# Imported FDS data (either PLOT3D or .SMV) in Paraview and exporting to read it either in MATLAB or Python

**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/imported-fds-data-either-plot3d-or-smv-in-paraview-and-exporting-to-read-it-either-in-matlab-or-python/16364
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Tags:** cfd, vtk, python
**Created:** [March 20, 2025, 8:58am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/imported-fds-data-either-plot3d-or-smv-in-paraview-and-exporting-to-read-it-either-in-matlab-or-python/16364 "2025-03-20T08:58:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![sagarsinghal](https://discourse.paraview.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@sagarsinghal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/sagarsinghal)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2025, 8:58am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/imported-fds-data-either-plot3d-or-smv-in-paraview-and-exporting-to-read-it-either-in-matlab-or-python/16364/1 "2025-03-20T08:58:01Z")

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Hi,

I have time series data of 2D slices and PLOT3D data generated from FDS. I am able to load it in Paraview. However, I wish to further post-process the data field either in MATLAB or Python. I tried to export the data in VTK (unstructured or legacy formats) at each time step. However, I was unsuccessful in reading VTK data in MATLAB or Python.  
Is there also a way to save single VTK file for all time steps? Can somebody please guide me to go forward? I also tried other ways to import the smv data in Python using FDSREADER, however I was not successful to load data for few overlapped slices.

Thanks

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<div class="post-metadata">

### 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: [March 24, 2025, 10:43am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/imported-fds-data-either-plot3d-or-smv-in-paraview-and-exporting-to-read-it-either-in-matlab-or-python/16364/2 "2025-03-24T10:43:01Z")

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> [@sagarsinghal](#):
>
> However, I was unsuccessful in reading VTK data in MATLAB or Python.

Do you want to use matlab or python ?

For python, its straitghforward, just install vtk with pip:

- [vtk · PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/vtk/)

For matlab, there are conversion tools:

- [https://fr.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/106610-vtk-read-and-write-package](https://fr.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/106610-vtk-read-and-write-package)
- [https://fr.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/94993-vtktoolbox](https://fr.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/94993-vtktoolbox)