# How to input timesteps values for stl motion
**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-input-timesteps-values-for-stl-motion/12421
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Created:** [June 30, 2023, 5:01pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-input-timesteps-values-for-stl-motion/12421 "2023-06-30T17:01:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@GeoUge](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/GeoUge)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2023, 5:01pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-input-timesteps-values-for-stl-motion/12421/1 "2023-06-30T17:01:31Z")
Hi,
I have STL files that represent the same 3d object but at different positions/times. They are stored in a folder as follows:
Stl\_00000.stl
Stl\_00001.stl
Stl\_00002.stl
Stl\_0000X.stl
When I load these STL files into Paraview, they are loaded correctly, and Paraview immediately generates a series of times with time increment of 1 second. The first STL file is at 1 s, the 2nd at 2 s, and so on.
I’d like to associate my own time series with the STL files. For example, the 1st file would be associated with t=0.1s, the 2nd with t=0.36s, the 3rd with t=0.75s, etc.
Do you think this is possible?
Thank you for your help.
---
### Author:  [@Kenneth\_Moreland](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Kenneth_Moreland)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2023, 6:14pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-input-timesteps-values-for-stl-motion/12421/2 "2023-06-30T18:14:50Z")
You can create a json file that follows the syntax of the [.series format](https://gitlab.kitware.com/paraview/paraview/blob/v5.5.0/Documentation/release/ParaView-5.5.0.md#json-based-new-meta-file-format-for-series-added) to associate an arbitrary time with each input.
For example, in your case, you would create a file named something like `object.stl.series` (the `.stl.series` extension is important) and have context that are something like this.
```json
{
"file-series-version" : "1.0",
"files" : [
{ "name" : "Stl_00000.stl", "time" : 0.1 },
{ "name" : "Stl_00001.stl", "time" : 0.36 },
{ "name" : "Stl_00002.stl", "time" : 0.75 },
{ "name" : "Stl_0000X.stl", "time" : 1.2 }
]
}
```
---
### Author:  [@GeoUge](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/GeoUge)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2023, 9:32am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-input-timesteps-values-for-stl-motion/12421/3 "2023-07-01T09:32:09Z")
Thank you for your help, I solved my problem with your solution.