diff --git a/public/index.tsx b/public/index.tsx
index ad9054df..66a73d20 100644
--- a/public/index.tsx
+++ b/public/index.tsx
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ export const VIEWER_3D_SETTINGS: ViewerChannelSettings = {
   maskChannelName: "SEG_Memb",
 };
 
-type ParamKeys = "mask" | "ch" | "luts" | "colors" | "image" | "url" | "file" | "dataset" | "id";
+type ParamKeys = "mask" | "ch" | "luts" | "colors" | "image" | "url" | "file" | "dataset" | "id" | "view";
 type Params = { [_ in ParamKeys]?: string };
 
 function parseQueryString(): Params {
@@ -101,6 +101,19 @@ if (params) {
   if (params.mask) {
     viewerSettings.maskAlpha = parseInt(params.mask, 10);
   }
+  if (params.view) {
+    const mapping = {
+      "3D": ViewMode.threeD,
+      Z: ViewMode.xy,
+      Y: ViewMode.xz,
+      X: ViewMode.yz,
+    }
+    const allowedViews = Object.keys(mapping);
+    if (!allowedViews.includes(params.view)) {
+      params.view = "3D";
+    }
+    viewerSettings.viewMode = mapping[params.view];
+  }
   if (params.ch) {
     // ?ch=1,2
     // ?luts=0,255,0,255
diff --git a/src/aics-image-viewer/components/App/index.tsx b/src/aics-image-viewer/components/App/index.tsx
index 9d2769b6..5a0155c6 100644
--- a/src/aics-image-viewer/components/App/index.tsx
+++ b/src/aics-image-viewer/components/App/index.tsx
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ const defaultViewerSettings: GlobalViewerSettings = {
   levels: LEVELS_SLIDER_DEFAULT,
   interpolationEnabled: INTERPOLATION_ENABLED_DEFAULT,
   region: { x: [0, 1], y: [0, 1], z: [0, 1] },
+  slice: { x: 0.5, y: 0.5, z: 0.5 },
   time: 0,
 };
 
@@ -181,8 +182,6 @@ const App: React.FC<AppProps> = (props) => {
   const [sendingQueryRequest, setSendingQueryRequest] = useState(false);
   // `true` when all channels of the current image are loaded
   const [imageLoaded, setImageLoaded] = useState(false);
-  // `true` when the image being loaded is related to the previous one, so some settings should be preserved
-  const [switchingFov, setSwitchingFov] = useState(false);
   // tracks which channels have been loaded
   const [channelVersions, setChannelVersions, getChannelVersions] = useStateWithGetter<number[]>([]);
 
