Getting "Byte order could not be determined" error when opening up Ensight Case Gold files written from ANSYS Fluent 2021R2

My workflow is to have ANSYS Fluent 2021R2 write Ensight Case Gold files that i then post-process in paraview. I could successfully do this before with a different simulation (the ANSYS Fluent version and paraview version are remained the same), but for some reason, when i try to open my *.case file with this simulation, Paraview 5.10.1 spits out this error.

I am running a parallelized version of paraview but this error is also given when i run paraview on a single core. After doing some digging online, several people have encountered this issue. I have also applied the fixes to the encase/case file described in this thread.

ERROR: In /builds/gitlab-kitware-sciviz-ci/build/superbuild/paraview/src/VTKExtensions/IOEnSight/vtkPEnSightGoldBinaryReader.cxx, line 4159
vtkPEnSightGoldBinaryReader (0x1dd4610): Byte order could not be determined.

ERROR: In /builds/gitlab-kitware-sciviz-ci/build/superbuild/paraview/src/VTKExtensions/IOEnSight/vtkPEnSightGoldBinaryReader.cxx, line 332
vtkPEnSightGoldBinaryReader (0x1dd4610): Invalid part id; check that ByteOrder is set correctly.

ERROR: In /builds/gitlab-kitware-sciviz-ci/build/superbuild/paraview/src/VTKExtensions/IOEnSight/vtkPEnSightReader.cxx, line 341
vtkPEnSightGoldBinaryReader (0x1dd4610): error reading geometry file lower_iha_primary_case.geo 0

ERROR: In /builds/gitlab-kitware-sciviz-ci/build/superbuild/paraview/src/VTK/Common/ExecutionModel/vtkExecutive.cxx, line 753
vtkCompositeDataPipeline (0x17606b90): Algorithm vtkPEnSightGoldBinaryReader(0x1dd4610) returned failure for request: vtkInformation (0x1761adb0)
  Debug: Off
  Modified Time: 165820
  Reference Count: 1
  Registered Events: (none)
  Request: REQUEST_DATA
  FROM_OUTPUT_PORT: 0
  ALGORITHM_AFTER_FORWARD: 1
  FORWARD_DIRECTION: 0

If i write the same Ensight file but in ASCII (as is an option that ANSYS Fluent provides), i can successfully open it. I prefer the file in binary because it’s smaller and will potentially open up faster.

EDIT: This issue also seems to be captured here.

Hi there,

the same issue over here. I followed the recommended procedure with Ensight-Gold Format for two simple and small cases and it worked OK. However, when I attempted to import results of a larger Steady-State CHT analysis I encountered the same issues.

Error message from Paraview 5.9.1.:

ERROR: In C:\glr\builds\paraview\paraview-ci\build\superbuild\paraview\src\VTK\IO\EnSight\vtkEnSightGoldBinaryReader.cxx, line 4324
vtkEnSightGoldBinaryReader (000001E834CE7190): Byte order could not be determined.

ERROR: In C:\glr\builds\paraview\paraview-ci\build\superbuild\paraview\src\VTK\IO\EnSight\vtkEnSightGoldBinaryReader.cxx, line 348
vtkEnSightGoldBinaryReader (000001E834CE7190): Invalid part id; check that ByteOrder is set correctly.

ERROR: In C:\glr\builds\paraview\paraview-ci\build\superbuild\paraview\src\VTK\IO\EnSight\vtkEnSightReader.cxx, line 297
vtkEnSightGoldBinaryReader (000001E834CE7190): error reading geometry file

ERROR: In C:\glr\builds\paraview\paraview-ci\build\superbuild\paraview\src\VTK\Common\ExecutionModel\vtkExecutive.cxx, line 753
vtkCompositeDataPipeline (000001E8336968A0): Algorithm vtkEnSightGoldBinaryReader(000001E834CE7190) returned failure for request: vtkInformation (000001E831BC89C0)
  Debug: Off
  Modified Time: 1925643
  Reference Count: 1
  Registered Events: (none)
  Request: REQUEST_DATA
  FORWARD_DIRECTION: 0
  FROM_OUTPUT_PORT: 0
  ALGORITHM_AFTER_FORWARD: 1

Error message from ParaView 5.11.2:

ERROR: In vtkEnSightGoldBinaryReader.cxx, line 3314
vtkEnSightGoldBinaryReader (000001EDD79CD8A0): Byte order could not be determined.

