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Date: Mar 30, 2026 Version: 3.2.2

is an open source software for radiation treatment planning of intensity-modulated photon, proton, helium and carbon ion therapy, with experimental modules for brachytherapy and very-high energy electrons (VHEE). is developed for educational and research purposes; it is entirely written in MATLAB.

This guide is the main source of information for users working with, and developers contributing to matRad. If you do not already have a local copy of or you want to know how to get started, have a look at the Quick Setup Guide. For detailed technical information about and its functions please check out the Technical Documentation.

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About	Quick Setup	Technical Guide

Webinars

If you like video lectures and tutorials, you can also have a look at the recording of the webinar at the brown bag medical physics seminar at Massachusetts General hospital on Youtube.

Centers using

On Google Maps we are maintaining a list of matRad user groups. Please let us know if we can include your center, or if you have discontinued the usage of so we can remove you from the list.

Overview

• About
  • Features
  • Contact
  • Development team
• How to cite matRad?
  • Cite our publications
  • Direct Software Citation (zenodo)
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Changelog

Setting Up

• Minimum System Requirements
  • Software Environment
    • MATLAB
    • MATLAB Toolboxes
    • Octave
    • Standalone
  • Operating System
  • Hardware Requirements
• Download and Install
  • 1. Source Code with Matlab or Octave installation
  • 2. Standalone installation
  • Patient/Phantom files
• Quick Start
  • Running the graphical user interface
    • Step 1: Open the matRad folder in MATLAB
    • Step 2: Start the matRad GUI
    • Step 3: Execute treatment planning
    • Step 4: Visualize resulting treatment plan
    • Step 5: Import additional patient data
  • Using the matRad.m script
    • Step 1: Open matRad folder in MATLAB
    • Step 2: Set patient-specific parameters
      • 1. Selecting a patient
      • 2. Selecting beam angles
      • 3. Selecting radiation mode
    • Step 3: Execute inverse planning
      • 1. Load settings
      • 2. Initial visualization
      • 3. Generate steering file
      • 4. Dose calculation
      • 5. Fluence optimization
      • 6. Sequencing
      • 7. Direct aperture optimization
      • 8. Visualization of the resulting treatment plan
      • 9. Show DVH and quality indicators
    • Step 4: Import additional patient data

Technical Documentation

• Technical Guide
  • Important variables and data structures
    • The CORT Dataset
    • The cst cell Array
      • VOI index
      • VOI name
      • VOI type
      • Voxel indices
      • Tissue parameters
        • Dose Objectives & Constraints since v2.10.0
        • Before Version 2.10.0
      • Default cst-values
    • The ct Data Structure
      • ct.cube
      • ct.resolution
      • ct.cubeDim
      • ct.numOfCtScen
    • The dij Data Structure
    • The pln Data Structure
      • Top-level properties stored in the pln struct
      • Workflow Step Configuration properties
        • pln.propStf
      • pln.propOpt
      • Additional adjustable properties
    • The resultGUI Data Structure
    • The stf Data Structure
      • stf.ray substructure
      • stf.ray.energy field
      • stf.numOfBixelsPerRay field
    • Particle Base Data File
      • machine.meta
        • machine.meta.machine
        • machine.meta.radiationMode
        • machine.meta.SAD
        • machine.meta.BAMStoIsoDist
        • machine.meta.LUT_bxWidthminFWHM
      • machine.data
        • machine.data.energy
        • machine.data.depths
        • machine.data.peakPos
        • machine.data.offset
        • machine.data.Z
        • machine.data.sigma
        • machine.data.sigma1
        • machine.data.sigma2
        • machine.data.w
        • machine.data.initFocus
        • machine.data.energySpectrum
    • Photon Base Data File
  • Additional information
• matRad API Documentation
  • Global Configuration
  • Top-level API functions
  • Modules / Subfolders
    • optimization
      • Optimization Functions
        • Dose Objectives
        • Dose Constraints
      • optimizers
      • projections
      • Local functions
    • util
      • Octave Compatibility
    • steering
    • sequencing
    • scenarios
    • rayTracing
    • plotting
      • Colormaps
    • planAnalysis
      • Sampling Analysis
    • phantoms
      • Phantom Builder
    • hluts
    • gui
      • Main GUI
      • Basic GUI functions
      • Widgets
    • gpu
    • geometry
    • doseCalc
      • Dose Engines
      • FRED
      • MCsquare
      • TOPAS
    • dicom
      • DICOM Exporter
      • DICOM Importer
    • brachytherapy
      • Additional Scripts
    • bioModels
      • LQ-based Models
    • basedata
    • IO
    • 4D
• MATLAB Module Index