We successfully created 2D animations with a Raster Catalog (populated with Interpolated surfaces), it all turned out great. So well that we've been tasked with now making this into a 3D animation!
For the first project we simply used the Animation tools/toolbar in ArcMap 9.3.1 to generate the animations. The data used consisted of daily average values, so the raster catalog was perfect for building a Time Layer animation as we had a time field populated that controlled the frames and allowed the addition of a Date label to show the exact day as the animation iterated through the 2 year time period.
So, we thought we could simply bring in the same process into ArcScene with the added functionality to make it 3D. Turns out we run into a brick wall when attempting to set the base height property on the Raster Catalog layer when loaded. The only potential solution (which does not do what we expect) is here:
We can setup method #1 in the above thread, but it is not what we expect. That is, ALL of the individual rasters in the Raster Catalog recieve the SAME base height. We need them to use the height based upon their own properties.
If we attempt method #2 it just doesn't work. We cannot get the date label to appear in animation because it is NOT using the time field we have setup in the Raster Catalog. It also seems to just drop/not display certain individual rasters in the time line, even though they are in the Group Layer Animation -- just very strange behavior.
So....
Has anyone had success in creating Time Layer animations with Raster Catalog data in ArcScene? If so, can you offer guidance?
p.s. ArcScene is incredible unstable at times. Especially when the raster resolution is very high --- it just shutsdown. Flimsy.
