Skip to main content

​
Common Issues

​
OpenAI API Key Issues

The application requires a valid OpenAI API key to function. Without it, the Calculate feature will not work.
Problem: Error when clicking Calculate button or application fails to start Solution: Set up your OpenAI API key as an environment variable: 
# macOS/Linux
export OPENAI_API_KEY='your-api-key-here'

# Windows (Command Prompt)
set OPENAI_API_KEY=your-api-key-here

# Windows (PowerShell)
$env:OPENAI_API_KEY='your-api-key-here'
To make this permanent, add it to your shell configuration file (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, etc.).

​
Dependency Installation Errors

Problem: ModuleNotFoundError or import errors when running python main.py Solution: Ensure all dependencies are installed: 
pip install -r requirements.txt
Required packages:
  • pillow==10.2.0 - For image processing
  • openai==1.14.2 - For OpenAI API integration
If you’re using a virtual environment, make sure it’s activated before installing dependencies.

​
Drawing Not Appearing on Canvas

Problem: Canvas appears but drawing doesn’t show up Possible causes and solutions:
  1. Mouse binding issue: Ensure you’re clicking and dragging (not just clicking) on the canvas
  2. Display settings: The canvas background is black and drawing color is white - check your display contrast settings
  3. Tkinter installation: On some Linux systems, tkinter may not be installed by default
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install python3-tk

# Fedora
sudo dnf install python3-tkinter

# macOS (usually pre-installed)
brew install python-tk

​
Calculate Button Not Working

Problem: Clicking Calculate doesn’t show any result Common reasons:
  1. Missing equals sign: The equals sign must be the last thing drawn before calculating
  2. Nothing drawn: Ensure you’ve drawn an equation on the canvas
  3. API quota exceeded: Check your OpenAI API usage and billing status
  4. Network connectivity: The app requires internet connection to communicate with OpenAI API
The equals sign MUST be the last stroke drawn. If you draw anything after the equals sign, the calculation may not work correctly.

​
Undo Function Issues

Problem: Undo (Cmd/Ctrl+Z) doesn’t work Solutions:
  1. Keyboard shortcut: Try using the Undo button instead of the keyboard shortcut
  2. Platform-specific binding: On macOS, use Cmd+Z. On Windows/Linux, the binding may need to be updated in the code
  3. No actions to undo: Undo only works if you’ve drawn something on the canvas

​
Font Display Issues

Problem: Answer appears but uses wrong font or looks distorted Cause: The application uses “Noteworthy” font which may not be available on all systems Solution: The application will fall back to default fonts if Noteworthy isn’t available. This is normal and doesn’t affect functionality.

​
Application Window Issues

Problem: Window is too large or doesn’t fit on screen Solution: The default canvas size is 1200x800 pixels. If this doesn’t fit your screen, you can modify the dimensions in main.py:13-14.

​
API Rate Limiting

Problem: Getting rate limit errors from OpenAI Solution:
  1. Wait a few moments between calculations
  2. Check your OpenAI account tier and rate limits
  3. Upgrade your OpenAI plan if you need higher rate limits
The application uses the gpt-4o model which requires appropriate API access. Ensure your API key has access to this model.

​
Python Version Compatibility

Problem: Application fails to start or import errors Solution: Ensure you’re using Python 3.7 or higher. The application uses modern Python features and recent library versions. 
python --version

​
Getting Help

If you encounter issues not covered here:
  1. Check the GitHub repository for known issues
  2. Review your error messages carefully - they often indicate the exact problem
  3. Verify all environment variables are set correctly
  4. Ensure you have a stable internet connection

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us