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What is VTK Integration?

ManimVTK extends the original Manim animation engine with VTK (Visualization Toolkit) integration, enabling you to:
  1. Render with VTK: Use VTK’s rendering engine for high-quality 3D visualization
  2. Export to VTK formats: Save scenes as .vtp, .vtm, and .pvd files
  3. Create time series: Export frame-by-frame animations for ParaView
  4. Add scientific data: Attach scalar and vector fields to exported geometry

VTK Renderer

High-quality 3D rendering using VTK

VTK Export

Export scenes to VTK file formats

Time Series

Frame-by-frame export for ParaView

ParaView Integration

Visualize exports in ParaView

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Key Capabilities

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1. VTK Rendering

Render scenes using VTK’s powerful rendering engine instead of Cairo or OpenGL: 
manimvtk -pqh scene.py MyScene --renderer vtk
Benefits:
  • High-quality 3D rendering with proper lighting and shading
  • Better performance for complex 3D geometry
  • Native support for scientific visualization

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2. VTK File Export

Export your scenes to industry-standard VTK formats:
  • Single Frame Export
  • Time Series Export
manimvtk -pqh scene.py MyScene --vtk-export
Output:
  • Single mobject → .vtp (VTK PolyData)
  • Multiple mobjects → .vtm (VTK MultiBlock)

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3. Scientific Data Fields

Attach scalar and vector fields to VTK exports for scientific visualization: 
from manimvtk.vtk import add_scalar_field, add_vector_field

# After creating VTK polydata
add_scalar_field(polydata, "pressure", pressure_values)
add_vector_field(polydata, "velocity", velocity_vectors)
Use cases:
  • CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) visualization
  • FEA (Finite Element Analysis) results
  • Temperature distributions
  • Velocity fields and streamlines

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Supported Mobject Types

Mobject TypeVTK ExportNotes
2D Shapes✅Circle, Square, Polygon, etc.
VMobject✅Converted to PolyData with colors
Surface✅Full mesh with UV coordinates
ParametricSurface✅Parametric surfaces
3D Primitives✅Sphere, Cube, Cone, etc.
VGroup✅Exported as VTK MultiBlock
Text / Tex✅Exported as filled paths
Arrow / Vector✅Stroke-based or filled
NumberPlane / Axes✅Exported as line geometry
Nearly all Manim mobjects are supported for VTK export!

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File Format Reference

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VTK PolyData (.vtp)

Single object with points, lines, and polygons. Best for:
  • Single surfaces or meshes
  • Simple geometry
  • Quick visualization
Structure: 
<VTKFile type="PolyData">
  <PolyData>
    <Piece NumberOfPoints="..." NumberOfPolys="...">
      <Points>...</Points>
      <Polys>...</Polys>
      <PointData>...</PointData>
    </Piece>
  </PolyData>
</VTKFile>

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VTK MultiBlock (.vtm)

Collection of multiple datasets. Best for:
  • Scenes with multiple objects
  • Hierarchical data
  • Complex assemblies
Structure: 
<VTKFile type="vtkMultiBlockDataSet">
  <vtkMultiBlockDataSet>
    <DataSet index="0" file="object1.vtp"/>
    <DataSet index="1" file="object2.vtp"/>
  </vtkMultiBlockDataSet>
</VTKFile>

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ParaView Data (.pvd)

Time series collection file. Best for:
  • Animations
  • Temporal data
  • Time-varying simulations
Structure: 
<VTKFile type="Collection">
  <Collection>
    <DataSet timestep="0.0" file="frame_00000.vtp"/>
    <DataSet timestep="0.033" file="frame_00001.vtp"/>
    ...
  </Collection>
</VTKFile>

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Workflow Examples

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Basic Workflow

from manimvtk import *

class MyScene(Scene):
    def construct(self):
        circle = Circle(radius=2, color=BLUE)
        self.play(Create(circle))
        self.wait()

# Render and export
manimvtk -pqh scene.py MyScene --renderer vtk --vtk-export
Output:
  1. MyScene.mp4 - Video animation
  2. MyScene_final.vtp - VTK export of final frame

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Scientific Visualization Workflow

from manimvtk import *
import numpy as np

class CFDSurface(Scene):
    def construct(self):
        # Create surface mesh
        surface = Surface(
            lambda u, v: np.array([u, v, np.sin(u) * np.cos(v)]),
            u_range=[-2, 2],
            v_range=[-2, 2],
            resolution=(50, 50),
        )
        
        # Color gradient for visualization
        surface.set_color_by_gradient(BLUE, RED)
        
        self.play(Create(surface))
        self.wait()

# Export with time series
manimvtk -pqh scene.py CFDSurface --vtk-time-series
Workflow:
  1. Create animation in ManimVTK
  2. Export time series
  3. Open .pvd in ParaView
  4. Apply filters (contours, glyphs, etc.)
  5. Add scalar/vector field visualization

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Interactive Web Workflow

# Export for web viewing
manimvtk -pqh scene.py MyScene --vtk-export

# The .vtp file can be loaded with vtk.js
Embed in web applications using vtk.js for interactive 3D visualization.

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Performance Considerations

  • Faster for complex 3D scenes with many polygons
  • Slower initial startup (VTK initialization)
  • Best for: High-quality final renders
  • Text format (.vtp): Human-readable but larger
  • Binary format: Smaller but not human-readable
  • Compression: Use ParaView to compress exported files
  • High-resolution surfaces consume more memory
  • Time series exports can be large (one file per frame)
  • Recommended: Export at lower quality, then upscale if needed

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Compatibility

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ParaView Versions

  • ✅ ParaView 5.9+
  • ✅ ParaView 5.10+
  • ✅ ParaView 5.11+

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VTK Versions

  • ✅ VTK 9.0+
  • ✅ VTK 9.1+
  • ✅ VTK 9.2+

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PyVista Integration

import pyvista as pv

# Load exported VTK file
mesh = pv.read('media/vtk/MyScene/MyScene_final.vtp')

# Visualize in PyVista
mesh.plot()

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Next Steps

VTK Renderer Guide

Learn about VTK rendering options

Export Guide

Master VTK file export

Time Series Tutorial

Create animations for ParaView

ParaView Workflow

Visualize in ParaView