Agent skill
pyvista
3D visualization and mesh analysis for geoscience data using PyVista/VTK. Use when Claude needs to: (1) Create 3D visualizations of geological models, (2) Render seismic volumes or voxel data, (3) Visualize point clouds or well paths, (4) Plot surfaces and meshes in 3D, (5) Read/write VTK, STL, OBJ files, (6) Create cross-sections through 3D models, (7) Export publication-quality figures or interactive HTML.
Install this agent skill to your Project
npx add-skill https://github.com/majiayu000/claude-skill-registry/tree/main/skills/other/other/pyvista
SKILL.md
PyVista - 3D Visualization
Quick Reference
import pyvista as pv
mesh = pv.read('model.vtk')
plotter = pv.Plotter()
plotter.add_mesh(mesh, scalars='property', cmap='viridis')
plotter.show()
Key Classes
| Class | Purpose |
|---|---|
pv.Plotter |
Main visualization window |
pv.PolyData |
Surface meshes, point clouds |
pv.StructuredGrid |
Regular 3D grids |
pv.UnstructuredGrid |
Irregular meshes |
pv.ImageData |
3D voxel data (seismic) |
Essential Operations
Load and Display Mesh
mesh = pv.read('model.vtk')
plotter = pv.Plotter()
plotter.add_mesh(mesh, scalars='lithology', cmap='Set1')
plotter.show()
Create Structured Grid (Surface)
x, y = np.meshgrid(np.arange(-10, 10, 0.5), np.arange(-10, 10, 0.5))
z = np.sin(np.sqrt(x**2 + y**2))
grid = pv.StructuredGrid(x, y, z)
pv.Plotter().add_mesh(grid, scalars=z.ravel(), cmap='terrain').show()
Visualize Point Cloud
cloud = pv.PolyData(np.random.rand(1000, 3) * 100)
cloud['depth'] = cloud.points[:, 2]
pv.Plotter().add_mesh(cloud, scalars='depth', point_size=5,
render_points_as_spheres=True).show()
Volume Rendering (Seismic)
grid = pv.ImageData(dimensions=(nx+1, ny+1, nz+1), spacing=(25, 25, 10))
grid.cell_data['amplitude'] = data.ravel(order='F')
pv.Plotter().add_volume(grid, cmap='seismic', opacity='sigmoid').show()
Slice Through Volume
volume = pv.read('seismic.vti')
slice_x = volume.slice(normal='x', origin=volume.center)
pv.Plotter().add_mesh(slice_x, cmap='seismic').show()
Well Path Visualization
points = np.column_stack([x, y, z]) # Well trajectory
tube = pv.Spline(points, 500).tube(radius=5)
pv.Plotter().add_mesh(tube, color='brown', label='Well').add_legend().show()
Combine Multiple Surfaces
plotter = pv.Plotter()
plotter.add_mesh(horizon1, color='gold', opacity=0.7, label='Top')
plotter.add_mesh(horizon2, color='blue', opacity=0.7, label='Base')
plotter.add_mesh(fault, color='red', opacity=0.5, label='Fault')
plotter.add_legend().show()
Export for Publication
plotter = pv.Plotter(off_screen=True)
plotter.add_mesh(mesh, cmap='terrain')
plotter.screenshot('figure.png', scale=3) # High-res image
plotter.export_html('model.html') # Interactive HTML
Color Maps
| Map | Use Case |
|---|---|
terrain |
Topography, elevation |
seismic |
Seismic amplitudes (diverging) |
viridis |
General scientific |
Set1, Set2 |
Categorical (lithology) |
Supported Formats
.vtk, .vtu, .vti, .vtp, .stl, .obj, .ply (read/write)
When to Use vs Alternatives
| Tool | Best For | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| pyvista | Pythonic 3D viz, VTK wrapper, mesh operations, scripting | Requires display or off-screen backend |
| Mayavi | Scientific 3D visualization, volume rendering | Heavier dependency, less active development |
| ParaView | Interactive GUI exploration of large 3D datasets | GUI-focused, scripting is secondary |
| matplotlib 3D | Simple 3D scatter/surface plots | Limited interactivity, not true 3D engine |
Use pyvista when you need programmatic 3D visualization of geological models, meshes, or point clouds with VTK power but a Pythonic API.
Consider alternatives when you need a full GUI for exploring large models (use ParaView), legacy scientific visualization (use Mayavi), or only need simple 3D scatter plots (use matplotlib 3D).
Common Workflows
Visualize 3D geological model with multiple surfaces
- Load mesh files with
pv.read()for each surface/horizon - Create plotter with
pv.Plotter()(useoff_screen=Truefor scripts) - Add each surface with
plotter.add_mesh()and distinct colors/opacity - Add well paths as tubes with
pv.Spline().tube() - Add axes and legend with
plotter.add_axes()andplotter.add_legend() - Set camera position for desired view angle
- Export screenshot with
plotter.screenshot()or HTML withplotter.export_html()
Tips
- Use
off_screen=Truefor batch processing - Add axes with
plotter.add_axes()for publication - Export to HTML for interactive sharing
- Use opacity to show internal structure
References
- Mesh Types - PyVista mesh classes and when to use each
- Plotting Options - Plotter settings and rendering options
Scripts
- scripts/visualize_surface.py - Visualize geological surfaces from file
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