# Parallel partitions visualization
**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/parallel-partitions-visualization/16777
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Created:** [June 5, 2025, 8:59am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/parallel-partitions-visualization/16777 "2025-06-05T08:59:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@giorgianig](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/giorgianig)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2025, 8:59am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/parallel-partitions-visualization/16777/1 "2025-06-05T08:59:20Z")
Dear all,
I have an OpenFOAM case that I run in parallel and I load using the classic .foam file. Is there a simple way to visualize the parallel partitions?
The case is a multi-region problem, so in the dropdown list vtkBlockColors displays the regions, not the parallel partions.
Thanks in advance,
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2025, 3:26pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/parallel-partitions-visualization/16777/2 "2025-06-05T15:26:22Z")
> [@giorgianig](#):
>
> in the dropdown list vtkBlockColors displays the regions, not the parallel partions.
That means you are not reading the data in a distributed way.
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### Author:  [@giorgianig](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/giorgianig)
#### Post date: [June 6, 2025, 9:15am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/parallel-partitions-visualization/16777/3 "2025-06-06T09:15:40Z")
Well actually I am
Still, vtkBlockColors shows regions, not partitions.
Actually I have checked that also in a single-region case vtkBlockColors does not show partitions.
I managed to visualize single partitions creating a .foam file in each processor\* folder, but seems kind of a dirty solution, I cannot believe this cannot be done loading a decomposed case.
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [June 6, 2025, 9:16am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/parallel-partitions-visualization/16777/4 "2025-06-06T09:16:40Z")
Are you running ParaView with a distributed server ?
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### Author:  [@giorgianig](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/giorgianig)
#### Post date: [June 6, 2025, 9:18am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/parallel-partitions-visualization/16777/5 "2025-06-06T09:18:26Z")
No, itโs a personal laptop with Windows, and I run OpenFOAM on a Linux WSL.
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [June 6, 2025, 9:36am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/parallel-partitions-visualization/16777/6 "2025-06-06T09:36:59Z")
> [@mwestphal](#):
>
> That means you are not reading the data in a distributed way.
๐
afaik, the openfoam reader does not create a dedicated field to see how the data was distributed, but it is able to distribute the data accress server if you run ParaView distributed.
I suppose visualizing partitions while reading serially was not deemed an interesting usecase ?
In any case you can extract this info by adding the following:
- ExtractBlock
- MergeBlocks , uncheck MergePoints
- Connectivity
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### Author:  [@giorgianig](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/giorgianig)
#### Post date: [June 6, 2025, 9:51am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/parallel-partitions-visualization/16777/7 "2025-06-06T09:51:36Z")
Amazing, thanks a lot!