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Plex-Earth Windows or Palettes Not Appearing

Updated

Applies to: Plex-Earth 2027 and older (5, 5D, 2023, 2025, 2026) Audience: End users

Overview

When using Plex-Earth commands, certain windows and palettes are expected to appear — such as the Collection Manager, Imagery Editor, Terrain Editor, or pop-up dialog windows. If these do not appear as expected, this article will help you identify and resolve the issue.

💡 These issues are most commonly caused by window positioning problems, display settings, or CAD dialog configuration — not by a Plex-Earth installation issue.

Step 1: Identify Your Issue

Issue Go to
The Collection Manager, Imagery Editor, or Terrain Editor is not visible Case A
A pop-up window does not appear when using a Plex-Earth command Case B

Case A: Collection Manager, Imagery Editor, or Terrain Editor Is Not Visible 

The Collection Manager, Imagery Editor, and Terrain Editor are CAD palettes, and like all CAD palettes, they can become hidden, misplaced, or invisible due to display settings or monitor configuration. Try the following cases in order:

Case A1: The Palette Is Hidden (Autohide Enabled)

The most common reason the Collection Manager, Imagery Editor, or Terrain Editor does not appear is that the Autohide option is enabled, causing the palette to collapse into a thin strip along the edge of your workspace. It may be difficult to spot.

Fix:

  1. Look carefully around the edges of your CAD workspace for a thin, collapsed palette
    autohide2.png
  2. Once located, hover over it to expand it
  3. Click the gear icon on the palette
  4. Disable the Autohide option so the palette stays visible
    disable.png

Case A2: The Palette Has Moved to Another Monitor

If you use multiple monitors, the Collection Manager, Imagery Editor, or Terrain Editor may have been moved to a different screen and is no longer visible on your primary workspace.

Fix:

  1. Locate the palette on your other monitor
  2. Move it back to the monitor where your CAD workspace is displayed
  3. To prevent this from happening again, anchor the palette to your workspace:
    • Click the gear icon on the palette
    • Select Allow Docking
    • Select Anchor Left or Anchor Right
      anchorr.png

Case A3: Transparency or Size Settings

The palette may be fully transparent or resized to a very small dimension, making it effectively invisible.

Fix:

  1. Click the gear icon on the Collection Manager, Imagery Editor, or Terrain Editor
  2. Check the Transparency settings and increase opacity to 100% for both active and inactive states
  3. Check the Size settings and adjust if needed, or resize the palette manually by dragging its edges
    transparency.png

Case A4: Different Scale Ratios Across Multiple Monitors

If you use multiple monitors with different display scale ratios (e.g., one monitor at 100% and another at 150%), CAD palettes can become misplaced or invisible.

Fix:

  1. Right-click on your desktop and select Display Settings
    display_settings.png
  2. Check the scale setting for each monitor
  3. Set all monitors to the same scale ratio
    scale.png
  4. Restart AutoCAD

Case B: Pop-up Windows Do Not Appear When Using a Plex-Earth Command

When using Plex-Earth commands such as Set Georeference, Import Imagery Mosaic, Import Terrain, or Import KML/KMZ, a pop-up dialog window should appear. If the ribbon appears greyed out or locked, or if nothing happens after clicking a command, the pop-up window may be misplaced, or dialog boxes may be disabled in CAD.

Case B1: The Pop-up Window Is Misplaced Off-Screen

This typically occurs when using multiple monitors. The dialog window exists but has been positioned outside the visible screen area.

Fix:

  1. Hover your mouse over the AutoCAD icon in the Windows taskbar
  2. You should see a small preview of the pop-up window
  3. Right-click on that preview and select Move

  4. Use your arrow keys to bring the window back into view — try each direction and hold the key for a few seconds until the window appears

💡 Tip: Start with the left arrow key and try each direction — one of the four arrow keys will bring the window back into view.

Case B2: Dialog Boxes Are Disabled in CAD

AutoCAD has a system variable called FILEDIA that controls whether dialog boxes are displayed. If this has been set to 0, Plex-Earth pop-up windows will not appear.

Fix:

  1. Type FILEDIA in the CAD command line
  2. Press Enter
  3. Set the value to 1
  4. Press Enter again
  5. Try the Plex-Earth command again

Still Having Issues?

If none of the above resolved your issue, contact our support team with a description of the problem and your CAD and Plex-Earth version details.

📧 support@plexscape.com

FAQs

I clicked the Collection Manager button on the Plex-Earth ribbon but nothing appeared. Where should I look first?

The most common cause is the Autohide option being enabled. Look carefully along all four edges of your CAD workspace for a thin collapsed palette. If you find it, hover over it to expand it, then disable Autohide from the gear icon. If you cannot find it at all, it may have moved to another monitor — check your other screens.

I use multiple monitors and keep losing the Collection Manager, Imagery Editor, or Terrain Editor. How do I stop this from happening?

Anchor the palette to your CAD workspace by clicking the gear icon on the palette, selecting Allow Docking, and then choosing Anchor Left or Anchor Right. This locks the palette to your main workspace and prevents it from floating to another screen.

My monitors have different zoom or scale settings. Could this be causing the issue?

Yes. Different display scale ratios across monitors is a known cause of palette visibility issues in AutoCAD. Go to Display Settings on your desktop and make sure all monitors are set to the same scale ratio, then restart AutoCAD.

The Plex-Earth ribbon appears greyed out after I click a command. What does this mean?

This usually means a pop-up dialog window has opened but is positioned off-screen. The ribbon locks while a dialog is waiting for user input. Follow the steps in Case B1 to bring the hidden window back into view using the taskbar preview and arrow keys.

I set FILEDIA to 1 but the pop-up windows are still not appearing. What else should I check?

If FILEDIA is set correctly and pop-ups are still not appearing, the window is likely misplaced off-screen. Follow the steps in Case B1 to locate and move it back. If neither resolves the issue, contact us at support@plexscape.com.

Does this issue affect BricsCAD as well?

Yes, similar palette and dialog issues can occur in BricsCAD. The Autohide, docking, and multi-monitor fixes described in Case A apply to BricsCAD as well. The FILEDIA fix in Case B2 is specific to AutoCAD-based platforms, but BricsCAD has equivalent dialog settings that can be checked in its options.

Related Questions

This article explains how to fix Plex-Earth windows and palettes that are not appearing in AutoCAD, Civil 3D, or BricsCAD, including the Collection Manager, Imagery Editor, Terrain Editor, and pop-up dialog windows. You may have searched for:

  • Plex-Earth Collection Manager not showing up or disappeared
  • Plex-Earth window is missing or not opening in AutoCAD
  • Clicked a Plex-Earth command but nothing happened and the ribbon is greyed out
  • Plex-Earth palette moved to another monitor and I can't find it
  • Plex-Earth dialog box or popup not appearing when using a command
  • Plex-Earth Imagery Editor or Terrain Editor not visible in CAD
  • How to fix FILEDIA to get Plex-Earth pop-ups working again

 

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