How to resolve common issues

“I can’t draw this relationship between these elements”

Cause: The relationship type has pair-wise constraints that don’t allow the source/target combination you’re trying to create.

Fix:

• Check which element types the relationship type allows — select the M2 relationship type in the Explorer and review its constraints
• Use a different relationship type that permits this combination
• If you’re building a custom metamodel, add an additional valid pair to the relationship type’s constraints

”I can’t edit this package / element”

Cause: The package is read-only. Built-in M2 metamodels (ArchiMate, UML, etc.) and M3 MOF Core are always read-only.

Fix:

• You can’t edit built-in M2 packages — they’re shared across all projects and protected from modification
• If you need a modified version, clone the package and edit the clone
• Custom M2 metamodels you create are editable unless you’ve explicitly marked them read-only

”The Palette is empty — I can’t see any element types”

Cause: Your M1 package hasn’t imported any M2 metamodels.

Fix:

1. Select the M1 package in the Explorer
2. In the Properties panel, check the Imports section
3. If empty, add an import for the M2 metamodel you want to use
4. See How to declare package imports

”My element doesn’t appear on the diagram”

Cause: The element exists in the model but hasn’t been placed on this diagram. Elements are not automatically added to diagrams.

Fix:

• Drag the element from the Explorer onto the Canvas
• Remember: an element can exist in the model (visible in the Explorer) without appearing on any diagram. See Diagrams vs Models

”Import failed — duplicate $id”

Cause: The .farki file you’re importing contains $id values that conflict with existing elements in the project.

Fix:

• Import into a new project instead of an existing one
• If you generated the .farki file (e.g., with an LLM), ensure all $id values are unique within the file
• $id values should be kebab-case and unique across the entire package tree

”Import failed — missing dependency”

Cause: The .farki file references an M2 metamodel that isn’t available in the target project.

Fix:

• Import the required M2 metamodel first, then import the M1 model
• If the file is a project-scope export, use File > New Project… > From File instead — it includes both M2 and M1 content

”The integrity checker shows warnings”

Cause: The model has referential integrity issues — broken references, orphaned nodes, or constraint violations.

Fix:

• Click the integrity indicator in the status bar to see the full list of issues
• Each issue identifies the affected element and the problem type
• See How to use the integrity checker for resolution steps

”I deleted an element and it disappeared from all my diagrams”

Cause: Deleting an element from the Explorer (or using Ctrl+Delete on the Canvas) removes it from the model entirely — including all diagrams.

Fix:

• Use Ctrl+Z immediately if you’re still on the same diagram (undo may recover the diagram node, but the model deletion is not undoable)
• To remove an element from one diagram only, select it and press Delete (without Ctrl) — this removes the diagram node but keeps the element in the model

”Two people edited the same diagram and one person’s changes were lost”

Cause: Diagram layout is saved explicitly, and the last save wins. Two people editing the same diagram simultaneously will overwrite each other’s layout.

Fix:

• Coordinate diagram editing — one person per diagram at a time
• Model changes (elements, properties, relationships) sync in real time and don’t conflict — only diagram layout (positions, waypoints, formatting) has this limitation

”FarkiBot says my model doesn’t record something, but I’m sure it does”

Cause: Almost always scope. The Context chip controls which packages are sent, and a narrowed scope excludes the rest of the project.

Fix:

• Click the Context chip and check the package you mean is ticked
• Confirm the information is really in the model rather than in a diagram label or an element’s name — FarkiBot reads model content, so a fact that only exists as a note on a diagram may not be where you think it is
• If it genuinely isn’t recorded, that’s a finding about the model. See How FarkiBot Works for why FarkiBot won’t fill the gap from training data.

”FarkiBot won’t let me modify my metamodel”

Cause: By design. The Modify M1 task lists M1 models only.

Replacing a metamodel would orphan every model instance built on it, and the damage would land in other packages — where neither the diff nor the snapshot could show it to you.

Fix: Edit metamodels directly. See How to create an element type and How to use the M2 lifecycle.

”A FarkiBot generation keeps failing validation”

Cause: Usually the model isn’t strong enough for the task. Generating an M2 metamodel is markedly harder than generating an M1 model — an M2 has to invent the structure and its notation, including inline SVG inside JSON strings.

Fix:

• For Generate M2, use a starred model. Free models frequently fail here, and that’s expected.
• For Generate M1, try a different free model before reaching for a paid one
• Narrow the brief — a smaller scope is easier to get right
• The failure card offers the raw output for download if you want to salvage it

See How to choose an LLM and FarkiBot Reference for the full error list.

”Other FarkiBot problems”

Error messages, their causes, and their fixes are listed in the FarkiBot Reference.