# Visualization of 3D cell data

**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/visualization-of-3d-cell-data/7235
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Tags:** python
**Created:** [May 14, 2021, 4:14pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/visualization-of-3d-cell-data/7235 "2021-05-14T16:14:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![nbob](https://discourse.paraview.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/59ef9b/32.png) [@nbob](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/nbob)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2021, 4:14pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/visualization-of-3d-cell-data/7235/1 "2021-05-14T16:14:57Z")

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Hello,

I am looking for advice on how to get started with the following problem: I have 3D numpy arrays that are for example 100x300x300 and represent a volume that holds cell data. It is therefore not a point cloud or mesh but a medical 3D image with voxel values. Additionally, I have bounding box data with Position Z,Y,X and Length Z,Y,X. Previously, I have visualized this with napari. However, it is lacking 3D capabilities. I am therefore looking into more sophisticated visualization techniques but am not sure how to use this data with ParaView. I would welcome any pointers or other suggestions.

Thank you and kind regards!

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### Author: ![mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/user_avatar/discourse.paraview.org/mwestphal/32/17_2.png) [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2021, 4:16pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/visualization-of-3d-cell-data/7235/2 "2021-05-14T16:16:35Z")

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Just open our data with ParaView.

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### Author: ![nbob](https://discourse.paraview.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/59ef9b/32.png) [@nbob](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/nbob)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2021, 4:39pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/visualization-of-3d-cell-data/7235/3 "2021-05-14T16:39:04Z")

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Thank you for your suggestion. I have tried loading a numpy array as .npy file and a .h5 file with all the arrays without success. While loading a csv file with bounding box centroid and lengths works, I don’t know how to turn that raw data into a visualization.

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### Author: ![mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/user_avatar/discourse.paraview.org/mwestphal/32/17_2.png) [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2021, 4:56pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/visualization-of-3d-cell-data/7235/4 "2021-05-14T16:56:51Z")

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See here for some info:

- [NumPy to VTK: Converting your NumPy arrays to VTK arrays and files | PyScience](https://pyscience.wordpress.com/2014/09/06/numpy-to-vtk-converting-your-numpy-arrays-to-vtk-arrays-and-files/)
- [5. Using NumPy for processing data — ParaView Documentation 5.8.1 documentation](https://docs.paraview.org/en/latest/ReferenceManual/vtkNumPyIntegration.html)

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### Author: ![mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/user_avatar/discourse.paraview.org/mwestphal/32/17_2.png) [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2021, 4:57pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/visualization-of-3d-cell-data/7235/5 "2021-05-14T16:57:57Z")

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Also: [How to open ".npy" file or convert ".npy" file to Paraview format?](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-open-npy-file-or-convert-npy-file-to-paraview-format/5105)

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### Author: ![nbob](https://discourse.paraview.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/59ef9b/32.png) [@nbob](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/nbob)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2021, 8:00pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/visualization-of-3d-cell-data/7235/6 "2021-05-14T20:00:47Z")

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Sorry, I have tried turning the numpy volume into a .vtr file and .mhd file to render the volume in paraview. However, regardless of the representation I choose in paraView, I either only see an outline of the volume or a solid volume. Do you know what I am doing wrong?

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### Author: ![mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/user_avatar/discourse.paraview.org/mwestphal/32/17_2.png) [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2021, 9:15am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/visualization-of-3d-cell-data/7235/7 "2021-05-17T09:15:26Z")

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Switch representation to surface ?

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![nbob](https://discourse.paraview.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/59ef9b/32.png) [@nbob](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/nbob)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2021, 11:00am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/visualization-of-3d-cell-data/7235/8 "2021-05-17T11:00:07Z")

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I have tried Surface but then it just becomes a solid colored volume so I still cannot see the content. Even with opacity, there is nothing in the volume. If I visualize the same file with napari or pyvista, I can see the content inside the volume.

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### Author: ![mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/user_avatar/discourse.paraview.org/mwestphal/32/17_2.png) [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2021, 12:05pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/visualization-of-3d-cell-data/7235/9 "2021-05-17T12:05:49Z")

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You are looking for VolumRendering or Slice.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/user_avatar/discourse.paraview.org/mwestphal/32/17_2.png) [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [February 27, 2024, 9:28am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/visualization-of-3d-cell-data/7235/10 "2024-02-27T09:28:06Z")

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A post was split to a new topic: [Volume Rendering not working](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/volume-rendering-not-working/14033)
