meshio

What meshio is

meshio is free, MIT-licensed software for reading and writing unstructured mesh files and converting between supported formats. Its format coverage includes Abaqus, ANSYS msh, CGNS, Gmsh, STL, VTK, VTU, and XDMF. The Python API reads meshes, exposes points and cells, and writes meshes in a selected format. Its command-line tool can convert and inspect files, compress or decompress them, and switch between ASCII and binary formats. XDMF support includes reading and writing time series that share a mesh. A ParaView plugin opens meshio-supported files after installation, provided ParaView’s Python major version matches. Installation is documented with pip or conda-forge. Some formats require netCDF4 and h5py, available through the all extra. The project specifies Python 3.8 or later and supports Windows, macOS, and Linux. Project metadata identifies science and engineering, including scientific research, among its topics and intended audiences.

Who it suits

meshio suits researchers and science or engineering users working with unstructured mesh files. It offers both a Python API and a command-line workflow.

Limits

Some formats require netCDF4 and h5py, available through the all extra. The ParaView plugin requires ParaView’s Python major version to match.

Getting started

1. Choose a Linux, macOS, or Windows environment with Python 3.8 or later.
2. Install meshio with pip or conda-forge.
3. Install the all extra if you need formats that require netCDF4 or h5py.
4. Use the Python API or command-line tool to read, write, inspect, or convert mesh files.
5. For ParaView, install the plugin and match ParaView’s Python major version.

Verdict

meshio covers mesh conversion and file operations through both Python and command-line interfaces. Check optional format dependencies and ParaView version compatibility for workflows that need them.