FAQ¶
Type a word from the program's message or the name of a button into the search box at the top right. If you don't find the answer, write to support at easyformstudio@gmail.com.
Licence and installation¶
I can't enter the key
If it says Error validating API Key., the key was copied wrongly (a space at the start or end, a missing character), there is no internet connection, or the key's free trial or subscription has expired. If it says This API key is not valid., the server does not know that key. Copy the key again from the email or with the Copy key button, check the connection and try again. More in First launch and the API key.
I lost my key or it doesn't arrive by email
If the key is entered in the program, click Email me my key in the Account panel. If it isn't, type the email you bought with in the API key panel under Lost your key? and click Send me my key. If the email doesn't arrive, look in your spam folder and check that it is the address Stripe recorded at payment; you can request a key for the same address at most 3 times an hour. More in Lost key.
All EFS buttons are grey and the keys don't work
The key is not entered yet, so EFS is locked: only the API key panel and the EFS API Key button on the left of the 3D view header work. Enter the key and restart the program. If you then don't see the Account panel, click its title in the EFS tab, because it stays closed until you open it. More in First launch and the API key.
How do I get a new version of the program?
New versions install themselves: when you start the program or open a project, the program checks for a new version and downloads it. When it reports Easy Form Studio update completed. Please restart, close the program and start it again. To check yourself, use the Check for update button in the Easy Form Studio panel; the message Cannot check for updates. Please check your internet connection. means there is no connection to the server, and the program keeps working with the old version. More in Updates.
Will an update delete my templates and price list?
No. An update changes only the program's files; the price list, My templates, My settings, your hardware catalogues, quote numbers and the key stay. Uninstalling the add-on (Uninstall) deletes My templates, My settings and the price list, so before that, copy the efs user folder to a safe place. More in What an update leaves alone and Updating and uninstalling.
I can't export: it says the free trial or subscription has expired
You can still open and save projects and change existing cabinets, but all exports, new cabinets and templates, web publishing and new versions are stopped. Projects you have already published stay on the web. In the Account panel or at the top of the Export panel, click a plan and pay in the browser; the key stays the same. Then go back to the program and click the button with the arrows in the Account panel, and everything unlocks at once. More in When the free trial or the subscription ends.
I paid, but export is still locked
The program checks the licence status by itself at most once every 6 hours. In the Account panel, click the button with the arrows: the status loads from the server at once. If it says Payment failed, the card was declined, so click Pay / update card and enter a card that works. More in When the free trial or the subscription ends and When payment fails.
The program won't install or start
The Mac app runs only on a Mac with an Apple Silicon processor (M1 or newer); on a Mac with an Intel processor, install Blender and add the EFS add-on to it. On Windows, you get past the blue Microsoft Defender SmartScreen window by clicking More info, then Run anyway, and you need administrator rights to install. In your own Blender, EFS also needs Blender's MeasureIt add-on. More in Before you start, Windows and The add-on for your own Blender.
Interface and keys¶
A key doesn't work
EFS keys work only while the mouse is over the 3D view and the header says Object Mode. Over the sidebar, the lists on the right or a field you are typing in, the key doesn't work. If the keys work only sometimes, EFS keys only with the EFS tool is switched on in the add-on preferences: select the EFS tool in the toolbar or clear that checkbox. More in How the keys work and EFS keys only with the EFS tool.
The fronts have disappeared
Shift+F was pressed, which hides all fronts in the project. Click Show fronts in the EFS tool header. Hidden fronts are left out of the cutting list, drawings, cost estimate and quote, so bring them back before every export. More in The interface and your first cabinet.
The header has no Add button and no size fields
The Add button and the size fields are in the header only with the EFS tool. If the header says Edit Mode at the top left, press Tab with the mouse over the view, then click the EFS tool in the toolbar. The size fields show only once you select a cabinet or one of its boards. More in The toolbar and the EFS tool.
The Scene elements and Cabinet elements lists have disappeared
Another tab is open in the right-hand column. Click the View Layer tab in the narrow column of icons along the left edge of the right-hand column. More in The right-hand column: Scene elements and Cabinet elements.
