# Visualize 3D mesh and displacements
**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/visualize-3d-mesh-and-displacements/2343
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Created:** [August 1, 2019, 4:06pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/visualize-3d-mesh-and-displacements/2343 "2019-08-01T16:06:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@emmagibney](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/emmagibney)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2019, 4:06pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/visualize-3d-mesh-and-displacements/2343/1 "2019-08-01T16:06:35Z")
I am new to Paraview and am unsure about its capabilities. I have the nodal coordinates and a connectivity table of a 3D mesh and want to read it into Paraview to visualize. I also have nodal displacements associated with each node. I would like to end up with a contour plot of the nodal displacements on the 3D mesh. Is this possible in Paraview? I’ve tried to write a Tecplot file, but could not find the right syntax for the Zone line. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2019, 7:26am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/visualize-3d-mesh-and-displacements/2343/2 "2019-08-02T07:26:16Z")
In which format is your data ?
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### Author:  [@emmagibney](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/emmagibney)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2019, 4:29pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/visualize-3d-mesh-and-displacements/2343/3 "2019-08-19T16:29:07Z")
Everything is in tables on MATLAB
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2019, 8:40am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/visualize-3d-mesh-and-displacements/2343/4 "2019-08-20T08:40:04Z")
> **[vtkwrite : Exports various 2D/3D data to ParaView in VTK file format - File...](https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/47814-vtkwrite-exports-various-2d-3d-data-to-paraview-in-vtk-file-format)**
>
> Exports 2D/3D image volume, vector field, surface, lines, polygons, etc. to ParaView
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### Author:  [@emmagibney](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/emmagibney)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2019, 3:48am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/visualize-3d-mesh-and-displacements/2343/5 "2019-08-23T03:48:28Z")
Thanks! I’ve tried it out, but my problem is that my mesh elements are 8 node (hexahedron), and from my understanding this function can only handle tetrahedron elements. Any ideas?
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2019, 6:18am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/visualize-3d-mesh-and-displacements/2343/6 "2019-08-26T06:18:44Z")
Save as another format supported by both matlab and ParaView.