@@ -205,47 +204,22 @@ const App: React.FC<AppProps> = (props) => {
   // Some viewer settings require custom change behaviors to change related settings simultaneously or guard against
   // entering an illegal state (e.g. autorotate must not be on in pathtrace mode). Those behaviors are defined here.
   const viewerSettingsChangeHandlers: ViewerSettingChangeHandlers = {
+    // View mode: if we're switching to 2d, switch to volumetric rendering
     viewMode: (prevSettings, viewMode) => {
-      if (viewMode === prevSettings.viewMode) {
-        return prevSettings;
-      }
-      const newSettings: GlobalViewerSettings = {
+      const switchToVolumetric = viewMode !== ViewMode.threeD && prevSettings.renderMode === RenderMode.pathTrace;
+      return {
         ...prevSettings,
         viewMode,
-        region: { x: [0, 1], y: [0, 1], z: [0, 1] },
+        renderMode: switchToVolumetric ? RenderMode.volumetric : prevSettings.renderMode,
       };
-      const activeAxis = activeAxisMap[viewMode];
-
-      // TODO the following behavior/logic is very specific to a particular application's needs
-      // and is not necessarily appropriate for a general viewer.
-      // Why should the alpha setting matter whether we are viewing the primary image
-      // or its parent?
-
-      // If switching between 2D and 3D reset alpha mask to default (off in in 2D, 50% in 3D)
-      // If full field, dont mask
-
-      if (activeAxis) {
-        // switching to 2d
-        const slices = Math.max(1, getNumberOfSlices()[activeAxis]);
-        const middleSlice = Math.floor(slices / 2);
-        newSettings.region[activeAxis] = [middleSlice / slices, (middleSlice + 1) / slices];
-        if (prevSettings.viewMode === ViewMode.threeD && newSettings.renderMode === RenderMode.pathTrace) {
-          // Switching from 3D to 2D
-          // if path trace was enabled in 3D turn it off when switching to 2D.
-          newSettings.renderMode = RenderMode.volumetric;
-        }
-      }
-      return newSettings;
-    },
-    imageType: (prevSettings, imageType) => {
-      setSwitchingFov(true);
-      return { ...prevSettings, imageType };
     },
+    // Render mode: if we're switching to pathtrace, turn off autorotate
     renderMode: (prevSettings, renderMode) => ({
       ...prevSettings,
       renderMode,
       autorotate: renderMode === RenderMode.pathTrace ? false : prevSettings.autorotate,
     }),
+    // Autorotate: do not enable autorotate while in pathtrace mode
     autorotate: (prevSettings, autorotate) => ({
       ...prevSettings,
       // The button should theoretically be unclickable while in pathtrace mode, but this provides extra security
@@ -341,7 +315,6 @@ const App: React.FC<AppProps> = (props) => {
     if (aimg.isLoaded()) {
       view3d.updateActiveChannels(aimg);
       setImageLoaded(true);
-      setSwitchingFov(false);
     }
   };
 
@@ -471,11 +444,6 @@ const App: React.FC<AppProps> = (props) => {
 
     setAllChannelsUnloaded(channelNames.length);
 
-    // if this image is completely unrelated to the previous image, switch view mode
-    if (!switchingFov && !samePath) {
-      changeViewerSetting("viewMode", ViewMode.threeD);
-    }
-
     imageUrlRef.current = fullUrl;
     placeImageInViewer(aimg, newChannelSettings);
   };
@@ -576,6 +544,11 @@ const App: React.FC<AppProps> = (props) => {
     return () => window.removeEventListener("resize", onResizeDebounced);
   }, []);
 
+  // one-time init after view3d exists and before we start loading images
+  useEffect(() => {
+    view3d.setCameraMode(viewerSettings.viewMode);
+  }, []);
+
   // Hook to trigger image load: on mount, when image source props/state change (`cellId`, `imageType`, `time`)
   useEffect(() => {
     if (props.rawDims && props.rawData) {
@@ -711,26 +684,40 @@ const App: React.FC<AppProps> = (props) => {
     [props.transform?.rotation]
   );
 