Everything except the selection has disappeared
Shift+H was pressed with several objects selected, on a shelf or with nothing selected, so Blender hid everything else. Press Alt+H. More in When an EFS key can't act.
The cabinet spins with the mouse instead of turning
Several objects were selected, or an object that is not a cabinet, so R started Blender's rotation with the mouse. Press Esc, select one cabinet and press R again. It is similar with O: if other cabinets move with the selected one after you press it, proportional editing has switched on, so press O once more. More in When an EFS key can't act.
I can't see the measures
Measures show only on the selected cabinet or board, so select a cabinet first. If they still don't show, for example right after opening a project, press M; in that case, ignore whether the Measures button is blue or grey. More in Measures and views.
A cabinet has lost a side panel
The board was deleted with the Del key, Blender's delete, which deletes only the selected board. Press Ctrl+Z. Delete a cabinet with the X key, which deletes the whole cabinet. More in Deleting a cabinet.
Cabinets and construction¶
The EFS - Cabinet tab is empty
No board of a cabinet is selected, or you are in edit mode. Click a board of the cabinet in the 3D view. If the header says Edit Mode, press Tab. More in The EFS - Cabinet tab.
The fronts disappeared when I added drawers
A cabinet has either fronts or drawers: when you choose drawers, the fronts disappear, and the other way round. For a cabinet with a door and a drawer, stack two cabinets one on top of the other and relate them (Relations, Above/Below), as in the Door and drawer template. If there are still no drawers after you choose the type, Number is 0: type the number of drawers and press Enter. More in Drawers.
The side panels are shallower than I typed
The cabinet's Depth is an outside size and includes the front and a lay-on back. A cabinet 580 mm deep with 18 mm doors and a 3 mm back has side panels of 559 mm. If you need side panels of 580 mm, type Depth 601 mm. More in Cabinet properties.
I deleted a cabinet and its neighbour disappeared too
The neighbour was entered in the deleted cabinet's Relations, and deleting a cabinet also deletes its related cabinets. Undo with Ctrl+Z, clear the field with the neighbour and delete again. More in Relations.
I changed the width of one cabinet and its neighbour changed too
Under Include in scaling in the Relations box, Width is switched on. Switch it off and set the neighbour's width back. The link acts only on direct neighbours, so a cabinet two places further along does not move with the first one. More in Include in scaling.
Decors and edge tape¶
The boards are grey and I can't see the decor
The view is in Solid mode, which does not show textures. On the right of the 3D view header, click the third of the four round buttons, Material Preview. More in Material preview in the viewport.
A new cabinet or template is white
New cabinets and cabinets from templates carry no decor. Repeat the Material assignment for the groups, e.g. Select material for Front 1. A copy made with Shift+D gets the decors of the original. More in Material assignment.
The decor isn't in the list in Material assignment
The list offers only materials that are already in the project. Drag the decor once from the Asset Browser onto any board, then repeat the assignment. More in Material assignment.
My decors aren't in the Asset Browser
In the library menu at the top left, choose the decor library instead of All Libraries. If it is not in the list, add the texture pack as a library. Your own decor must be marked with Mark as Asset and saved in the library folder. More in Add the texture pack as a library.
The boards are pink or white after moving the project
The project or the texture pack was moved to another folder, so the program can't find the decor images. Move the folder back to where it was, or choose File → External Data → Find Missing Files..., select the texture pack folder and save the project (Ctrl+S). More in Common problems in the Decors chapter.
The doors have lost their own decor
After you gave them their own decor, the assignment for their group was clicked, and it gives the same decor to all boards of the group. Get the decor back with Ctrl+Z or drag it on again, and move the doors to the group F 4. More in A decor for one board or a whole group.
Templates and My settings¶
The template landed in the wrong place
A template lands to the right of the selected cabinet (to the left if the right is taken) when Forward alignment is chosen in Positioning options. If no cabinet was selected, or the active object was the worktop or another free board, the template lands in the corner or at the end of the run. Click a board of the cabinet the template should go next to and click the template again, or move it with the 1 and 2 keys. More in Where a template goes.
