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 |
| Polygon: Last Exit | 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.
An engine update leaves existing editable copies untouched. To update Last Exit, open its template and choose the parent folder of the old copy. Update Copy and Open replaces a recognized older copy and preserves its complete previous folder as a sibling backup; it does not merge edits. Choose another folder for a fresh comparison copy. See Last Exit.
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.