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Troubleshooting map.army — messages and what to do
What to do when map.army shows a message, or when something that should be there is not. The FAQ answers questions about the product; this page answers “it is not working”.
Nothing loads, or the application is stuck
Force a clean reload with Ctrl + F5. This bypasses the browser cache and fetches the current version.
.milxlyz first. A reload discards unsaved MilX® layers — there is no autosave. See Export Overlays.If the first load takes more than about 20 seconds, that is the point to reload rather than keep waiting. If it persists, check that your browser and operating system are supported, and see Update the application for clearing a stale installed version.
A control I expect is missing
Most “missing button” reports are a precondition rather than a fault. map.army sometimes hides a control and sometimes greys it out, and the two mean different things — a greyed control is waiting for something, a hidden one does not apply at all.
| What is missing | Why | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Add new MSS Symbol is greyed | No active layer | Activate a layer in the Layers panel — the pen icon marks it |
| MSS Symbol Editor and Point List are greyed | No symbol selected | Select a symbol on the map |
| All three are gone, not greyed | You are in the 3D view, which is read-only | Switch back to 2D — see 3D map view |
| The Safety Distance Zone section in the Point List is empty | The tick box is off — every zone control is behind it. Failing that, you selected a multi-point graphic, which cannot carry a zone | Tick Safety Distance Zone; if the box is not there either, select a single-point symbol — see Safety Distance Zones |
| The Convert button (icon only) is absent from a layer’s row | Only vector layers (KML, GPX, GeoJSON, shapefile) have it, and it shows on every one of them. Image layers have no Convert button: they cannot be converted to MilX | Nothing to do for an image layer; see Vector Layers |
| Display location is absent in Options | Your browser exposes no geolocation | Expected on browsers or contexts without location access |
An imported layer is not on the map
Two mechanisms hide a layer that imported successfully.
Above roughly 6000 symbols, map.army warns you and then sets every layer added since the last check to invisible, to keep the map usable. The layers are in the Layer-Manager with their content intact — switch the ones you need back on.
A name collision renames rather than merges. Importing a layer whose name is already in use appends to the name and notifies you. Importing the same file twice gives you two layers.
Messages about loading a file or a layer
| Message | What it means |
|---|---|
| Unable to load the image. Hint: Try to reduce the size of the image or split it into two separate images. | The image layer is too large for the browser to handle. The remedy is in the message: shrink it, or cut it into two images. |
| Could not load the image (Error: …). | The file or URL could not be fetched (check the address, and whether the server allows cross-site access) or is not a readable image. The code tells which: ImgLoad01 = fetch failed, ImgLoad02 = not decodable. |
| Could not read the configuration file (Error: …). | The placement (world) file is not valid, or no <image>.json settings file exists beside the image in the folder. |
| Could not load the file (Error: …). Please check if the URL is correct. If the issue persists, check the CORS settings on your server. | An online-source layer could not be fetched. Either the address is wrong, or your web server does not permit www.map.army to read it. The CORS setup is described on Load a MilX layer using a URL parameter and applies to online-source layers too. |
| Vector/Image layer type is not supported | The file format is not one map.army reads. Supported vector formats are listed on Import Overlays. |
| Could not convert the layer | The conversion to MilX raised an error while the layer’s file was being read, parsed or added, typically because the file is damaged or not valid KML, GPX, GeoJSON or shapefile content. An empty layer does not raise it. Check the source file, or re-export it from its source program. |
| The coordinate system is not supported | The file declares a reference system map.army cannot map. Re-project it to WGS84 before importing. |
| … was upgraded to the current MSS® Library version | The MilX file was written by an older version and has been brought up to date while loading. Nothing to do — but the upgrade lives only in the open layer until you save it, so save the layer if you want the file itself upgraded. |
| Loading Layers — The following files were upgraded with data loss: … | The upgrade could not carry everything across. Show Details opens the upgrade log for each file, with the affected entries marked Modified with Data Loss; Download the Log saves it as a text file named after the layer file (for example Exercise.milxlyz.txt). Check the listed graphics on the map before you save. |
| Errors occurred while converting the reference coordinates of symbols to the defined map coordinate system. The following files were converted with data loss: … | Some graphics could not be placed exactly in the map’s coordinate system while the file was loaded. Show Details lists the messages. Check those graphics before you rely on them. |
