Troubleshooting
The command is not found
Open a new terminal after installation. On macOS/Linux, the default wrapper is ~/.local/bin/codeboard; on Windows it is %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Codeboard\bin\codeboard.cmd. Follow installation for PATH setup. Keep the complete runtime directory together when installing a portable archive manually.
A script cannot import Codeboard
Run codeboard run scene.mjs instead of node scene.mjs. The runner resolves codeboard-studio from the installed runtime. Use .mjs for JavaScript. Erasable TypeScript is supported as described in quickstart; a project requiring a build tool, JSX, enums, or custom path aliases needs its own compilation step.
Nothing appears in a render
Check the selected panel and global frame, the layer's visible, opacity, exposure, and parent groups. A drawing track is blank before its first exposure or when its selected drawingId is null. A mask with empty alpha hides the masked artwork. A camera can also frame outside the drawing. Render the specific layer without camera placement to separate artwork from framing problems.
An edit did not persist
Inspection results are copies. Use layer.set, layer.edit, a selection operation, or project.production to apply changes, then save the project. If a save reports a stale version, reopen the current file and reapply your edit. Do not use overwrite: true to conceal a conflict.
Timing looks one frame early or late
Frames start at zero. A 24-frame panel at frame 0 covers 0–23. Range ends are exclusive. Most animation APIs use global timeline frames, including later panels. Pen sample time is milliseconds for brush dynamics and is unrelated to timeline frames. Inspect the exposure and keyframe values before changing interpolation.
A brush imports differently from its original application
Read missingDependencies, unsupported, and warnings in the import report. A tip asset is not an entire brush engine. Render a swatch before using the preset. KPP previews are not fallback tips; unsupported behavior is not silently emulated. See resource support.
Movie export fails
Check that FFmpeg can run, then provide its path with --ffmpeg or FFMPEG_PATH. Close players holding the output file on Windows. Confirm linked audio exists before saving, or render from a saved project with embedded assets. PNG review does not require FFmpeg.
The font changes on another machine
Fonts come from the rendering computer. Install the intended fonts there or use a shared available family. The demo's contour artwork does not require a character image, but text appearance still depends on installed fonts.
Rendering or inspection uses too much memory
Use ProjectStore.readPanel for a panel read, findObjects with a limit for discovery, and selected panels in a contact sheet. Avoid loading a full document through toJSON() just to find a layer. Reduce review thumbnail dimensions rather than changing the artwork. Render sessions can reuse work during repeated evaluation; see rendering API.
Report a reproducible problem
Include the Codeboard version, OS, failing command, full error, and a small authoring script or sanitized project that demonstrates the issue. For a visual difference, include the frame number and expected/actual images. Do not include private artwork or credentials unless you intend to share them.