# Possible to create a ParaView plugin for a non-module based VTK library?
**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/possible-to-create-a-paraview-plugin-for-a-non-module-based-vtk-library/17194
**Category:** Development
**Tags:** vtk
**Created:** [September 19, 2025, 8:07am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/possible-to-create-a-paraview-plugin-for-a-non-module-based-vtk-library/17194 "2025-09-19T08:07:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@CsatiZoltan](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/CsatiZoltan)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2025, 8:07am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/possible-to-create-a-paraview-plugin-for-a-non-module-based-vtk-library/17194/1 "2025-09-19T08:07:35Z")
Hi,
I want to create a new reader in a modular way:
1. usable as a C++ library
2. expose the main functionalities to Python
3. create a ParaView plugin for it
Before implementing the main logic β reading our mesh format into a `vtkUnstructuredGrid` object β I plan to set up the overall project structure.
Until now, step 1 above is done. Since the reader is simple, I opted for the old way of linking with VTK, i.e simply.
```cmake
target_link_libraries(my_lib PUBLIC VTK::CommonDataModel)
```
as demonstrated in the [_UsingVTK_ example](https://gitlab.kitware.com/vtk/vtk/-/blob/d0a0ea53815385a27311c7622d36ba2075748d19/Examples/Modules/UsingVTK/CMakeLists.txt#L20), instead of using the newer [VTK module system](https://docs.vtk.org/en/latest/api/cmake/ModuleSystem.html).
On the other hand, when I want to create a ParaView plugin (step 3 above), I only encountered examples in which the VTK module system is used.
Questions:
1. Can I create a ParaView plugin for a non-module based VTK system?
2. In my specific case, what advantages would the VTK module system bring with respect to the older way of building?
Thank you.
---
### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2025, 8:20am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/possible-to-create-a-paraview-plugin-for-a-non-module-based-vtk-library/17194/2 "2025-09-19T08:20:09Z")
> [@CsatiZoltan](#):
>
> Can I create a ParaView plugin for a non-module based VTK system?
No
> what advantages would the VTK module system bring with respect to the older way of building?
It would work π
See plugin examples here: [https://gitlab.kitware.com/paraview/paraview/-/tree/master/Examples/Plugins?ref\_type=heads](https://gitlab.kitware.com/paraview/paraview/-/tree/master/Examples/Plugins?ref_type=heads)
---
### Author:  [@CsatiZoltan](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/CsatiZoltan)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2025, 8:22am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/possible-to-create-a-paraview-plugin-for-a-non-module-based-vtk-library/17194/3 "2025-09-19T08:22:24Z")
OK, thanks. π
> See plugin examples here
Yes, thatβs what I was looking at, especially the _ComplexPluginArchitecture_ example.
---
### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2025, 8:23am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/possible-to-create-a-paraview-plugin-for-a-non-module-based-vtk-library/17194/4 "2025-09-19T08:23:27Z")
> [@CsatiZoltan](#):
>
> _ComplexPluginArchitecture_
Well, as its name indicate, you dont want to do that unless you have a complex architecture, specifically where you have a VTK module which multiple plugins depends on.
I suggest ElevationFilter for a simpler example.
---
### Author:  [@ben.boeckel](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/ben.boeckel)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2025, 12:50pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/possible-to-create-a-paraview-plugin-for-a-non-module-based-vtk-library/17194/5 "2025-09-19T12:50:48Z")
You _could_ have a module-less plugin if you only add Qt widgets or the like. But anything that needs ClientServer wrapping needs a module as the module system provides a lot of extra metadata about how to properly wrap it (including, but not limited to, things like other dependencies that may need loaded and which headers to wrap).