# Trouble with CZML ellipse and ellipsoid

**URL:** <https://community.cesium.com/t/trouble-with-czml-ellipse-and-ellipsoid/1449>\
**Category:** CesiumJS\
**Created:** [August 27, 2014, 10:17pm UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/trouble-with-czml-ellipse-and-ellipsoid/1449 "2014-08-27T22:17:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ericf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f19dbf/32.png) [@ericf](https://community.cesium.com/u/ericf)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 10:17pm UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/trouble-with-czml-ellipse-and-ellipsoid/1449/1 "2014-08-27T22:17:18Z")

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I have not been able to get the CZML ellipse or ellipsoid to work. My attempts are attached.

The ellipse sample actually freezes the cesium client. The ellipsoid just doesn’t show up.

I have no problems using Model, Billboard, Polygon and Polyline. I have attached a working version of Polygon with a thick polyline around it.

Any help would be appreciated.

I am using the official release 1.0.

Thanks

Eric

[Ellipsoid.java](https://community.cesium.com/uploads/short-url/1G4wwK3kaYkmxhFh8VloJNrDlq4.java) (1.45 KB)

[ThickRectangle.java](https://community.cesium.com/uploads/short-url/mmNNaRgLbj2Ulbrln7obMa5aMML.java) (2.29 KB)

[Ellipse.czml](https://community.cesium.com/uploads/short-url/2U8YBsXaV0LL1Z9aWeYts4QtJbo.czml) (330 Bytes)

[Ellipsoid.czml](https://community.cesium.com/uploads/short-url/tEN9qFU9utVCFS8IstsO2xUdEtx.czml) (444 Bytes)

[ThickRectangle.czml](https://community.cesium.com/uploads/short-url/qO6knodmCpF4musodaNqYBItglj.czml) (894 Bytes)

[Ellipse.java](https://community.cesium.com/uploads/short-url/yLrVoxNg1E0evEeI0oBkIOoXXUg.java) (1.3 KB)

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**Author:** ![Scott\_Hunter](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/cesium/user_avatar/community.cesium.com/scott_hunter/32/2006_2.png) [@Scott\_Hunter](https://community.cesium.com/u/Scott_Hunter)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 12:39am UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/trouble-with-czml-ellipse-and-ellipsoid/1449/2 "2014-08-28T00:39:16Z")

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Several issues:

Ellipse:

semiMinorAxis must be less than or equal to semiMajorAxis. You have them swapped. This causes the exception that you are seeing.

After fixing that, the ellipse displays. However, assuming you intend to show an outlined ellipse, you probably want to set “fill” to false (default is true) and set “outline” to true.

Ellipsoid:

“orientation” is a required property. This describes how to rotate the ellipsoid into the earth’s reference frame. I added an orientation of the identity unit quaternion [0,0,0,1] and the ellipsoid displays.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ericf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f19dbf/32.png) [@ericf](https://community.cesium.com/u/ericf)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 1:35am UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/trouble-with-czml-ellipse-and-ellipsoid/1449/3 "2014-08-28T01:35:20Z")

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Scott,

Thanks for the reply.

Ellipse:  
I turned on the Javascript console and am seeing the exception. Thanks for catching that. I'll be sure to keep that on in the future.

I can't find an orientation property. Is it on the ellipsoid or the position?

Thanks

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ericf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f19dbf/32.png) [@ericf](https://community.cesium.com/u/ericf)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 1:46am UTC](https://community.cesium.com/t/trouble-with-czml-ellipse-and-ellipsoid/1449/4 "2014-08-28T01:46:58Z")

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I figured it out.

I searched the czml-writer code and found that the OrientationCesiumWriter can be accessed from the PacketCesiumWriter writer.

I can now display both the ellipse and ellipsoid.

Thanks Scott.