The DICOM viewer lets you scroll through CT / MRI studies, adjust window/level, measure, zoom, and pan. This page is a quick-start overview. For the full tool list, presets, and keyboard reference, see Using the DICOM Viewer.
Mouse Basics
- Left-click + drag โ runs the currently active tool (Window/Level by default)
- Middle-click + drag โ pan
- Mouse wheel โ scroll through the image stack
Switch the active tool using the toolbar at the top of the viewer, or use the keyboard shortcuts below.
Touch Controls in the App
The mobile app uses touch instead of a mouse. Pick a mode first: Scroll, W/L, Zoom, or Measure. One finger then does whatever the selected mode says.
- Scroll โ drag to move through the image stack
- W/L โ drag to adjust window and level
- Zoom โ drag to zoom in and out
- Measure โ draw a measurement on the image
Pinch to zoom and two-finger drag to pan work in every mode. Two fingers is always pan, never window/level, and there is no double-tap gesture. Reset puts the image back to its original view.
For window presets, measurement tools, and the rest of the app's viewer controls, see Using the DICOM Viewer.
Keyboard shortcuts, including the ones listed below, are a website feature.
Essential Keyboard Shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 or Alt+W | Window/Level |
| 2 or Alt+Z | Zoom/Pan |
| 3 or Shift+P | Pan |
| 4 or Shift+S | Scroll |
| Arrow keys | Previous / next image |
| Ctrl+R | Reset viewport |
| Shift+F | Toggle fullscreen |
| Shift+L | Length measurement |
The full shortcut list (including annotations, flips, and W/L presets) is in Using the DICOM Viewer.
Window/Level Presets
For CT and MR images, a W/L Presets dropdown in the toolbar offers common presets. On CT series, keys 5โ0 apply them directly (safely ignored while typing in reports or notebooks):
| Key | Preset |
|---|---|
| 5 | Soft Tissue (W:400 / L:40) |
| 6 | Lung (W:1500 / L:-500) |
| 7 | Bone (W:2000 / L:500) |
| 8 | Brain (W:80 / L:40) |
| 9 | Subdural (W:200 / L:90) |
| 0 | Stroke (W:32 / L:32) |
Measuring
Pick a measurement tool from the toolbar (or press its shortcut), then click on the image to draw. Delete removes a selected measurement; use the trash icon in the toolbar to clear all of them.
Labeling Spine Levels
Under Label Spine in the measurement dropdown, choose Cervical, Thoracic, or Lumbar. Each click on the image drops the next vertebral level in sequence (e.g. S1 โ L5 โ L4โฆ). Click an existing label to cycle it to a different level.
Multiple Series
When a case has more than one series, tabs appear at the top of the viewer. Click a tab to load that series โ series load on demand rather than all at once, so switching is quick.
In the app, series chips appear when a case has more than one series. Tap one to load that series. A case with a single series shows no chips.
Need More?
See Using the DICOM Viewer for tool-by-tool details, scroll speed controls, fullscreen behavior, browser requirements, and troubleshooting.