Avatar not loading
If the 3D character cannot load, the sim switches to a 2D stage and keeps going. Reload, check your browser, or choose text-only mode.
The animated character is a 3D model rendered in your browser. When it cannot load, the sim does not stop. It falls back to a flat 2D stage that shows the character's picture with the status "Character speaking" or "Listening to you" under it, and the conversation carries on in writing. On the 2D stage the character's replies are not spoken aloud. You read them instead, and typing always works. Your score comes from what you say, not from the avatar, so a run on the 2D stage is scored the same way.
Why the 3D avatar does not appear
The sim switches to the 2D stage when any part of the 3D setup fails to start. The usual causes are these.
- The voice service did not answer, so the avatar engine could not start. This is also why the replies are not voiced on the 2D stage.
- Your browser cannot draw 3D graphics. The avatar needs WebGL, which is on by default in every current browser but can be turned off by a policy or by disabling hardware acceleration.
- The 3D model did not finish downloading. The character model is a large file, and a slow or filtered network can stall it.
What to try
- Reload the page. Most stalls are a one-off network hiccup.
- Use a current version of Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox. See Supported browsers.
- Check that hardware acceleration is on. In Chrome and Edge it is under Settings, System. In Firefox it is under Settings, General, Performance.
- Close other tabs that use 3D or video. On older laptops and phones the browser can run out of graphics memory.
- On a work network, ask IT whether large downloads from evolve-sim.com are being blocked or scanned.
Waiting for the avatar
While the model downloads you see "Preparing the avatar", then "Loading" with the character's name, then "Framing the shot". The loading panel stays up until the character is loaded, posed and framed, so nothing is shown half-built. If the panel does not lift after a short wait, reload.
Choose text-only on purpose
If you would rather practise without the animated character, you do not have to wait for it. Open Account settings, find Accessibility, and turn on Text-only simulations. You type your answer and read the reply, and the scoring is the same. This also skips the model download. On a shared link, the same Accessibility choices appear on the start screen.
Voice is never required. If the microphone is not working either, see Microphone setup.