Project Hub
The Project Hub is Polygon Engine's project library and the first window shown before a project is open. It remembers project locations for the current Windows user; it does not move, copy, or delete project folders.
Project Library
Each row reports the information needed to decide whether a project is safe to open:
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Status | Ready when polygon.project.json is available, or Missing when the folder cannot be found |
| Name | Project display name and full folder path |
| Last Opened | Most recent successful open recorded by this user |
| Game Ver. | Editable game version read from projectVersion; this is not the document format version |
| Region | Current NTSC or PAL build target |
| Actions | Open the project, reveal its folder, or remove only its Hub listing |
Select a complete row before using Open Project. Double-clicking a ready
row or pressing Enter opens it directly. Missing rows remain visible so a
moved drive or renamed folder is not mistaken for deleted project data.
Main Actions
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| New Project... | Choose a writable parent folder, project name, and starting template |
| Open Existing... | Register a folder or its polygon.project.json without relocating it |
| Refresh | Re-read project metadata and update Ready/Missing status |
| Setup & Tools... | Reopen the first-run tool and third-party notice workflow |
| Getting Started... | Open the installation-to-DuckStation onboarding checklist |
| Support Bundle... | Review and create a private diagnostic ZIP without project content |
| Open Project Folder | Reveal an existing project in Explorer |
| Remove from Hub | Forget the listing while leaving every project file on disk |
Search matches both project names and paths. The table can sort by name or last-opened value, and the sidebar keeps the available and missing counts visible.
Keyboard Workflow
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Ctrl+N | New project |
Ctrl+O | Open existing project |
Up / Down | Move the row selection |
Enter | Open the selected ready project |
F5 | Refresh metadata and missing-folder status |
Delete | Request removal of the selected Hub listing |
Keyboard shortcuts are ignored while a text field or modal dialog owns input.
Project choices
| Choice | Intended use |
|---|---|
| New Blank Project | Recommended starting point for a new game |
| First Person Tour | Basic copyable showcase and controller/build smoke test |
| Advanced Feature Lab | Copyable advanced-systems reference and acceptance project |
Both bundled projects inside the installed engine are read-only templates. Create an editable copy in a user-selected project folder before changing one. The editable copy becomes a normal Project Hub entry; do not register or build directly inside the application installation.
The sidebar also exposes the per-user UI scale selector. It does not modify a game or its preview resolution.
Local State and Portability
The Hub list is stored under %APPDATA%/Polygon Engine/Editor/ and is capped at
64 entries. It is machine-local editor state, not project data, so it is not
written into polygon.project.json and should not be committed with a game.
If a project is moved:
- Leave the missing row in place until the move is confirmed.
- Use Open Existing... to register the new location.
- Open the project and verify its scenes and assets.
- Remove the old missing listing from the Hub.
Continue with Quick Start for the first validation/build loop and Workflow: Configuration for project identity, build target, budgets, and local tool paths. See Project Safety and Support for recovery, format migration, logs and support diagnostics.