The template follows the mouse or landed behind the wall
If it follows the mouse, you are looking from the 090° or 180° direction, or sliding is chosen in Positioning options: click where you want it, or turn the view so that the header says 000°. It lands behind the back wall when you look from the 270° direction and there is no cabinet of the same kind in the scene yet: move it with the 2 key, or place the first cabinet from the 000° direction. More in Where a template goes.
The wall unit went next to the base unit, not above it
Next to a selected cabinet, a template goes to the side, at its own height. For the upper row, select the last wall unit, or click in empty space and add it with the 000° view: the first wall unit then goes into the corner above the base units. More in Where a wall unit template sits.
My templates aren't on the other computer
My templates are stored on the computer, not in the project. On the new computer, enter the same key, then copy the EFS user folder from the old computer to the same place: this also moves the price list and My settings. More in Moving to another computer and Where your data is.
A new cabinet didn't get my settings
My settings do not apply to the corner cabinet, cabinets from templates or copies. A cabinet added next to a selected one takes the neighbour's height and depth, so click in empty space before you press C. If you saved with no cabinet selected, only the project settings were saved: select a cabinet and save again. More in When they apply.
The open project doesn't have my hardware
My settings apply to new projects. In the Easy Form Studio panel, in the My settings box, click Apply my settings to this project. Existing cabinets get the new hardware only when you click Apply to all in the Project hardware panel. More in Apply my settings to this project.
Kitchen (room, worktop, kickboard, hardware)¶
I can't see the Openings and installations box
The room is not switched on. In the Room properties panel, switch on Show room; the box is at the bottom of the panel, under Hip roof. If the panel shows only Show floor, the floor is switched on: switch it off, and Show room appears. More in Show room.
The corner cabinet didn't go into the corner or faces the wrong way
If there were already base units on the wall, the corner cabinet lands at the end of the run: set its position X 0 and Y 0 in the Cabinet properties drop-down button, or place it first. The Z rotation depends on the view direction when you add it; in the Corner cabinet properties box, click the rotation from the table for that corner and enter the position again. More in Corner cabinet in the corner of the room.
I can't make a worktop
The Worktop over selected button is grey while no ordinary base unit is selected; the corner cabinet, wall units and free boards don't count. Click a board of a base unit. If the worktop landed high up, on top of the fridge, a tall unit was in the selection: delete the worktop (X), select only base units and add it again. More in Worktop over selected.
No kickboard was made
The kickboard needs cabinets on legs; without legs, none is made and the program says nothing. Add legs (L), select the base units and repeat. If only wall units or the corner cabinet are selected, there is no kickboard either. More in How EFS lays out the kickboard.
Fill the gap added a cabinet instead of a filler
The gap is 150 mm or wider, so EFS adds a new cabinet of the exact width. Undo with Ctrl+Z and add a filler from the Add to the cabinet menu, then set its width through F9. A gap narrower than 20 mm is too narrow to fill: close it by moving the cabinet. More in Fill the gap.
I changed Project hardware, but the cabinets stayed the same
The fields of the Project hardware panel apply to new cabinets. For existing ones, click Apply to all, or select cabinets and click Apply to selected. The button overwrites all hardware fields of the cabinet, so set up a cabinet with special hardware again afterwards. More in Apply to all and Apply to selected.
Tall doors have only two hinges
A new cabinet has 2 hinges per door. Switch on Auto hinge count and click Apply to all, or type the number in the cabinet's Hinges field. More in Hinge count.
Prices and the quote¶
Why is the price red?
A red dot in the Cost estimate panel means the price list has no price for that decor, board thickness, edge tape or hardware; a price of 0 is red too. For hardware from a catalogue, the brackets show the code to enter in the price list, e.g. (LED_M). Add the price to your price list. More in Green and red dots and Enter the price in the price list.
The quote is too low
An item has no price, and an item without a price is left out of the quote. Look for red dots in the Cost estimate, and for rows with — in the internal calculation. Also check whether the fronts are hidden with Shift+F, because hidden fronts are not on the quote. More in Green and red dots.
The board price isn't the same as my supplier's
With nesting switched on, EFS prices boards by the sheet. For a decor without its own row on the Sheets worksheet, a sheet costs the price per m² times the sheet area. Enter a row for the decor with the sheet price. More in The Sheets worksheet.
