How can I use the Netcdf time Annotation

ParaView Support
1

Hi
I’m working with netcdf files in paraview (version 5.9.1 windos) and I need to use the filter ‘NetCDF Time Annotation’, but i can not find it.

2

Time Annotation filter maybe ?

3

You should load the plugin NetCDFTimeAnnotationPlugin to use this filter.

In ParaView: Tools->Manage Plugins…

1 Like
4

There is no this plugin …

5

I haven’t used that plugin, but I think you will need to build ParaView from source - see this forum entry: NETCDF Time Annotation

If you wish to avoid building from source, I just wrote a user-friendly Python filter that adds date (DD/MM/YYYY) and time (hours:min::sec) to NetCDF files, so you just need to load it via the Plugin Manager in a single step. I put it on GitHub with instructions and example files: GitHub - FeliciaBrisc/ParaView-NetCDF-Date-And-Time-Plugin
The filter uses the netcdf4-python module, which you can easily install via Anaconda:
conda install -c anaconda netcdf4 ( Netcdf4 :: Anaconda.org )

This filter is based on an older Python script I wrote, but it’s a lot more user-friendly - you can see the old script for example in this 2016 video: Particles simulation of North Atlantic salinity at 20m depth - YouTube or this newer one A tropical-like cyclone in the Mediterranean Sea - YouTube where the date is in the lower left corner, to get an image how it works.

Should this be useful, my conda and ParaView configuration (on Windows10):

  1. I installed first ParaView 5.8.1 (which works with Python3.7)
  2. In the Anaconda prompt(console), I created a Python3.7 environment in conda:
    conda create --name PYTHON37 python=3.7
    2A. Then the env. has to be activated:
    conda activate PYTHON37
    2B. Install netcdf4-python in this environment:
    conda install -c anaconda netcdf4
    2C. Point the system to your conda paths:
    set PYTHONHOME=C:\your_path\anaconda3\envs\PYTHON37
    set PYTHONPATH=C:\your_path\anaconda3\envs\PYTHON37\Lib
  3. And finally start ParaView in this same conda prompt:
    D:\your_path_to_ParaView581\bin\paraview.exe
  4. And if you wish to use the filter I wrote, follow the steps form the Instructions pdf on Github - it’s just a few mouse clicks
    Repeat then step 2A,2C and 3 whenever you start ParaView

Hope this helps.