# Issue with Reconstructed Raster Not Filling in

**URL:** https://discourse.gplates.org/t/issue-with-reconstructed-raster-not-filling-in/818
**Category:** Q&A
**Created:** [28 January 2024 04:49 UTC](https://discourse.gplates.org/t/issue-with-reconstructed-raster-not-filling-in/818 "2024-01-28T04:49:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 8

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### Author: ![john.cannon](https://discourse.gplates.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/3e96dc/32.png) [@john.cannon](https://discourse.gplates.org/u/john.cannon)
#### Post date: [30 January 2024 06:50 UTC](https://discourse.gplates.org/t/issue-with-reconstructed-raster-not-filling-in/818/8 "2024-01-30T06:50:38Z")

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Your original polygon might have been too large (ie, spanned more than 162 degrees) - see [here](https://discourse.gplates.org/t/a-continent-crust-suddenly-loses-raster/763/6). One way to test is to see if it can be filled (by enabling `Fill polygons` in its green layer). If it can be filled (as a solid colour) but not filled as a raster then it’s probably the 162 degree limitation.

Maybe it works now because it’s smaller than before?

> [@chhei](#):
>
> If this is the case one could argue that the UI is a bit misleading as the raster layer menu dialogue says “`Reconstructed polygons`” but allows you to use line geometries. So ideally GPlates should only use polygon geometries here (and not allow features with line geometries).

It’s true than polylines can also be used. Although users are encouraged to use polygons (by stating `Reconstructed polygons`) since they are guaranteed to be a closed loop, whereas polylines can look like the following (where a single coastline boundary consists of multiple polyline segments)…

 ![image](https://discourse.gplates.org/uploads/default/original/1X/a63afeb35ecb89fd65828cf400d406afcfd13205.png)

We probably should not allow polylines, but there are cases where users have polygons in polyline format and it would be a hassle for them to change it.

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_[View the full topic](https://discourse.gplates.org/t/issue-with-reconstructed-raster-not-filling-in/818)._