The boards total in the quote isn't the same as in the Cost estimate
The Cost estimate panel prices boards per m² without waste. The quote adds Waste % or prices whole sheets from the nesting. When it prices whole sheets, no waste is added, so Waste % does not change the amount then. More in Cost estimate and quote and Price per sheet or per m².
The quote has no logo or workshop details
The fields in the Workshop (customer quote) box are empty; on a new computer you have to fill them in again. The path in the Logo field must lead to a PNG or JPG file and be a full path, not one starting with //. More in Workshop details.
A new quote has an old number, or a number was skipped
A copy of an old project also carries its quote number: delete the Quote number and export again. A number is skipped when a quote was exported but the project was not saved, so the next export gets a new number; the Production package with the quote switched on uses up a number in the same way. More in Quote number.
Production and exports¶
Fronts or some parts are missing from the cutting list
Fronts hidden with Shift+F are left out of every export: click Show fronts in the EFS tool header and export again. A board set to None does not go into the cutting list either, and the metal sides of box drawers are on the Hardware worksheet, because they are bought in. More in Boards that are left out.
The cut size has a decimal or is the same as the finished size
The cut size is the finished size minus the edge tape thickness on each taped edge. Edge tape of 0.4 mm on both edges gives a decimal, e.g. 563.2, and that is the correct cut size. If the cut size is the same as the finished size, the board has no edge tape: check the Edging Tape box in the EFS - Board tab. More in Finished size and cut size.
Export reports an error and doesn't save the file
A file with the same name is open in Excel, so the program can't overwrite it. Close it or save under another name. If the error mentions the free trial or subscription, see When the free trial or the subscription ends. More in Export to Excel.
After export it says the project check found errors
The file is saved, but the project has errors, e.g. overlapping cabinets or dowel holes through a board. Click Project check in the Export panel, fix the errors and export again. If the check reports overlapping cabinets that don't touch, the doors are open (O): close them and run the check again. More in Errors and warnings.
The numbers on the labels don't match the cutting list
The labels and the cutting list were exported from different states of the project: when you add or delete a cabinet, the numbers after it shift. Export them again together, most easily with the production package (Ctrl+Shift+E). More in Numbers as in the cutting list.
The print doesn't line up with the labels
The printer is scaling the page: in the print window, choose actual size (100%). Also check that the sheet has 24 labels of 70 × 37 mm without margins. If the first positions on the sheet were left empty, set Labels: skip on first sheet to 0 and export again. More in Sheet and printing.
The doors have no hinge holes
The Hinge type is No drilling (count only), which only counts the hinges for the hardware list. Choose a hinge from the catalogue in the Hardware and joints box or in Project hardware. EFS does not drill flaps: their hinges are in the hardware list, and they are fitted with the manufacturer's jig. More in Where the holes come from.
For the customer (render, web, QR)¶
The render is dark
For the render, EFS adds a temporary light on the ceiling only when the project has a room and there is no light in it. Switch on the room, delete the weak light or increase its Power. More in Temporary ceiling light.
The Publish button is grey
The project is not saved. Save it with Ctrl+S, then click Publish and wait for the message Publish completed. More in The Web publish panel.
The customer sees an old version on the web
After you change the project, click Publish again: the link stays the same and the new model replaces the old one. If the customer still sees the old version, they should refresh the page in the browser. More in The same link.
The QR code shows text instead of opening the web page
The project was not published when you exported the labels, so the QR code carries the part's data as text. Publish the project in the Web publish panel, then export and print the labels again. More in Project not published.
The QR code opens the wrong part, or the part isn't highlighted
If it opens the wrong part, parts were added or deleted after publishing, so the numbers shifted: click Publish, then export and print new labels. If the part isn't highlighted and there is no Parts menu, the project was published with an older version of EFS, so publish it again. More in When you change the project after publishing and The Parts menu.
The boards are white on the web
When publishing, the program did not find the decor images, most often because the project was copied to another folder or the texture pack was moved. Relink the images (File → External Data → Find Missing Files...), save the project and click Publish again; the link stays the same. More in When decor images are missing.