Troubleshooting¶

I can't draw anything¶

Check the status bar at the bottom of the window. If it says Trial ended · View only, the trial has ended and the app is in viewing mode. This only happens in the direct download; the Mac App Store build has no trial.

If you just accepted the licence agreement and still cannot draw, open SimpleDiagrams ▸ Get SimpleDiagrams… to see the trial-start error and retry, or enter your licence. See Licence and trial.

Where did my diagram go?¶

Press Cmd+1 (Fit Artwork). The canvas is infinite and it's genuinely easy to scroll off into empty space.

Cmd+Shift+O opens the Overview navigator, which shows you where everything is relative to where you're looking.

A panel has vanished¶

Open Window ▸ Panels, choose the missing panel, then Show. It returns to its previous position. Choose Dock on Left, Dock on Right, or Float if you'd like to show it somewhere else. Or click the sidebar button at the top right of the canvas — every panel is listed there.

If you've made a proper mess: Settings ▸ Reset Workspace… restores everything to where it started. Your diagrams aren't affected.

Keyboard shortcuts aren't doing anything¶

Tool letters (V, L, T and friends) only work when the canvas has keyboard focus. If you've just typed in a panel field, click on the canvas first.

They also don't fire while you're holding Cmd, Ctrl or Alt.

My connector won't attach¶

Use the Connector tool (L) and move slowly near the shape's edge — its connection points appear as small blue dots when you're close enough. The one you're about to attach to fills in and gains a ring. Release while it does.

If the shape is from one of your own libraries and has no useful attachment spots, open Edit Library and set its connection points. See Your own libraries.

I can't move a connector¶

If either end is attached to a shape, the line can't be dragged as a whole — move the shape instead, and the connector follows. That's the point of attaching it.

To move a connector bodily, detach both ends first (drag each endpoint into open space), then Cmd-drag it.

Shapes won't line up¶

Turn on Snap to Grid (Cmd+Shift+") and set the spacing in View ▸ Grid Settings…. Or show the rulers (Ctrl+Cmd+R) and drag out a guide — objects always snap to visible guides.

For exact positions, use the Transform panel (Cmd+Alt+3) and type the numbers.

There are no automatic smart guides between objects in this version.

The grid doesn't show up in my export¶

It's left out unless you ask for it. Tick Include Grid in the Export panel. If it's still missing, check that the page is actually showing its grid (View ▸ Show Grid): a hidden grid isn't exported.

The grid is never printed. To print one, export a PDF with Include Grid ticked and print that.

There are two grids on my page¶

You've got a background with its own lines and the page grid. Press Cmd+' to hide the grid, or open View ▸ Grid Settings… and choose No Grid.

An older copy of SimpleDiagrams won't open my diagram¶

Diagrams saved by a newer version can carry things an older one doesn't know about — a custom grid, for example — so the older version declines to open them rather than quietly throwing that part away. Update the older copy and it will open.

My exported PNG has a transparent background and I wanted white¶

In the Export panel, set Output ground to White. And check Include Page Background if you want the chalkboard or paper texture to come along.

An imported diagram looks wrong¶

Version 3 and 4 diagrams convert on a best-effort basis. Shapes from libraries you haven't installed become approximations.

Import the old .sdlp library first, then re-import the diagram — the shapes will match. Full detail in Opening older diagrams.

An SVG won't convert to an editable shape¶

Gradients, filters, text and a few other SVG features can't be converted safely. The Convert to Editable Shape button is disabled in that case, with a note saying why.

Use Keep as SVG Artwork instead. You can still move, resize, rotate and connect it — you just can't restyle it with the colour chips.

An image won't import¶

Check it isn't animated or multi-frame, isn't over 16 MB, isn't more than 16,384 pixels on a side, and isn't over 40 megapixels. Any one of those and the app declines.

Open it in Preview, export a flattened copy, and try again.

I undid too far¶

Cmd+Shift+Z redoes. And if the damage is older than the undo stack, File ▸ Revert To ▸ Browse All Versions… gives you macOS's version browser.

Still stuck?¶

Turn on Settings ▸ Verbose logging until restart, reproduce the problem, then use Export Diagnostics… to save a report.

The report contains app and macOS versions and event codes — no diagram content, no file names, nothing personal. The app shows you what's in it before it saves.

Send it to support@simplediagrams.com with a line about what you were doing. You'll get a real person, usually within a day.