Errors and troubleshooting
Start with the common problems below. The rest of the page lists the messages Magic Lane Studio shows, by where they appear, with what to do.
Common problems
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| My edits do not change the map | Look for a "Style not applied" notice at the bottom right or a message over the map, such as "The map could not draw this version of the style." Check that the layer is not hidden and that its zoom range includes the current zoom (the chip at the top left of the map). |
| A layer is missing at some zooms | Its zoom range does not include them. Select the layer and widen Zoom Range in the Properties column. |
| My app still shows the old style | The app holds the file you downloaded earlier. Download the style again and replace the file in the app; see Update a style that is already in an app. |
| The downloaded file has the wrong colours | The file holds the theme selected in the Download dialog, or the map as it is when no theme is selected. Download again with the right theme; its name is added to the file name. |
Ctrl+Z did not undo a change to my data | Data source changes are not part of the style's history. Use Discard to go back to the last saved version; see Data sources. |
| A layer from my data draws nothing | Save the data source and wait for "✔ Tiled". Also check the layer's zoom range, and whether its row says "Source deleted". |
| My data draws in my app but is empty in a customer's app | The data source is private: its layers draw only in apps that use an API key from your account. Switch it to Public in its panel; see Public and private. |
| A layer's row has a label such as "No type" or "Zoom unreadable", or a ⚠ chip shows next to the layer count | The style has parts Studio could not read. See A style with damaged parts. |
| Bold or italic labels are not in my font | The style has no Bold or Italic face, so those labels use the built-in bold or italic. Add the font's bold and italic files in Settings › Typography. |
| Labels on the map are blank, or only some letters show | The style's font is damaged, or does not draw those letters. Open Settings › Typography: a damaged font is marked in red. Replace it or remove it; see The style's font. |
| The eyedropper in the colour picker is greyed | Picking a colour from the screen needs Chrome, Edge or another Chromium browser. |
Reporting a problem
If a problem keeps happening, contact Magic Lane through Contact us. Include the style's ID (in Settings, and at the end of the editor's address), what you did, the exact message, and your browser.
Where messages appear
- Notices are cards at the bottom right of the map. They report events, such as a finished download or a failed save, and disappear after a while; keep the pointer over them to read them. A notice that repeats shows a counter, such as "×3".
- Messages over the map appear when the map cannot be used, and wait for you.
- Inline messages appear where the problem is: the save state in the top bar, the banner under it, the upload panel, the Images screen.
- "… could not be shown." replaces a single panel that failed to draw. Select another layer or group, or click Try again; the rest of the editor keeps working.
Opening a style
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
Fetching your style… / Reading <name> — <N> layers… | Wait. A large style takes a moment. |
| This style does not exist, or you no longer have access to it. | Check the link with whoever sent it. Back to your styles opens the portal. |
| You do not have access to this style. | Ask the style's owner for access, or sign in with the account that owns it. |
| The service is not available right now. / The service did not answer in time. | Wait a moment and click Retry. |
| The service could not be reached. Check your connection. | Check your network, VPN or browser extensions, then click Retry. |
| The service answered with an error. / The style could not be read. | Click Retry. If it keeps happening, report it with the style's ID. |
| Parts of this style could not be read (notice) | The style opened, but some of it is not in a form Studio or the map can use. See A style with damaged parts. |
A style with damaged parts
A style edited outside Studio, or saved long ago by an older editor, can hold parts Studio cannot read: a layer with no type, a name or zoom that is not what the map expects, a paint value or filter in a form Studio does not know. Studio still opens the style. It keeps each such part as it was in the file, so nothing is lost, and says what it found.
The notice. When the style opens, a "Parts of this style could not be read" notice appears at the bottom right. It has a line for each kind of problem it found:
- "The map cannot draw this style at all while layer “…” is like this." These layers, or images, stop the map from drawing the whole style; the map shows the default style, or the last version of yours it could draw. Fix these first.
- "Not drawn on the map (2): “…” and “…”." The style is drawn, but these layers are not.
- "Drawn, but parts cannot be edited here: 4 layers." The map draws these layers, but some of their values are kept as they were in the file and cannot be changed in Studio.
- "When you save: …" What the next save changes in the style, for example "2 layers get a new id" or "1 entry that is not a layer is left out". Every change you make saves the style, so read this line before you edit.
- "3 layers share an id with another layer, so the order they are drawn in is uncertain." or "The style's font is damaged, so the built-in font is used."
At most five names are listed; the rest are counted, as in "and 3 more". Show these layers narrows the layer list to the layers with problems.
In the layer list. Each layer with a problem has a short label at the end of its row; hover it for the full explanation. A layer with more than one problem shows the worst one and a count, such as "Zoom unreadable +1". The ⚠ chip after the layer count, such as "⚠ 3", counts these layers together with layers whose data source was deleted. Click it to show only them, and click it again to show every layer. The chip stays after the notice has gone.