-  const usePerAxisClippingUpdater = (axis: AxisName, [minval, maxval]: [number, number]): void => {
+  const usePerAxisClippingUpdater = (axis: AxisName, [minval, maxval]: [number, number], slice: number): void => {
     useImageEffect(
+      // Logic to determine axis clipping range, for each of x,y,z,3d slider:
+      // if slider was same as active axis view mode:  [viewerSettings.slice[axis], viewerSettings.slice[axis] + 1.0/volumeSize[axis]]
+      // if in 3d mode: viewerSettings.region[axis]
+      // else: [0,1]
       (currentImage) => {
-        const isOrthoAxis = activeAxisMap[viewerSettings.viewMode] === axis;
-        view3d.setAxisClip(currentImage, axis, minval - 0.5, maxval - 0.5, isOrthoAxis);
+        let isOrthoAxis = false;
+        let axismin = 0.0;
+        let axismax = 1.0;
+        if (viewerSettings.viewMode === ViewMode.threeD) {
+          axismin = minval;
+          axismax = maxval;
+          isOrthoAxis = false;
+        } else {
+          isOrthoAxis = activeAxisMap[viewerSettings.viewMode] === axis;
+          const oneSlice = 1 / currentImage.imageInfo.volumeSize[axis];
+          axismin = isOrthoAxis ? slice : 0.0;
+          axismax = isOrthoAxis ? slice + oneSlice : 1.0;
+          if (axis === "z" && viewerSettings.viewMode === ViewMode.xy) {
+            view3d.setZSlice(currentImage, Math.floor(slice * currentImage.imageInfo.volumeSize.z));
+          }
+        }
+        // view3d wants the coordinates in the -0.5 to 0.5 range
+        view3d.setAxisClip(currentImage, axis, axismin - 0.5, axismax - 0.5, isOrthoAxis);
+        view3d.setCameraMode(viewerSettings.viewMode);
       },
-      [minval, maxval]
+      [minval, maxval, slice, viewerSettings.viewMode]
     );
   };
-  usePerAxisClippingUpdater("x", viewerSettings.region.x);
-  usePerAxisClippingUpdater("y", viewerSettings.region.y);
-  usePerAxisClippingUpdater("z", viewerSettings.region.z);
-  // Z slice is a separate property that also must be updated
-  useImageEffect(
-    (currentImage) => {
-      const slice = Math.floor(viewerSettings.region.z[0] * currentImage.imageInfo.volumeSize.z);
-      view3d.setZSlice(currentImage, slice);
-    },
-    [viewerSettings.region.z[0]]
-  );
+
+  usePerAxisClippingUpdater("x", viewerSettings.region.x, viewerSettings.slice.x);
+  usePerAxisClippingUpdater("y", viewerSettings.region.y, viewerSettings.slice.y);
+  usePerAxisClippingUpdater("z", viewerSettings.region.z, viewerSettings.slice.z);
 
   // Rendering ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
@@ -815,6 +802,7 @@ const App: React.FC<AppProps> = (props) => {
             numSlices={getNumberOfSlices()}
             numTimesteps={numberOfTimesteps}
             region={viewerSettings.region}
+            slices={viewerSettings.slice}
             time={viewerSettings.time}
             appHeight={props.appHeight}
             showControls={showControls}
diff --git a/src/aics-image-viewer/components/App/types.ts b/src/aics-image-viewer/components/App/types.ts
index b1c3e169..460408c9 100644
--- a/src/aics-image-viewer/components/App/types.ts
+++ b/src/aics-image-viewer/components/App/types.ts
@@ -44,8 +44,12 @@ export interface GlobalViewerSettings {
   levels: [number, number, number];
   interpolationEnabled: boolean;
   // `region` values are in the range [0, 1]. We derive from this the format that the sliders expect
-  // (integers between 0 and num_slices - 1) and the format that view3d expects (in [-0.5, 0.5])
+  // (integers between 0 and num_slices - 1) and the format that view3d expects (in [-0.5, 0.5]).
+  // This state is only active in 3d mode.
   region: PerAxis<[number, number]>;
+  // Store the relative position of the slice in the range [0, 1] for each of 3 axes.
+  // This state is active in x,y,z single slice modes.
+  slice: PerAxis<number>;
   time: number;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/aics-image-viewer/components/AxisClipSliders/index.tsx b/src/aics-image-viewer/components/AxisClipSliders/index.tsx
index 6244da85..cbee055b 100644
--- a/src/aics-image-viewer/components/AxisClipSliders/index.tsx
+++ b/src/aics-image-viewer/components/AxisClipSliders/index.tsx
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ interface AxisClipSlidersProps {
   changeViewerSetting: ViewerSettingUpdater;
   numSlices: PerAxis<number>;
   region: PerAxis<[number, number]>;
+  slices: PerAxis<number>;
   numTimesteps: number;
   time: number;
 }
@@ -134,9 +135,9 @@ export default class AxisClipSliders extends React.Component<AxisClipSlidersProp
     }
     const delta = backward ? -1 : 1;
     const max = this.props.numSlices[activeAxis];
-    const currentLeftSliderValue = Math.round(this.props.region[activeAxis][0] * max);
+    const currentLeftSliderValue = Math.round(this.props.slices[activeAxis] * max);
     const leftValue = (currentLeftSliderValue + delta + max) % max;
-    this.updateClipping(activeAxis, leftValue, leftValue + 1);
+    this.updateSlice(activeAxis, leftValue);
   }
 
   play(): void {
@@ -153,19 +154,27 @@ export default class AxisClipSliders extends React.Component<AxisClipSlidersProp
     }
   }
 
