Troubleshooting

Start with Show constraints in the scene on the Constraints tab. Most surprises in a model come from its data, and seeing the constraints the feature was fitted to usually explains them. Then read the Log on the Build tab.

Nothing Appears

A Constraint Set Has No Rows

• The source layer must be open in the project, and the set's layer must still be the one it was added from.
• Rows outside the model's extent (plus 10%) are dropped. Check the extent on the Model tab against the data.
• A filter or match value that matches nothing gives an empty set. Values are compared without regard to case.
• A GIS layer whose points come out at one height is probably a 2D layer placed at its default height.

The sync log line reports how many source features or rows were used and how many rows of each kind were produced.

A Surface Is the Wrong Shape

• Bubbles and blobs between the data usually mean orientations disagree with the points or with each other. Check the green ticks: one bad orientation can fold a surface. Disable it, or try Offset points mode.
• A surface flips or folds over on points-only data: the derived orientation has picked the wrong side. Set Positive side faces azimuth.
• A surface ignores some picks: they may be disabled, have a low weight, or belong to another feature.
• Constraints sit above or below the layer they came from: the rows were synced before the layer was draped on an elevation surface, or the file's Z values changed. Sync the set again; the rows move to where the layer is drawn.
• Two contacts cross: they are separate surfaces. Make them units of one series so they share a field (see Surfaces and Stratigraphy).
• One surface pokes through another: add a Truncated by relationship.

A Fault Does Not Offset What It Cuts

The cut feature must list the fault under Cut by, and the fault needs a geometry with a non-zero Displacement (see Faults). Build the fault, then the feature, or use Build all. A strike-slip fault moves things along strike, so a surface that dips along the fault's strike shows little apparent offset in section.

Builds Are Slow

• Too fine a mesh. Halving the spacing quadruples the meshing time. Check the spacing in the build summary on the Build tab.
• Too many constraints. Fit time grows quickly with the number of rows. Filter dense sources, raise a grade shell's Spacing along runs, or disable sets you are not using.
• A grade shell with no waste has no surface to find, so the build stops with a message; see Grade Shells.
• Many features rebuilding on every edit. Turn off Refit a preview whenever a feature's inputs change while you make several changes.

A Build Fails

The log line names the feature and the reason. Common ones:

A feature that depends on a failed feature is not built either, so fix the first failure in the log first.