Export Troubleshooting

Solutions to common export and publishing problems

Common Export Errors

”No export template found at the expected path”

What it means: Summer Engine can’t find the runtime files needed to create standalone games.

Solution: This shouldn’t happen with Summer Engine - templates are included by default.

If you see this:

1. Check: Editor → Manage Export Templates
2. Should show templates installed for version 4.5.beta
3. If missing: Contact [e-mail] - this indicates an installation issue

Unlike vanilla Godot, Summer Engine includes export templates. If they’re missing, something went wrong with your Summer Engine installation.

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”Cannot export for universal or arm64 if ETC2 ASTC texture format is disabled”

What it means: You’re trying to export for Apple Silicon Macs without the required texture compression format.

Solution:

1. Open Project Settings

   Project → Project Settings

2. Enable Texture Compression

   Rendering → Textures → VRAM Compression → Import ETC2 ASTC

   Toggle to On

3. Wait for Reimport

   Summer will reimport all textures (1-5 minutes)

   Status bar shows progress

4. Try Export Again

   Return to Project → Export and try exporting

Why this happens: Apple Silicon Macs use different texture compression than Intel Macs/PCs.

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”Cannot export for universal or x86_64 if S3TC BPTC texture format is disabled”

What it means: You’re trying to export for Windows/Intel Macs without the required texture format.

Solution: Same as above, but enable Import S3TC BPTC instead of (or in addition to) ETC2 ASTC.

Pro tip: Enable both formats at once if you’re releasing on both Mac and Windows. Avoids reimporting twice.

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”Invalid Bundle Identifier”

Platform: macOS only

What it means: You’re using the default placeholder (com.example.game) which isn’t valid for distribution.

Solution:

1. Open Export Preset

   Project → Export → Select your macOS preset

2. Find Bundle Identifier

   Scroll to Application → Bundle Identifier

3. Replace with Unique ID

   Use reverse-domain format:

   • com.yourstudio.yourgame
   • io.itch.username.gamename
   • com.yourname.projectname

   Must be lowercase, use dots to separate, no spaces

4. Save

   Preset is now valid for export!

Why it matters: macOS uses bundle identifiers to track apps. Without a unique one, your game might conflict with other apps or not install properly.

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Export Process Issues

Export Takes Forever

Normal times:

• Small game (100 MB): 30-60 seconds
• Medium game (500 MB): 1-3 minutes
• Large game (2 GB): 5-10 minutes

If taking longer:

• Check disk space (need 2-3x game size free)
• Close other resource-heavy apps
• First export is slower (building pak files) - subsequent exports faster

Export Crashes Summer Engine

Possible causes:

• Out of memory (exporting huge game)
• Corrupted asset in project
• Disk full

Solution:

1. Save your project
2. Restart Summer Engine
3. Check Output tab for error messages before exporting
4. Try exporting to a different location (different drive)

Exported Build Is Missing Files

Cause: Files not properly added to export or excluded by filters

Solution:

• Check Resources tab in export preset
• Ensure Export Mode is Export all resources (not “selected resources”)
• Verify Filters to export doesn’t exclude needed files

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Runtime Issues (Exported Game Problems)

Game Won’t Launch After Export

Windows: 'VCRUNTIME140.dll not found'

Cause: Missing Visual C++ Runtime

Solution: Most PCs have this. If not, download from Microsoft

Summer Engine exports should include this automatically - contact support if issue persists.

macOS: 'App is damaged and can't be opened'

Cause: Unsigned app downloaded from internet

Solution for players: Right-click app → Open → Click Open in dialog

Solution for developers: Code sign your app (requires Apple Developer account)

Linux: Permission Denied

Cause: Executable not marked as executable

Solution:

chmod +x MyGame.x86_64
./MyGame.x86_64

All Platforms: Crashes on Launch

Debugging steps:

1. Run from terminal/command line to see error messages
2. Check if it works on your dev machine
3. Verify export architecture matches OS (arm64 for Apple Silicon, x86_64 for Intel/AMD)
4. Test with minimal project - does export work with empty project?

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Graphics Issues in Exported Game

Black screen or missing textures:

• ✅ Check texture compression is enabled for target platform
• ✅ Verify shaders work in editor before exporting
• ✅ Test on GPU different from your dev machine
• ✅ Check minimum macOS/Windows version in export settings

Low FPS after export:

• Export in Release mode, not Debug
• Check Project Settings → Rendering → Quality - lower settings if needed
• Profile in editor first (Debug → Profiler) to find bottlenecks

Audio Issues in Exported Game

No sound or crackling:

• ✅ Test audio works in editor first
• ✅ Check audio format (Ogg Vorbis recommended, not WAV)
• ✅ Verify user’s PC has audio drivers installed
• ✅ Test with both speakers and headphones

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Platform-Specific Warnings

macOS: “Unidentified Developer” Warning

This is normal for unsigned apps!

