Export is blocked
The Export dialog explains why artwork downloads are unavailable. Project settings can always be downloaded, so save them first if you are unsure.
- “Generate real terrain data before exporting…”
- The studio is showing the bundled preview or sample terrain rather than freshly generated data. Select Generate terrain; restored and imported projects need this too. If generation falls back to sample terrain, the map service could not be reached; try again later.
- “Project settings changed. Regenerate the terrain before exporting.”
- The map area or cut aspect ratio changed after generation. The status line under the preview names what changed. Select Regenerate terrain. Terrain exaggeration, map details and linework update on their own.
- “Map detail data exceeded the safe feature limit…”
- The area contains more roads, trails, water and boundaries than TopoStack can safely process. Frame a smaller area or turn off some details in Map details, then regenerate.
- “Map detail data is unavailable…” or “Lake depth data is unavailable…”
- A data service did not respond. Regenerate later, or turn off the affected details (or Water depth) to export without them.
- “One or more layers are empty…”
- A layer has no piece large enough to cut. Lower the Vertical exaggeration, use thicker material, reduce Minimum feature in Fabrication settings, or frame an area with more relief, then regenerate.
- “…exceeds Atomm’s 100 MB export limit.”
- The artwork is too detailed. Turn off dense details such as roads or water fills, or frame a smaller area.
Warnings after generating
Warnings appear above the preview. They do not block export, but read them before you cut.
- Pieces remain larger than the work area, or the work area was not applied
- The model is too large for your work area to split cleanly: either some pieces still overflow the bed, or the split was skipped entirely. Use a larger work area, a smaller model, or thicker material for fewer layers.
- Very little elevation change
- Flat areas produce layers that look nearly identical, or sparse contours. Raise the vertical exaggeration or contour density, or include more of the surrounding hills.
- Water is deeper than the sheets below the shoreline can hold
- An explicit depth-layer limit can flatten the lake floor. Turn off Limit depth layers for automatic coverage, increase the allowance, or select Fit depth to compress the lake instead, lower Depth exaggeration, or use thinner material. How depth settings affect layers.
- Some lake depths are estimated rather than surveyed
- At least one lake is modeled in whole or part. This is expected for most lakes. How to read the result.
- A lake extends past the edge of this map
- No shoreline is visible, so its depth cannot be modeled. Zoom out to include part of the shore.
- A label or elevation labels were omitted
- The text does not fit on the material. Increase the output size or reduce Text size.
- Upper sheets or contours were omitted from a circular crop
- The circle left no piece at those elevations larger than Minimum feature. Reduce that setting, or center the crop on the high ground.
- Higher-resolution terrain is unavailable
- The area has registered lidar terrain that could not be loaded, so standard elevation data is used. Regenerate later if you want the higher resolution.
- Isolated depth spikes were replaced
- Obvious errors in the elevation data were filled from nearby terrain. Inspect that area in the preview before cutting.
- Some roads, trails, water lines or boundaries may be missing
- The map detail limit was reached. Frame a smaller area for complete details.
Common questions
Why can’t I choose the number of layers?
Layer count follows from the elevation range, map scale, Vertical exaggeration and material thickness, with no upper sheet cap. For more layers, raise the exaggeration or use thinner material; for fewer, do the opposite. Automatic lake depth adds sheets below the land without reducing its relief.
Why does my exaggeration change after generating?
TopoStack rounds relief to whole material sheets, with a minimum of two. That rounding can change the applied exaggeration. The studio shows the applied value, and README.txt records it.
Why does my lake look flat?
The lake may be too shallow for your sheet interval, have no survey or published depth, or have Water depth turned off. See why finished layers can look different.
My SVG imports at the wrong size.
TopoStack SVGs declare their size in millimeters. Check that your laser software is not rescaling SVGs on import, for example by assuming a fixed DPI, and compare the imported width with the size you set.
My pieces fit too tightly or too loosely.
Measure your laser’s kerf on your material and enter it as Laser kerf. If your laser software also compensates for kerf, set TopoStack’s value to 0. See kerf and panel size.
Some small pieces fell out of a sheet. Where do they go?
With Material-saving nests on, smaller layers are cut from inside larger ones. Each panel’s file name lists the layers it holds (for example panel-02-layers-02-05), and README.txt explains nesting. Keep every loose piece.
Where did my project go?
Projects are saved in the browser you used. A different browser, a private window or cleared site data starts fresh. Export Project settings to keep a backup, and import it in the studio to continue; then regenerate terrain before exporting.
Is the terrain accurate enough for navigation or engineering?
No. Elevation and lake data are resampled, simplified and scaled for decorative fabrication.
Still stuck?
Use Feedback in the studio or at the bottom of this page to report a bug or a data problem. Including the optional diagnostics, or your project settings file, helps reproduce it. See export files for what each download contains.