# Reading time series where file name is just number
**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/reading-time-series-where-file-name-is-just-number/10105
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Created:** [August 4, 2022, 1:51pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/reading-time-series-where-file-name-is-just-number/10105 "2022-08-04T13:51:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Kenneth\_Moreland](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Kenneth_Moreland)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2022, 1:51pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/reading-time-series-where-file-name-is-just-number/10105/1 "2022-08-04T13:51:40Z")
I’m looking at some older [scivis contest data](https://www.uni-kl.de/sciviscontest/), and the data contains many file time series with files named like 000.vtu, 001.vtu, 002.vtu, 003.vtu,…
I expected the ParaView file browser to recognize these files as a series and group them together so that I could load the group and play them as a time series. But I was surprised to find that ParaView does not group files like this. Apparently, if the file is only a number, it will not be grouped.
So, my main question is, what is the easiest way to load these files as a time series? I tried selecting all the files in the browser and click `OK`, but instead of loading as a time series, it creates a separate reader for each and loads them all in at the same time. I know I could work around the problem by renaming the files or creating a [.series file](https://gitlab.kitware.com/paraview/paraview/blob/v5.5.0/Documentation/release/ParaView-5.5.0.md#json-based-new-meta-file-format-for-series-added). But the data has over 100 such time series, each with about 100 files, so modifying the files is a headache.
As a secondary question, is this the desired behavior for ParaView? Is there a reason ParaView should not treat files that are just numbers as a group?
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### Author:  [@cory.quammen](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/cory.quammen)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2022, 2:13pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/reading-time-series-where-file-name-is-just-number/10105/2 "2022-08-04T14:13:35Z")
> [@Kenneth\_Moreland](#):
>
> But the data has over 100 such time series, each with about 100 files, so modifying the files is a headache.
Agreed, but I can’t think of a better way off the top of my head.
> [@Kenneth\_Moreland](#):
>
> As a secondary question, is this the desired behavior for ParaView? Is there a reason ParaView should not treat files that are just numbers as a group?
ParaView should recognize it as a time series, IMO. I suspect a regex needs adjustment to allow empty strings before the number sequence.
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### Author:  [@cory.quammen](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/cory.quammen)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2022, 2:26pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/reading-time-series-where-file-name-is-just-number/10105/3 "2022-08-04T14:26:56Z")
I created an issue for this bug: [https://gitlab.kitware.com/paraview/paraview/-/issues/21490](https://gitlab.kitware.com/paraview/paraview/-/issues/21490)
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### Author:  [@Kenneth\_Moreland](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Kenneth_Moreland)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2022, 2:29pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/reading-time-series-where-file-name-is-just-number/10105/4 "2022-08-04T14:29:01Z")
Thanks, @cory.quammen. I was just about to do that, but you beat me to it.
On a related note, is there a reason that if you select multiple files in a browser that they are loaded in different readers instead of a time series?
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### Author:  [@cory.quammen](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/cory.quammen)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2022, 2:51pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/reading-time-series-where-file-name-is-just-number/10105/5 "2022-08-04T14:51:56Z")
I think the assumption is that if you select individual files, that means you don’t want them grouped into a time series. I believe files will be read as a time series only if a group is selected in the dialog.
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### Author:  [@Kenneth\_Moreland](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Kenneth_Moreland)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2022, 3:01pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/reading-time-series-where-file-name-is-just-number/10105/6 "2022-08-04T15:01:39Z")
I guess that assumption also assumes that anything that is a time series is grouped. That seems like a brash assumption. What if you had a series of series (e.g. from restarts)? What if the grouping just didn’t put the files together (like now). It would be nice if there was a workaround to treat the multiple selections as a group. Maybe a button in the browser that says “group these files”?
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### Author:  [@cory.quammen](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/cory.quammen)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2022, 2:59pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/reading-time-series-where-file-name-is-just-number/10105/7 "2022-08-09T14:59:25Z")
Fair point. Selecting files and designating them as a group makes sense. It we implemented that along with the current grouping identification (and ability to expand the group and select individual files from with the group), I think that would give users the power to group or ungroup as needed.
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### Author:  [@Kenneth\_Moreland](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Kenneth_Moreland)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2022, 3:34pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/reading-time-series-where-file-name-is-just-number/10105/8 "2022-08-09T15:34:46Z")
+1. I created an issue for this feature request: [https://gitlab.kitware.com/paraview/paraview/-/issues/21495](https://gitlab.kitware.com/paraview/paraview/-/issues/21495)