Troubleshooting

Short answer: Most problems have a quick fix. Turn on graphics acceleration for 3D. Check the spelling or your connection when PubChem search fails, and check your API key for AI errors. Look in My designs for a lost drawing.

Last updated 20 Oct 2026 · By the MolDraw team at LabCanvas

View .mdSection PDF

3D view and graphics#

Symptom	Fix
A banner says graphics acceleration looks off, or 3D view needs hardware acceleration	In Chrome or Edge, paste `chrome://settings/system` in the address bar. Turn on Use graphics acceleration when available, click Relaunch, then reload MolDraw.
"3D view is unavailable on this device" on a phone or tablet	The device cannot start 3D in this browser. 2D drawing still works. Try another browser.
"3D view may be slow on this computer" in the desktop app	Update your graphics driver.
The editor is slow while the 3D panel is open	Click the 3D button to hide the panel when you do not need it. See 3D viewer.

Click Dismiss or OK to hide the banner for this session.

PubChem search fails#

Message	Fix
Not found on PubChem	Check the spelling. Try another name, the CAS number or a SMILES string.
Could not reach PubChem	Check your internet connection. A school or company network may block PubChem. The desktop app needs internet for search.
Search timed out	PubChem is slow right now. Wait a moment and search again.
Could not parse SMILES	The text looks like SMILES but is not valid. Check brackets, ring numbers and charges.

See Search PubChem.

AI assistant errors#

Message says	Fix
Add an API key to start chatting	Open Settings, AI and paste a key for your chat provider.
The provider did not accept the API key	Copy the key again from the provider and paste it. Check for extra spaces.
Rate limit or quota reached	Wait a minute and try again.
The model is not in this key's free tier	Pick a Flash model in Settings, AI, Model.
The account has no credit left	Add credit with the provider or switch to another provider.
The provider is busy, or could not be reached	Try again in a moment, and check your connection.

See AI providers and API keys.

A drawing is lost#

Symptom	Fix
The canvas is empty after reload	Open My designs and click the card. Check the other tabs above the canvas too.
My designs is empty	Designs are stored per browser and per site address. Open the browser and address you used before. A private window does not keep designs.
You deleted part of a drawing	Press `Ctrl`+`Z` to undo.
You cleared browser data	Designs in the browser are gone. Open a `.moldraw` file you downloaded, or a PNG or SVG you exported from MolDraw. Those carry the design.

See Designs and tabs and Privacy and storage.

The canvas is slow#

Turn on graphics acceleration as above. Without it, the browser draws on the CPU.
Hide the 3D panel with the 3D button while you draw large structures.
Split a big poster into several design tabs.
Close other heavy browser tabs.

Export problems#

Symptom	Fix
PNG looks blurry	Open Settings, General, Image resolution and pick high (4×). It applies to white PNG, JPEG and PDF.
Labels in SVG look the wrong size	Transparent PNG and SVG use Font size from Settings, Style. Change it there.
Copy failed after Copy SVG or Copy SMILES	The browser blocked the clipboard. Allow clipboard access for the site, or use Download instead.
Another program cannot open the file	Pick a format it reads, such as MOL or CDXML. See Download and file formats.

Symptom	Fix
The editor looks odd after changing settings	Open Settings and click Reset to defaults in that section. See Settings reference.
Plugins cannot be installed	Sign in first. See Sign in and accounts.
An atom has an amber dot	It has too many bonds. See Check for valence errors.
The wrong language shows	Pick your language in the flag menu. See Change the language.

Questions and answers

Why does MolDraw say graphics acceleration is off?

The browser draws without the graphics card. Turn on Use graphics acceleration when available in Chrome or Edge settings, relaunch and reload MolDraw.

Why does PubChem search say not found?

PubChem has no match for that text. Check the spelling, or search by CAS number or SMILES.

How do I get back a drawing I lost in MolDraw?

Open My designs and look for its card, or check the tabs above the canvas. If you cleared browser data, open a .moldraw file or a MolDraw PNG you saved.

Why are my exported PNG images blurry?

Raise Image resolution in Settings, General to high (4x). It applies to white PNG, JPEG and PDF exports.

Last updated: October 20, 2026