Materialise Mimics

Materialise Mimics is professional Windows software that turns CT, CBCT and MRI scans into accurate 3D models through segmentation, measurement and virtual planning. It is used by hospital 3D-printing labs, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, medical device engineers and researchers. In dentistry its main role is in cranio-maxillofacial (CMF) work: segmenting the skull, jaws and teeth from CT or CBCT and preparing models or guides for 3D printing.

Mimics is commercial. It is listed here as shareware (conditionally free) because Materialise offers a free trial on request and a free Student Edition for education. A Materialise Mimics download is available only after you receive a licence or trial. The software was previously sold as the Mimics Innovation Suite; Materialise now calls it the Mimics platform.

Materialise Mimics at a glance

What it does

• Imports DICOM from CT, CBCT and MRI, and in version 28, NIfTI and DICOM RT Struct files.
• Manual segmentation (thresholding and mask editing) plus AI-enabled automatic segmentation. The CMF algorithms separate the skull, mandible, maxilla, teeth, hyoid and metal from CT or CBCT.
• Builds 3D parts from masks, and measures and analyses them.
• Registration and alignment tools, including interactive surface registration and landmark registration, to align scans and models.
• Exports models for 3D printing. An RT plugin converts RT-DICOM structures into STL.
• 3-matic, part of the platform, is used for design work on the 3D models. Materialise lists patient-specific medical and dental or orthodontic accessories and dental restorations among the intended uses of 3-matic Medical.
• Mimics Flow adds cloud case sharing and cloud auto-segmentation, and a Python API automates repetitive steps.

How dental teams use it

Segmenting jaws and teeth from a CBCT

1. Import the CBCT DICOM series into a new Mimics project.
2. Run the CMF (CB)CT automatic segmentation, or threshold the bone manually.
3. Check and correct the masks slice by slice, especially around metal restorations.
4. Calculate 3D parts for the mandible, maxilla and teeth.

Preparing a model for 3D printing

1. Clean up and smooth the 3D part, and check it for holes or loose fragments.
2. Export it as STL and send it to your printer’s preparation software.

Orthognathic and reconstruction planning

For surgical planning, Materialise offers Mimics Enlight CMF, a planning tool on the same platform for orthognathic surgery (Le Fort I to III), mandible and midface reconstruction with fibula, DCIA or scapula grafts, and trauma. It is requested separately through a demo.

Install and first run

• Get access: request a trial on the Mimics pages, or apply for the Student Edition licence if you are a student or educator. Materialise then provides the installer and licence.
• Minimum hardware: third-generation Intel Core i7 or equivalent, 16 GB RAM, a DirectX 12 compatible AMD Radeon or NVIDIA GeForce card with 2 GB of memory, a 1920×1080 display. Release notes ask for 20 GB of free disk space; the product page says 40 GB.
• Software prerequisites: .NET Framework 4.8 or later, a PDF viewer, and Microsoft Edge WebView2 if you use Mimics Flow.
• Licensing: version 28 introduced ID-based licensing. On first start a License Wizard opens; choose Manage Licenses to activate a local or floating licence.
• Gotcha: Mimics Flow features need an unblocked internet connection of at least 2 Mbps. Clinic firewalls often block it.

Limitations

• Commercial software: free use is limited to the trial and the Student Edition. The Student Edition is for educational use only and has fewer features than the commercial licence.
• Two variants with different regulatory status. Materialise states that Mimics and 3-matic (Core/research) are not medical devices, while Mimics Medical and 3-matic Medical are CE-marked medical devices. The Student Edition page refers to the commercial software as FDA- and CE-cleared. Availability depends on the country.
• Windows only, and demanding on hardware.
• It is not dental implant planning software, and it has no practice features such as charting.
• Steep learning curve. Materialise offers courses and tutorials through its Academy.

Materialise Mimics vs alternatives

If you need implant planning rather than segmentation, look at coDiagnostiX.

FAQ

Is there a free Materialise Mimics download?

Only through a trial requested from Materialise, or through the free Student Edition for educational use. The full software is commercial.

Is there a Mimics Student Edition?

Yes. It is free for students and educators, for educational use only, and has fewer features than the commercial licence.

What is the Materialise Mimics price?

Materialise does not publish prices. Request a quote through the official website.

What is the difference between Mimics and Mimics Medical?

Mimics (Core) is the research version and is not a medical device. Mimics Medical is the CE-marked medical-device version, and its availability depends on the country.

What is Mimics Flow?

It is Materialise’s cloud service for sharing cases and running automatic segmentation, used together with the desktop software.

Mimics vs 3D Slicer?

3D Slicer is free, open source and cross-platform. Mimics is commercial and Windows-only, with vendor AI segmentation, vendor support and a medical-device variant.

Mimics vs 3-matic?

Mimics creates 3D models from scans through segmentation. 3-matic works on those models to design guides, implants and other parts. Both are part of the Mimics platform.

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