Issue with Layer 3D to Feature Class tool

[JorisBak]

I have created a line and want to make it a 3D line (wall). The approach would be to set the extrution in the layer properties and then run the Layer 3D to Feature Class tool to create a multipatch containing the wall.

The tool fails to run and the following error shows up:
050043 : Point feature layer does not have 3D symbols.

I have reproduced this behavior on multiple machines (all Windows 7 Enterprise 64 bit, with ArcGIS 10 beta 2). Seems like a very strange error, since I'm working with a line feature class and no points feature layer!

[ClaytonCrawford]

Sorry, the error message is misleading. Up through beta 2 the tool does not support extruded lines. Support for extruded lines has been added at pre-release. Please check again when pre-release becomes available.

Thanks for the report.

Regards,
Clayton Crawford
ESRI Software Products

[JorisBak]

Thanks Clayton!

Is there a workaround that I can use at this moment? I want to try out some of the new 3D tools, including the 3D Intersect to slice underground models with extruded lines. Only problem is that I can't create the correct extruded lines at the moment.

Good to know that this is fixed for the pre-release. Please let me know if you know a workaround I can use.

Thanks,

Regards
Joris Bak
ESRI Netherlands

[ClaytonCrawford]

Try buffering the lines, just a little, to make polygons. Extrude them to get closed multipatches (note - depending on the data used there's another known issue in beta 2 that these are not alwaays closed). Closed multipatches can then be used with the 'solid' set operators.

Regards

Clayton Crawford
ESRI Software Products

[JorisBak]

Yes, that works for the moment, thanks. Already used a set of blocks to slice some underground models, looks good!

When using the Intersect 3D GP tool no attributes are transferred to the output, resulting in unknown underground multipatches. Is there a simple way to transfer the attributes? The help says all input attributes are lost with the tool Intersect 3D. How can you slice up your underground model and keep attributes? For the other tool, Intersect Line with Multipatch, the says: Attribute values from the input line features are optionally carried across to the optional output line feature class.

I guess I will need to wait for the pre-release or do you know some other way to do it?

[ClaytonCrawford]

Sorry, I don't know of another way to do it. It's good to raise the issue because our 'solids' guys need to review the attribute transfer with tools like Intersect3D. It's hard because there can be n number of input shapes that overlap and are responsible for outputting a single shape.

Regards, Clayton