How to

Import a CBCT scan by AirDrop

After this page you will be able to move a CBCT export from a Mac to an iPhone or iPad in about a minute, without cables or cloud storage, and to receive a case that a classmate or teacher shared with you.

Why AirDrop

Most CBCT scans start life on a desktop computer: the scanner workstation, a university PACS export, or a dataset you downloaded for study. AirDrop is the shortest path from there to JawAtlas. It is peer to peer, works without an internet connection, and leaves nothing on a server in between. The only preparation is compressing the DICOM folder into a single ZIP file, because AirDrop sends files, not folders.

JawAtlas registers itself as a handler for ZIP archives and for DICOM files, so iOS offers it as a destination when the transfer arrives. Everything that happens next (unpacking, series detection, the same import sheet you see when importing from Files) runs on the device.

Steps

Find the DICOM folder on the Mac. It is the folder that contains the slice files, often named by series or by a number, with extensions like .dcm or no extension at all. If the export also contains a viewer application, you only need the folder with the slices.
Compress it. In Finder, right-click the folder (or Control-click) and choose "Compress". Finder creates a file with the same name and a .zip extension next to it. A typical CBCT export of 300 to 500 slices becomes a ZIP of roughly 50 to 150 MB.
AirDrop the ZIP. Right-click the .zip file, choose Share, then AirDrop, and pick your iPhone or iPad. Both devices need Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on, and the receiving device needs AirDrop set to Contacts Only or Everyone in Control Centre.
Accept on the iPhone or iPad. When the transfer completes, iOS asks which app should open the file. Choose JawAtlas. If the list is long, scroll it; JawAtlas appears among the apps that can open ZIP archives.
Let the import run. JawAtlas opens with the "Import Scan" sheet already working. If the archive holds more than one series you get the "Choose a Series" list; the gap and duplicate prompts behave exactly as for a Files import. Tap "Open now" when it finishes.

Receiving a shared JawAtlas case

A case that someone shares from JawAtlas arrives as a single archive named after the case, ending in .jawatlas.zip. It contains the scan in the app's own format plus the saved moments, marks and case notes. Open it in JawAtlas the same way as any other archive; the import sheet finishes with "Case received with its moments and notes" and you can open it straight away.

If you already have the same scan, the app does not create a duplicate. It merges the shared notes and moments into your copy and reports "Case notes and moments updated from the shared copy". A folder containing several shared cases can be imported in one go through "Import from Files"; the sheet then reports how many cases were received. How to send a case is on Share a case and export a PDF, and the teaching use is on Teaching cases.

If it does not work

JawAtlas is not offered as a destination. The file is probably not a ZIP. Check the extension; Finder's Compress always produces .zip. Archives made by other tools in .7z or .rar format are not supported.

"This ZIP archive is incomplete or damaged." The transfer was interrupted or the archive was created from a folder that was still being written. Compress again and resend.

"No complete scan series was found." The archive did not contain enough readable slices. Make sure you compressed the folder with the slice files, and that the export used lossless or uncompressed DICOM; lossy JPEG and JPEG 2000 files are rejected.

"Nothing usable was received." The handed-over file was empty or could not be staged. Try sending from Files on the receiving device instead of directly from the AirDrop prompt.

The transfer never starts. This is AirDrop itself, not JawAtlas: bring the devices closer, wake the iPhone or iPad, and check that AirDrop is not set to Receiving Off.

For scans to practise with, see free CBCT datasets; the demo scan is already in the app, so you do not need any transfer to start learning.

Questions students ask

Why do I have to zip the folder before AirDropping it?

AirDrop sends files, and a DICOM export is a folder with hundreds of slice files. Compressing it with Finder's Compress command turns it into one ZIP archive that iOS can hand to JawAtlas in a single step. JawAtlas unpacks it on the device.

Does JawAtlas accept a ZIP from other sources than AirDrop?

Yes. Any app that offers a share sheet can hand a ZIP to JawAtlas: Mail attachments, Files, a cloud drive app, Messages. Choose JawAtlas in the share sheet or in the Open in list. Nothing is uploaded; the unpacking happens on the device.

What arrives when a classmate shares a JawAtlas case with me?

A file ending in .jawatlas.zip. Open it in JawAtlas and the case is imported with its saved moments, marks and notes. If you already had the same scan, the app merges the notes and moments into your copy instead of creating a duplicate.

JawAtlas is an education and training aid. It is not a medical device and must not be used for diagnosis, treatment planning or any clinical decision.

Last reviewed 2026-10-13