# Regarding the xdmf file
**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/regarding-the-xdmf-file/5264
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Tags:** vtk
**Created:** [September 4, 2020, 6:09am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/regarding-the-xdmf-file/5264 "2020-09-04T06:09:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@dark](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/dark)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2020, 6:09am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/regarding-the-xdmf-file/5264/1 "2020-09-04T06:09:32Z")
Hello!
Full disclosure, I do not know much about Paraview. I started learning FEniCS 2-3 days ago, and have been studying the related tutorials. So I tried the Navie\_stokes\_cylinder example, and made it work! But now I`m having issues with the xdmf files. For your reference, I have attached the link to the xdmf files.
> **[Paraview](https://yadi.sk/d/wI40G2j1q7gC-Q?w=1)**
>
> View and download from Yandex.Disk
I just need to know what`s wrong. FEniCS, me, paraview? Where is the problem here? I did everything right.
Everytime I import the xdmf files, it asks me about choosing some reader. Only the first one works, and the other 2 just crash. But when I try to animate using the first one, it gives some sort of read error. (error file is also in the link above)
```
Failed to Read Data
and
Algorithm vtkFileSeriesReader(000001BCAA88B780) returned failure for request: vtkInformation (000001BCABA7E640)
```
Please help if you can. Just anything!
I have spent like the whole day on it, and now I`m very exhausted, and have no idea what to do.
Thank you!
---
### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2020, 1:13pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/regarding-the-xdmf-file/5264/2 "2020-09-04T13:13:24Z")
Can you export to another format from FEniCS ?
---
### Author:  [@dark](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/dark)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2020, 1:39am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/regarding-the-xdmf-file/5264/3 "2020-09-05T01:39:05Z")
Yes, yes. Later on, I actually extracted the data as pvd file also, but that doesn’t support timeseries() function, at least as far as I know. So the lack of timeseries support means much more unnecessary computational time, and also pvd files are kinda messy to organise. Just too many files!
But yes, I did succeed in getting some visuals using the pvd files. So I guess I just have to manage two sets of data then. pvd for Paraview, and xmdf when I need timeseries()
Still, there must be a better way out there, I just hope I find it soon. Having copies of identical data isn’t really easy on the storage drives.
---
### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2020, 10:00am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/regarding-the-xdmf-file/5264/4 "2020-09-07T10:00:59Z")
> [@dark](#):
>
> I actually extracted the data as pvd file also, but that doesn’t support timeseries() function, at least as far as I know.
Timeseries are supported in .pvd files, eg [dualSphereAnimation4.pvd](https://discourse.paraview.org/uploads/short-url/xq3aQqExP5zhutKZRvuNOhlPNiR.pvd) (1.2 KB)
> [@](#):
>
> Just too many files!
Indeed.