Visualizing Lagrangian model outputs the easy way.
Welcome to ParticleViz
ParticleViz is an Open Source software that is used to visualize large number of particles inside dynamic web maps. It is designed mostly for Earth Science scientists that simulate different processes using Lagrangian models.
The objectives of this software are: * Provide efficient visualizations that can help analyze and understand research made through lagrangian modelling in the Earth Sciences, in a fast and easy way. * Make it easy to share this research with other colleagues with selfcontained websites.
ParticleViz reads particle trajectory data in NetCDF or Zarr format. Inputs from OceanParcels and OpenDrift are recognized automatically; any dataset that follows the same variable naming convention also works.
Supported input formats
ParticleViz expects Lagrangian particle trajectories with latitude, longitude, and time coordinates. You can point file_name (in a config file) or --input_file (CLI) at:
| Format | Example path | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| NetCDF | model_output.nc |
.nc files from OceanParcels, OpenDrift, or compatible exports |
| Zarr | model_output.zarr/ |
Zarr store directory (e.g. OceanParcels Zarr output) |
OceanParcels convention: variables such as lon, lat, time, obs, and traj (or trajectory for some Zarr exports).
OpenDrift convention: variables such as lon, lat, time, and trajectory.
If global metadata does not identify the model, ParticleViz falls back to these variable-name patterns. Custom outputs that match the same layout can be visualized without extra configuration.
Status
Get started
Install
Set up Python (uv), Node.js, and optional development tools.
Quick Start
Run ParticleViz on an example dataset in a few commands.
Examples
Explore published research showcases and run bundled configurations on example datasets.
Configuration
Customize preprocessing and the web interface with JSON config files.