Common Issues

No toolpaths generated

Symptom: You created an operation but no toolpaths appear.

Possible causes:

  • No paths are assigned to the operation — select paths first, then create the operation
  • The tool is too large for the geometry — try a smaller diameter tool
  • Depth is set to zero — check the depth setting in the property panel
  • The operation has an error — check the project tree for error indicators

"No compatible tools" when creating an operation

Symptom: The tool dropdown is empty or shows no options.

Possible cause: The tool library has no tools compatible with the selected operation type. For example, V-carve operations require V-bits.

Fix: Open Tools > Tool Library and add a compatible tool, or use one of the built-in tools.

Export produces empty or very small G-code file

Symptom: The exported G-code file contains only header/footer but no cutting moves.

Possible causes:

  • No operations have generated toolpaths
  • All operations have errors
  • Stock dimensions are zero

Validation shows overcuts

Symptom: Toolpath validation reports overcut errors.

Possible causes:

  • Tool diameter is too large for tight corners in the geometry
  • Contour cut side is wrong (inside vs outside)
  • Operations overlap in ways that remove unintended material

Fix: Review the operation settings, consider a smaller tool, or adjust the geometry.

Imported design is wrong size

Symptom: The imported SVG or DXF is much larger or smaller than expected.

Possible causes:

  • SVG units are not set to millimeters — MapleCAM interprets SVG coordinates in mm
  • DXF was drawn in inches — convert to mm in your CAD software before exporting
  • ViewBox scaling mismatch in SVG

Fix: Check your design software's export settings and ensure units are millimeters.

Application won't start

Symptom: Double-clicking the JAR file does nothing, or a command-line error appears.

Possible causes:

  • Java is not installed or is an older version
  • Java installation is not on the system PATH

Fix: Install Java 21 or later from Adoptium. Verify with java -version.