# Saving Data. Openfoam
**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-openfoam/11525
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Created:** [February 28, 2023, 6:10am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-openfoam/11525 "2023-02-28T06:10:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@paulathikalam](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/paulathikalam)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2023, 6:10am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-openfoam/11525/1 "2023-02-28T06:10:28Z")
Hii,
I am trying to save an openfoam simulation result using openfoam. But when i try to save the results, there is inconstancy in the shape of the file that is generated. That is if the first file (first time step 0.05) has say 720 rows, the final step has around 1220 rows. Is this expected or should i change something to force the data to be saved in a particular interval.
If anyone has any insights, please help me with this. Thanks
this is the step that i followed.
1. Open the data – file → open—\> .foam → Apply
2. Slice the data in the y-direction —\> YNormal (default values are taken) and unchecked the show plane–\> Apply
3. Contour by phi → contour by alpha.water → value range 0.5
4. saving the data → select contour → file–\>save\_data–\>filename–\> checked write time steps, field association point data, add time → Ok
Thanks
Paul
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2023, 8:12am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-openfoam/11525/2 "2023-02-28T08:12:00Z")
Can you share an image of the issue ?
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### Author:  [@paulathikalam](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/paulathikalam)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2023, 8:43am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-openfoam/11525/3 "2023-02-28T08:43:04Z")
Yes, sure. Here is the data
this is the final timstep data ( 10s), which has 1248 rows
but where as the first timsetp data (0.05s) has only 1246 rows
similar is with other timestep data 2.6s has 1286 rows
is there something wrong in the way which i extract the data ?
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2023, 8:43am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-openfoam/11525/4 "2023-02-28T08:43:39Z")
> . But when i try to save the results, there is inconstancy in the shape of the file that is generated.
What do you mean by shape ?
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### Author:  [@paulathikalam](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/paulathikalam)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2023, 8:44am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-openfoam/11525/5 "2023-02-28T08:44:14Z")
i mean total rows.
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2023, 8:44am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-openfoam/11525/6 "2023-02-28T08:44:49Z")
Please share your data and precise steps to reproduce.
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### Author:  [@paulathikalam](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/paulathikalam)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2023, 8:47am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-openfoam/11525/7 "2023-02-28T08:47:32Z")
Yes, I understand. But , the total file of 2.5Gb. Is there a way ?
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2023, 8:54am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-openfoam/11525/8 "2023-02-28T08:54:03Z")
> **[WeTransfer - Send Large Files & Share Photos Online - Up to 2GB Free](https://wetransfer.com)**
>
> WeTransfer is the simplest way to send your files around the world
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### Author:  [@paulathikalam](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/paulathikalam)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2023, 8:56am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-openfoam/11525/9 "2023-02-28T08:56:02Z")
but which mail should i sent it to ?
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### Author:  [@paulathikalam](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/paulathikalam)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2023, 11:19am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-openfoam/11525/10 "2023-02-28T11:19:32Z")
Sorry, i was not aware of the link facility.
Here is the link to the data. the data has been spitted into two files (due to size limitation)
> **[till\_7.95.tar](https://wetransfer.com/downloads/50ee8ccab380ddec8e9650110f8fc99c20230228101753/e6cf18)**
>
> 1 file sent via WeTransfer, the simplest way to send your files around the world
> **[from8.tar](https://wetransfer.com/downloads/0c3489322b15afeae610a8e72e385c7320230228110752/63697f)**
>
> 1 file sent via WeTransfer, the simplest way to send your files around the world
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2023, 11:38am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-openfoam/11525/11 "2023-02-28T11:38:47Z")
> [@paulathikalam](#):
>
> Contour by phi → contour by alpha.water → value range 0.5
Do you contour by `p` or `alpha.water` ? Or maybe you are creating two contours ?
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### Author:  [@paulathikalam](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/paulathikalam)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2023, 11:43am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-openfoam/11525/12 "2023-02-28T11:43:33Z")
just using one contour. i am using only alpha.water
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2023, 12:20pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-openfoam/11525/13 "2023-02-28T12:20:03Z")
Well, there is no reason for your contour to have a static number of points, some variability is expected.
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### Author:  [@paulathikalam](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/paulathikalam)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2023, 12:25pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-openfoam/11525/14 "2023-02-28T12:25:26Z")
what i meant was, can we sample at equal interval (x-cordinate; point0) for all the timesteps so that we get a static number for all the data ?
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2023, 12:25pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-openfoam/11525/15 "2023-02-28T12:25:53Z")
PlotDataOverLine seems to be what you are looking for.
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### Author:  [@paulathikalam](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/paulathikalam)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2023, 12:39pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-openfoam/11525/16 "2023-02-28T12:39:07Z")
ok. Thanks Mathieu.
I will try your suggestion.