File Management

Projects

ArcBrush saves projects as .arcb files. These are human-readable JSON containing your complete node graph, connections, groups, sticky notes, and canvas state. Images are not embedded in the file; they’re referenced by path.

Creating & Opening

Action	Shortcut
New project	`Ctrl+N`
Open project	`Ctrl+O`
Save	`Ctrl+S`
Save As	`Ctrl+Shift+S`
Revert to Saved	File menu
Export All	File menu

The File > Open Recent menu gives quick access to your 10 most recent projects.

Revert to Saved reloads the last saved version of your project, discarding any unsaved changes (with a confirmation prompt). Export All runs every Export Image and Export Batch node in the graph at once.

The Sidecar Folder

Every saved project has a companion sidecar folder named {filename}.arcb_data/ in the same directory as the .arcb file. This folder stores:

Clipboard pastes: images pasted from the clipboard
Collected files: images gathered by the Collect Files command
AI generations: cached outputs from AI nodes (see How AI Generation Works)

Files inside the sidecar folder are stored with bare filenames only in the .arcb file, which means you can move the project folder to another machine (even across platforms) and everything resolves correctly, as long as the .arcb file and its _data/ folder stay together.

Clipboard

ArcBrush handles both directions of clipboard transfer: pasting images, files, or nodes into the graph, and copying any node’s image output back out.

Pasting Image Data

When you copy an image from a web browser, screenshot tool, or another application and press Ctrl+V on the canvas:

A new Image In node is created at the cursor position.
The image is saved as a PNG in the sidecar folder (e.g., clipboard_2026-03-18.png).
Alpha transparency is preserved when available.
The node is labeled “Pasted from Clipboard.”

Pasting File Paths

When you copy files from Windows Explorer or macOS Finder and paste into ArcBrush:

Each image file creates an Image In node.
Each SVG file creates an SVG Import node.
Multiple files are supported. Nodes are staggered vertically so they don’t overlap.
Supported image formats: PNG, JPEG, BMP, TGA, WebP, TIFF.

Pasting Nodes

When you copy nodes within ArcBrush (Ctrl+C) and paste them (Ctrl+V):

The copied nodes are duplicated with new unique IDs.
Connections between the copied nodes are preserved.
Nodes are placed at the cursor position.

Copying a Node’s Output

Right-click any node with an image output and choose Copy to Clipboard as PNG to copy that node’s current output. Alpha transparency is preserved, so the result pastes cleanly into image editors, office and chat apps, and browsers.

Drag and Drop

Drag files from your file manager directly onto the ArcBrush canvas:

Image files (PNG, JPEG, BMP, TGA, WebP, TIFF) create Image In nodes.
SVG files create SVG Import nodes.
Palette files (.gpl, .ase, .pal, .aseprite) create Palette nodes with all colors and names imported.
.arcb project files open the project directly (with a save/discard prompt if there are unsaved changes).
Multiple files are supported. Each gets its own node, staggered so they don’t overlap.
Unsupported file types are silently ignored.

Dropped files are referenced at their original location (not copied). Use Collect Files to bring them into the sidecar folder for portability.

Collect Files

File > Collect Files copies all externally referenced files into the sidecar folder, making your project fully portable.

What It Collects

Image files referenced by Image In nodes
SVG files referenced by SVG Import nodes
Custom font files referenced by Text nodes

How It Works

Each referenced file is copied into the {project}.arcb_data/ folder, preserving original filenames.
Node file paths are updated to point to the sidecar copies.
The project is automatically saved.

Files already inside the sidecar folder are skipped. After collecting, you can move the entire project folder (.arcb file + _data/ folder) to another location or machine and all references remain intact.

File Path Resolution

ArcBrush stores file paths differently depending on where the referenced file lives:

Inside the sidecar folder: stored as a bare filename (e.g., hero.png), resolved relative to the _data/ folder. This is cross-platform portable.
Relative path: if you type a path like assets/logo.png or export/sprite.png in a node’s file field, it resolves relative to your .arcb file’s location. Directories are created automatically on export. A hint below the input shows the resolved absolute path.
Absolute path: full paths like C:\Users\...\image.png. These references break if the file is moved.

When you see a node with just a bare filename (no slashes), it’s looking in the sidecar folder. When you see a path with slashes but no drive letter, it’s a relative path resolved from your project location.

Relative Paths

Several nodes support relative file paths:

Image In and SVG Import: type assets/texture.png to load files relative to your project
Export Image: type export/sprite.png to export alongside your project
Export Batch: type output to write batch exports to a folder next to your project

Relative paths make your projects portable. Move the project folder to another machine and all references still resolve correctly, as long as the referenced files travel alongside the .arcb file.

To convert external absolute references to portable sidecar references, use Collect Files.

Auto-Save & Crash Recovery

ArcBrush automatically saves a backup of your work at regular intervals (default: every 2 minutes). If the app closes unexpectedly, you’ll be prompted to restore from the last auto-save on next launch.

Configure auto-save in Settings:

Auto-Save Interval: how often to save (30–600 seconds)
Max Backup Files: number of rotating backups to keep (1–10)

Auto-save backups are stored in the system application data folder, separate from your project file.