BabylonJS · FilipeBeck · Nov 10, 2025
diff --git a/editor/src/dashboard/create.tsx b/editor/src/dashboard/create.tsx
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import { EditorProjectPackageManager, IEditorProject, EditorProjectTemplate } fr
 
 export interface IDashboardCreateProjectDialogProps {
 	isOpened: boolean;
+	closeDashboardOnProjectOpen: boolean;
 	onClose: () => void;
 }
 
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ export function DashboardCreateProjectDialog(props: IDashboardCreateProjectDialo
 			});
 
 			if (result) {
-				ipcRenderer.send("dashboard:open-project", projectAbsolutePath);
+				ipcRenderer.send("dashboard:open-project", projectAbsolutePath, props.closeDashboardOnProjectOpen);
 			}
 		} catch (e) {
 			showAlert("An unexpected error occured", e.message);

diff --git a/editor/src/dashboard/item.tsx b/editor/src/dashboard/item.tsx
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import { DashboardProgressComponent } from "./progress";
 export interface IDashboardProjectItemProps {
 	isOpened: boolean;
 	project: ProjectType;
-
+	closeDashboardOnProjectOpen: boolean;
 	onRemove: () => void;
 }
 
@@ -127,6 +127,10 @@ export function DashboardProjectItem(props: IDashboardProjectItemProps) {
 		setPlayingAddress("");
 	}
 
+	function handleLoadProject() {
+		ipcRenderer.send("dashboard:open-project", props.project.absolutePath, props.closeDashboardOnProjectOpen);
+	}
+
 	function handleOpenInVisualStudioCode() {
 		execNodePty(`code "${dirname(props.project.absolutePath)}"`);
 	}
@@ -135,7 +139,7 @@ export function DashboardProjectItem(props: IDashboardProjectItemProps) {
 		<ContextMenu onOpenChange={(o) => setContextMenuOpen(o)}>
 			<ContextMenuTrigger>
 				<div
-					onDoubleClick={() => ipcRenderer.send("dashboard:open-project", props.project.absolutePath)}
+					onDoubleClick={handleLoadProject}
 					className={`
                         group
                         flex flex-col w-full rounded-lg cursor-pointer select-none
@@ -169,7 +173,7 @@ export function DashboardProjectItem(props: IDashboardProjectItemProps) {
 										</Button>
 									</DropdownMenuTrigger>
 									<DropdownMenuContent>
-										<DropdownMenuItem onClick={() => ipcRenderer.send("dashboard:open-project", props.project.absolutePath)}>Open</DropdownMenuItem>
+										<DropdownMenuItem onClick={handleLoadProject}>Open</DropdownMenuItem>
 										<DropdownMenuItem className="flex items-center gap-2" onClick={() => ipcRenderer.send("editor:show-item", props.project.absolutePath)}>
 											{`Show in ${isDarwin() ? "Finder" : "Explorer"}`}
 										</DropdownMenuItem>
@@ -214,7 +218,7 @@ export function DashboardProjectItem(props: IDashboardProjectItemProps) {
 				</div>
 			</ContextMenuTrigger>
 			<ContextMenuContent>
-				<ContextMenuItem onClick={() => ipcRenderer.send("dashboard:open-project", props.project.absolutePath)}>Open</ContextMenuItem>
+				<ContextMenuItem onClick={handleLoadProject}>Open</ContextMenuItem>
 				<ContextMenuItem className="flex items-center gap-2" onClick={() => ipcRenderer.send("editor:show-item", props.project.absolutePath)}>
 					{`Show in ${isDarwin() ? "Finder" : "Explorer"}`}
 				</ContextMenuItem>

diff --git a/editor/src/dashboard/main.tsx b/editor/src/dashboard/main.tsx
@@ -15,13 +15,20 @@ import { wait } from "../tools/tools";
 import { openSingleFileDialog } from "../tools/dialog";
 import { ProjectType, projectsKey } from "../tools/project";
 import { checkNodeJSAvailable, nodeJSAvailable } from "../tools/process";
-import { tryAddProjectToLocalStorage, tryGetProjectsFromLocalStorage } from "../tools/local-storage";
+import {
+	tryAddProjectToLocalStorage,
+	tryGetCloseDashboardOnProjectOpenFromLocalStorage,
+	tryGetProjectsFromLocalStorage,
+	trySetCloseDashboardOnProjectOpenInLocalStorage,
+} from "../tools/local-storage";
 
