diff --git a/apps/vaporgui/PDimensionSelector.cpp b/apps/vaporgui/PDimensionSelector.cpp
index 5e410de30d..17673fcc33 100644
--- a/apps/vaporgui/PDimensionSelector.cpp
+++ b/apps/vaporgui/PDimensionSelector.cpp
@@ -31,27 +31,5 @@ void PDimensionSelector::dropdownTextChanged(std::string text)
         rp->GetBox()->SetOrientation(VAPoR::Box::XYZ);
     }
     rp->SetDefaultVariables(dim, true);
-
-    if (!rp->GetBox()->IsPlanar()) {
-        vector<double> min, max;
-        rp->GetBox()->GetExtents(min, max);
-        float minZ = min[2];
-        float maxZ = max[2];
-        float epsilon = std::max(abs(minZ), abs(maxZ)) * __FLT_EPSILON__;
-        if (abs(maxZ - minZ) <= epsilon) {
-            vector<double> dmin, dmax;
-            size_t         ts = rp->GetCurrentTimestep();
-            int            level = rp->GetRefinementLevel();
-            int            lod = rp->GetCompressionLevel();
-            string         varName = rp->GetFirstVariableName();
-
-            int ret = getDataMgr()->GetVariableExtents(ts, varName, level, lod, dmin, dmax);
-            if (ret == 0) {
-                min[2] = dmin[2];
-                max[2] = dmax[2];
-                rp->GetBox()->SetExtents(min, max);
-            }
-        }
-    }
     rp->EndGroup();
 }
diff --git a/lib/params/RenderParams.cpp b/lib/params/RenderParams.cpp
index 42b0d543bb..5e9bb00bd5 100644
--- a/lib/params/RenderParams.cpp
+++ b/lib/params/RenderParams.cpp
@@ -90,6 +90,33 @@ void RenderParams::SetDefaultVariables(int dim = 3, bool secondaryColormapVariab
         if (ok = DataMgrUtils::GetFirstExistingVariable(_dataMgr, 0, 0, i, varname, ts)) break;
     }
     if (!ok) varname = "";
+    
+    if (!varname.empty()) {
+        int lastDims = _dataMgr->GetNumDimensions(GetVariableName());
+        int newDims = _dataMgr->GetNumDimensions(varname);
+        
+        if (lastDims == 2 && newDims == 3) {
+            vector<double> min, max;
+            GetBox()->GetExtents(min, max);
+            float minZ = min[2];
+            float maxZ = max[2];
+            float epsilon = std::max(abs(minZ), abs(maxZ)) * __FLT_EPSILON__;
+            if (abs(maxZ - minZ) <= epsilon) {
+                vector<double> dmin, dmax;
+                size_t         ts = GetCurrentTimestep();
+                int            level = GetRefinementLevel();
+                int            lod = GetCompressionLevel();
+
+                int ret = _dataMgr->GetVariableExtents(ts, varname, level, lod, dmin, dmax);
+                if (ret == 0) {
+                    min[2] = dmin[2];
+                    max[2] = dmax[2];
+                    GetBox()->SetExtents(min, max);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    
     SetVariableName(varname);
     SetColorMapVariableName(varname);