Troubleshooting¶

I can't draw anything¶

Check the status bar at the bottom of the window. If it says Trial ended · View only, or you never started the trial, the app is in viewing mode.

Open SimpleDiagrams ▸ Get SimpleDiagrams… and either start the trial 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¶

View ▸ Panels and tick it. 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 — the blue × connection points appear when you're close enough. Release on one of them.

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¶

Correct — the grid is a working aid and is never exported or printed. If you want a grid in the finished diagram, use one of the graph paper backgrounds instead.

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 daniel@mcquilleninteractive.com with a line about what you were doing. You'll get a real person, usually within a day.