# cant open exodus2 file
**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/cant-open-exodus2-file/9877
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Tags:** exodus
**Created:** [June 22, 2022, 11:30am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/cant-open-exodus2-file/9877 "2022-06-22T11:30:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jaeg1710](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/jaeg1710)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2022, 11:30am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/cant-open-exodus2-file/9877/1 "2022-06-22T11:30:31Z")
Hello,
if i try to open an .ex2 file i get the following Error Message:
```auto
ERROR: In C:\glr\builds\paraview\paraview-ci\build\superbuild\paraview\src\VTK\IO\IOSS\vtkIOSSReader.cxx, line 852
vtkIOSSReader (000001A5798B8ED0): Error in UpdateTimeInformation:
ERROR: The topology type 'hexahedron20' is not supported on 'section-assembly_part-2-1_set-1' in file 'C:/Users/s.jaeger/Desktop/h.exo'
ERROR: In C:\glr\builds\paraview\paraview-ci\build\superbuild\paraview\src\VTK\Common\ExecutionModel\vtkExecutive.cxx, line 753
vtkPVCompositeDataPipeline (000001A579F770A0): Algorithm vtkIOSSReader(000001A5798B8ED0) returned failure for request: vtkInformation (000001A57B5850F0)
Debug: Off
Modified Time: 3596435
Reference Count: 1
Registered Events: (none)
Request: REQUEST_INFORMATION
FORWARD_DIRECTION: 0
ALGORITHM_AFTER_FORWARD: 1
ERROR: In C:\glr\builds\paraview\paraview-ci\build\superbuild\paraview\src\VTK\Common\ExecutionModel\vtkExecutive.cxx, line 753
vtkPVCompositeDataPipeline (000001A579F770A0): Algorithm vtkIOSSReader(000001A5798B8ED0) returned failure for request: vtkInformation (000001A579773020)
Debug: Off
Modified Time: 3599218
Reference Count: 1
Registered Events: (none)
Request: REQUEST_DATA
FORWARD_DIRECTION: 0
ALGORITHM_AFTER_FORWARD: 1
FROM_OUTPUT_PORT: 0
```
why is the topology type “hexahedron20” not supported? if i try to open the file in another software (VisIt) it works fine
---
### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2022, 12:41pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/cant-open-exodus2-file/9877/2 "2022-06-22T12:41:41Z")
HI @jaeg1710 ,
Looks like this cell type is not supported by the exodus reader. Did you try with the new one or the legacy one ?
(LegacyExodusReader plugin, available in 5.10.1).
Best,
---
### Author:  [@jaeg1710](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/jaeg1710)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2022, 1:07pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/cant-open-exodus2-file/9877/3 "2022-06-22T13:07:59Z")
i initally tried with the “IOSS Reader” which doesnt work.
However I tried now with the “Legacy Exodus 2 Reader” PlugIn and it worked!
Thank you for the fast reply 🙂
---
### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2022, 2:20pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/cant-open-exodus2-file/9877/4 "2022-06-22T14:20:57Z")
@jaeg1710 could you open an issue on : [https://gitlab.kitware.com/paraview/paraview/-/issues](https://gitlab.kitware.com/paraview/paraview/-/issues) ?
FYI @utkarsh.ayachit @coreylee @jaswantp
---
### Author:  [@Gregory\_Sjaardema](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Gregory_Sjaardema)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2022, 8:18pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/cant-open-exodus2-file/9877/5 "2022-06-22T20:18:40Z")
The `hexahedron20` alias for the 20-noded hex is not supported. It is recognized as a `hex20` or `hexahedron_20` or `Solid_Hex_20_3D`.
Would just need to add `hexahedron20` as an alias in projects/seacas/libraries/ioss/src/Ioss\_Hex20.C…
---
### Author:  [@wascott](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/wascott)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2022, 8:48pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/cant-open-exodus2-file/9877/6 "2022-06-22T20:48:07Z")
Sounds like a good idea? I assume older datasets should still run. Let us know when it’s in, and I can have Kitware do another pull of IOSS.
---
### Author:  [@Gregory\_Sjaardema](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Gregory_Sjaardema)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2022, 8:55pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/cant-open-exodus2-file/9877/7 "2022-06-22T20:55:45Z")
I can also add a step where if the block topology isn’t recognized, it attempts using a subset of the passed in name. Most topologies start with 3 or 4 characters followed by an optional node count (hex20, tet4, quad9, …). If I add a test when the original name doesn’t match a valid topology and then I strip of the first 3 or 4 letters and add the (optional) node count to the end and then see if that matches a valid topology, it should recognize more topology types without having to explicitly list every possible alias.
Then `hexahedron20` would be shortened to `hex20` which will match…
---
### Author:  [@Gregory\_Sjaardema](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Gregory_Sjaardema)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2022, 9:18pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/cant-open-exodus2-file/9877/8 "2022-06-22T21:18:44Z")
Modification is in. You can give it a try.
---
### Author:  [@Stysch](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Stysch)
#### Post date: [July 6, 2022, 2:03pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/cant-open-exodus2-file/9877/9 "2022-07-06T14:03:52Z")
I have a similar issue: until version 5.9.1, ParaView was able to read exodus2 files produced by a proprietary software, in which the type of the hexahedral elements is called “hexa8”. This name is consistent with the name “HEXA8” used by ParaView in the class vtkPEnSightReaderCellIds (except for the lower/upper case).
However, if I use the current ParaView version 5.10.1 without the LegacyExodusReader plugin, I receive the following error message:
```
ERROR: In C:\glr\builds\paraview\paraview-ci\build\superbuild\paraview\src\VTK\IO\IOSS\vtkIOSSReader.cxx, line 852
vtkIOSSReader (000002CEF3D174C0): Error in UpdateTimeInformation:
ERROR: The topology type 'hexa8' is not supported on 'stator_3d' in file 'C:/Users/sty2rng/Desktop/team24_hexa_proj.ex2'
ERROR: In C:\glr\builds\paraview\paraview-ci\build\superbuild\paraview\src\VTK\Common\ExecutionModel\vtkExecutive.cxx, line 753
vtkPVCompositeDataPipeline (000002CE88150460): Algorithm vtkIOSSReader(000002CEF3D174C0) returned failure for request: vtkInformation (000002CE9234F350)
Debug: Off
Modified Time: 377809
Reference Count: 1
Registered Events: (none)
Request: REQUEST_INFORMATION
FORWARD_DIRECTION: 0
ALGORITHM_AFTER_FORWARD: 1
```