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