Field Data as Time Meta-Data in VTK XML File Formats ==================================================== As of VTK 8.2, VTK XML readers and writers support embedding time meta-data as a field array. This is demonstrated best with an example: 1.24 ... Here TimeValue is a regular double precision array that has a single value of 1.24. The XML readers will treat this array in a special way. When they encounter this array during the meta-data stage (`RequestInformation()`), they will read the value from this array and generate a `vtkStreamingDemandDrivenPipeline::TIME_STEPS()` key in the output information containing this value. In addition, the XML writers will generate a field array of name TimeValue in the output, if they encounter time value in their input (`vtkDataObject::DATA_TIME_STEP()`). This is done even if the data does not have a TimeValue array. Furthermore, even such an array exists, it will be replaced with one that contains the value from `vtkDataObject::DATA_TIME_STEP()` to make sure that the value is consistent with the pipeline value. This change may appear pointless on its own as a single time value is not very useful. Its main use is when reading file series as it is done by ParaView's file (time) series readers.