ParaView Integration

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Introduction

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Quick Start

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1. Export from ManimVTK

manimvtk -pqh scene.py MyScene --vtk-export

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2. Open in ParaView

1. Launch ParaView
2. File → Open
3. Navigate to media/vtk/MyScene/
4. Select MyScene_final.vtp or MyScene_final.vtm
5. Click “Open”
6. Click “Apply” in Properties panel

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Basic Visualization

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Surface Representation

• Representation: Surface, Wireframe, Points, Surface With Edges
• Coloring: Solid Color, by array data
• Opacity: 0.0 (transparent) to 1.0 (opaque)

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Color by Data

1. In Properties panel, find “Coloring”
2. Select “Colors” from dropdown
3. Choose color map (Cool to Warm, Viridis, etc.)
4. Adjust range in Color Map Editor

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Camera Controls

• Left Click + Drag: Rotate
• Middle Click + Drag: Pan
• Scroll Wheel: Zoom
• Right Click + Drag: Zoom

• Click camera icon in toolbar
• Or View → Camera → Reset

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Time Series Animation

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Loading Time Series

1. File → Open
2. Select the .pvd file (not individual frames)
3. Click “Apply”

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Playback Controls

• ⏮️ First frame
• ⏪ Previous frame
• ▶️ Play
• ⏸️ Pause
• ⏩ Next frame
• ⏭️ Last frame

• Drag to scrub through frames
• Shows current time value

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Animation View

1. View → Animation View
2. Set duration and frame rate
3. Add keyframes for camera movement
4. Export animation as video

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Filters and Analysis

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Common Filters

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Measuring

1. View → Find Data → Select Points On
2. Click two points
3. View distance in Information panel

1. Select object
2. Filters → Alphabetical → Integrate Variables
3. View in Spreadsheet View

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Scientific Visualization

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Scalar Field Visualization

# In ManimVTK (requires post-processing)
from manimvtk.vtk import add_scalar_field
# add_scalar_field(polydata, "temperature", temp_array)

1. Color by scalar field
2. Add color bar: View → Color Map Editor → Show Color Legend
3. Apply Contour filter for isosurfaces
4. Use Threshold to filter by value range

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Vector Field Visualization

# In ManimVTK (post-processing)
from manimvtk.vtk import add_vector_field
# add_vector_field(polydata, "velocity", velocity_array)

1. Filters → Common → Glyph
2. Set Glyph Type: Arrow
3. Orient by vector field
4. Scale by magnitude
5. Apply

1. Filters → Common → Stream Tracer
2. Set Vectors: your velocity field
3. Choose seed type (Line, Point, etc.)
4. Apply

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CFD Workflow Example

1. Load data: Open your .pvd time series
2. Slice: Create cross-section
3. Contour: Show pressure isosurfaces
4. Glyph: Display velocity vectors
5. Color: By temperature or pressure
6. Animate: Play through time steps

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Rendering and Export

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Screenshots

1. Adjust view and size window
2. File → Save Screenshot
3. Set resolution (e.g., 4096x2160)
4. Choose format (PNG recommended)
5. Save

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Exporting Animation

1. Set up time series and view
2. File → Save Animation
3. Choose format:
   • AVI: Uncompressed, large
   • MP4: Compressed, smaller (requires ffmpeg)
   • Image sequence: PNG frames
4. Set frame rate and resolution
5. Save

• Stereo: For 3D viewing
• Frame Rate: Match source or higher
• Compression: Balance quality/size

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Python Export

1. Tools → Start Trace
2. Perform visualization steps
3. Tools → Stop Trace
4. Save Python script
5. Run with pvpython script.py

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Advanced Features

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Python Scripting

# Load in pvpython or Programmable Filter
from paraview.simple import *

# Load VTK file
reader = XMLPolyDataReader(FileName='MyScene_final.vtp')
Show(reader)

# Apply filter
clip = Clip(Input=reader)
clip.ClipType = 'Plane'
Show(clip)

# Render
Render()

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Batch Processing

import glob
from paraview.simple import *

for file in glob.glob('media/vtk/*/*.vtp'):
    reader = XMLPolyDataReader(FileName=file)
    # Process...
    SaveData(f'output/{file}.png')

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Custom Filters

1. Set up filter pipeline
2. Tools → Create Custom Filter
3. Name and save
4. Access from Filters → Custom

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Tips and Tricks

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Example Workflows

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Basic Shape Inspection

# ManimVTK scene
from manimvtk import *

class ShapeInspection(Scene):
    def construct(self):
        shapes = VGroup(
            Circle(radius=1, color=BLUE),
            Square(side_length=1.5, color=RED),
            Triangle(color=GREEN)
        ).arrange(RIGHT, buff=1)
        
        self.play(Create(shapes))
        self.wait()

manimvtk -pql scene.py ShapeInspection --vtk-export

1. Open ShapeInspection_final.vtm
2. Apply
3. In Pipeline Browser, expand to see each shape
4. Toggle visibility to examine individually
5. Use “Surface With Edges” to see mesh

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3D Surface Analysis

# ManimVTK scene
from manimvtk import *
import numpy as np

class SurfaceAnalysis(ThreeDScene):
    def construct(self):
        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)
        )
        surface.set_color_by_gradient(BLUE, RED)
        
        self.set_camera_orientation(phi=60 * DEGREES)
        self.add(surface)

manimvtk -pqh scene.py SurfaceAnalysis --vtk-export

1. Open surface
2. Apply Calculator filter: coordsZ to create height field
3. Color by height
4. Apply Contour to show level curves
5. Adjust camera for best view

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Troubleshooting

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Resources

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Next Steps