 import { DashboardProjectItem } from "./item";
 import { DashboardCreateProjectDialog } from "./create";
 import { DashboardWindowControls } from "./window-controls";
 
 import packageJson from "../../package.json";
+import { Switch } from "../ui/shadcn/ui/switch";
+import { Tooltip, TooltipContent, TooltipProvider, TooltipTrigger } from "../ui/shadcn/ui/tooltip";
 
 export function createDashboard(): void {
 	const theme = localStorage.getItem("editor-theme") ?? "dark";
@@ -48,6 +55,7 @@ export interface IDashboardState {
 	openedProjects: string[];
 
 	createProject: boolean;
+	closeDashboardOnProjectOpen: boolean;
 }
 
 export class Dashboard extends Component<IDashboardProps, IDashboardState> {
@@ -59,48 +67,61 @@ export class Dashboard extends Component<IDashboardProps, IDashboardState> {
 			projects: tryGetProjectsFromLocalStorage(),
 
 			createProject: false,
+			closeDashboardOnProjectOpen: tryGetCloseDashboardOnProjectOpenFromLocalStorage(),
 		};
 
 		webFrame.setZoomFactor(0.8);
 	}
 
 	public render(): ReactNode {
-		return (
-			<>
-				<div className="flex flex-col gap-4 w-screen h-screen p-5 select-none overflow-x-hidden pt-10">
-					<DashboardWindowControls />
-
-					<Fade delay={0}>
-						<div className="flex justify-between items-end w-full mt-1">
-							<div className="text-5xl font-semibold">Dashboard</div>
+		const handleKeepDashboardChanged = (checked: boolean): void => {
+			const shouldClose = !checked;
 
-							<div className="flex flex-col items-end gap-2">
-								<img alt="" src="assets/babylonjs_icon.png" className="w-[48px] object-contain" />
-								<div className="text-xs">Babylon.js Editor v{packageJson.version}</div>
-							</div>
-						</div>
-					</Fade>
+			this.setState({
+				closeDashboardOnProjectOpen: shouldClose,
+			});
 
-					<Fade delay={250}>
-						<Separator />
-					</Fade>
+			trySetCloseDashboardOnProjectOpenInLocalStorage(shouldClose);
+		};
 
-					<Fade delay={500}>
-						<div className="flex justify-between items-center">
-							<div className="text-3xl font-semibold">Projects</div>
-
-							<div className="flex gap-2">
-								<Button variant="secondary" className="font-semibold" onClick={() => this._handleImportProject()}>
-									Import project
-								</Button>
-								<Button className="font-semibold" onClick={() => this.setState({ createProject: true })}>
-									Create project
-								</Button>
+		return (
+			<>
+				<div className="flex flex-col gap-4 w-screen h-screen p-5 select-none pt-10">
+					<div className="flex flex-col gap-4 flex-[0_0_auto]">
+						<DashboardWindowControls />
+
+						<Fade delay={0}>
+							<div className="flex justify-between items-end w-full mt-1">
+								<div className="text-5xl font-semibold">Dashboard</div>
+
+								<div className="flex flex-col items-end gap-2">
+									<img alt="" src="assets/babylonjs_icon.png" className="w-[48px] object-contain" />
+									<div className="text-xs">Babylon.js Editor v{packageJson.version}</div>
+								</div>
 							</div>
-						</div>
-					</Fade>
+						</Fade>
+
+						<Fade delay={250}>
+							<Separator />
+						</Fade>
+
+						<Fade delay={500}>
+							<div className="flex justify-between items-center">
+								<div className="text-3xl font-semibold">Projects</div>
+
+								<div className="flex gap-2">
+									<Button variant="secondary" className="font-semibold" onClick={() => this._handleImportProject()}>
+										Import project
+									</Button>
+									<Button className="font-semibold" onClick={() => this.setState({ createProject: true })}>
+										Create project
+									</Button>
+								</div>
+							</div>
+						</Fade>
+					</div>
 
-					<Fade delay={750}>
+					<Fade delay={750} className="flex-auto overflow-y-auto p-2">
 						{!this.state.projects.length && <div className="absolute top-1/2 left-1/2 -translate-x-1/2 -translate-y-1/2">No project found.</div>}
 