| The following layers were created in a different time zone: … | The layer was saved with another time zone than the one set in Options › Units of Measure. Date-time modifiers are shown in your time zone; check them if the difference matters. |
| Unsupported file format (…) | The file is not a MilX file this loader accepts — check its extension (.milxly, .milxlyz). |
| Please contact gs-soft AG (mss@gs-soft.com) if your Layer cannot be loaded | The MilX service could not read the file at all. The text after it says whether the service or the app failed; send both, with the file, to the address given. |
| Reload required — Part of the application could not be loaded because a new version has been installed on the server in the meantime. | A new version was installed while you were working. Save your work first, then reload the application. |
Messages about saving, exporting or sharing
| Message | What it means |
|---|---|
| Cannot save Layers / Could not download the layers… | The MilX service could not be reached or refused the request. MilX files are written server-side, so saving needs a working connection — see Install. |
| The layer cannot be converted to …: … Use the … reference system or skip the layer? | You save or export in a coordinate system the layer does not fit — for example Graphics are located in multiple UTM zones or Some graphics are out of the validity extent. Convert saves this layer in the fallback system the message names instead; Skip leaves this layer out of the file. The coordinate system for saving is set under the MilX-Layer Advanced Settings — see MilX format. |
| An error occurred while converting to UTM | A coordinate conversion failed during the save. Usually one graphic sits outside the target system’s valid area. |
| Failed to generate georeference / Cannot create georeference for the Export Area | The chosen export area cannot be georeferenced. Adjust the area or the scale — see Create an export. |
| Failed to create the export file. The export may be too large for this device. | The device ran out of capacity while building the file. Lower the DPI, export a smaller area or fewer pages, or export in parts. |
| Failed to read files in the destination folder / Failed to save file … | The browser could not write to the folder you granted. Re-grant the working directory, or choose another. |
| Couldn’t read MilX layers from the Share and the other share errors | The share could not be loaded, created or updated. Check the link is complete — a share link carries both an id and a secret, and truncating either breaks it. See How to create a share. |
On iOS, I cannot save or load a MilX file
On an iPhone or iPad, saving and loading MilX layers locally requires Safari 13 or later. On any other iOS browser it is unavailable whatever the version number — Chrome, Firefox and Edge on iOS are detected as their own browsers, not as Safari, and so are in-app browsers such as the ones inside Facebook. No other platform is affected: desktop Safari, Android, Windows, macOS and Chrome OS all save and load normally.
What you keep on a blocked iOS browser: you can still use the app and create layers. What you lose is the file round-trip in both directions. MilX Share is the route out, and it works.
Messages about settings
| Message | What it means |
|---|---|
| Application settings couldn’t be loaded | The stored settings could not be read and defaults were used. Usually browser storage that was cleared or blocked. |
| Could not apply Settings from the selected file | The settings file you imported is not valid. Export a fresh one from a working installation — see General options. |
Undo did not bring something back
Undo covers graphics work and MilX layer deletion. It does not cover project settings, view state, or vector and image layers. It is also finite, and a failure anywhere in the history discards the rest of it.
The full scope is on Keyboard shortcuts.
An error message offers Retry Now or Reload application
When a request to a web service fails, map.army shows a message with a title such as Server Error or Connection Error and a hint like No response was received from the web service. or The request could not be sent to the web service. The message counts down — Retrying again in N seconds — and tries again on its own when the time is up. Click Retry Now to try straight away. After several failed attempts the message turns into a dialog and the wait between attempts grows, up to ten minutes. Check your internet connection or VPN; the request usually goes through once the connection is back.
A title such as Application Error or Unknown Error is different: the app cannot recover by retrying. The dialog offers OK and Reload application. Reloading discards unsaved MilX layers, so save to .milxlyz first if you still can.
The message Data Too Large means a layer exceeds the server’s upload limit: Save large layers as compressed .milxlyz files or reduce the layer size.
Still stuck
Send us the situation through the contact form — the page you were on, what you did, the exact message, and your browser and operating system. A short screen recording settles most cases faster than a description.
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