# paraview using polar or cylindrical coordinates

**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/paraview-using-polar-or-cylindrical-coordinates/6882
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Created:** [April 6, 2021, 11:23am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/paraview-using-polar-or-cylindrical-coordinates/6882 "2021-04-06T11:23:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![swornom](https://discourse.paraview.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@swornom](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/swornom)
#### Post date: [April 6, 2021, 11:23am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/paraview-using-polar-or-cylindrical-coordinates/6882/1 "2021-04-06T11:23:07Z")

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my x,y,x mesh file is actually a polar mesh. How do I tell that the mesh is polar? I want to plot over lines using theta, radial lines. paraview expects a Cartesian mesh.

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### 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: [April 6, 2021, 11:24am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/paraview-using-polar-or-cylindrical-coordinates/6882/2 "2021-04-06T11:24:13Z")

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I’m afraid there is no polar dataset in VTK/ParaView.

You should transform your coordinates using the calculator with the “Coords Results” option.

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### Author: ![swornom](https://discourse.paraview.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@swornom](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/swornom)
#### Post date: [April 6, 2021, 11:34am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/paraview-using-polar-or-cylindrical-coordinates/6882/3 "2021-04-06T11:34:10Z")

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How do I do this? Like  
theta = acos(x/radius)  
radial = y.sin theta)  
z = z

At one time in the past there was a polar option or converter, but I may be wrong.

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### Author: ![swornom](https://discourse.paraview.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@swornom](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/swornom)
#### Post date: [April 6, 2021, 11:35am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/paraview-using-polar-or-cylindrical-coordinates/6882/4 "2021-04-06T11:35:30Z")

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I made an error, should be radial = y/sin (theta)