--- a/volume_io/Volumes/input_volume.c
+++ b/volume_io/Volumes/input_volume.c
@@ -8,11 +8,15 @@
     volume_struct  *volume )
 {
     Status       status;
-    int          x, y, z;
-    Volume_type  *x_strip;
+    char         name[MAX_NC_NAME];
+    int          x, y, z, volume_axis;
+    double       slice_separation[N_DIMENSIONS];
+    double       start_position[N_DIMENSIONS];
+    double       direction_cosines[N_DIMENSIONS][N_DIMENSIONS];
+    Volume_type  *image;
     int          axis;
     long         length;
-    int          icv, cdfid, img;
+    int          icv, cdfid, img, dimvar;
     int          ndims, dim[MAX_VAR_DIMS];
     long         start[3], count[3];
 
@@ -41,42 +45,73 @@
 
     for_less( axis, 0, ndims )
     {
-        (void) ncdiminq( cdfid, dim[axis], (char *) 0, &length );
-        volume->sizes[2-axis] = length;
+        volume_axis = 2 - axis;
+
+        (void) ncdiminq( cdfid, dim[axis], name, &length );
+        volume->sizes[volume_axis] = length;
+
+        ncopts = 0;
+        dimvar = ncvarid( cdfid, name );
+        if( dimvar != MI_ERROR )
+        {
+            if( miattget1( cdfid, dimvar, MIstep, NC_DOUBLE,
+                        (void *) &slice_separation[volume_axis] ) == MI_ERROR )
+            {
+                slice_separation[volume_axis] = 1.0;
+            }
+
+            if( miattget1( cdfid, dimvar, MIstart, NC_DOUBLE,
+                           (void *) &start_position[volume_axis] ) == MI_ERROR )
+            {
+                start_position[volume_axis] = 0.0;
+            }
+
+            if( miattget( cdfid, dimvar, MIstart, NC_DOUBLE, N_DIMENSIONS,
+                          (void *) direction_cosines[volume_axis], (int *) 0 )
+                           == MI_ERROR )
+            {
+                direction_cosines[volume_axis][0] = 0.0;
+                direction_cosines[volume_axis][1] = 0.0;
+                direction_cosines[volume_axis][2] = 0.0;
+                direction_cosines[volume_axis][volume_axis] = 1.0;
+            }
+        }
+        ncopts = NC_VERBOSE | NC_FATAL;
     }
 
     ALLOC3D( status, volume->data, volume->sizes[X], volume->sizes[Y],
              volume->sizes[Z] );
 
-    ALLOC( status, x_strip, volume->sizes[X] );
+    ALLOC( status, image, volume->sizes[X] * volume->sizes[Y] );
 
     for_less( z, 0, volume->sizes[Z] )
     {
+        start[0] = z;
+        start[1] = 0;
+        start[2] = 0;
+        count[0] = 1;
+        count[1] = volume->sizes[Y];
+        count[2] = volume->sizes[X];
+
+        (void) miicv_get( icv, start, count, (void *) image );
+
         for_less( y, 0, volume->sizes[Y] )
         {
-            start[0] = z;
-            start[1] = y;
-            start[2] = 0;
-            count[0] = 1;
-            count[1] = 1;
-            count[2] = volume->sizes[X];
-            (void) miicv_get( icv, start, count, (void *) x_strip );
-
             for_less( x, 0, volume->sizes[X] )
             {
-                volume->data[x][y][z] = x_strip[x];
+                volume->data[x][y][z] = image[IJ(y,x,volume->sizes[X])];
             }
         }
     }
 
-    FREE( status, x_strip );
+    FREE( status, image );
 
     (void) ncclose( cdfid );
     (void) miicv_free( icv );
 
-    volume->thickness[X] = 1.0;
-    volume->thickness[Y] = 1.0;
-    volume->thickness[Z] = 1.0;
+    volume->thickness[X] = (Real) slice_separation[X];
+    volume->thickness[Y] = (Real) slice_separation[Y];
+    volume->thickness[Z] = (Real) slice_separation[Z];
     volume->value_scale = 1.0;
     volume->value_translation = 0.0;