Documentation / cfd-operations.md
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CFD reader, filter and writer directory

This is a broad CFD-focused selection from the 645 registered ParaView operations in this checkout. Start with the short lower-case aliases; native pv... entries expose a wider range of options. Borderline scientific-flow, particle, AMR and mesh-analysis operations are included deliberately. Astronomy, molecular chemistry, medical imaging and unrelated display helpers are omitted.

Every linked name exists in the current Schemaxis registry. Registered does not mean natively qualified on your case or installed ParaView release. Some entries need specialised dataset types, resource inputs, external libraries or plugins. The pinned catalogue comes from ParaView 5.13.3. Use the operation reference and schemaxis describe NAME before selecting one.

Return to the step-by-step CFD guide or the complete generated catalogue.

How to use this directory#

Find the engineering task below. Prefer a short alias when it covers your needs.
Open its link for exact ports, required options, defaults and constraints.
Add a node with that filter and connect the documented input ports. Native pv... options and ports keep their exact case; they are not interchangeable with alias spellings.
Writers belong in scenes[].exports, with a source node, rather than ordinary pipeline nodes. Schemaxis manages filenames and one scheduled state at a time.
Check the full input with the authored schema and plan; then perform a small native run and inspect the output/readback.

schemaxis describe foam
schemaxis describe pvGradient
schemaxis describe pvWriteCSVWriter
schemaxis schema --provider paraview --operation pvGradient

The operation schema describes only its options object. Associate the whole ParaView authored schema with input.json; it already includes analytics and expressions.

Read solver results and scientific data#

Task	Registered operations	Use and limits
OpenFOAM/HELYX	foam, pvOpenFOAMReader, pvVisItOpenFOAMReader	Start with foam and an explicit caseType; native variants expose more reader settings. Confirm HELYX file-format compatibility on your installation.
VTK and previously exported pipeline data	readSurface, readUnstructuredGrid, readParallelPolyData, readParallelUnstructuredGrid, readImageData, readStructuredGrid, readRectilinearGrid, readMultiBlock, pvLegacyVTKReader, pvPVDReader, pvVTKHDFReader, pvPartitionedLegacyVTKReader	Reopen analysis artifacts or a time-series index; select the reader matching the dataset and file type.
XML and partitioned VTK variants	pvXMLPolyDataReader, pvXMLUnstructuredGridReader, pvXMLImageDataReader, pvXMLStructuredGridReader, pvXMLRectilinearGridReader, pvXMLMultiBlockDataReader, pvXMLTableReader, pvXMLPartitionedDatasetCollectionReader, pvXMLPartitionedDatasetReader, pvXMLPartitionedImageDataReader, pvXMLPartitionedPolydataReader, pvXMLPartitionedRectilinearGridReader, pvXMLPartitionedStructuredGridReader, pvXMLPartitionedTableReader, pvXMLPartitionedUnstructuredGridReader, pvXMLUniformGridAMRReader, pvXMLHierarchicalBoxDatareader	Detailed native equivalents and partitioned/AMR readers. File types and input properties differ.
Other CFD solver formats	pvCGNSSeriesReader, pvCONVERGECFDReader, pvCONVERGECFDCGNSReader, pvFluentCaseReader, pvFluentCFFCaseReader, pvVisItFluentReader, pvEnSightReader, pvEnSightMasterServerReader, pvPLOT3DReader, pvPLOT3DMetaFileReader, pvNek5000Reader, pvVisItNek5000Reader, pvPhastaReader, pvFDSReader, pvMFIXReader, pvVisItMFIXReader, pvVisItMFIXCDFReader, pvTRUCHASReader, pvproSTARSTARCDReader, pvTecplotReader, pvTecplotTableReader, pvVisItTecplotReader, pvVisItTecplotBinaryReader, pvVisItOVERFLOWReader	Candidates for external collaborators, validation cases and specialised solvers; not evidence that every native format has been qualified.
Multiphysics, XDMF, HDF and streaming data	pvExodusIIReader, pvIOSSReader, pvXDMFReader, pvXdmf3ReaderS, pvXdmf3ReaderT, pvADIOS2VTXReader, pvADIOS2CoreImageReader, pvFidesReader, pvFidesJSONReader, pvNetCDFReader, pvNetCDFUGRIDreader, pvNetCDFMPASreader, pvParallelNetCDFPOPreader, pvNetCDFPOPreader, pvHDF5RageReader, pvGenericIOReader, pvGenericIOMultiBlockReader	Useful for multiphysics and scientific-flow datasets. Format existence alone does not establish field semantics.
Adaptive meshes and flow-oriented AMR data	pvAMReXBoxLibGridReader, pvAMReXBoxLibParticlesReader, pvVisItChomboReader, pvVisItClawReader, pvVisItFLASHReader, pvVisItSAMRAIReader, pvSpyPlotReader, pvRestartedSimSpyPlotReader, pvHyperTreeGridReader, pvXMLPartitionedHyperTreeGridReader	For AMR/HTG datasets; downstream filter support is dataset-specific.
Geometry and comparison surfaces	readSTL, readPLY, pvSTLReader, pvPLYReader, pvWavefrontOBJReader, pvSTEPReader, pvIGESReader, pvBYUReader, pvFacetReader, pvglTFReader	Geometry context, imported body surfaces and comparison meshes; these do not provide CFD volume fields.
Tables and particles	pvCSVReader, pvParticlesReader, pvH5PartReader, pvTableToPoints, pvTableToStructuredGrid	Experimental measurements, sample tables and particle datasets. Check array association and coordinate columns.

