Data reference a surface from DEM

[Joe-Bouza]

This can be done right?

I created a source file from DEM added to the datashortcut project ... it worked

now I go back to the host and no elevation data is evident. yet the surface is in the prospector with no error indicated

[Hidden_Brain]

Joe,

I haven't seen this happen. when you go back to the source file, does the dem list as path under definition?

[Joe-Bouza]

Everything looks correct.... except the data doesnt show 

[Hidden_Brain]

betcha the super cool feature "levelofdetail" is in play 

[Joe-Bouza]

I made another DEM surface and added a dataclip this time. seems to be okay for the moment in terms of data.

Ill keep you posted

[Joe-Bouza]

I wish.  zeros in my surface profile 

[Joe-Bouza]

Still loosing the surface

[Pointdump]

Joe,

You're losing the Surface in the Source(Data Ref) Drawing?

Dave

[Joe-Bouza]

Hi Dave

The host drawing is not getting any data from the surface. The surface profiles went static and the pipe network structures loose the rims

[Hidden_Brain]

wild guess:

if you keep both source and host files open, qsave the source file and then with it still open, synchronize DS in the host file, any change?

[Joe-Bouza]

I try after dinner 🥘 

[Joe-Bouza · Accepted solution]

hello Avishek

I think it is fixed. all conjecture but it works now

here is the chronology. 

1. Created DEM surface

the scope creeped and I need more DEM

2. deleted the first DEM and made the larger one with appropriate data clip

3. created data shortcut

4. surface and profile started to vanish in the host drawing and not display in the parent drawing.

5. found layers turned off in the parent drawing that contained proxy objects that would not delete.

6. made new file data refed the DEM, promoted and saved over the original source file

all appear to work now

[tmachado]

Hi @Joe-Bouza , I am having this issue, the DEM DS shows in the file but is empty no data on the surface, if you promoted in the file is just an empty ground.

The project I am working on is extremely big and the only manageable way to work it is creating DS from Tiff but they only work once you create the reference in the file, if you close the file and reopen it the surface is gone.

[Joe-Bouza]

Hi Tatianan @tmachado  this one was a puzzle. i have not had to work on this job since and have no new report on the solution.

[Anonymous]

I too have this problem now (C3D2018). In drawing A I create a DEM surface from a .tiff file and create a DS for it. In drawing B i reference this surface and work for a day. The next day when I open Drawing B my references surface is 100% empty. The surface object is there but is has no data....

@lim.wendy

Getting real tired of this ****

[jmayo-EE]

Has anyone tried creating a snapshot of the source surface before setting up datashortcuts?

Has anyone tried pasting the source TIN into a new empty surface and datashortcut the new surface?

[tmachado]

Yes, that doesn't work either, the way we have made work is relinking the DS surface reference using the Data Shortcut Manager everytime you open the file

[lim.wendy]

Interesting discussion...

Thanks for letting me know... I'll research, search internally and see if this has been reported and keep all of you posted!

[Neilw_05]

I wonder if you are losing connection to the DEM file that was used to create the surface. I know if you create a surface from a LandXML file, the surface creates a link to the LandXML file in the definition. If the LandXML file changes you can update the surface by rebuilding, as long as the file path hasn't changed. If the file gets moved or renamed the link gets broken and you end up with just a snapshot but no data. So check the surface definition and see if the link to the DEM file is intact.

[Anonymous]

Update:

The issue was apparantly that the dwg had lost its association to the Data Shortcuts folder.

The DS folder in Toolspace looked like this initially, but when i changed the DS folder to the correct one the surface once again had data in it...

The surface also did not have "geometry stored in drawing" set (it was set to "Reference only") so thats also probably the reason the data was not in the drawing.

I guess I can't blame the software for this one 🙂

Thx for the help though