# scalars from a vector in the calculator filter
**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/scalars-from-a-vector-in-the-calculator-filter/568
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Created:** [September 13, 2018, 2:24pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/scalars-from-a-vector-in-the-calculator-filter/568 "2018-09-13T14:24:30Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@patchett2002](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/patchett2002)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2018, 2:24pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/scalars-from-a-vector-in-the-calculator-filter/568/1 "2018-09-13T14:24:31Z")
Hello,
It seems there is a lot of documentation about how to use the calculator to produce a vector from scalars. Is it possible to get a component of a vector as a scalar in the calculator filter? I want to get the z value of coords so I can color by it, but I also have other situations with non coordinate vectors where I want to get the ith element as a scalar.
Thanks, --John.
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### Author:  [@utkarsh.ayachit](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/utkarsh.ayachit)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2018, 2:40pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/scalars-from-a-vector-in-the-calculator-filter/568/2 "2018-09-13T14:40:14Z")
> [@patchett2002](#):
>
> Is it possible to get a component of a vector as a scalar in the calculator filter?
The **Calculator** filter exposes all components of a coodinates and input vectors under the **Scalars** menu. Just pick the one of interest e.g. _Normals\_Z_ as expression on the **Calculator** applied to a Sphere source will extract the z-value for the normals.