Find the actual failure.
| Symptom | What to do |
|---|---|
| Application will not start | Rerun the package installer with Install Broken Arrow Workbench checked. Use Windows x64. Read Windows' actual error; the EXE is unsigned. The executable includes .NET, but native Windows APIs still require a compatible OS. Do not run it from inside an archive. |
| Blender not found | CONNECTIONS → Choose blender.exe. Select the actual executable, not a shortcut. The app checks common locations and Steam Blender's uninstall registration. |
| FBX conversion fails | Read project Logs/<asset-id>.log. Open the source in Blender manually. Fix unsupported source versions or missing textures there, save blend and import it. Geometry importing does not mean its materials or rig imported correctly. |
| Sparse/matrix/cubic/compressed GLB rejection | Use FBX/blend conversion, or Open in Blender and export without compression/morphs. Apply safe object transforms and bake animation as needed. Never change a rig bind pose blindly. |
| Animation name rejected | Validate the actual GLB and use a name listed in Clips, including capitalization. A renamed Blender action requires re-import. Re-import does not automatically update your selected clip. |
| Black or untextured model | Use a baked base-colour image connected to Principled BSDF. Procedural nodes and unsupported material maps do not translate to the game's shader. Verify textures are embedded in the validation report/source GLB and read runtime error logs. |
| Model floats, sinks or is enormous | Scale 1 preserves authored units. Check metre scale and base pivot in Blender. Ground=true adds terrain elevation to Y; set Y=0 unless an intentional offset is needed. This does not fix a misplaced internal mesh origin. |
| Terrain appears inverted | Rows progress south→north. Re-import north-up imagery with Flip north/south rows. Check an asymmetric landmark. Horizontal reprojection/mirroring must be prepared externally. |
| Height import rejected | Use exactly 513² samples. F32=1,052,676 bytes; RAW16=526,338 bytes. PNG must be grayscale 16-bit without interlacing. Elevations must be finite and within 0–255 m. |
| Blender map return rejected | Keep the original terrain XY grid and vertex count; edit elevation only. Do not apply topology-changing modifiers. Roads must remain one POLY spline each. Restore the previous saved blend or regenerate from your last Workbench checkpoint. |
| Native buildings missing | Only names present in the loaded Kaliningrad donor scene can instantiate. Choose a family from the imported Rimal layout. Inspect MelonLoader native prototype logs. Scale/footprint mismatches can place buildings incorrectly. |
| Roads kink or cannot carry units | End connecting polylines at the same coordinates. Grade terrain near intersections. Keep building footprints clear of roads. Inspect native-map runtime logs; physical movement must be checked in a local playtest. |
| Deploy says game is running | Quit Broken Arrow normally and wait for BrokenArrow.exe to exit. The app does not close the game or install into locked DLLs. Its UI remains usable without deployment. |
| Access denied deploying | The tool runs as your user. Use a writable Steam library or launch Workbench with sufficient permission for that game folder. Do not change EAC files or system security settings to work around a permission error. |
| Game loads default map / no imported models | Check chosen GUID, active.json, EnableMap and installed companions. Load the exact LOCAL scenario. The visual companion requires an offline ECS-ready battle and terrain before spawning. No menu overlay is created. |
| Unity "No valid license" | Activate Unity through its official tools, or use the Blender/GLB route. Workbench cannot bypass licensing. Unity bundle generation is optional. |
Rollback a deployment
- Close Broken Arrow completely.
- Open BUILD & DEPLOY → Restore deployment.
- Select the exact folder printed at deployment time under game
UserData\TBSWorkbench\Backups. It must containdeployment.json. - Files that existed before deployment are restored from that backup; files created by that deployment are removed only if their current hash matches the installed version.
- Files subsequently changed by you or another deployment are skipped rather than overwritten. Restore deployments in reverse chronological order if you need multiple rollbacks.
- Original decks, saves and scenarios were never in the deployment allowlist.
Report a bug with useful evidence
- Workbench version, game version and MelonLoader version.
- The exact button/workflow and selected scenario GUID.
- Relevant project Logs output and validation.json.
- Game runtime-status.json or last-error.txt; the relevant MelonLoader log excerpt.
- An owned/synthetic minimal asset reproducing the problem, not extracted game files.
- Expected result, actual result, and a screenshot if visual. Do not label a build gameplay-verified simply because compilation succeeded.
Submit reports through Thunder Buddies Discord. Avoid posting machine usernames/private paths unless needed; redact them first.