App bar and actions
Manage projects, exports, settings, and the Astrofox workspace layout.
The app bar identifies the current project and controls the workspace layout. The vertical action rail on the far left holds the commands you use to manage project files, audio, exports, plugins, and settings.
App bar#
The project name appears beside the Astrofox icon. Select the name, or the Project settings button (the settings icon) in the action rail, to change the title, canvas dimensions, and background. ASTROFOX remains centered in the bar so it is easy to identify the app even when the project title is long.
Three buttons on the right show or hide the main workspace areas:
- Left panel controls the action rail, Layers panel, and Reactors panel.
- Bottom panel controls the reactor editor, waveform, and player.
- Right panel controls the Controls panel.
The buttons indicate whether their panel is visible. Hiding a panel gives the stage more room and does not change project content or export dimensions.
On Windows and Linux, the desktop app places minimize, maximize or restore, and close controls at the end of the bar. On macOS, the system window controls stay on the left. These controls are not shown in the browser version.
Action rail#
The rail groups related actions and separates the groups with dividers. Hover an icon to see its name.
| Action | Purpose |
|---|---|
| New project | Starts a default composition (Image, Bar Spectrum, and Text); Astrofox offers to save unsaved work first |
| Open project | Opens an Astrofox .afx project, gzip-compressed or not, and .json files from earlier 2.x saves |
| Save project | Downloads or writes an editable .afx project file |
| Load audio | Selects the audio file used for playback, analysis, and video export |
| Save image | Exports the current stage frame as a still image |
| Save video | Opens the video export settings |
| Project settings | Changes project name, canvas format, size, and background |
Two buttons stay at the bottom of the rail:
- Manage plugins installs, enables, disables, or removes plugins
- Settings holds application-wide preferences rather than settings saved with one project
Project actions versus app settings#
Project settings travel with the project because they describe the visual you are creating. Settings affect the Astrofox installation or browser and are not part of the composition.
The icon under the pointer always shows a tooltip. Use the tooltip before an unfamiliar action, especially when the project has unsaved changes.