Project Manager: create, import and recover
Startup prefab, importing projects, removing list entries, Git metadata and Recovery Mode.
Project Manager creates projects, adds existing ones to its list and opens them in the editor. Starting the executable without a selected project normally opens this screen. Use --project-manager to request it explicitly from the command line.
Create a project
- Click Create and enter a name.
- Choose a dedicated project directory. Create Folder creates a subdirectory named after the project; check the final path before confirming.
- Choose an available renderer for the target device. If unsure, follow your first project for installation and launch guidance.
- Choose whether to create Git metadata files, then confirm creation.
- Wait for the editor and initial import to finish. Resolve directory or file-creation errors before continuing.
The current creation code writes project.reckfell, icon.svg and a startup Main.rprefab with an Entity3D root named Main. It assigns asset://Main.rprefab to application/run/main_scene. This is a starting scaffold, not a finished game scene with a camera, lighting and logic.
Do not create a new project over a directory containing important files. If Main.rprefab already exists, the current dialog refuses to create that startup prefab and asks for an empty directory. This is not a universal safeguard against every file overwrite across all manager operations.
What choosing Git does
The Git option creates .gitignore and .gitattributes. Generating these files does not require a Git plugin. It does not run git init, create a commit or connect a remote repository. Editor-integrated version control is a separate task.
Add an existing project
Click Import and select project.reckfell or its containing directory. This registers the existing project; its files are not automatically copied to a new directory.
For ZIP import, select the archive and a separate extraction directory. The archive must contain project.reckfell. Wait for extraction to finish and read any file-write failure message. Make sure you open the project root rather than its parent directory.
After moving a directory to another drive, the old list entry may point to a missing path. Import project.reckfell from its new location and remove the obsolete entry. Do not create another empty project instead of importing the existing one.
Scan searches for projects in a selected directory. For one project, importing its exact file is more precise. Add a downloaded sample in the same way; local import does not require a functioning online template library.
Edit the project or run the game
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Open in Editor | Opens the project for editing. Double-clicking an entry also opens it. |
| Run Project | Runs the configured startup level without a normal editing session. |
| Open in Editor (Verbose Mode) | Opens the editor with detailed diagnostic logging. |
| Open in Editor (Recovery Mode) | Opens a restricted recovery session with game execution disabled. |
If Run Project does not start the intended game, check application/run/main_scene and the referenced file. A list entry alone does not establish project validity or a successful C# build. If the manager reports Assets need to be imported first, open the project in the editor and wait for its initial import.
Project format
The current project uses integer project_schema=1 in the [reckfell] section. For a single-project open, the manager checks that schema and the configuration format version. config_version is the file-format number, not engine version 1.0.0.
On Unsupported project or an incompatible-configuration message, do not edit version numbers by hand: that does not convert the contents. Check that the selected build supports this project and retain the original copy. The current dialog offers no automatic conversion for an unsupported schema.
Remove an entry from the list
Remove from Project List removes the manager entry, not the project directory. Import can add the files again. The current removal handler has content deletion disabled.
Check the selected entry’s path before acting. Deleting a directory through the operating system’s file manager is a different operation; Project Manager does not recover files removed that way.
Search, favorites and tags
Favorite frequently used projects to find them faster. Use Manage Tags to assign purpose-based labels such as prototype or tools. The filter accepts tag:prototype; separate multiple tags with spaces.
Tags are stored in the project’s application/config/tags, so transfer project.reckfell with its other files. The local manager entry and the project’s own data are separate things.
If opening the project crashes
Keep a project backup first. Choose Open in Editor (Recovery Mode) from the context menu. This temporarily disables tool scripts, editor plugins, native extensions and automatic restoration of open levels. Running the game is disabled.
Use it to investigate a problematic plugin, script or resource rather than as a normal development session. It does not guarantee repair of a corrupted file or replace a backup. After fixing the cause, close the editor and open the project normally.
See also troubleshooting and C# builds.
Manager settings
Settings exposes language, scale, theme and network mode. These configure the tool, not the project’s game window. See interface customization for current scale and theme keys.
Online/Offline controls network features. Enabling Online alone does not establish that a template catalogue, update or required export package is available. Local project creation and import do not require downloading a store template.
The startup-prefab format and independent launch of an isolated project were checked with the current Runtime. Dialog, import, list removal and Recovery Mode instructions were reviewed against source. Physical manager actions, ZIP extraction, entry removal and Recovery Mode were not exercised here.