# Error in opening .xmf and .h5 files
**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-in-opening-xmf-and-h5-files/14299
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Created:** [March 30, 2024, 9:34am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-in-opening-xmf-and-h5-files/14299 "2024-03-30T09:34:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@NM1293](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/NM1293)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2024, 9:34am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-in-opening-xmf-and-h5-files/14299/1 "2024-03-30T09:34:20Z")
Hello everyone,
I am new to ParaView and encountering an issue with opening .xmf and .h5 files. These files were obtained from the FLOWUnsteady code, an open-source tool developed for Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations.([https://flow.byu.edu/FLOWUnsteady/](https://flow.byu.edu/FLOWUnsteady/)).
I attempted to open the .xmf file using the XDMF reader and the .h5 file using the VisItPixieReader.
ParaView responds with the errors you can find in the attached .txt file.
[Error\_file.txt](https://discourse.paraview.org/uploads/short-url/4T0Iup2bWbieJR0xNnum5PT74i4.txt) (5.2 KB)
Even after trying different combinations of readers, the problem persists, and in some cases, ParaView crashes and closes unexpectedly.
Does anyone know what could be causing this issue?
thank you π
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2024, 8:26am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-in-opening-xmf-and-h5-files/14299/2 "2024-04-02T08:26:08Z")
Please share the data.
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### Author:  [@NM1293](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/NM1293)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2024, 1:59pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-in-opening-xmf-and-h5-files/14299/3 "2024-04-02T13:59:49Z")
Hello Mathieu,
please use this weTransfer link ([WeTransfer - Send Large Files & Share Photos Online - Up to 2GB Free](https://we.tl/t-KMY0NXjJpP)) to download the .xmf and .h5 files. If I directly attach the files, the operation fails, I donβt know why.
Thank you.
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 7:30am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-in-opening-xmf-and-h5-files/14299/4 "2024-04-03T07:30:40Z")
> VisItPixieReader
Why would you use this reader ?
It works fine with the XDMFReader
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### Author:  [@NM1293](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/NM1293)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 8:30am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-in-opening-xmf-and-h5-files/14299/5 "2024-04-03T08:30:45Z")
The VisItPixieReader is the reader I selected for the .h5 file.
If I understand correctly, the .xmf file contains the information that Paraview utilizes to interpret the .h5 file, which, in turn, holds the data regarding the fluid particles.
I have attached two videos demonstrating how I load the files; perhaps I made an error in the process. [WeTransfer - Send Large Files & Share Photos Online - Up to 2GB Free](https://we.tl/t-pysgjhmCbj)
When I load only the .xmf file, it appears that the cubic volume is loaded, but I am unable to visualize any fluid particles.
Thank you.
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 8:32am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-in-opening-xmf-and-h5-files/14299/6 "2024-04-03T08:32:00Z")
> [@NM1293](#):
>
> The VisItPixieReader is the reader I selected for the .h5 file.
Your file is not in Pixie format.
> When I load only the .xmf file, it appears that the cubic volume is loaded, but I am unable to visualize any fluid particles.
Your file contains a volume, it does not contain fluid particles afaics
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### Author:  [@NM1293](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/NM1293)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 8:52am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-in-opening-xmf-and-h5-files/14299/7 "2024-04-03T08:52:43Z")
> Your file is not in Pixie format.
And how can I correctly open the .h5 file?
> Your file contains a volume, it does not contain fluid particles afaics
Sorry, actually my files should display the fluid velocity in the cubic volume.
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 8:57am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-in-opening-xmf-and-h5-files/14299/8 "2024-04-03T08:57:48Z")
> [@NM1293](#):
>
> And how can I correctly open the .h5 file?
If your file is in XDMF format, you should use the XDMF reader and open only the .xmf file
> Sorry, actually my files should display the fluid velocity in the cubic volume.
You file contain a volumic cube with `U` and `W` data.
You could show the volume ?
You could trace streamlines ?
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### Author:  [@NM1293](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/NM1293)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 10:13am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-in-opening-xmf-and-h5-files/14299/9 "2024-04-03T10:13:09Z")
> If your file is in XDMF format, you should use the XDMF reader and open only the .xmf file
Alright, now Iβm opening only the .xmf file using the XDMFReader.
> You file contain a volumic cube with `U` and `W` data.
Yes, now I can see this data. So, is this file not a time-series? Does it contain information about U and W for a single time instant?
Below are the volume rendering and the streamlines.
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 12:23pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-in-opening-xmf-and-h5-files/14299/10 "2024-04-03T12:23:00Z")
> [@NM1293](#):
>
> So, is this file not a time-series? Does it contain information about U and W for a single time instant?
It looks like it yes.
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### Author:  [@NM1293](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/NM1293)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 1:02pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-in-opening-xmf-and-h5-files/14299/11 "2024-04-03T13:02:41Z")
Ok, thank you for your support and patience. Your intervention has been very helpful.
Thank you. π πͺ
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2024, 8:51am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-in-opening-xmf-and-h5-files/14299/12 "2024-08-13T08:51:23Z")
A post was split to a new topic: [Unable to open XDMF files](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/unable-to-open-xdmf-files/15220)
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2024, 11:50am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-in-opening-xmf-and-h5-files/14299/13 "2024-09-27T11:50:26Z")
2 posts were split to a new topic: [Cannot open XDMF files](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/cannot-open-xdmf-files/15461)