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# WritePLY

VTKEx/Python/IO/WritePLY

### Description

Note

Unlike vtkPolyDataXMLWriter and most other VTK writers, to write colors to the .ply file you must specify to the vtkPLYWriter:

plyWriter->SetArrayName("Colors");

where your color array was created/named like this:

vtkSmartPointer vtkUnsignedCharArray> colors = vtkSmartPointer vtkUnsignedCharArray>::New(); colors->SetNumberOfComponents(3); colors->SetName("Colors");

(This was found in response to a user question on StackOverflow: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/17783612/save-mesh-with-rgb-in-vtk/19525938)

Other languages

See (Cxx), (Java)

Question

If you have a simple question about this example contact us at VTKExProject If your question is more complex and may require extended discussion, please use the VTK Discourse Forum

### Code

WritePLY.py

    import vtk

    def get_program_parameters():
        import argparse
        description = 'Generate image data, then write a .ply file.'
        epilogue = '''
       '''
        parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=description, epilog=epilogue)
        parser.add_argument('filename', help='A required ply filename.', nargs='?',
                            const='TestWritePLY.ply',
                            type=str, default='TestWritePLY.ply')
        args = parser.parse_args()
        return args.filename

    def main():
        colors = vtk.vtkNamedColors()

        filename = get_program_parameters()

        sphereSource = vtk.vtkSphereSource()
        sphereSource.Update()

        plyWriter = vtk.vtkPLYWriter()
        plyWriter.SetFileName(filename)
        plyWriter.SetInputConnection(sphereSource.GetOutputPort())
        plyWriter.Write()

        # Read and display for verification
        reader = vtk.vtkPLYReader()
        reader.SetFileName(filename)
        reader.Update()

        mapper = vtk.vtkPolyDataMapper()
        mapper.SetInputConnection(reader.GetOutputPort())

        actor = vtk.vtkActor()
        actor.SetMapper(mapper)

        renderer = vtk.vtkRenderer()
        renderWindow = vtk.vtkRenderWindow()
        renderWindow.AddRenderer(renderer)
        renderWindowInteractor = vtk.vtkRenderWindowInteractor()
        renderWindowInteractor.SetRenderWindow(renderWindow)

        renderer.AddActor(actor)
        renderer.SetBackground(colors.GetColor3d('cobalt_green'))

        renderWindow.Render()
        renderWindowInteractor.Start()

    if __name__ == '__main__':
        main()