Select, cut and organise data#

Task	Registered operations	Use and limits
Slices, clips and scalar regions	slice, clip, threshold, contour, pvSlice, pvSliceWithPlane, pvSliceAlongPolyLine, pvAxisAlignedSlice, pvClip, pvClipClosedSurface, pvContour, pvIsoVolume, pvThreshold	Slice intersects a plane; clip removes data; threshold selects by scalar range; contour creates an iso-surface. Camera bounds do none of these.
Blocks, regions and cells	extractBlock, extractSubset, pvExtractBlock, pvExtractSubset, pvExtractSubsetWithSeed, pvExtractAMRBlocks, pvExtractCellsByRegion, pvExtractCellsByType, pvExtractCellsAlongLine, pvExtractCellsAlongLinesCustomSource, pvExtractSelection, pvExtractRegionSurface, pvExtractLocation, pvExtractComponent	Select physical regions before merging away block structure. Selector strings come from your actual dataset hierarchy.
Selections and queries	pvBlockSelectorsSelectionSource, pvBlockSelectionSource, pvThresholdSelectionSource, pvSelectionQuerySource, pvFrustumSelectionSource, pvIDSelectionSource, pvGlobalIDSelectionSource, pvLocationSelectionSource, pvConvertSelection	Advanced declared selection objects; satisfy the target filter's typed ports rather than substituting a selection for a dataset.
Surface and edge extraction	surface, edges, featureEdges, pvExtractSurface, pvGeometryFilter, pvExtractEdges, pvFeatureEdges, pvSurfaceFlow	Surfaces and mesh edges for inspection; a domain outer surface is not automatically the physical body wall.
Group and merge	group, merge, append, appendGeometry, pvGroupDatasets, pvMergeBlocks, pvAppendDatasets, pvAppendGeometry, pvAppendAttributes, pvConvertToMultiBlock, pvConvertToPartitionedDataSetCollection	Combine datasets. Group preserves hierarchy; merge can remove it. Check arrays and types on every input.
Connectivity and enclosed regions	connectivity, pvConnectivity, pvComputeConnectedSurfaceProperties, pvConnectedSurfaceProperties, pvExtractEnclosedPoints, pvAMRConnectivity	Separate disconnected pieces, inspect connected surfaces or select enclosed points.
Array selection and provenance	passArrays, generateIds, pvPassArrays, pvRenameArrays, pvMergeVectorComponents, pvGenerateIds, pvGenerateGlobalIds, pvGlobalPointAndCellIds, pvGenerateProcessIds, pvProcessIdScalars, pvBlockIds, pvBlockScalars, pvAddFieldArrays	Keep required fields, rename arrays and expose identifiers for debugging. Generated indices are not stable physical identities.

