Troubleshooting

This page covers common issues you might run into with Metafold DTB simulations — what typically causes them and how to diagnose them from the dashboard, logs, and job status.

Simulation Not Appearing on the Dashboard

If a simulation isn't loading on the dashboard, check the Workflow and Project pages instead — the Workflow page shows you which job failed and its reason for failure.

Figure 1:
Figure 1: Workflow view — upstream failure blocking downstream jobs — when the main job fails, every dependent post-process job never runs and stays pending.
Figure 2:
Figure 2: Job detail — failed compress job — the main simulation job (sim/custom) shows "Internal server error" with State: Failure.

"Internal Server Error" During a Simulation

If this appears while a simulation job is running, it usually means the simulation failed to complete. Common causes include:

  • A negative Jacobian error
  • The piston moving too fast
  • Max Resolution set too low
  • The piston intersecting the part, or geometry positioned out of bounds

Timeouts

If a simulation exceeds 4 hours and still shows as not finished, it has timed out. try the simulation again with lower resolution or shorter simulation time.

Project/Workflow listing row
Project/Workflow listing row — a workflow entry still running , if it passed four hours and still running this means it has timedout

"Internal Server Error" After a Simulation Completes

If this appears on a job after the simulation has already run, the likely cause depends on the solver:

  • GPU simulations — this usually means the output contains NaN values; try reducing the timestep.
  • CPU simulations — this usually means one of the parts isn't being simulated, or isn't stacked/positioned correctly, so it has no stresses or strains to calculate.
Figure 4:
Figure 4: Workflow detail — failed post-process job — effective-strain shows "Internal server error" (State: Failure).

Simulation Fails Before Opening in Browser

Check the simulation log. This usually points to an issue with the mesh: it may not be a closed (watertight) mesh and needs its quality improved, or the file size may simply be too large.

Figure 5:
Figure 5: Dispatch log showing a canceled experiment — ends in "Experiment dispatch canceled" instead of an accepted response.