# Extract mesh from solution output file (.xdmf) in preview

**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/extract-mesh-from-solution-output-file-xdmf-in-preview/13345
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Created:** [November 26, 2023, 6:55am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/extract-mesh-from-solution-output-file-xdmf-in-preview/13345 "2023-11-26T06:55:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Adamya12](https://discourse.paraview.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Adamya12](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Adamya12)
#### Post date: [November 26, 2023, 6:55am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/extract-mesh-from-solution-output-file-xdmf-in-preview/13345/1 "2023-11-26T06:55:17Z")

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Hello! I am visualising a simulation by feeding in the .xdmf file of the solution output into paraview. for a certain timestep in the simulation, I want to extract the mesh at that timestep (mesh of the geometry configuration at that timestep) and save it as a file separately. how can I do that?  
thank you very much in advance 🙂

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### Author: ![mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/user_avatar/discourse.paraview.org/mwestphal/32/17_2.png) [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2023, 8:18am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/extract-mesh-from-solution-output-file-xdmf-in-preview/13345/2 "2023-11-27T08:18:02Z")

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- Position yourself to the time you want
- File → SaveData

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### Author: ![Adamya12](https://discourse.paraview.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Adamya12](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Adamya12)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2023, 5:48am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/extract-mesh-from-solution-output-file-xdmf-in-preview/13345/3 "2023-12-05T05:48:43Z")

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Hello! thank you so much for the response and help. I had a follow-up: I followed these steps, and got a .vtk file. I want to convert the .vtk file to a .msh file, and I used meshio for it. I can see the the inherent force vectors and fiber definitions are also visible in the .msh file. Is there an option to purely extract the mesh and not extract any other physical entities?

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### Author: ![nicolas.vuaille](https://discourse.paraview.org/user_avatar/discourse.paraview.org/nicolas.vuaille/32/5873_2.png) [@nicolas.vuaille](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/nicolas.vuaille)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2023, 8:43am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/extract-mesh-from-solution-output-file-xdmf-in-preview/13345/4 "2023-12-05T08:43:37Z")

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Hi,

In the SaveData dialog, after you select the output file, you can configure your save and choose which array to save. Unselect all of them.