From a project list
to a workspace.

When Galaxy is useful

Try it when you have several local projects and want a visual map of how they relate, alongside a direct way to search files and notes. It suits a personal project review, organizing a creative study, or exploring a small media folder.

For example, create a Weekend film project with a next action such as Select three clips, then link a test folder containing copies of a few images and videos. Use the galaxy for context and the list or search for precise navigation.

Skip it for now if you need shared team workspaces, cross-device sync, full-document search, an AI assistant, or a dependable replacement for your regular file manager. Those are not capabilities this release demonstrates.

1. Get the source running

The website download contains source code, not an app you can double-click. It targets Windows 10/11 x64 and requires Node.js 24 or newer. The first installation needs internet access; no AI key or account is required.

Download and extract the ZIP. Open a terminal in the extracted galaxy-dashboard folder, where package.json lives, then run each command in order:

npm ci
npm run build
npm start

Wait for each command to finish successfully before starting the next. If a command fails, stop and read its error. If PowerShell blocks npm.ps1, use npm.cmd in place of npm, or use Command Prompt.

After setup, npm start from the same folder opens the app again. Do not open index.html in a browser: the workspace needs Electron's desktop features.

Native Windows behavior still needs acceptance testing. This guide is not a claim that installation has been validated on your machine.

2. Explore before linking files

Open Build & explore, then Getting Oriented Arcade, then CENTURY. These are example workspace entries, not bundled copies of the games. Use the breadcrumbs or Alt + Up to return to a parent.

Press Ctrl + K, search for Maze demo, and press Enter. Search opens the matching object and its inspector. Use the List view whenever it is easier than navigating the galaxy.

3. Give one project a next action

Use the + beside Your regions to create a region, or choose an existing one. Select New object and create a project called Weekend film. Add tags and a concrete next action. Choose a state that matches the work; leave progress blank if a percentage would be a guess.

Use Edit details to revise it. Change its workspace location in the editor to organize the hierarchy. This changes where the entry lives in Galaxy, not where a linked file lives on disk.

4. Link a disposable test folder

First create a small folder in File Explorer with copies of a few non-sensitive files. Choose Link a local folder and select only that folder. Avoid your whole drive, business records and irreplaceable originals for this first session.

Galaxy indexes the selected filenames, paths and metadata in place. Search for a filename with Ctrl + K. Use Reveal to locate it in Explorer or Open to use its associated desktop application. Only open files you trust.

If you change the folder outside Galaxy, use Rescan. Scans are manual, skip hidden/dependency folders and symbolic links, and stop at 5,000 items or 12 levels. Link smaller subfolders for a more manageable workspace.

5. Try media and a short review

Open Media observatory to try the bundled image and video. Hover to preview; select the item to pin its preview in the inspector. Videos are muted by default. Under Settings > Media previews, turn hover autoplay off if you prefer still previews.

For a weekly review, search your project's name, check its state and next action, open the file you need, then return to the work. Treat the galaxy as an organizational view, not a requirement to catalog every file on your computer.

Know what each action changes

There is no filesystem undo stack. Read the path and action in every confirmation. You do not need terminal or disk-changing actions to get value from the project notes, search and visual organization.

6. Back up metadata and original files separately

In Settings > Data, use Export metadata backup before trying restore or reorganizing a large workspace. Save named copies for milestones. These exports contain notes and local file paths, so treat them as private.

A metadata backup does not contain the linked files. Back up those files separately using your normal backup process. Moving the metadata export to another computer will not move or remap the originals.

To recover a workspace-only removal, use Settings > Data > Workspace bin > Restore. If you recycled the actual file, restore it from the Windows Recycle Bin first, then restore its workspace entry. Windows recycling behavior remains an acceptance-test item for this prototype.

Restore metadata backup replaces the current metadata after confirmation and saves a pre-restore snapshot. Restore only backups you trust. Startup snapshots are overwritten on startup, so they are not a substitute for named backups.

When something does not work

The app will not start

Confirm Node.js is version 24 or newer, that the terminal is in the folder containing package.json, and that installation and build completed. The source ZIP does not contain an executable.

A file is missing from search

Search part of its name, not its document contents. Rescan its linked folder. Matching uses word prefixes, not fuzzy spelling; import limits can exclude deep or large folders.

An indexed file will not open

It may have moved or been deleted outside Galaxy. Confirm its current location in Explorer, then remove the stale workspace entry and link the correct file. Workspace removal itself does not delete the file.

A video will not preview

Check media preview settings and try the bundled sample. Some codecs are unsupported. Open a trusted file in its associated desktop app instead.

The AI controls are unavailable

That is expected. Provider interfaces are placeholders; there are no active AI calls or AI file tools in this release.

Keep early use small. If an error affects file operations, stop using those operations and keep your originals untouched while the issue is investigated.