Project Management

Saving and loading

• Projects are saved as .ppl files (a text format)
• The default location is projects/ inside the distribution folder. Keeping the projects/<name>/<name>.ppl layout plays best with the asset-copy feature
• Every save keeps one backup generation (.ppl.bak), so a crash mid-save never loses the previous state
• From the command line, PixPipeline.exe --open path\to\project.ppl launches the app with the project already open (a bare .ppl path works too, which enables double-click launching via Explorer file association)

Auto-backups and save history

• Unsaved work is backed up to user_data/backups/ every 5 minutes by default. The original .ppl is never overwritten; a new generation is created only when the content changed
• When you overwrite-save, the previous .ppl is also kept in the save history
• The interval and retention counts are configurable under "Settings > Storage"
• The backup folder itself can be opened, moved, or reset from "Settings > Storage". When moving, you choose between migrating the existing history or leaving it behind
• Only an empty folder or an existing PixPipeline backup folder can be selected as the destination — regular project folders are rejected for safety
• The header's "Project backups" dialog lists auto-saves, save history, and crash recovery snapshots

• Open as restored copy: opens as a new unsaved tab; the original file and backups are untouched
• Restore to original: replaces the original .ppl with the selected generation (close any tab that has the project open first)
• The pre-restore original is also kept in the save history if enabled
• Generations beyond the retention limit are deleted oldest-first, per project and per kind
• External assets (images referenced outside the .ppl) are not copied by the backup system — keep assets inside the project folder

Safe Open for shared or purchased projects

• A .ppl of external origin — downloaded, AI-generated, or modified outside the app — opens in Safe Open mode the first time
• You can still view and edit the graph, and preview nodes that do not touch files
• File reads, exports, and external font processing are paused; a protection banner at the top summarizes what the project wants to access
• Review the requested paths and destinations, then choose "Trust" to allow exactly that file content and scope
• If you later change the project so it requests more access, a fresh confirmation is required after saving
• A "verified key" signature badge does not mean the publisher's identity was verified, and it grants no file permissions
• If a project from an untrusted source lists absolute paths or unexpected export destinations, do not approve it

Safe Open is not a restriction on selling, sharing, or AI-generating projects. It keeps every node and setting intact and merely holds potentially dangerous resource operations until you confirm them.

Recovering a broken project

• If a .ppl fails to open, the error dialog explains why. If a .bak backup is found, its location is shown — rename its extension to .ppl to get back to the last saved state
• After a crash, a recovery snapshot (.ppl) may be saved to user_data/recovery/. Open it as a restored copy from the "Project backups" dialog to resume work

Importing external assets

• With "Copy referenced files into the project" enabled, images picked in Image Load and similar nodes are copied to projects/<project>/assets/images/ and referenced by relative paths
• After copying, the whole project folder can be moved or shared and assets still resolve
• Unsaved projects cannot copy assets — save first

Folder layout (distribution)

Updating means replacing app/ and ai/ with the new zip's contents while leaving user_data/ and projects/ in place.