 						{this.state.projects.length && (
@@ -110,16 +131,39 @@ export class Dashboard extends Component<IDashboardProps, IDashboardState> {
 										project={project}
 										key={project.absolutePath}
 										isOpened={this.state.openedProjects.includes(project.absolutePath)}
+										closeDashboardOnProjectOpen={this.state.closeDashboardOnProjectOpen}
 										onRemove={() => this._tryRemoveProjectFromLocalStorage(project)}
 									/>
 								))}
 							</div>
 						)}
 					</Fade>
+
+					<Fade delay={1000} className="flex-[0_0_auto]">
+						<div>
+							<Separator />
+							<div className="flex justify-end pt-3 pb-1">
+								<TooltipProvider>
+									<Tooltip>
+										<TooltipTrigger className="flex items-center gap-2 cursor-auto">
+											<Switch checked={!this.state.closeDashboardOnProjectOpen} onCheckedChange={handleKeepDashboardChanged} />
+											<span>Keep dashboard open</span>
+										</TooltipTrigger>
+										<TooltipContent align="end" side="top" collisionPadding={8}>
+											If enabled, the dashboard will stay open when a project starts.
+											<br />
+											If disabled, the dashboard will close when a project starts and reopen after the project is closed.
+										</TooltipContent>
+									</Tooltip>
+								</TooltipProvider>
+							</div>
+						</div>
+					</Fade>
 				</div>
 
 				<DashboardCreateProjectDialog
 					isOpened={this.state.createProject}
+					closeDashboardOnProjectOpen={this.state.closeDashboardOnProjectOpen}
 					onClose={() => {
 						this.setState({
 							createProject: false,

diff --git a/editor/src/index.ts b/editor/src/index.ts
@@ -107,9 +107,20 @@ async function openDashboard(): Promise<void> {
 	dashboardWindow.focus();
 }
 
-ipcMain.on("dashboard:open-project", (_, file) => {
+function closeDashboard(): void {
+	if (dashboardWindow) {
+		dashboardWindow.close();
+		dashboardWindow = null;
+	}
+}
+
+ipcMain.on("dashboard:open-project", (_, file: string, shouldCloseDashboard?: boolean) => {
 	openProject(file);
 	dashboardWindow?.minimize();
+
+	if (shouldCloseDashboard) {
+		closeDashboard();
+	}
 });
 
 ipcMain.on("dashboard:update-projects", () => {
@@ -138,7 +149,7 @@ async function openProject(filePath: string): Promise<void> {
 		notifyWindows("dashboard:opened-projects", openedProjects);
 
 		if (openedProjects.length === 0) {
-			dashboardWindow?.restore();
+			openDashboard();
 		}
 	});
 

diff --git a/editor/src/tools/local-storage.ts b/editor/src/tools/local-storage.ts
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export function tryGetExperimentalFeaturesEnabledFromLocalStorage(): boolean {
 }
 
 /**
- * Sets wether or not experimental features are enabled in the local storage.
+ * Sets whether or not experimental features are enabled in the local storage.
  * @param enabled defines wether or not experimental features are enabled.
  */
 export function trySetExperimentalFeaturesEnabledInLocalStorage(enabled: boolean): void {
@@ -64,3 +64,26 @@ export function trySetExperimentalFeaturesEnabledInLocalStorage(enabled: boolean
 		// Catch silently.
 	}
 }
+
+/**
+ * Returns wether or not the dashboard should be closed when a project is opened.
+ */
+export function tryGetCloseDashboardOnProjectOpenFromLocalStorage(): boolean {
+	try {
+		return localStorage.getItem("babylonjs-editor-close-dashboard-on-project-open") === "true";
+	} catch (e) {
+		return false;
+	}
+}
+
+/**
+ * Sets whether or not the dashboard should be closed when a project is opened.
+ * @param enabled defines whether or not the dashboard should be closed when a project is opened.
+ */
+export function trySetCloseDashboardOnProjectOpenInLocalStorage(enabled: boolean): void {
+	try {
+		localStorage.setItem("babylonjs-editor-close-dashboard-on-project-open", JSON.stringify(enabled));
+	} catch (e) {
+		// Catch silently.
+	}
+}