I suspect the path is first rendered to an off-screen image and then the effect filter is applied, but in this case that off-screen image would be very large before it is scaled down to fit the screen. This part of the scene is in a a scrollpane as it would cover a very large area. In my application I have scaled everything down so I can see the entire content of the scrollpane.

java.lang.NullPointerException
at com.sun.scenario.effect.impl.prism.ps.PPSDrawable.create(PPSDrawable.java:54)
at com.sun.scenario.effect.impl.prism.ps.PPSRenderer.createCompatibleImage(PPSRenderer.java:148)
at com.sun.scenario.effect.impl.prism.ps.PPSRenderer.createCompatibleImage(PPSRenderer.java:62)
at com.sun.scenario.effect.impl.ImagePool.checkOut(ImagePool.java:166)
at com.sun.scenario.effect.impl.Renderer.getCompatibleImage(Renderer.java:118)
at com.sun.scenario.effect.impl.prism.ps.PPSRenderer.getCompatibleImage(PPSRenderer.java:153)
at com.sun.scenario.effect.impl.prism.ps.PPSRenderer.getCompatibleImage(PPSRenderer.java:62)
at com.sun.scenario.effect.Effect.getCompatibleImage(Effect.java:491)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NodeEffectInput.getImageDataForBoundedNode(NodeEffectInput.java:182)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NodeEffectInput.filter(NodeEffectInput.java:85)
at com.sun.scenario.effect.FilterEffect.filter(FilterEffect.java:167)
at com.sun.scenario.effect.Offset.filter(Offset.java:161)
at com.sun.scenario.effect.Merge.filter(Merge.java:147)
at com.sun.scenario.effect.DelegateEffect.filter(DelegateEffect.java:68)
at com.sun.scenario.effect.impl.prism.PrEffectHelper.render(PrEffectHelper.java:156)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode$EffectFilter.render(NGNode.java:748)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.renderEffect(NGNode.java:494)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:185)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:39)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.BaseNode.render(BaseNode.java:1145)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGGroup.renderContent(NGGroup.java:204)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGRegion.renderContent(NGRegion.java:420)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:187)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:39)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.BaseNode.render(BaseNode.java:1145)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGGroup.renderContent(NGGroup.java:204)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGRegion.renderContent(NGRegion.java:420)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:187)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:39)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.BaseNode.render(BaseNode.java:1145)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGGroup.renderContent(NGGroup.java:204)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:187)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:39)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.BaseNode.render(BaseNode.java:1145)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGGroup.renderContent(NGGroup.java:204)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGRegion.renderContent(NGRegion.java:420)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:187)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:39)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.BaseNode.render(BaseNode.java:1145)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGGroup.renderContent(NGGroup.java:204)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGRegion.renderContent(NGRegion.java:420)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.renderForClip(NGNode.java:429)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.renderRectClip(NGNode.java:320)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.renderClip(NGNode.java:346)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:179)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:39)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.BaseNode.render(BaseNode.java:1145)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGGroup.renderContent(NGGroup.java:204)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGRegion.renderContent(NGRegion.java:420)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:187)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:39)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.BaseNode.render(BaseNode.java:1145)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGGroup.renderContent(NGGroup.java:204)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGRegion.renderContent(NGRegion.java:420)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:187)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:39)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.BaseNode.render(BaseNode.java:1145)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGGroup.renderContent(NGGroup.java:204)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGRegion.renderContent(NGRegion.java:420)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:187)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:39)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.BaseNode.render(BaseNode.java:1145)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGGroup.renderContent(NGGroup.java:204)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGRegion.renderContent(NGRegion.java:420)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:187)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:39)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.BaseNode.render(BaseNode.java:1145)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGGroup.renderContent(NGGroup.java:204)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGRegion.renderContent(NGRegion.java:420)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:187)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:39)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.BaseNode.render(BaseNode.java:1145)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGGroup.renderContent(NGGroup.java:204)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGRegion.renderContent(NGRegion.java:420)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:187)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:39)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.BaseNode.render(BaseNode.java:1145)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGGroup.renderContent(NGGroup.java:204)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGRegion.renderContent(NGRegion.java:420)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:187)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:39)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.BaseNode.render(BaseNode.java:1145)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGGroup.renderContent(NGGroup.java:204)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGRegion.renderContent(NGRegion.java:420)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:187)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:39)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.BaseNode.render(BaseNode.java:1145)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGGroup.renderContent(NGGroup.java:204)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGRegion.renderContent(NGRegion.java:420)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.renderForClip(NGNode.java:429)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.renderRectClip(NGNode.java:320)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.renderClip(NGNode.java:346)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:179)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:39)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.BaseNode.render(BaseNode.java:1145)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGGroup.renderContent(NGGroup.java:204)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGRegion.renderContent(NGRegion.java:420)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:187)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:39)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.BaseNode.render(BaseNode.java:1145)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGGroup.renderContent(NGGroup.java:204)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:187)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:39)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.BaseNode.render(BaseNode.java:1145)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGGroup.renderContent(NGGroup.java:204)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGRegion.renderContent(NGRegion.java:420)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:187)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:39)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.BaseNode.render(BaseNode.java:1145)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGGroup.renderContent(NGGroup.java:204)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGRegion.renderContent(NGRegion.java:420)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:187)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.prism.NGNode.doRender(NGNode.java:39)
at com.sun.javafx.sg.BaseNode.render(BaseNode.java:1145)
at com.sun.javafx.tk.quantum.ViewPainter.doPaint(ViewPainter.java:117)
at com.sun.javafx.tk.quantum.AbstractPainter.paintImpl(AbstractPainter.java:175)
at com.sun.javafx.tk.quantum.PresentingPainter.run(PresentingPainter.java:73)
at java.util.concurrent.Executors$RunnableAdapter.call(Executors.java:471)
at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask$Sync.innerRunAndReset(FutureTask.java:351)
at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.runAndReset(FutureTask.java:178)
at com.sun.prism.render.RenderJob.run(RenderJob.java:37)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1145)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:615)
at com.sun.javafx.tk.quantum.QuantumRenderer$PipelineRunnable.run(QuantumRenderer.java:98)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:724)