.. _supported-images:

Supported DICOM images
======================

Orthanc can **receive/store/send** any kind of standard DICOM files
(cf. the `DICOM conformance statement
<https://orthanc.uclouvain.be/hg/orthanc/file/default/OrthancServer/Resources/DicomConformanceStatement.txt>`__).
Note that the ``UnknownSopClassAccepted`` :ref:`configuration option
<configuration>` can be set to `true` if interfacing with modalities
that are producing non-standard SOP classes.

Orthanc Explorer can also **display the raw DICOM tags** of any such
DICOM file.

For instance, **DICOM-SR and DICOM-RT** instances are supported by
Orthanc, i.e. such file can be received/stored/retransmitted with
Orthanc. However, if you need to analyze/create such files, you will
have to resort on another specialized tool.

As far as pixel data is concerned, the core engine of Orthanc is **not
able to render all of the DICOM instances as PNG images**. An image
that Orthanc cannot decode is displayed as "Unsupported" by clicking
on the "Preview" buttons of Orthanc Explorer. Currently, the core
engine of Orthanc can decode:

* uncompressed (raw) DICOM files,
* JPEG DICOM files, and
* JPEG-LS DICOM files.

The supported photometric interpretations are:

* RGB,
* Grayscale2,
* YUV if dealing with JPEG derivatives.

The Orthanc core supports from 8bpp to 16bpp depth, with integer
values.  Multiframe (notably cine), uncompressed DICOM instances can
also be displayed from Orthanc Explorer.

Other type of encodings are available in the `Web viewer plugin
<https://www.orthanc-server.com/static.php?page=web-viewer>`__, that
mostly supports whatever is supported by the well-known `GDCM toolkit
<https://sourceforge.net/projects/gdcm/>`__ by Mathieu Malaterre. Note
however that multiframe (notably cine) DICOM instances are currently
not supported by the Web viewer plugin.

Finally, consider having a look at the section in the Orthanc Book
about the :ref:`compatible DICOM viewers <viewers>`.