In the Properties column. The explanation is repeated at the top of the column when you select the layer. A layer with no type also gets Delete layer there.
| Label | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No type | The layer has no type, so the map draws nothing for it and it has no properties to style. | Click Delete layer in the Properties column, or give it a type in its JSON tab. |
| Unknown type | Its type is not one Studio knows, so it has no properties to style here. It is kept and saved as it is; the map draws it only if it knows the type. | Leave it if the map draws it; otherwise delete it. |
| No name | It has no name in the file, so Studio shows one in its place. | Rename it. |
| Name not text | Its name in the file is not text. The map cannot draw the style while it is like this. | Rename it. |
| Zoom unreadable | Its minzoom or maxzoom is not a number, so Studio shows a stand-in value. In some forms it stops the map drawing the style. | Set the layer's zoom range. |
| Never drawn | Its zoom range starts after it ends, so it is drawn at no zoom. | Set the layer's zoom range. |
| Zoom out of range | Its zoom range starts below 0, and the layer is not drawn; or it ends above 17. | Set the layer's zoom range. |
| Paint unreadable | Its paint is not a list of properties, so it has no style values here. It is saved as it is until you style the layer. An empty paint is drawn in the map's default colour; any other form stops the map drawing the style. | Style the layer; your values replace the ones from the file. |
| Not editable | The properties it names cannot be read, so they are kept as in the file and cannot be edited here. In some forms they stop the map drawing the style. | Set the property in the Style tab; your value replaces the one from the file. |
| Filter unreadable | Its filter cannot be read, so the Data Filter tab is empty. The filter is kept and saved as it is. In some forms it stops the map drawing the style. | Build the filter again in the Data Filter tab; it replaces the one from the file. |
| Group missing | It belongs to a group that is not in the style, so it is shown at the top level. Its group is kept when saved. | Put it in a group, or leave it. |
| Source unreadable | Its data source is not written as text, and the map does not draw it; or its data source id is not a number, and the map may not draw the data you expect. It is saved as it is. | Add the layer again from Available Layers, copy the old layer's style onto it with Copy Style and Paste Style, and delete the old one. |
Most labels go away by themselves once you fix what they say. When the map cannot draw the style at all, the message over the map offers Show the layers with problems too.
Signing in and saving
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| Your session has expired. (banner under the top bar) | Click Sign in, sign in in the new tab, and come back. Your changes are kept and save by themselves; Retry save sends them at once. |
save failed — retrying in <N>s | Nothing: Studio retries by itself. Retry tries at once. |
| save failed — offline | Reconnect. The save goes out when you are back online. |
| save failed | Hover the save state for the reason. Click Retry, or keep editing: the next change tries again. If it keeps failing, report it with the style's ID. |
| Everything is saved | Shown by Ctrl+S when there was nothing to save. |
If you close the tab while a change is not saved, the browser asks first: stay, and let the save finish. See Opening and saving.
The map
None of these affects your style or its saving.
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| Loading the map… / Starting the map… / Putting your style on the map… | Wait. |
| The map preview did not start. | Click Try again. If it keeps failing, reload the page or try another browser; the map needs WebGL and WebAssembly. |
| The map could not apply this style. "It was refused twice. Something in the style is not in a form the map can read." | The map shows the default style, not yours. If the style has layers with problems, click Show the layers with problems and fix the ones that stop the map (see A style with damaged parts). Otherwise undo your recent changes, or check the JSON tab of layers you changed. Then click Try again. |
| The map could not apply this style. "It was sent 6 times and never applied." | Click Try again. If it keeps happening, reload the page. |
| The map could not draw this version of the style. "It still shows what it showed before." | Your last change, or the style as it opened, is in a form the map cannot read. Click Show the layers with problems when it is offered, or undo your last change; Try again sends the style again. |
| This style has no layers, so there is nothing to draw. | Add a layer. |
| The map stopped working. | Click Reload. Studio saves your changes first. |
| Style not applied | Your last change made the style unusable for the map, which keeps showing the last good version. The notice names the layer and property; undo the change or fix the property. |
| The map reported a problem with this style | Undo your last change if the map looks wrong or stopped following your edits. |
| Map key expired / This map key was not accepted / This map key is not valid | Create a new API key in the portal, then reload the page. |
| No map key / Map key unavailable | The map still draws, but place search and route previews need a key. Create one in the portal, or reload when the portal is available again. |
| Your location is not available | Allow location for the site in your browser, or ignore it. |
| No style layer painted this pixel. | Nothing in your style draws at that point, as over open sea. |
| No sample to show. Sample routes are not available. / No sample route could be calculated. Check your connection and try again. | Shown in the pill over the map for a route layer. Sample routes need a connection and a map key; check both, then click Try again. |
| No sample to show. The sample highlight is not available. / The sample landmark was not found. Check your connection and try again. / The sample landmark has no position on the map. / The sample could not be shown. | The same, for Highlighted Landmarks. Click Try again. |
| Public transport routes cannot be simulated, so the travelled part is not drawn. / Simulation is not available; the route is shown without the travelled part. | Not an error: the sample route is drawn, but without the travelled part. |
Layers
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| A style needs at least one layer | Add another layer before deleting this one. |
| Something has to stay visible | Leave at least one layer showing. |
| Nothing to zoom to | The layer draws map data that covers the whole world, or its data source is still empty. |
| Source deleted (on a layer's row) | The layer's data source was deleted. Delete the layer, or point it at another data source. |
On the JSON tab, text that does not parse lists each problem with its line, and nothing changes until it parses. In the Text Field editor, a label that does not parse shows where the problem is, and nothing is written until it parses. See The Properties column.
