# vtk: how to read ply with colors?

**URL:** https://discourse.vtk.org/t/vtk-how-to-read-ply-with-colors/9749
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [November 7, 2022, 5:32am UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/vtk-how-to-read-ply-with-colors/9749 "2022-11-07T05:32:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![zhang-qiang-github](https://discourse.vtk.org/user_avatar/discourse.vtk.org/zhang-qiang-github/32/2519_2.png) [@zhang-qiang-github](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/zhang-qiang-github)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2022, 5:32am UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/vtk-how-to-read-ply-with-colors/9749/1 "2022-11-07T05:32:51Z")

</div>

I have a ply file, which is generated from `Solidworks`: [cube.PLY](https://discourse.vtk.org/uploads/short-url/mzBjnBF1ZJYozN6BQdtGnIVms1Y.PLY) (137 KB). This ply file is colored.

I want to load it, and display it with vtk. My code is:

```auto
import vtkmodules.all as vtk

reader = vtk.vtkPLYReader()
reader.SetFileName('.\\cube.PLY')
reader.Update()
polyData = reader.GetOutput()

mapper = vtk.vtkPolyDataMapper()
mapper.SetInputData(polyData)
mapper.SetScalarModeToUseCellData()
mapper.ScalarVisibilityOn()
actor = vtk.vtkActor()
actor.SetMapper(mapper)
renderer = vtk.vtkRenderer()
renderer.AddActor(actor)
renWin = vtk.vtkRenderWindow()
renWin.AddRenderer(renderer)
iren = vtk.vtkRenderWindowInteractor()
iren.SetRenderWindow(renWin)
iren.SetInteractorStyle(vtk.vtkInteractorStyleTrackballCamera())
iren.Initialize()
iren.Start()

```

However, it do not show with color. How can I load a ply file with color?