topic Re: How to create contours from terrain layer in ArcGIS Spatial Analyst Questions

How to create contours from terrain layer

CoryBoschman — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 20:21:31 GMT

Hi,

I'm trying to create contours from this layer in the Living Atlas of the World, but I keep encountering errors.

http://doc.arcgis.com/en/living-atlas/item/?itemId=a93fea891950402396004c5409eacb1c

I clip the portion I want to run the analysis with the image analysis window, and run the spatial analyst contour tool on the clipped image, but i keep getting the following errors.

Any help on how to work with this layer would be much appreciated.

Re: How to create contours from terrain layer

DanPatterson_Retired — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 20:29:16 GMT

Hmmm error processing server request...have you tried to copy the data locally and process it there?

Re: How to create contours from terrain layer

CoryBoschman — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 20:54:23 GMT

Thanks for the suggestion, but I've started exporting it, and have now realized it's going to be nearly 25GB so it's still saving. I'd prefer to do it when it's on the server if that's possible.

Re: How to create contours from terrain layer

DanPatterson_Retired — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 21:09:19 GMT

OK...that could be the problem in the first place. Have you ever had any success doing anything geoprocessing wise with a dataset that big?

Re: How to create contours from terrain layer

CoryBoschman — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 23:56:12 GMT

I have not done anything this big before, but I'm pretty new to GIS. I could be missing something "obvious". I think i figured out my problem with trying to do in on the server though after reading more of the info pages.

From the details page http://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=58a541efc59545e6b7137f961d7de883

Server Functions: This layer has server functions defined for the following elevation derivatives:

Slope Degrees
Slope Percentage
Aspect
Ellipsoidal height
Hillshade
Multi-Directional Hillshade
Pre-symbolized Elevation Tinted Hillshade
Pre-symbolized Slope Degrees
Pre-symbolized Aspect

Do you think this is why it's returning the errors when I try to make contours? Although it returned errors when i tried to make a hill shade as well.

Re: How to create contours from terrain layer

DanPatterson_Retired — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 00:44:41 GMT

hmmm there are two hillshades, one in the 3D analyst and the other in the spatial analyst extension. I don't do server data, so I am not sure how these things are configured. But contour isn't listed, so I am surprised it would even be an option. How are you accessing the functions? and if you are using extensions in ArcMap, make sure you have them toggled on in the Customize Extensions menu section

Re: How to create contours from terrain layer

CoryBoschman — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 03:40:45 GMT

that was it. i had enabled the spatial analyst extension in arcmap but not arccatalog........ which meant i could open the tool and start it when in arcmap, but then it would return the errors.

thanks for the help.