Available Layers
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| Public layers could not be listed right now. / Public layers could not be loaded. | Reload the page, or click Try again where offered. If the map itself failed to start, fix that first. |
| No private datasources available | You have no data sources yet; click + Add. |
| An error line under CUSTOM | Your data sources could not be listed. Collapse CUSTOM and open it again. |
| The in-app layers could not be loaded. | Reload the page. |
"<name>" is not tiled yet | Save the data source, or wait for tiling to finish, then drag it in again. |
Data sources
Upload problems appear in the upload panel, under "This file could not be imported as-is.", and nothing is imported.
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| … is not an accepted format. | Use a GeoJSON, CSV, TSV, KML, GPX or line-delimited GeoJSON file, with its usual extension. |
| Missing coordinates or coordinates format is invalid. | Name the CSV's coordinate columns lat and lon (or another name the panel lists), all in lower case or all in upper case, with decimal points. |
| The file does not contain a JSON object. / Expected a FeatureCollection, a Feature or a geometry. | Export the file again as GeoJSON. |
| The file is not valid KML. / The file is not valid GPX. | Fix or export the file again. |
| The file contains no features. | Check the file. |
| Polygons and MultiPolygons should follow the right-hand rule | Export the file again with standard polygon winding. |
| File is very large. This will take some time to render. | A warning: we recommend files under 5 MB. Click Continue to read it anyway, or Abort. |
| Each datasource can only have one type of feature. | The file holds a different kind of shape from the source. Use Replace, or create a new data source. |
| Drawing cannot be finished: | A line needs at least 2 points and an area at least 3. Add points, or draw the shape again. |
| Field already exists. | Use another property name. |
Could not save "<name>" | Click Save again; if your session expired, sign in first. |
Tiling "<name>" has not finished after 10 minutes | It may still be running. Reload the page later to check. |
Could not rename "<name>" / Could not delete "<name>" | Try again. |
Images
These appear on the Images screen; other files in the same drop are still added.
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| … is not a PNG, JPEG or SVG file. | Convert the image. |
| … each image must be under 400 KB. | Make the file smaller. |
| … the limit is 4 MB. | Remove images you do not use. |
| … already existed — added as … | Not an error: the new image got a new name so the old one is kept. |
Fonts
These appear as a "Font not added" notice when you add a font in Settings › Typography; the style is not changed.
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| … is not a TTF or OTF font. | Use the font's TTF or OTF file. |
| … is a WOFF web font; the map needs the TTF or OTF file. / … is a WOFF2 web font; … | Use the TTF or OTF the web font was made from; font sites usually offer it as a desktop download. |
| … is a font collection (TTC); the map needs a single TTF or OTF file. | Use the file of one face, or split the collection with a font tool. |
| … is damaged: its letter shapes cannot be read, so labels would be blank on the map. / … is corrupt: … | Download the font again from where you got it. |
| The style's regular font is damaged (notice) | The style came with a font that cannot be drawn. Replace or remove it in Settings › Typography. |
| Loading the style font… (notice) | Not an error: the map is reading a font file of over 1 MB. A very large font takes several seconds, and the page waits with it. |
| Style font loaded (notice), with the faces and the size | Not an error: the map has the font and the labels use it. Shown when a face is added and when a style with a font is opened. |
| The style's font was not applied (notice), with "The map could not load it as a font." or another reason | The browser read the file but the map did not. Replace the face with another copy or another font, or remove it, in Settings › Typography; labels use the built-in font meanwhile. |
| This font's licence looks limited to personal or demo use. (under a slot) | Not an error: check that the licence allows using the font in a map you publish. |
Shared colours and Settings
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| … is not drawn with a colour | The layer you picked on the map has no colour to open. |
| … already exists | Two colours would get the same name; rename one first. |
| Latitude −90 to 90, longitude −180 to 180, zoom 0 to 17. Nothing was changed. | Type a value in range. |
| The map has not reported a camera yet. | Wait a moment, then click Use current view again. |
Download
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| … not exported — … problem(s) in the style | Fix the layers and properties the notice names, then download again. |
| This style uses a private data source: … (in the dialog) | Not an error, and the download goes ahead. The layers that draw that source are empty in apps that use another account's API key. Click the name to open the source and switch it to Public, or share the style only within your account. See Private data sources. |
| Exported … / Style file built: … | The download worked. Warnings do not stop it. |
| Style file not built — The last save failed … | Get the save through first (see the save state), then download. |
| Style file not built — other reasons | Try again in a moment. |
| Building a style file for apps is not available on this deployment. | Try again later. If it keeps happening, report it with the style's ID. |
See also: Opening and saving · Data sources · Download and use in your app