Calculate, sample and measure#

Task	Registered operations	Use and limits
Derived fields	calculator, gradient, pvCalculator, pvGradient, pvComputeDerivatives, pvGradientMagnitude, pvTensorPrincipalInvariants	Speed, coefficients and derivatives. The native Gradient can request vorticity, divergence and Q criterion; inspect its declared options and choose the correct input association.
Cell/point conversion	cellToPoint, pointToCell, pvCellDatatoPointData, pvPointDatatoCellData, pvCellCenters	Interpolate between associations for contours, streamlines or sampling. Interpolation changes representation and may smooth discontinuities.
Sampling and interpolation	probeLine, resample, pvPlotOverLine, pvPlotOverLinesFromCustomSource, pvProbeLocation, pvResampleWithDataset, pvResampleToImage, pvResampleToLine, pvAdaptiveResampleToImage, pvPointDatasetInterpolator, pvPointLineInterpolator, pvPointPlaneInterpolator, pvPointVolumeInterpolator	Extract profiles or resample onto another grid. Validate that sample positions are in the fluid and check validity masks.
Integrals and geometric measures	integrate, cellSize, pvIntegrateVariables, pvCellSize, pvAppendArcLength, pvPolylineLength, pvVolumeOfRevolution	Surface/volume integrals, area, volume and line length. Integration is not automatically an average or a force calculation.
Statistics, distributions and tables	pvDescriptiveStatistics, pvHistogram, pvHistogram2D, pvMinMax, pvComputeQuartiles, pvTableFFT, pvPlotData, pvThresholdTable, pvTransposeTable	Numerical reductions and table processing. A Plot-named data filter does not configure a chart-image renderer in Schemaxis.
Surface directions and shape	normals, curvature, pvGenerateSurfaceNormals, pvSurfaceNormals, pvSurfaceTangents, pvGenerateSurfaceTangents, pvSurfaceVectors, pvCurvature, pvReverseSense	Normals/tangents and curvature for surface inspection and derived quantities; establish orientation before interpreting signs.

Visualise flow and time dependence#

Task	Registered operations	Use and limits
Streamlines and seeds	streamTracer, tube, line, plane, sphere, pvStreamTracer, pvStreamTracerWithCustomSource, pvEvenlySpacedStreamlines2D, pvLine, pvPointSource, pvPlane, pvTube, pvRibbon	Snapshot streamlines, seed sources and visible tubes/ribbons. Seed inside valid fluid; tube radius is a display choice.
Vectors, tensors and vortices	pvGlyph, pvGlyphWithCustomSource, pvArrow, pvTensorGlyph, pvNormalGlyphs, pvVortexCores	Velocity arrows, tensor glyphs and vortex diagnostics. Use explicit sampling/density limits to keep outputs legible.
Particle trajectories	pvParticleTracer, pvParticlePath, pvStreakLine, pvLegacyParticlePath, pvLegacyStreakLine, pvTemporalParticlesToPathlines, pvExtractParticlesOverTime	Time-dependent trajectory candidates. These require suitable time-resolved data and native qualification, not just a single snapshot.
Temporal filters	temporalStatistics, pvTemporalStatistics, pvTemporalArrayOperator, pvTemporalInterpolator, pvTemporalShiftScale, pvTemporalSnaptoTimeStep, pvTemporalSmoothing, pvExtractTimeSteps, pvGroupTimeSteps, pvMergeTime, pvPlotDataOverTime, pvPlotSelectionOverTime, pvPlotGlobalVariablesOverTime, pvFFTOfSelectionOverTime, pvForceTime, pvForceStaticMesh	Time statistics, histories and alignment. Native temporal filters can request upstream times independently of the outer publication-time loop.
Reference geometry and deformations	outline, transform, reflect, warpVector, warpScalar, elevation, pvOutline, pvOutlineCorners, pvOutlineSource, pvBox, pvCylinder, pvCone, pvSphere, pvTransform, pvReflect, pvAngularPeriodicFilter, pvWarpByVector, pvWarpByScalar, pvElevation	Context geometry and transformed views. Transforming/warping data affects coordinates; moving a camera does not.

