Mouse wheel over a viewport: navigate slices.
  • · Click + drag with Hand tool: pan (move the image).
  • · Ctrl + wheel (or ⌘ + wheel on Mac): zoom in/out.
  • · Double-click a viewport: maximize. Double-click again: back to grid.
  • · Right-click on the image: opens annotations panel for the current slice.
CasoPlanning an implant

1. Panoramic view. Trace the curve following the maxillary/mandibular arch.

2. Crop the height to isolate maxilla or mandible as appropriate.

3. Locate the implant site in the cross-sections.

4. On that slice, activate the Implant tool and place the virtual plan (length and diameter) over the alveolar ridge.

5. If working in the mandible, trace the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) along the cross-sections to ensure safety margin.

CasoThird molar study

1. Panoramic view. Trace the curve following only the mandible (crop to separate arches).

2. Find the impacted third molar in the cross-sections.

3. Use measurements in mm to evaluate root-canal distance. Anchor a comment to the slice with your conclusion (e.g. “intimate contact with the canal at distovestibular 38”).

4. For complex cases, supplement with the Oblique view to see the tooth axis from a non-standard angle.

CasoEvaluate mandibular canal

1. Panoramic view with the curve following the mandible.

2. In the cross-sections, identify the canal at each level.

3. Activate Trace IAN and place points along the nerve path in each slice.

4. The trace is saved: next time you open the exam, the points are still there and visible to the referrer.

Keyboard shortcuts

  • · 1 2 3 4 — change view (Orthogonal / Panoramic / Oblique / 3D).
  • · M — Measurement tool.
  • · F — Arrow tool.
  • · N — open Annotations panel.
  • · H — open Help modal with all shortcuts.
  • · Del — remove selected annotation.

Common issues

The viewer is slow or stutters. The CBCT lives in memory. If you have many tabs open, close them. On modest hardware Chrome or Edge work best — they're the fastest with WebAssembly.

The panoramic curve came out crooked. Click Redo curve and trace again more carefully. Ideal is 8–12 points following the center of the alveolar ridge.

Measurements don't scale when zooming. If you saw that bug in cross-sections or the enlarged pano panel, it's fixed. Reload the page (Ctrl+F5) to get the latest viewer version.