3D plotting & analysis made easy.

Mission

Our goal is to make 3D visualization and analysis approachable to domain scientists so they can focus on the research questions at hand, not the nuances of 3D graphics and processing.

Quick install pip install 'pyvista[all]'

Python 3.10+ MIT License Published in JOSS

Volume rendering created with PyVista — Volume rendering

Physically based rendering created with PyVista — Physically based rendering

glTF scene imported and rendered with PyVista — glTF support

A professional foundation for modern 3D workflows.

PyVista gives teams a dependable 3D layer for modern Python workflows, with array-native data exchange, direct memory sharing where possible, and clean interoperability across the scientific Python ecosystem.

Affiliated

Scientific Python interop

Fits naturally into modern array-based workflows.

PyVista works naturally with NumPy-style data, supports direct memory sharing where possible, and integrates cleanly with the broader scientific Python stack.

Mesh-first workflows

Built for spatial datasets and large geometries.

Work directly with surfaces, volumes, finite element meshes, and point clouds using tools designed for practical research and engineering analysis.

From notebooks to products

The same library scales across contexts.

Use PyVista in Jupyter, web apps, desktop tools, regression tests, documentation, and more with one consistent Python API across each context.

Example spotlight

A small Python snippet that still feels production-ready.

PyVista can turn a concise script into a polished engineering visualization. This snippet uses the built-in aero bracket dataset and shows the resulting plot beside the code.

Python example

from pyvista import examples

mesh = examples.download_aero_bracket()
mesh.plot()

Aero bracket visualized with PyVista — Aero bracket

Explore PyVista

Start with the docs, examples, and API guides.

The documentation is the best place to start, whether you are installing PyVista for the first time, browsing examples, or moving deeper into the API and related projects.

Tutorial

Start with the PyVista tutorial for a guided, practical introduction that walks through core workflows step by step.

Start the tutorial

Documentation

Use the main docs for installation, how-to guides, the API reference, and the full project documentation.

Read the docs

Examples gallery

Browse PyVista examples covering plotting, filters, widgets, volume rendering, meshing, and more.

Browse examples

API reference

Go straight to the plotting, filtering, dataset, and utility APIs that power PyVista.

Open the API

Animated pump bracket modal analysis visualized with PyVista — Animated modal analysis

Animated CFD data visualized with PyVista using pulsing streamtubes and volume rendering — CFD data

Ecosystem

PyVista is the foundation for a growing ecosystem.

Official and community projects alike continue to extend PyVista into mesh repair, meshing, testing, desktop tooling, and production workflows.

PyMeshFix

Official project

Python bindings for MeshFix so damaged or non-watertight surface meshes can be repaired before downstream PyVista visualization and analysis.

Project Docs

pytest-pyvista

Official project

Regression testing helpers for PyVista plots so visualization-heavy projects can validate outputs with confidence.

Project

pyvista-zstd

Official project

Zstandard-based compression for PyVista datasets to make large geometry workflows lighter to store and move.

Project

scikit-gmsh

Official project

Mesh generation with Gmsh that connects naturally to downstream PyVista visualization and inspection.

Project

torch-points3d

Community project

A deep learning framework for point clouds and unstructured 3D data that pairs naturally with PyVista for inspection and visualization.

Project Docs

MNE-Python

Community project

Widely used neuroscience tooling that includes PyVista-backed 3D visualization for MEG and EEG workflows.

Project Docs

Explore more connections

Contributors

Built by a global community.

PyVista is developed and maintained by contributors from all backgrounds. Thank you to everyone who has helped shape the project.

See all contributors on GitHub

Cite PyVista

Published, citable, and easy to reference.

If PyVista supports your research, please help our scientific visibility by citing our work.

View the JOSS paper Open DOI

Plain text citation

Sullivan, B., & Kaszynski, A. (2019). PyVista: 3D plotting and mesh analysis through a streamlined interface for the Visualization Toolkit (VTK). Journal of Open Source Software, 4(37), 1450. https://doi.org/10.21105/joss.01450

BibTeX

@article{sullivan2019pyvista,
  doi = {10.21105/joss.01450},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.21105/joss.01450},
  year = {2019},
  month = {May},
  publisher = {The Open Journal},
  volume = {4},
  number = {37},
  pages = {1450},
  author = {Bane Sullivan and Alexander Kaszynski},
  title = {{PyVista}: {3D} plotting and mesh analysis through a streamlined interface for the {Visualization Toolkit} ({VTK})},
  journal = {Journal of Open Source Software}
}