# Parallel reading/visualization of vtu files
**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/parallel-reading-visualization-of-vtu-files/1856
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Created:** [May 14, 2019, 5:44pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/parallel-reading-visualization-of-vtu-files/1856 "2019-05-14T17:44:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Niklas](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Niklas)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2019, 5:44pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/parallel-reading-visualization-of-vtu-files/1856/1 "2019-05-14T17:44:14Z")
Hi,
I have a large irregular grid that I can only read in single threaded. I thought that storing it as vtu or pvtu would later allow me to read in and visualize the data in parallel, but it does not. I do see all the pvserver processes, but only one process does all the work. If I create a wavelet, I do see that now all threads are working.
Is there a possibility to either read in one single vtu file properly so that the workload is shared, or can I create a pvtu file from a single thread that has more than the \_0.vtu object in it?
Thanks and Cheers,
Niklas
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2019, 7:51am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/parallel-reading-visualization-of-vtu-files/1856/2 "2019-05-15T07:51:46Z")
Hi Niklas,
With unstructured grid, the distribution of the data is not free and has to be done explicitly.
One way to do that is to use the D3 filter, like this :
- Run pvserver in parallel
- Run paraview, connect to pvserver
- Open your .vtu file, Apply, it is not distributed
- Add a D3 filter, Apply (can take some time) , dataset is now distributed
- Save as a .pvtu file
Reopening this .pvtu file on a parallel paraview will give you a (statically) distributed dataset, while working with D3 directly will give you a dynamically distributed dataset but take more time each time you want to distribute your dataset.
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### Author:  [@Niklas](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Niklas)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2019, 11:38am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/parallel-reading-visualization-of-vtu-files/1856/3 "2019-05-15T11:38:50Z")
Thank you for your help!
Cheers, Niklas
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### Author:  [@wascott](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/wascott)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2019, 5:12pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/parallel-reading-visualization-of-vtu-files/1856/4 "2019-05-15T17:12:16Z")
@mwestphal Nice trick. Obvious, but I haven’t seen it before. I will write it up as a Tip and Trick. Thanks.