Problem rendering feature extrusion in ArcScene 10.1--one machine works, one does not

4237
9
10-01-2012 01:10 AM
HenryKing
New Contributor
I am using ArcScene 10.1 to extrude a feature and am getting no results from a powerful PC while a less robust notebook is managing to extrude the feature correctly. The same version of Arc is being used on the same shapefile.

Here is what happens with machine 1 (extrusion does not work)
(choose 1080p to see better)

Here is what happens with machine 2 (extrusion works)


Attached are images presenting the characteristics of machine 1 (extrusion does not work) and machine 2 (extrusion works). As you can see, machine 1 is quite a bit superior to machine 2, but does not seem to be rendering the extrusion. The graphics card driver is extremely current.

Does anyone else have this problem? Are there known issues with Nvidia cards? Any other settings I should try to adjust (I believe most of the settings are exactly the same and are the default settings in ArcScene)?

Thanks in advance
Tags (1)
0 Kudos
9 Replies
JeffreySwain
Esri Regular Contributor
You show the coordinate system for the layers, but not the scenes.  In general, it has been the opposite that I have seen with regards to video cards.  The Nvidia cards seem to not have issues, where as some of the AMD/ATI cards do.  I would be curious to see if you have any vertical exaggeration set and what the coordinate system of each scene is.  The coordinate system of your layer is meters based, so your coordinate system should be as well.
0 Kudos
by Anonymous User
Not applicable
Original User: sandalwood

Hi jbswain,

Thanks for the response.

There is no vertical exaggeration.

It's the only layer in the scene, so I assumed it would default to the layer's coordinate system. This seems to be the case (see below). In any case, it is the exact same shapefile on both machines, so I find it curious that one manages the extrusion while the other does not.

I have tried this on many other shapefiles that come from different sources and have different native coordinate systems. The results are the same.

Any ideas?

SCENE
WKID: 2193 Authority: EPSG

Projection: Transverse_Mercator
False_Easting: 1600000.0
False_Northing: 10000000.0
Central_Meridian: 173.0
Scale_Factor: 0.9996
Latitude_Of_Origin: 0.0
Linear Unit: Meter (1.0)

Geographic Coordinate System: GCS_NZGD_2000
Angular Unit: Degree (0.0174532925199433)
Prime Meridian: Greenwich (0.0)
Datum: D_NZGD_2000
  Spheroid: GRS_1980
    Semimajor Axis: 6378137.0
    Semiminor Axis: 6356752.314140356
    Inverse Flattening: 298.257222101


LAYER
Data Type: Shapefile Feature Class
Shapefile: C:\Users\X
Geometry Type: Polygon
Coordinates have Z values: No
Coordinates have measures: No

Projected Coordinate System: NZGD_2000_New_Zealand_Transverse_Mercator
Projection: Transverse_Mercator
False_Easting: 1600000.00000000
False_Northing: 10000000.00000000
Central_Meridian: 173.00000000
Scale_Factor: 0.99960000
Latitude_Of_Origin: 0.00000000
Linear Unit:  Meter

Geographic Coordinate System: GCS_NZGD_2000
Datum:  D_NZGD_2000
Prime Meridian:  Greenwich
Angular Unit:  Degree


You show the coordinate system for the layers, but not the scenes.  In general, it has been the opposite that I have seen with regards to video cards.  The Nvidia cards seem to not have issues, where as some of the AMD/ATI cards do.  I would be curious to see if you have any vertical exaggeration set and what the coordinate system of each scene is.  The coordinate system of your layer is meters based, so your coordinate system should be as well.
0 Kudos
JeffreySwain
Esri Regular Contributor
On the one that works, can you use the Layer to 3d Feature Class tool to create a multipatch and see if the multipatch will display on the 'bad' computer?  If the video card will not even display that feature than the issue may be the video card.  If it will display it then there has to be an issue with the setup or confusion between the coordinate system and layer.
0 Kudos
by Anonymous User
Not applicable
Original User: sandalwood

The multipatch rendered perfectly on the "bad" machine. I tried again to add 3 different shapefiles, all with different coordinate systems, opening a new session each time so that the scene coordinate system matched the layer coordinate system when I added it each time. Still no extrusion on any of them.

What sort of issue could there be with the setup or confusion between the coordinate system and layer? I think all of the default settings should be the same on both machines. I can't remember changing anything. What sorts of things can I check?

Thanks
0 Kudos
JeffreySwain
Esri Regular Contributor
When you select the extrusion, are you selecting the minimum height?  Or are you selecting the Base heights?  Could that option have changed without notice?
0 Kudos
by Anonymous User
Not applicable
Original User: sandalwood

I have been using minimum height. I have checked that all the ArcScene options settings are identical, the Scene properties are identical and the layer properties are identical. I have also uninstalled all of Arc and reinstalled it once with the same result.

I'm not sure what else to try

It's really a pain because the chip speed on the machine that does work is inadequate for regular work on larger files whereas the faster machine would handle them much easier.

Thanks.

When you select the extrusion, are you selecting the minimum height?  Or are you selecting the Base heights?  Could that option have changed without notice?
0 Kudos
JeffreySwain
Esri Regular Contributor
I would encourage you to create an Esri Support incident in order to have someone take a look at your file and sxd directly.  The only other test that I can think of is if you try ArcGlobe, will the extrusion still not work on the problematic machine.
0 Kudos
by Anonymous User
Not applicable
Original User: sandalwood

It also doesn't work in ArcGlobe. How can I create a support incident?

I would encourage you to create an Esri Support incident in order to have someone take a look at your file and sxd directly.  The only other test that I can think of is if you try ArcGlobe, will the extrusion still not work on the problematic machine.
0 Kudos
JeffreySwain
Esri Regular Contributor
You can use this address http://support.esri.com/en/ and then login with your customer number.  You can then use the webform to create an incident or call in to 1.888.377.4575 and use your customer number there.
0 Kudos