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 # Getting started 

 Last update: 16.07.2025 

The Data Processing Framework (DPF) provides numerical simulation users and engineers with a toolbox for accessing and transforming simulation data. DPF can access data from Ansys solver result (for example, RST) files as well as from several neutral file formats, including CSV, HDF5, and VTK. This workflow-based framework allows you to perform complex preprocessing and postprocessing operations on large amounts of simulation data.

## Integrate DPF in a project

To use DPF in a C++ project, you must have access to the following files of the **AWP\_ROOT251/dpf/include** folder (AWP\_ROOT251 being an environment variable defining the root of the Ansys Inc or [DPF Server](https://dpf.docs.pyansys.com/version/stable/getting_started/dpf_server.html) product).

The following lines must be added on top of the C++ file to add DPF capabilities in:

// DPF include files to access capabilities without linking step

\#include "dpf_api.h"

\#include "dpf_api_i.cpp"

 

// initialization of DPF capabilities

struct staticData {

 static ansys::dpf::LibraryHandle* _dpfLibraryHandle;

};

ansys::dpf::LibraryHandle* staticData::_dpfLibraryHandle = new ansys::dpf::LibraryHandle(ansys::dpf::Context::premiumContext());



**Important:** You must append the **AWP\_ROOT251/aisol/bin/winx64** folder path to PATH variable on Windows, or to append the **AWP\_ROOT251/aisol/dll/linx64** folder path to LD\_LIBRARY\_PATH variable on Linux.

To learn more about integrating DPF capabilities into an already existing project, refer to the [Using DPF capabilities in an existing project](group__group__06__1.xhtml) section.

## Instantiate a DataSources

DataSources provides information regarding the files in which analysis results can be found. To instantiate a DataSources from RST file path, use the following code, for example in the "main" method:

// instantiate DataSources containing information about result file

std::string fileName("mapdl_files/wedge.rst");

ansys::dpf::DataSources dataSources; 

dataSources.addResultFile(fileName);



This is an hypothetical file path. Some RST files examples can be found under dpf/testfiles folder of the Ansys Inc product.

**The "dataSources" instance is used in the next sections.**

## Read a displacement field with DPF

To read a displacement result field, use the following code, for example in the "main" method:

// Instantiate result operator ("U" reads the displacement)

ansys::dpf::Operator resultOperator = ansys::dpf::Operator("U");

resultOperator.connect(ansys::dpf::eDataSourcesPin, dataSources);

 

// Get the result Field (displacement)

ansys::dpf::Field resultsField = resultOperator.getOutputFieldsContainer(0).at(0);



## Read a mesh with DPF

To read a mesh, use the following code, for example in the "main" method:

// Instantiate mesh reader operator 

ansys::dpf::Operator meshProvider = ansys::dpf::Operator("MeshProvider");

meshProvider.connect(ansys::dpf::eDataSourcesPin, dataSources);

 

// Get the mesh

ansys::dpf::MeshedRegion meshedRegion = meshProvider.getOutputMeshedRegion(0);

int numNode = meshedRegion.numberOfNodes();

int numElements = meshedRegion.numberOfElements();



## Display displacement result

To display the **resultsField** values previsouly computed on the computed **meshedRegion**, use the following code:

ansys::dpf::Operator vtuExport("vtu_export");

vtuExport.connect(0, std::string("D:/temp/wedge")); // this folder must exist

vtuExport.connect(2, meshedRegion);

vtuExport.connect(3, resultsField);

vtuExport.run();



This uses the VTU format. It can be displayed using **Paraview**.

**Display using Paraview:**  
  
![](/sites/default/files/migrate-content/dpf_cpp_client_library_2025_r1_1/getstart_1.png)