Desktop windows and workspaces
UI library · Desktop walkthrough · Menus
Tech Connector has a project sidebar, workspace tabs, menus for specialist tools, and a status area. A window can be open without its host application being connected. Use Apps > Capability Status... before a live DCC action.
Find a workspace
| Area | Open it from | What to do there | Check before leaving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project sidebar | Left side of the main window; Project menu | Set the primary project, add search folders, browse files, and refresh the project tree. | Confirm the primary root and indexed extras. The installed tools/ root stays included. |
| Chat | Chat tab | Ask about a file or task, review clarifications and plan receipts, and choose a model source. | A proposed action or draft graph is not a completed DCC edit. |
| Editor | Editor tab or Open File from a result | Inspect source, navigate, analyze, review changes, and save an edited file. | Verify the path and proposed diff before applying or saving. |
| Search / Symbols | Search / Symbols tab | Search indexed files, then use Symbols, Callers, or Implementation to inspect code. | A name in the index may be a helper rather than a runnable operation. |
| Pipelines | Pipelines tab | Build a graph, edit node attributes, save, test, and run a workflow. | Check required inputs, saved state, test output, and destination asset. |
| Assets | Assets tab | Search, preview, import, validate, and inspect asset provenance. | Inspect import state and save any asset edits. See the Assets guide. |
| System Status | Bottom area; Window menu | Inspect context, model, index, and connection messages. | Read the specific warning or failure instead of assuming a green summary proves a host run. |
Chat, Editor, and Search together
Use Chat to describe an outcome and attach the file or asset that supplies context. The selected context and model appear in the lower controls and System Status. If a response proposes code, open its target in Editor and review the actual path and diff before applying it. An editor buffer is not on disk until Save File completes.
Use Search / Symbols when you know a name but not its file. Text search, Symbols, Callers, and Implementation are separate lookups. Open a result to confirm its definition and parameters. The Pipeline picker searches indexed functions to make nodes; the Help library searches documented names and vendor references. These search surfaces have different purposes and may show different results for the same term.
Pipelines and Assets together
In Pipelines, select a graph node to see its attributes, required inputs, links, and source. An edit in Node Attributes changes the open graph; save the pipeline again to persist the change. Click the graph and press F to frame selected nodes or the full graph. Read the generated Python view, test output, and host result separately. The pipeline walkthrough shows the full sequence.
In Assets, choose an item before using the inspector. Its type and import state determine which preview or editor is available. Validate source, dependencies, and destination before reimporting or exporting. A skeleton or mesh viewport helps inspect content; it does not prove a runtime render or animation playback. The Assets browser guide covers its controls.
Specialist windows
Kingdom is the game engine authoring suite. It includes scene and asset workspaces, runtime configuration, and an asset editor. The asset editor shows type-specific properties; skeleton and mesh related assets can use viewport-oriented inspection. Preview or validation in the editor is not a shipping runtime or platform acceptance result. See engine assets and engine parity.
Ophanim is the image and texture review suite. Open, inspect, and adjust images with its desktop actions. Some actions need an open editor, layer, or selection and may display a dialog. The Ophanim reference lists the current actions and their API boundary.
The Garden is the DCC integration suite for scene-oriented commands. Its command registry is larger than the small Python namespace used to route it. Use the Garden command catalog and the searchable website command page to find a route. Registration does not establish that a particular host is connected.
DCC Driver / Second Screen exposes connected host controls and viewport workflows. Mobile Second Screen has separate LAN and remote relay transports; pairing or a preview frame does not certify a live DCC operation. See mobile relay setup and federated viewport.
Terminal Tools can stage commands and show their output. Review the command and resulting exit status; a staged command is not a successful run.
Arrange the desktop
The Window menu shows or hides workspace tabs and System Status, anchors or detaches tabs, and toggles full screen. If a panel seems missing, check the Window menu before resetting project state. The active tab receives many keyboard shortcuts; click a graph or editor before using its local shortcut. For example, F frames selection only while the Pipeline graph has focus.
Use keyboard shortcuts for the current focus-specific list and menus and tooling for where each suite opens. Menu entries can vary with installed modules and connected applications.
A reliable route through the UI
- Set the project root and add any extra source folders in the Project sidebar.
- Find an existing function or asset in Search / Symbols or Assets.
- Build or open a Pipeline, then inspect node inputs and output paths.
- Save the graph, run its test, and read the actual terminal result.
- Connect the required host, run the operation, and inspect the destination.
For exact buttons and a worked export example, continue with the desktop walkthrough.