# globe.pick returning undefined **URL:** \ **Category:** CesiumJS\ **Created:** [March 1, 2018, 8:32pm UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/globe-pick-returning-undefined/6616 "2018-03-01T20:32:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![i\_question](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@i\_question](https://community.cesium.com/u/i_question)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 8:32pm UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/globe-pick-returning-undefined/6616/1 "2018-03-01T20:32:47Z")
1. A concise explanation of the problem you're experiencing. I'm trying to use globe.pick to find a point directly below another point, but while IntersectionTests.rayEllipsoid does find an intersection, globe.pick is returning undefined. To test this, I decided to place a "satellite" directly above Kansas and see if it worked; it did not. 2. A minimal code example. If you've found a bug, this helps us reproduce and repair it. let viewer = new Cesium.Viewer('cesiumContainer'); viewer.terrainProvider = new Cesium.CesiumTerrainProvider({url: '[//assets.agi.com/stk-terrain/world](https://assets.agi.com/stk-terrain/world)'}); // The Earth let globe = viewer.scene.globe; let ellipsoid = globe.ellipsoid; // Place "satellite" let scratch = new Cesium.Cartesian3(); let kansas = Cesium.Cartesian3.fromDegrees(-101.2921054, 39.4166685); let aboveKansas = Cesium.Cartesian3.multiplyByScalar(kansas, 1.5, scratch); viewer.entities.add({     id: "satellite",     name: "satellite",     position: aboveKansas,     point: {pixelSize: 10, color: Cesium.Color.YELLOW} }); let satellite = viewer.entities.getById("satellite"); let satPos = satellite.position.getValue(viewer.clock.currentTime); // Place ray on "satellite" pointing down let ray = new Cesium.Ray(); ray.origin = satPos; ray.direction = Cesium.Cartesian3.negate(satPos, scratch); // Intersection with ellipsoid let ellipsoidIntersect = Cesium.IntersectionTests.rayEllipsoid(ray, ellipsoid); if ((ellipsoidIntersect !== undefined) && (ellipsoidIntersect !== null)) {     // rayEllipsoid returns an interval, where on the ray is the interval?     let intersectPosition = Cesium.Ray.getPoint(ray, ellipsoidIntersect.start);     console.log("ellipsoidIntersectPosition");     console.log(intersectPosition); } else if (ellipsoidIntersect === undefined) {     console.log("ellipsoidIntersect undefined") } else if (ellipsoidIntersect === null) {     console.log("ellipsoidIntersect null") } // Intersection with terrain let terrainIntersect = viewer.scene.globe.pick(ray, globe); if ((terrainIntersect !== undefined) && (terrainIntersect !== null)) {     // globe.pick returns a Cartesian3, so it's fine as it is     console.log("terrainIntersectPosition");     console.log(terrainIntersect); } else if (terrainIntersect === undefined) {     console.log("terrainIntersect undefined") } else if (terrainIntersect === null) {     console.log("terrainIntersect null") } The console output from this is: ellipsoidIntersectPosition a {x: -966148.3627938608, y: -4838569.813304188, z: 4028160.31341576} terrainIntersect undefined 3. Context. Why do you need to do this? We might know a better way to accomplish your goal. I'm trying to figure out how to properly determine a ray's intersection point with terrain. 4. The Cesium version you're using, your operating system and browser. Cesium 1.41.0 Windows 10 and Chrome 64.0.3282.186 or CentOS7 and Firefox 52.2.0 ---
**Author:** ![Gabby\_Getz](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/cesium/user_avatar/community.cesium.com/gabby_getz/32/7838_2.png) [@Gabby\_Getz](https://community.cesium.com/u/Gabby_Getz)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 2:50pm UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/globe-pick-returning-undefined/6616/2 "2018-03-06T14:50:14Z")
Thanks for pointing this out! I believe this may be a regression after [#6115](https://github.com/AnalyticalGraphicsInc/cesium/pull/6115) and has to do with the order of when the globe tiles load and the pick is performed. I’ve opened [#6312](https://github.com/AnalyticalGraphicsInc/cesium/issues/6312) to track. In the meantime, I do get values returned (albeit inconsistently) when performing Globe.pick in a listener function subscribed to [Globe.tileLoadProgressEvent](https://cesiumjs.org/Cesium/Build/Documentation/Globe.html#tileLoadProgressEvent), and checking [Globe.tilesLoaded](https://cesiumjs.org/Cesium/Build/Documentation/Globe.html#tilesLoaded). Thanks, Gabby ---
**Author:** ![i\_question](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@i\_question](https://community.cesium.com/u/i_question)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 8:14pm UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/globe-pick-returning-undefined/6616/3 "2018-03-08T20:14:31Z")
Thanks, I look forward to the resolution. ---
**Author:** ![rileyhowley](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/cesium/user_avatar/community.cesium.com/rileyhowley/32/32179_2.png) [@rileyhowley](https://community.cesium.com/u/rileyhowley)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 2:28am UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/globe-pick-returning-undefined/6616/4 "2025-12-03T02:28:50Z")
Re-raising this as I have recently come across this and it has broken one of our workflows. Does anyone have a workaround for this that they can share? > **[Sandcastle | CesiumJS](https://sandcastle.cesium.com/#c=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)** Reproduce steps: - Load Sandcastle example - Transform map in 2D - Mouse over United states - Identify the `undefined` in the terminal response Thanks all cheers ---
**Author:** ![mzschwartz5](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/cesium/user_avatar/community.cesium.com/mzschwartz5/32/30089_2.png) [@mzschwartz5](https://community.cesium.com/u/mzschwartz5)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 9:56pm UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/globe-pick-returning-undefined/6616/5 "2025-12-04T21:56:58Z")
Hi @rileyhowley, This actually appears to be a new issue you’re encountering - a regression due to [this PR](https://github.com/CesiumGS/cesium/pull/9961) (mea culpa!). I _believe_ I know where the issue stems from, but I’m still investigating. I’ll open an issue and follow up here once I have more information, and we’ll see if it’s possible to fix in the next release. Best, Matt ---
**Author:** ![rileyhowley](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/cesium/user_avatar/community.cesium.com/rileyhowley/32/32179_2.png) [@rileyhowley](https://community.cesium.com/u/rileyhowley)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 10:27pm UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/globe-pick-returning-undefined/6616/6 "2025-12-04T22:27:21Z")
Appreciate it! ---
**Author:** ![mzschwartz5](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/cesium/user_avatar/community.cesium.com/mzschwartz5/32/30089_2.png) [@mzschwartz5](https://community.cesium.com/u/mzschwartz5)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 10:43pm UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/globe-pick-returning-undefined/6616/7 "2025-12-04T22:43:22Z")
[Issue here](https://github.com/CesiumGS/cesium/issues/13083). I feel like I’m just shy of understanding what’s going wrong, but will pick back up tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![mzschwartz5](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/cesium/user_avatar/community.cesium.com/mzschwartz5/32/30089_2.png) [@mzschwartz5](https://community.cesium.com/u/mzschwartz5)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2025, 3:17pm UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/globe-pick-returning-undefined/6616/8 "2025-12-08T15:17:06Z")
Still working on it, progress in issue. One thing I’ll say (for you or for others with the same issue) - if you only need an ellipsoid height and not a terrain height, you can use `Camera.pickEllipsoid` (which will also be much more performant).