Inspect and prepare meshes#

Task	Registered operations	Use and limits
Cleaning and tessellation	clean, cleanGrid, triangulate, delaunay2D, delaunay3D, pvClean, pvCleantoGrid, pvCleanCellstoGrid, pvTriangulate, pvTetrahedralize, pvConvertPolyhedralCells, pvTessellate, pvDelaunay2D, pvDelaunay3D	Repair/convert representations for downstream operations. Review topology and field changes; these are not CFD meshing qualification.
Mesh quality and validation	pvMeshQuality, pvBoundaryMeshQuality, pvValidateCells, pvCountCellFaces, pvCountCellVertices, pvUnstructuredCellTypes, pvOverlappingCellsDetector	Inspect cell quality and validity with declared metrics. They do not replace solver-specific mesh checks.
Rendering simplification	decimate, smooth, shrink, pvDecimate, pvDecimatePolyline, pvSmooth, pvShrink, pvMaskPoints, pvQuadricClustering	Reduce clutter or polygon count for presentation. Retain the unsimplified scientific outputs separately.
Distributed data and ghost cells	pvGhostCells, pvGhostCellsGenerator, pvExtractGhostCells, pvRemoveGhostInformation, pvD3, pvRedistributeDataSet, pvPartitionBalancer, pvAggregateDataset, pvDistributedTrivialProducer	Advanced parallel data management. Serial decomposed-case reading is not proof of MPI filter correctness.
AMR and hyper-tree operations	pvAMRContour, pvAMRDualClip, pvAMRFragmentIntegration, pvConvertAMRdatasettoMultiblock, pvResampleAMR, pvHyperTreeGridGeometryFilter, pvHyperTreeGridToUnstructuredGrid, pvHyperTreeGridToDualGrid, pvHyperTreeGridCellCenters	Specialised adaptive-grid workflows. Confirm the exact upstream type and supported conversion.

Write outputs#

Task	Registered operations	Use and limits
VTK scientific artifacts	pvWriteXMLPolyDataWriter, pvWriteXMLUnstructuredGridWriter, pvWriteXMLImageDataWriter, pvWriteXMLRectilinearGridWriter, pvWriteXMLStructuredGridWriter, pvWriteXMLTableWriter, pvWriteXMLMultiBlockDataWriter, pvWriteDataSetWriter, pvWriteVTKHDFWriter	Prefer scientific formats when field arrays matter. The convenient scene.geometry path chooses its own verified VTK writer.
Parallel, partitioned and AMR artifacts	pvWriteXMLPPolyDataWriter, pvWriteXMLPUnstructuredGridWriter, pvWriteXMLPImageDataWriter, pvWriteXMLPRectilinearGridWriter, pvWriteXMLPStructuredGridWriter, pvWriteXMLPTableWriter, pvWriteXMLPartitionedDataSetCollectionWriter, pvWriteXMLHierarchicalBoxDataWriter, pvWriteXMLUniformGridAMRWriter, pvWriteHyperTreeGridWriter, pvWriteXMLPHyperTreeGridWriter, pvWriteSerialHTGMultiBlock	Preserve dataset structure where supported. Choosing a parallel writer name does not launch MPI.
Tables and interoperable CFD formats	pvWriteCSVWriter, pvWriteDataSetCSVWriter, pvWriteCGNSWriter, pvWriteEnSightWriter, pvWriteExodusIIWriter, pvWriteIOSSWriter, pvWriteXdmfWriter, pvWriteXdmf3Writer, pvWriteGenericIOWriter	CSV for tables; other formats require explicit accepted losses and appropriate native readback. Verify each format on representative data.
Presentation geometry	pvWritePSTLWriter, pvWritePPLYWriter, pvWritePOBJWriter	STL/PLY/OBJ exports lose scientific information; supply the declared loss acceptance. Scene.gltf is a separate presentation export.
Image datasets	pvWritePNGWriter, pvWriteJPEGWriter, pvWriteTIFFWriter, pvWriteMetaImageWriter, pvWriteJSONImageWriter, pvWriteOpenVDBWriter	These export suitable image/volume datasets. For a rendered view of CFD geometry use scene.images, which captures PNG screenshots.

Scope of this selection#

This directory links 374 distinct operations. It is a discovery aid, not an exhaustive CFD capability or acceptance claim. The complete catalogue also contains additional generic operations that may be useful for unusual datasets. If a needed operation is absent, inspect the full catalogue and its native requirements before extending the adaptor.

For image rendering, use the guide's scenes → appearances → images → cameras sections. Chart views, multi-panel GUI layouts, arbitrary Python filters and general native GUI control are not implied by this list. A reader/filter producing a table or annotation does not itself add a rendered chart or overlay to the supported scene schema.