Using ParaView to Visualize Scientific Data

Computational Mechanics

Civil Engineering master course

School of Engineering and Architecture
University of Bologna

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Outline I

1 Introduction

2 User Interface

3 ParaView Dataset Types

4 Visualizing Scalars

5 Visualizing Vectors

6 Data Analysis

7 A simple example: notched plate

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 Introduction

Overview

ParaView is an open-source, multi-platform data analysis and vi-

sualization application built on top of VTK (software system for 3D
graphics). ParaView provides a comprehensive suite of visualization
algorithms and supports many different file formats.

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 Introduction

Parallel Visualization Application

Key Features
Open-Source
Multi-Platform
Extensible via plugins
Rich scripting support through Python
Binaries available for Windows, OSX and Linux
Active developer community

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 Introduction

Getting ParaView

ParaView resources, documentation and information are avaiable at

http://www.paraview.org/

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 User Interface

A first glance at the Graphical user Interface (GUI)

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 ParaView Dataset Types

Dataset Types

ParaView as well as VTK data objects have both topological and geometrical structure
and can represent several types of data:

Image Data (Structured

Points: regular in both
topology and geometry
Rectilinear Grid: regular
topology but geometry only
partially regular
Structured Grid: regular
topology and irregular
geometry

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 ParaView Dataset Types

Dataset Types

Unstructured Points: no
topology and irregular
geometry
Polygonal Data: irregular in
both topology and geometry
Unstructured Grid:
irregular in both topology
and geometry (any
combination of cells)

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 ParaView Dataset Types

Data Attributes

ParaView as well as VTK data objects also have attributes associated with the topo-
logical and geometrical organizing structure:

Scalars: single valued (ex. temperature, pressure, density, ecc... )

Vectors: magnitude and direction (ex. displacements, forces)
Normals: direction vectors (magnitude 1)
Tensors: rank 0 (scalar), rank 1 (vector), rank 2 (matrix) (ex. stress, strain)

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 Visualizing Scalars

Color Mapping

Maps scalar data to colors.

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 Visualizing Vectors

Oriented Glyphs

Vectors components can be displayed as scalars, but also a glyph representation is

provided.

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 Visualizing Vectors

Warping

The warping functions deforms the model according to a specified vector.

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 Data Analysis

Plot Over Line

ParaView allows to plot a variable along a predefined line.

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 Data Analysis

Interpolate - Delaunay

If the dataset has not topology, the user has to interpolate point data to visualize
fields.

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 Data Analysis

Compute Derivatives

It is possible to compute both gradients and the strain tensor.

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 A simple example: notched plate

A simple example: notched plate

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 Summary

For further information...

http://www.paraview.org/structural-analysis/

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