We’ve released a new extension for connecting 3D Slicer to Matlab. Using the MatlabBridge extension you can call a Matlab function to process data that is loaded into Slicer, and the results are displayed in Slicer.

Highlights:

• The Matlab modules behave exactly as any other CLI module: they can be run from the graphical user interface, automatically re-executed when the user changes any input data or processing parameter, can be organized into a processing and visualization chain, can be accessed from other Slicer modules, etc.
• The graphical user interface is generated automatically from a standard command-line interface (CLI) definition XML file – no GUI programming needed!
• A Matlab module generator is provided to get started quickly: just enter a module name and a skeleton Matlab module will be generated
• If you change your Matlab function then you can re-run it and see the updated results with a single click
• No building of 3D Slicer or MEX files, etc. are needed – the only requirements are to download and install 3D Slicer with the MatlabBridge extension and have Matlab installed on your computer
• The Matlab engine is started automatically in the background (and it is kept running in the background so that you don’t have to wait for Matlab startup each time you run your function) 

Tutorial:

• How to create, run, customize Matlab modules: http://www.slicer.org/slicerWiki/images/a/a7/MatlabBridgeTutorial.pdf

Module documentation:

• http://www.slicer.org/slicerWiki/index.php/Documentation/Nightly/Extensions/MatlabBridge

Demo videos:

• Creating and using a Matlab module: http://screencast.com/t/veVw16jB3uk
• Editing and debugging a Matlab module: http://screencast.com/t/LcdrCx9l0