# Cannot open multiple LAMMPS dump files as a file series
**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/cannot-open-multiple-lammps-dump-files-as-a-file-series/14870
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Created:** [June 17, 2024, 7:49pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/cannot-open-multiple-lammps-dump-files-as-a-file-series/14870 "2024-06-17T19:49:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@vk7](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/vk7)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2024, 7:49pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/cannot-open-multiple-lammps-dump-files-as-a-file-series/14870/1 "2024-06-17T19:49:15Z")
I am using paraview 5.12.0 on Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS.
I am unable to open a collection of dump files obtained from LAMMPS as a file series.
The data is probably loaded into paraview (i see dump\* in the pipeline).
However, I cannot see the animation (in ‘Time Manager’)
Just to confirm if the issue is with .dump files only or not, I have created some fabricated data and saved it as .csv files. I can open them as file series, and play the animation in ‘Time Manager’.
I am attaching the relevant .dump and .csv files here.
The .csv data may be loaded as: open file series → Add Filter ‘Table to Points’ → Add Filter ‘Glyph’ (settings: Sphere, select x,y,z column, and radius column as Scalars).
I think, my issue is perhaps similar to this one: [Cannot open fileseries in ParaView 5.4.1](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/cannot-open-fileseries-in-paraview-5-4-1/5493)
which does not have any discussion below the question posted by the user.
Thank you.
[csv\_data.zip](https://discourse.paraview.org/uploads/short-url/4Mzo7mYJKAMJqr8ILiaybxvTMSR.zip) (870 Bytes)
[dump\_data.zip](https://discourse.paraview.org/uploads/short-url/6YcII4k8sTPKQOfpGaSLFojytSG.zip) (9.0 KB)
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2024, 6:49am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/cannot-open-multiple-lammps-dump-files-as-a-file-series/14870/2 "2024-06-18T06:49:55Z")
AFAIK there is not “.dump” reader in ParaView, which reader are you using here ?
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### Author:  [@vk7](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/vk7)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2024, 7:47am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/cannot-open-multiple-lammps-dump-files-as-a-file-series/14870/3 "2024-06-18T07:47:05Z")
Hello.
I am using LAMMPS Dump Files (\*.dump) reader (pl. see attached image).
I would like to add the following new information that I have learnt:
There are two ways to generate LAMMPS dump files during simulations:
a. Entire data over multiple time steps written to one big dump file.
b. A separate dump file generated for every Nth time step.
I have tried loading the data using one big dumpfile (file attached). Paraview is able to load the data and run the animation flawlessly.
However, for my work, I would like to have separate dumpfiles for each Nth step, since each of these separate files is large. A combined file would be too big.
Thank you.
[dump.BIGFILE.dump](https://discourse.paraview.org/uploads/short-url/lEHOURENjDT4qIB3DQzK8l9tqL3.dump) (474.1 KB)
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2024, 7:49am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/cannot-open-multiple-lammps-dump-files-as-a-file-series/14870/4 "2024-06-18T07:49:16Z")
This reader sadly does not support time series. It should be easy to add though. You can open an issue here: [https://gitlab.kitware.com/paraview/paraview/-/issues](https://gitlab.kitware.com/paraview/paraview/-/issues)
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### Author:  [@vk7](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/vk7)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2024, 7:57am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/cannot-open-multiple-lammps-dump-files-as-a-file-series/14870/5 "2024-06-18T07:57:57Z")
I have opened an issue here: [https://gitlab.kitware.com/paraview/paraview/-/issues/22669](https://gitlab.kitware.com/paraview/paraview/-/issues/22669)
Thank you.