Troubleshooting

Solutions to common issues and problems you may encounter while using CADit.

Troubleshooting

This page covers common issues and their solutions. If you do not find what you are looking for here, check the related documentation pages linked at the bottom.

Saving and loading

Design does not save to cloud

Symptom: You click Save but the design does not appear in your account.

Causes and solutions:

  • Not logged in: Cloud saving requires an account. Log in and try again.
  • Network issues: Check your internet connection. The save failed to reach the server.
  • Session expired: Your login session may have timed out. Log out and log back in, then save again.

If you see "Failed to save design" or similar errors, try downloading the design as a .cadit file as a backup before troubleshooting further.

Local designs are missing

Symptom: Previously saved local designs do not appear in the Local Designs panel.

Causes and solutions:

  • Browser data cleared: Local designs are stored in your browser. Clearing cookies, cache, or site data removes them. There is no way to recover cleared local data.
  • Different browser or device: Local designs are specific to the browser and device where you saved them. Check if you are using the same browser.
  • Private/incognito mode: Private browsing sessions do not persist data. Designs saved in private mode are lost when you close the window.

To prevent data loss, save to the cloud or download .cadit files for designs you want to keep.

Cannot open a .cadit file

Symptom: Opening a .cadit file shows an error or blank design.

Causes and solutions:

  • Corrupted file: The file may be damaged. If you have a backup, try that instead.
  • Version mismatch: Very old .cadit files may not be fully compatible with the current version. Contact support if you need help recovering an old design.
  • Wrong file type: Ensure the file has a .cadit extension. CADit cannot open other file formats through the "Open CADit File" option.

Exporting

Exported STL has unexpected geometry

Symptom: The STL file looks different from your design when opened in a slicer.

Causes and solutions:

  • Overlapping shapes: Shapes that overlap may produce intersecting geometry. Check your design for shapes that pass through each other unintentionally.
  • Hole shapes: Shapes marked as holes cut through other shapes. Verify hole assignments are correct.
  • Doodle Mode layers: In Doodle Mode, shapes are organized by layer. If shapes overlap incorrectly, the layer heights may need adjustment.
  • Hidden shapes: Only visible shapes are exported. Check if any shapes are hidden that should be included.

Preview your design in the 3D panel before exporting. The 3D preview shows exactly what will be exported.

3MF file colors not recognized by slicer

Symptom: Your slicer does not show the colors from your design.

Causes and solutions:

  • Slicer does not support 3MF colors: Some slicers have limited 3MF support. Try a slicer that fully supports 3MF, such as PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio, or OrcaSlicer.
  • Shapes have the same color: Shapes with identical colors are grouped together. Verify your shapes have distinct colors.
  • File association: Some operating systems may open 3MF files with an application that does not support the format fully. Open the file directly from within your slicer.

Drawing and editing

Cannot select a shape

Symptom: Clicking on a shape does not select it.

Causes and solutions:

  • Wrong tool selected: Selection requires the Transform tool. Press S or click the Transform tool in the toolbar.
  • Shape is behind another shape: The shape may be underneath other shapes. Use the context menu or layer panel to access shapes that are not on top.
  • Shape is very small: Zoom in to make selection easier on small shapes.
  • Maker Mode active: In Maker Mode, you interact with parameters rather than shapes. Exit Maker Mode to select shapes normally.

Shapes do not appear in 3D view

Symptom: You draw shapes but the 3D panel remains empty.

Causes and solutions:

  • Height is zero: Shapes need a height greater than zero to appear in 3D. Select the shape and increase its height in the property panel.
  • Shape marked as unfilled: Unfilled shapes (outlines) have zero thickness until exported. Fill the shape or set a height.
  • Wrong space selected: If using multiple spaces, shapes only appear when drawn on the active space. Check which space is selected.
  • 3D view not refreshed: In rare cases, the 3D view may not update. Try zooming or rotating the view to trigger a refresh.

Undo does not work as expected

Symptom: Pressing Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z) does not undo your last action.