-  updateClipping(axis: AxisName, minval: number, maxval: number): void {
+  updateRegion(axis: AxisName, minval: number, maxval: number): void {
     const { changeViewerSetting, numSlices, region } = this.props;
-    // get a value from -0.5..0.5
+    // get a value from 0-1
     const max = numSlices[axis];
     const start = minval / max;
     const end = maxval / max;
     changeViewerSetting("region", { ...region, [axis]: [start, end] });
   }
 
+  updateSlice(axis: AxisName, val: number): void {
+    const { changeViewerSetting, numSlices, slices } = this.props;
+    changeViewerSetting("slice", { ...slices, [axis]: val / numSlices[axis] });
+  }
+
   makeSliderCallback(axis: AxisName): (values: number[]) => void {
     return (values: number[]) => {
-      const max = values.length < 2 ? values[0] + 1 : values[1];
-      this.updateClipping(axis, values[0], max);
+      if (values.length < 2) {
+        this.updateSlice(axis, values[0]);
+      } else {
+        this.updateRegion(axis, values[0], values[1]);
+      }
     };
   }
 
@@ -173,7 +182,10 @@ export default class AxisClipSliders extends React.Component<AxisClipSlidersProp
     const { playing } = this.state;
     const numSlices = this.props.numSlices[axis];
     const clipVals = this.props.region[axis];
-    const sliderVals = [Math.round(clipVals[0] * numSlices), Math.round(clipVals[1] * numSlices)];
+    const slice = this.props.slices[axis];
+    const sliderVals = twoD
+      ? [Math.round(slice * numSlices)]
+      : [Math.round(clipVals[0] * numSlices), Math.round(clipVals[1] * numSlices)];
 
     return (
       <div key={axis + numSlices} className={`slider-row slider-${axis}`}>
@@ -181,7 +193,7 @@ export default class AxisClipSliders extends React.Component<AxisClipSlidersProp
           // prevents slider from potentially not updating number of handles
           key={`${twoD}`}
           label={axis.toUpperCase()}
-          vals={twoD ? [sliderVals[0]] : sliderVals}
+          vals={sliderVals}
           max={numSlices - (twoD && numSlices > 1 ? 1 : 0)}
           onSlide={this.makeSliderCallback(axis)}
         />
diff --git a/src/aics-image-viewer/components/CellViewerCanvasWrapper/index.tsx b/src/aics-image-viewer/components/CellViewerCanvasWrapper/index.tsx
index d49c4612..3792bed0 100644
--- a/src/aics-image-viewer/components/CellViewerCanvasWrapper/index.tsx
+++ b/src/aics-image-viewer/components/CellViewerCanvasWrapper/index.tsx
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ interface ViewerWrapperProps {
   hasImage: boolean;
   numSlices: PerAxis<number>;
   region: PerAxis<[number, number]>;
+  slices: PerAxis<number>;
   numTimesteps: number;
   time: number;
   showControls: {
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ export default class ViewerWrapper extends React.Component<ViewerWrapperProps, V
   }
 
   render(): React.ReactNode {
-    const { appHeight, changeViewerSetting, showControls, numSlices, numTimesteps, viewMode, region, time } =
+    const { appHeight, changeViewerSetting, showControls, numSlices, numTimesteps, viewMode, region, slices, time } =
       this.props;
 
     return (
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@ export default class ViewerWrapper extends React.Component<ViewerWrapperProps, V
               changeViewerSetting={changeViewerSetting}
               numSlices={numSlices}
               region={region}
+              slices={slices}
               numTimesteps={numTimesteps}
               time={time}
             />