General FAQs

How do I purchase PaleoPro?

To purchase a PaleoPro license contact us at 303-261-8107, ext. 10, or sales@rothwellgroup.com.

What version of ArcGIS Pro do I need to run PaleoPro?

PaleoPro is currently available for ArcGIS Pro 2.6.x through ArcGIS Pro 3.2.x

What is the PaleoPro Software License Agreement?

The PaleoPro software license agreement can be found here.

Do I need to buy data in order to use PaleoPro?

PaleoPro requires the use of a third-party plate model to operate.  A number of commercial and academic plate models are available for purchase from their respective vendors.  In addition, four demonstration (“demo”) plate models are included with PaleoPro, so you have the opportunity to use PaleoPro before purchasing additional models.  Please note that The Rothwell Group does not build or maintain any plate models for use with PaleoPro.

What is the difference between demo plate models and the full versions?

The differences depend on the plate model. Generally, demo models are either older versions of the model or they include fewer sub-plates, or a truncated age range relative to their full-production versions. The exception is the EarthByte Seton et al. (2012) model which is a full, open-source model.  Full versions of the other three demo models are available for purchase from their respective vendors.

What is a tectonic plate model?

A tectonic plate model illustrates the movement of Earth’s plates over a specified span of geologic history. Each model is different because it incorporates the findings of scientific research on various regions and/or ages, as determined by the institution that published the model. Because research is on-going, published plate models are generally updated on a regular basis.

Plate models consist of two main parts:

1. A map of the present-day tectonic plates, with varying levels of detail depending on the model
2. A table or tables of “poles of rotation” which define each plate’s location at various ages over the time span of the model.  When a plate model is “reconstructed” to an age selected by the user, PaleoPro moves all the plates to their paleo-locations based on the model’s rotation table(s).

Models for use in PaleoPro are contained in Esri file geodatabases.

Technical FAQs

Why are the controls on the PaleoPro ribbon menu grayed out?

In order for PaleoPro to be enabled:

1. PaleoPro must be licensed.  Please contact us at support@rothwellgroup.com for assistance with licensing issues.
2. A plate model must be loaded.
3. A map titled “Present Day” must exist in the ArcGIS Pro session.

Can PaleoGIS plate models be used in PaleoPro?

No. PaleoPro models are contained in file geodatabases, as opposed to the personal geodatabase models used in PaleoGIS. There are other differences as well, such as how the model symbology is stored and different model settings.  Please refer to the next FAQ for information about converting PaleoGIS models to PaleoPro format.

How do I get plate models that can be used in PaleoPro if my models are in PaleoGIS format?

You have three options:

1. Contact your plate model vendors to request their models in PaleoPro format.
2. Use the free PaleoPro Model Converter tool that is available for use in PaleoGIS v5.0 in ArcGIS 10.5.x through 10.8.x and PaleoGIS v4.3 in ArcGIS 10.4.x. The tool can be downloaded from this website under Support > Downloads > PaleoPro (website registration required for access).
3. PaleoPro v2.0 contains a tool for converting PaleoGIS plate models to PaleoPro format; however, this tool does not convert symbology (for plate model display layers or timeslices) as part of the conversion process. Therefore, if you have access to PaleoGIS it is recommended that you use the PaleoPro Model Converter tool described in option 2. 

Please note that simply copying the contents of a PaleoGIS plate model into a file geodatabase will not result in a model that works in PaleoPro.

Does PaleoPro support deformation?

Yes! PaleoPro version 3.0 supports deformation.  This version is available for ArcGIS Pro 3.0.x.

Does PaleoPro support plate model editing?

Yes! PaleoPro versions 2.0 and 3.0 both support plate model editing.

What information should I include in my support request emails?

Please include all of the following information to help us to diagnose the problem as quickly as possible:

1.  A brief description of the problem and what feature of PaleoPro you were using when it occurred.
2.  The ArcGIS Pro version you are using.
3.  The PaleoPro version using are using.
4.  What operating system are you are using (Windows 7 or Windows 10).
5.  Reconstruction/analysis information: 

• Name of the plate model you were using when the error occurred.
• Reconstruction age or analysis parameters.
• Which “fixed” plate you were using, if any.

6.  Information about user layers:

• Type of user layers (point, line, polygon or raster) you were reconstructing, if any.
• Anything special about the user layers (e.g., vector layers with large numbers of features, very large rasters, etc.).

7.  A screenshot of the error window that appears.
8.  Expand the “Details” section of the error window, then copy and paste the details into your email.
9.  Screenshots of reconstruction/analysis results, if applicable.