3D object problems

This page provides troubleshooting guidance for displaying 3D objects and detecting surfaces and 3D schools.

3D object not visible in a scene

If you have just created a 3D object but cannot see it in your scene:

• You may need to add it to the scene in the Scene Properties dialog box.
• You may need to adjust your view. See predefined views.
• You may need to adjust the scene time window so that it includes your object's valid time.
• You may need to check any variables the object may depend upon to ensure they contain valid data.
• You may need to check the color and transparency properties for the object and scene. See the (3D Object) Properties dialog box and Scene Properties dialog box.

Surfaces and schools appear very erratic

The algorithms used to detect surfaces and 3D schools will produce poor results if a variable to which they are applied is linked to an erratic cruisetrack. If a visual inspection reveals that the cruisetrack contains jumps, loops, or other problems, apply different processing and smoothing settings until the cruisetrack more accurately represents the path of the logging vessel. When you have smoothed the cruisetrack, detect the schools and surfaces again, as applicable, and compare the results.

Note: A cruisetrack that appears smooth at large scales may contain loops and jumps when viewed at smaller scales.

Very poor performance when detecting 3D schools

3D school detection can be very slow, taking hours even on a fast computer, and may require large amounts of RAM. This is particularly likely when the minimum school dimensions are close to or smaller than individual data samples. In this case, schools containing very few samples are considered during detection.

If detection is slow, does not finish within a reasonable time, or reports insufficient memory, consider:

• Increasing the minimum school dimensions in the Size criteria section of the Multibeam School Detection Configuration Properties dialog box.
• Dividing the EV file into smaller ping ranges, for example, 250 pings per range, and running a separate detection for each range.
• Increasing the computer’s physical RAM to at least the recommended amount. See Computer requirements.

See also

3D display problems
New Surface dialog box
Create 3D Surface From Line dialog box
Detect 3D Schools dialog box