# Could not load any valid 3D backend (Mayavi or PyVista) while using MNE-Python

**URL:** <https://mne.discourse.group/t/could-not-load-any-valid-3d-backend-mayavi-or-pyvista-while-using-mne-python/2215>\
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**Created:** [June 9, 2020, 1:13am UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/could-not-load-any-valid-3d-backend-mayavi-or-pyvista-while-using-mne-python/2215 "2020-06-09T01:13:01Z")\
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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/mne/original/1X/85cc6bd2b69cb698a166dc6d880fb550510d0144.jpeg) [@system](https://mne.discourse.group/u/system)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2020, 1:13am UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/could-not-load-any-valid-3d-backend-mayavi-or-pyvista-while-using-mne-python/2215/1 "2020-06-09T01:13:01Z")

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Hi,

I want to plot source estimates on an inflated brain surface and I am using a Linux terminal. I ran into a RuntimeError: Could not load any valid 3D backend: ['mayavi', 'pyvista']. To enable the Qt matplotlib backend, I opened IPython terminal using:

$ ipython --matplotlib=qt

as mentioned in the link: [https://mne.tools/stable/install/advanced.html](https://mne.tools/stable/install/advanced.html). I also installed PyVista and Mayavi.  
Is there anything else I need to do to be able to load the backend in Python?

Thanks,  
Manorama Kadwani  
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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/mne/original/1X/85cc6bd2b69cb698a166dc6d880fb550510d0144.jpeg) [@system](https://mne.discourse.group/u/system)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2020, 6:37am UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/could-not-load-any-valid-3d-backend-mayavi-or-pyvista-while-using-mne-python/2215/2 "2020-06-09T06:37:02Z")

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External Email - Use Caution

can you report what

mne.sys\_info()

prints on your machine?

you must have an install problem of mayavi and pyvista

A  
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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/mne/original/1X/85cc6bd2b69cb698a166dc6d880fb550510d0144.jpeg) [@system](https://mne.discourse.group/u/system)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2020, 1:51pm UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/could-not-load-any-valid-3d-backend-mayavi-or-pyvista-while-using-mne-python/2215/3 "2020-06-09T13:51:21Z")

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You were right. There is an install problem as both of them were not found in the results of mne.sys\_info():

Qt WebEngine seems to be initialized from a plugin. Please set Qt::AA\_ShareOpenGLContexts using QCoreApplication::setAttribute before constructing QGuiApplication.  
Platform: Linux-5.3.0-53-generic-x86\_64-with-debian-buster-sid  
Python: 3.7.6 (default, Jan 8 2020, 19:59:22) [GCC 7.3.0]  
Executable: /home/manoramak/anaconda3/bin/python  
CPU: x86\_64: 20 cores  
Memory: 62.5 GB

mne: 0.20.0  
numpy: 1.18.1 {blas=mkl\_rt, lapack=mkl\_rt}  
scipy: 1.4.1  
matplotlib: 3.1.3 {backend=Qt5Agg}

sklearn: 0.22.1  
numba: 0.48.0  
nibabel: 3.1.0  
cupy: Not found  
pandas: 1.0.1  
dipy: Not found  
mayavi: Not found  
pyvista: Not found  
vtk: Not found