> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://manimvtk.mathify.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# ParaView Integration

> Visualize ManimVTK exports in ParaView

## Introduction

[ParaView](https://www.paraview.org/) is a powerful open-source scientific visualization application. ManimVTK's VTK export is specifically designed to integrate seamlessly with ParaView.

<Card title="Download ParaView" icon="download" href="https://www.paraview.org/download/">
  Get the latest ParaView version (5.9+ recommended)
</Card>

## Quick Start

### 1. Export from ManimVTK

```bash theme={null}
manimvtk -pqh scene.py MyScene --vtk-export
```

### 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

Your ManimVTK scene is now loaded!

## Basic Visualization

### Surface Representation

Change how your objects appear:

**In Properties panel:**

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

<Tip>
  **Surface With Edges** is great for seeing the mesh structure
</Tip>

### Color by Data

If your export includes color 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**

### Camera Controls

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

**Reset camera:**

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

## Time Series Animation

For exports with `--vtk-time-series`:

### Loading Time Series

1. File → Open
2. Select the **`.pvd` file** (not individual frames)
3. Click "Apply"

### Playback Controls

**Time toolbar** appears at top:

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

**Time slider:**

* Drag to scrub through frames
* Shows current time value

### Animation View

For advanced timeline control:

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

## Filters and Analysis

### Common Filters

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Clip">
    Cut through your geometry to see inside:

    1. Select your object
    2. **Filters → Common → Clip**
    3. Adjust plane position and normal
    4. Click "Apply"
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Slice">
    Create a 2D slice through 3D data:

    1. **Filters → Common → Slice**
    2. Choose slice orientation
    3. Position the slice
    4. Apply
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Contour">
    Create isosurfaces from scalar data:

    1. **Filters → Common → Contour**
    2. Select scalar array
    3. Set isovalues
    4. Apply
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Calculator">
    Compute new fields from existing data:

    1. **Filters → Common → Calculator**
    2. Enter formula (e.g., `sqrt(X^2 + Y^2 + Z^2)`)
    3. Name result array
    4. Apply
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

### Measuring

**Distance Tool:**

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

**Volume/Area:**

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

## Scientific Visualization

### Scalar Field Visualization

If you've attached scalar data (temperature, pressure):

```python theme={null}
# In ManimVTK (requires post-processing)
from manimvtk.vtk import add_scalar_field
# add_scalar_field(polydata, "temperature", temp_array)
```

**In ParaView:**

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

### Vector Field Visualization

For velocity or force fields:

```python theme={null}
# In ManimVTK (post-processing)
from manimvtk.vtk import add_vector_field
# add_vector_field(polydata, "velocity", velocity_array)
```

**In ParaView:**

**Glyphs (arrows):**

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

**Streamlines:**

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

### 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

## Rendering and Export

### Screenshots

**High-quality screenshots:**

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

<Tip>
  Use **transparent background** for compositing: Check "Transparent Background" in save dialog
</Tip>

### Exporting Animation

**Save as video:**

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

**Quality settings:**

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

### Python Export

Export current view to Python script:

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

## Advanced Features

### Python Scripting

Automate ParaView with Python:

```python theme={null}
# 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()
```

### Batch Processing

Process multiple files:

```python theme={null}
import glob
from paraview.simple import *

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

### Custom Filters

Create reusable visualization pipelines:

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

## Tips and Tricks

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion icon="lightbulb" title="Keyboard Shortcuts">
    * `R`: Reset camera
    * `Space`: Play/pause animation
    * `Ctrl + O`: Open file
    * `Ctrl + S`: Save screenshot
    * `Ctrl + E`: Save animation
    * `3`: Toggle surface with edges
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion icon="eye" title="Visibility">
    * Click eye icon to toggle object visibility
    * Use Pipeline Browser to manage multiple objects
    * Group objects: Select multiple → Right click → Group
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion icon="palette" title="Color Maps">
    Best color maps for different data:

    * **Sequential**: Viridis, Plasma, Inferno
    * **Diverging**: Cool to Warm, Blue to Red
    * **Rainbow**: Use sparingly (can be misleading)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion icon="gauge" title="Performance">
    For large datasets:

    * Use **LOD (Level of Detail)**: Edit → Settings → Render View
    * Reduce geometry: **Filters → Decimate**
    * Hide objects not in view
    * Use client-server mode for very large data
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Example Workflows

### Basic Shape Inspection

```python theme={null}
# 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()
```

```bash theme={null}
manimvtk -pql scene.py ShapeInspection --vtk-export
```

**In ParaView:**

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

### 3D Surface Analysis

```python theme={null}
# 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)
```

```bash theme={null}
manimvtk -pqh scene.py SurfaceAnalysis --vtk-export
```

**In ParaView:**

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

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion icon="triangle-exclamation" title="Object appears black">
    **Cause:** No lighting or normals

    **Solution:**

    * Apply **Generate Surface Normals** filter
    * Or adjust lighting in Properties
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion icon="triangle-exclamation" title="Time series won't play">
    **Cause:** Wrong file opened

    **Solution:**

    * Must open `.pvd` file, not individual `.vtp`
    * Close all and reopen `.pvd`
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion icon="triangle-exclamation" title="Colors missing">
    **Cause:** Color data not in export

    **Solution:**

    * Check if colors set in ManimVTK
    * Look for "Colors" array in Information panel
    * If missing, set in Coloring dropdown to "Solid Color"
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion icon="triangle-exclamation" title="Slow performance">
    **Cause:** Complex geometry or large data

    **Solution:**

    * Use lower quality setting in ParaView
    * Apply Decimate filter
    * Enable LOD threshold
    * Close unused pipeline objects
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Resources

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="ParaView Guide" icon="book" href="https://docs.paraview.org/en/latest/">
    Official ParaView documentation
  </Card>

  <Card title="ParaView Tutorial" icon="graduation-cap" href="https://www.paraview.org/Wiki/The_ParaView_Tutorial">
    Step-by-step tutorials
  </Card>

  <Card title="ParaView Discourse" icon="comments" href="https://discourse.paraview.org/">
    Community forum for help
  </Card>

  <Card title="VTK File Formats" icon="file-code" href="https://kitware.github.io/vtk-examples/site/VTKFileFormats/">
    VTK format specification
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="VTK Export Guide" icon="file-export" href="/vtk/export">
    Master VTK file export from ManimVTK
  </Card>

  <Card title="Time Series" icon="clock" href="/vtk/time-series">
    Create animated time series
  </Card>

  <Card title="Scientific Examples" icon="flask" href="/examples/scientific">
    See scientific visualization examples
  </Card>

  <Card title="Scalar Fields" icon="wave" href="/api-reference/vtk/scalar-fields">
    Add scientific data to exports
  </Card>
</CardGroup>