What players see:

“MyGame.app cannot be opened because it is from an unidentified developer”

How players bypass it:

1. Right-click the app (don’t double-click)
2. Click Open from menu
3. Dialog appears with Open button
4. Click Open - app launches

Permanent fix: Code sign your app (requires Apple Developer account - $99/year)

Alternative: Publish on Steam - Steam handles signing for you

Windows: SmartScreen Warning

What players see:

“Windows protected your PC. Microsoft Defender SmartScreen prevented an unrecognized app from starting.”

How players bypass it:

1. Click More info
2. Click Run anyway

Permanent fix: Code sign with EV certificate ($400/year)

Alternative: Publish on Steam or itch.io - users expect this from indie games

Don’t worry about these warnings for itch.io releases! Indie game players are used to clicking through them. Steam removes them automatically.

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File Size Issues

Exported Game Is Huge

Check these:

• Using WAV audio instead of Ogg Vorbis? (WAV is 10x larger)
• Uncompressed textures? (Enable S3TC/ETC2 compression)
• Debug symbols included? (Export as Release, not Debug)
• Unused assets in project? (Clean up before export)

Compression comparison:

• WAV audio (1 minute): ~10 MB
• Ogg Vorbis (1 minute): ~1 MB
• Uncompressed texture (1024x1024): ~4 MB
• Compressed texture (1024x1024): ~200 KB

Exported Game Is Too Small (Missing Assets)

Possible causes:

• Export filters excluding your files
• Resources not saved in project
• Embed PCK disabled + you only distributed .exe (need both .exe and .pck)

Solution: Check Export preset → Resources tab → Export mode is Export all resources

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Performance Problems After Export

Game Runs Slowly in Exported Build

Check:

1. Are you exporting in Debug mode? (Huge performance impact)
   • Solution: Export as Release
2. Is V-Sync enabled? (Limits to 60 FPS)
   • Project Settings → Rendering → V-Sync
3. Profile in editor first
   • Debug → Profiler → Find bottlenecks before exporting

Debug vs Release performance:

• Debug mode: 30-50% slower (includes debug symbols, checks)
• Release mode: Full speed optimization

Game Crashes After Running for a While

Possible causes:

• Memory leak (check if RAM usage grows over time)
• Unhandled errors in game code
• Resource loading issues

Debugging:

1. Enable console output (Windows: Export Console Wrapper = On)
2. Run exported game and watch for error messages
3. Fix issues in Summer Engine code, re-export

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Steam-Specific Issues

Build Uploaded But Players Can’t Download

Cause: Build not set live on default branch

Solution:

• Steamworks dashboard → Builds tab
• Select your build → Set build live on default branch

Wrong Version Downloading

Cause: Multiple builds on different branches

Solution: Check which branch is set as default in Steamworks

macOS Build Won’t Run Through Steam

Cause: Incorrect launch executable path

Solution: Set launch executable to:

MyGame.app/Contents/MacOS/MyGame

Not just MyGame.app - must point to binary inside the bundle!

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itch.io-Specific Issues

Upload Fails

File size limits:

• Free account: 1 GB per file
• Paid account ($10/month): 2 GB per file

Solution: Compress your build or split into multiple files if over limit

Web Game Doesn’t Load

For HTML5 exports:

• Ensure you zipped the entire export folder, not just index.html
• Set correct index file (index.html)
• Check browser console (F12) for errors
• Some browser features require HTTPS (SharedArrayBuffer) - itch.io provides this

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Getting More Help

Discord Community

Ask in #game-dev channel - community helps fast!

Email Support

Persistent export issues or bugs

Godot Documentation

Advanced export topics (fully compatible with Summer)

Back to Export Guides

Platform-specific export instructions

Before asking for help: Include this info:

• Platform you’re exporting to (macOS/Windows/Linux)
• Export settings you’re using (architecture, embed PCK, etc.)
• Error message (full text or screenshot)
• Does it work on your dev machine but not others?

This helps us solve your issue faster!

Contact us:

• Discord: Join #game-dev channel
• X/Twitter: @SummerEngineCom
• Email: [e-mail]