Causes and solutions:

  • Focus in input field: Undo may affect text in an input field rather than the canvas. Click on the canvas to return focus there.
  • Action not undoable: Some actions cannot be undone, such as file operations (save, export).
  • Multiple steps: Some operations consist of multiple undo steps. Press Undo multiple times to fully reverse a complex action.

Performance

Application is slow or unresponsive

Symptom: CADit takes a long time to respond, or the interface freezes.

Causes and solutions:

  • Too many shapes: Designs with many shapes take longer to process. Simplify your design or combine shapes where possible.
  • Complex code objects: Code Mode objects with complex geometry require more computation. Simplify the code or reduce detail levels.
  • Large images: Photo Guide images that are very large can slow performance. Use smaller source images or increase the despeckle setting to reduce detail.
  • Browser resources: Close other browser tabs to free memory. Restart your browser if it has been running for a long time.
  • Hardware acceleration: If your browser has hardware acceleration disabled, enable it in browser settings for better performance.

3D view does not respond

Symptom: The 3D panel freezes or stops updating.

Causes and solutions:

  • WebGL issues: CADit uses WebGL for 3D rendering. Update your graphics drivers or try a different browser.
  • Geometry calculation in progress: Complex operations may take time to compute. Wait for the spinner to complete.
  • Memory limit reached: Very complex designs may exceed browser memory limits. Simplify the design or restart the browser.

Code Mode

Code does not run

Symptom: Changes to your code do not update the 3D preview.

Causes and solutions:

  • Syntax errors: Check for red underlines in the editor indicating TypeScript errors. Fix the errors and try again.
  • No result exported: Your code must export a result variable. Ensure your main file includes export const result = ....
  • Runtime error: Check the error panel below the editor for runtime errors. The error message indicates what went wrong.

Type errors in the editor

Symptom: The editor shows type errors but the code seems correct.

Causes and solutions:

  • Type definitions loading: Type definitions load asynchronously. Wait a moment for them to load.
  • Package not in dependencies: Add the package to package.json dependencies.
  • Incorrect import path: Verify import statements use the correct module paths.

Code object shows wrong geometry

Symptom: The 3D preview shows geometry that does not match your code.

Causes and solutions:

  • Old cached result: The preview may show a previous result. Make any change to the code to trigger a rebuild.
  • Error in code: A runtime error may be preventing the new geometry from rendering. Check the error panel.
  • Multiple result exports: Only one result export should exist. Remove duplicate exports.

Account and login

Cannot log in

Symptom: Login fails or you are immediately logged out.

Causes and solutions:

  • Cookies disabled: CADit requires cookies for authentication. Enable cookies for cadit.app.
  • Browser extensions: Ad blockers or privacy extensions may interfere with login. Try disabling them temporarily.
  • Third-party cookies: If using social login (Google, etc.), ensure third-party cookies are allowed.
  • Session expired: Close all CADit tabs, clear the site data for cadit.app, and try logging in again.

Designs missing from account

Symptom: Previously saved cloud designs do not appear in your dashboard.

Causes and solutions:

  • Wrong account: Verify you are logged into the correct account, especially if you use multiple login methods.
  • Sync delay: Recently saved designs may take a moment to appear. Refresh the page.
  • Deleted designs: If you deleted a design, it cannot be recovered. Cloud deletion is permanent.

Browser compatibility

CADit works best in modern browsers with WebGL support.

  • Chrome (version 90+)
  • Firefox (version 90+)
  • Safari (version 15+)
  • Edge (version 90+)

Known issues

  • Older browsers: Features may not work correctly in browsers more than two years old. Update your browser.
  • Mobile browsers: CADit is designed for desktop use. Mobile browsers have limited support.
  • Internet Explorer: CADit does not support Internet Explorer.

Getting help

If you cannot resolve an issue:

  1. Check the related documentation pages linked below
  2. Search for your issue in the CADit community forums
  3. Contact support with a description of the problem and steps to reproduce it

Include the following when reporting issues:

  • Browser name and version
  • Operating system
  • Steps that led to the problem
  • Any error messages displayed