ERROR: In vtkEnSightGoldBinaryReader.cxx, line 490
vtkEnSightGoldBinaryReader (000001EDD79CD8A0): Invalid part id; check that ByteOrder is set correctly.

ERROR: In vtkEnSightReader.cxx, line 297
vtkEnSightGoldBinaryReader (000001EDD79CD8A0): error reading geometry file

ERROR: In vtkExecutive.cxx, line 741
vtkCompositeDataPipeline (000001EDD77AB100): Algorithm vtkEnSightGoldBinaryReader (000001EDD79CD8A0) returned failure for request: vtkInformation (000001EDE6D73D70)
  Debug: Off
  Modified Time: 462415
  Reference Count: 1
  Registered Events: (none)
  Request: REQUEST_DATA
  FORWARD_DIRECTION: 0
  ALGORITHM_AFTER_FORWARD: 1
  FROM_OUTPUT_PORT: 0

Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

please share your data

I have the same problem, any help? Here it is my .case file
Q_1-11.case (3.4 KB)
I have already modified my file by removing any quotes and by removing the last two line.

please share the .geo file as well.

Here it is, thanks for your quick response. It was too large that I had to share it with drive

I’ve requested access.

I confirm the issue:

(  19.744s) [paraview        ]vtkEnSightGoldBinaryRea:3321   ERR| vtkEnSightGoldBinaryReader (0x57825b5c9940): Byte order could not be determined.
(  19.757s) [paraview        ]vtkEnSightGoldBinaryRea:490    ERR| vtkEnSightGoldBinaryReader (0x57825b5c9940): Invalid part id; check that ByteOrder is set correctly.
(  19.757s) [paraview        ]   vtkEnSightReader.cxx:292    ERR| vtkEnSightGoldBinaryReader (0x57825b5c9940): error reading geometry file
(  19.757s) [paraview        ]       vtkExecutive.cxx:729    ERR| vtkCompositeDataPipeline (0x57825f202380): Algorithm vtkEnSightGoldBinaryReader (0x57825b5c9940) returned failure for request: vtkInformation (0x5782602f65e0)
  Debug: Off
  Modified Time: 467583
  Reference Count: 1
  Registered Events: (none)
  Request: REQUEST_DATA
  FROM_OUTPUT_PORT: 0
  ALGORITHM_AFTER_FORWARD: 1
  FORWARD_DIRECTION: 0

However without investigation it is hard to say if this is an issue with your file or with the ensight reader

The only thing I can say is that these files come from Ansys Fluent and I did 2 different extrapolation of encase gold file:
-The first one: I did the simulation in Fluent and after the calculation i went to File->Export-> Solution Data…, in the window that opens after selecting solution data i select File Type:EnSight Case Gold, Location:Node, Format: ASCII. With this routine I obtained .case, .geo, .scl, .vel, ecc. and if I load the .case file in paraview there is no problem in the load.
-The second one: Before doing the simulation I went to File->Export->During Calculation->Solution Data… and in the window that opens I selected the same as before. With this routine I obtain the same files but these are referred to each time steps.
So, where could be the problem? Why the .case file is read in the first case and not in the second one? When I load the .case file I have to select something else beacuse the .case is referred to each time steps?
Thanks anyway

First is ASCII, second is binary.

It is binary even if I choose Format ASCII? (I can choose it in the second routine too)

Ha, I missed that.

I’m afraid I do not know and more investigation is needed.

Thank you very much, I appreciate.