# Saving data with time steps
**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-with-time-steps/8835
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Created:** [January 24, 2022, 6:42pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-with-time-steps/8835 "2022-01-24T18:42:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@chis54](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/chis54)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2022, 6:42pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-with-time-steps/8835/1 "2022-01-24T18:42:29Z")
I have a simulation with time steps that are not spaced evenly. I am using the save data to export my model at PLY files for each time step. Is there a way to also export the time values per step so that I can post process my data in the time steps that are according to the simulation? Thanks.
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### Author:  [@PetrKryslUCSD](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/PetrKryslUCSD)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2022, 5:03am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-with-time-steps/8835/2 "2022-01-25T05:03:08Z")
I just dealt with a similar situation. I write out a collection, and as an attribute, each file gets a timestep stamp. That should do it, no?
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### Author:  [@Kenichiro-Yoshimi](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Kenichiro-Yoshimi)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2022, 7:54am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-with-time-steps/8835/3 "2022-01-25T07:54:35Z")
If you want to specify the time for each ply file, you may want to create an additional **series** file (\*.ply.series) as shown below:
[sample.7z](https://discourse.paraview.org/uploads/short-url/ilry8Y6YyURemy816ivl8n0RnR1.7z) (208.2 KB)
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### Author:  [@chis54](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/chis54)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2022, 10:37pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-with-time-steps/8835/4 "2022-01-25T22:37:54Z")
I am currently using the save data form and the PLYWriter is configured with a suffix \_%.3d for zero padding, I am enabling coloring. With write time steps checked, this creates all the PLY files for each time step, but there is no information for the time value. I have found that I can save the data as ascii txt, but this takes a long time with my hundreds of time steps and a large amount of data for just the time indices.
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### Author:  [@chis54](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/chis54)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2022, 10:38pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-with-time-steps/8835/5 "2022-01-25T22:38:07Z")
I have tried to find how to create this file. I don’t see it in the save data form with the PLYWriter. Is it located somewhere else as an option?
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### Author:  [@Kenichiro-Yoshimi](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Kenichiro-Yoshimi)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2022, 12:09am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-with-time-steps/8835/6 "2022-01-26T00:09:49Z")
No, there is no option to output a series file, you need to create it by yourself (using a script or something).
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### Author:  [@chis54](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/chis54)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2022, 12:37am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/saving-data-with-time-steps/8835/7 "2022-01-26T00:37:53Z")
I see. Thank you. I will look into scripting with Python in ParaView