A method for visualizing and exploring 4D volumetric data in a display, comprising: selecting, via at least one volume switching button of a 3D control panel, a first 3D volume in a time sequence of 3D volumes; rendering the first 3D volume in a 3D rendering region of a display area; displaying a plurality of representations (106-a,106-b,106-c), each representation signifying a stack of 2D images, displaying a plurality of slicing planes in the 3D rendering region, wherein a first stack of 2D images comprises one or more 2D images of cross sections of a certain orientation from the first 3D volume, wherein a top 2D image in the first stack of 2D images is a cross section yielded by a first one of the slicing planes (201-a), each of the other stacks comprises one or more 2D images of cross sections of the certain orientation from other 3D volumes in the time sequence, wherein a 2D cross section image displayed for a cross section at a location of the first stack of 2D images of the first 3D volume changes when the first slicing plane moves in a direction perpendicular to the cross section, wherein the 2D cross section images for stacks of 2D images of other 3D volumes in the time sequence are from the location, such that when the first slicing plane slices through different locations in the direction, the 2D cross section images from the 3D volumes in the time sequence change accordingly, wherein each of the stacks of 2D images is displayed in a second region of the display area. selecting, via at least one volume switching button of a 3D control panel, a first 3D volume in a time sequence of 3D volumes; rendering the first 3D volume in a 3D rendering region of a display area; displaying a plurality of representations (106-a,106-b,106-c), each representation signifying a stack of 2D images, displaying a plurality of slicing planes in the 3D rendering region, wherein a first stack of 2D images comprises one or more 2D images of cross sections of a certain orientation from the first 3D volume, wherein a top 2D image in the first stack of 2D images is a cross section yielded by a first one of the slicing planes (201-a), each of the other stacks comprises one or more 2D images of cross sections of the certain orientation from other 3D volumes in the time sequence, wherein a 2D cross section image displayed for a cross section at a location of the first stack of 2D images of the first 3D volume changes when the first slicing plane moves in a direction perpendicular to the cross section, wherein the 2D cross section images for stacks of 2D images of other 3D volumes in the time sequence are from the location, such that when the first slicing plane slices through different locations in the direction, the 2D cross section images from the 3D volumes in the time sequence change accordingly, wherein a 2D cross section image displayed for a cross section at a location of the first stack of 2D images of the first 3D volume changes when the first slicing plane moves in a direction perpendicular to the cross section, wherein the 2D cross section images for stacks of 2D images of other 3D volumes in the time sequence are from the location, such that when the first slicing plane slices through different locations in the direction, the 2D cross section images from the 3D volumes in the time sequence change accordingly, wherein each of the stacks of 2D images is displayed in a second region of the display area.