feat: Add projectFolder to user preferences

electron/electron-env.d.ts

@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ interface Window {
 			canceled?: boolean;
 			error?: string;
 		}>;
-		loadProjectFile: () => Promise<{
+		loadProjectFile: (projectFolder?: string) => Promise<{
 			success: boolean;
 			path?: string;
 			project?: unknown;

electron/ipc/handlers.ts

@@ -2622,16 +2622,36 @@ export function registerIpcHandlers(
 		}
 	}
 
-	ipcMain.handle("load-project-file", async () => {
-		return loadProjectFile();
+	ipcMain.handle("load-project-file", async (_, projectFolder?: string) => {
+		return loadProjectFile(projectFolder);
 	});
 
-	async function loadProjectFile(): Promise<ProjectFileResult> {
+	async function loadProjectFile(projectFolder?: string): Promise<ProjectFileResult> {
 		try {
+			// Prefer the user's last opened-project folder if it still exists,
+			// otherwise fall back to RECORDINGS_DIR. Validation must happen here
+			// because the renderer can't stat the filesystem.
+			let defaultDir = RECORDINGS_DIR;
+			if (projectFolder) {
+				try {
+					const stats = await fs.stat(projectFolder);
+					if (stats.isDirectory()) {
+						defaultDir = projectFolder;
+					}
+				} catch (err) {
+					// Stat can fail because the folder was moved/deleted (expected) or
+					// because of a permission error (worth surfacing). Either way we
+					// fall back to RECORDINGS_DIR, but log so debugging isn't blind.
+					console.warn(
+						`Could not access remembered project folder "${projectFolder}", falling back to RECORDINGS_DIR:`,
+						err,
+					);
+				}
+			}
 			const dialogOptions = buildDialogOptions(
 				{
 					title: mainT("dialogs", "fileDialogs.openProject"),
-					defaultPath: RECORDINGS_DIR,
+					defaultPath: defaultDir,
 					filters: [
 						{
 							name: mainT("dialogs", "fileDialogs.openscreenProject"),

electron/ipc/nativeBridge.ts

@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export interface NativeBridgeContext {
 		suggestedName?: string,
 		existingProjectPath?: string,
 	) => Promise<ProjectFileResult>;
-	loadProjectFile: () => Promise<ProjectFileResult>;
+	loadProjectFile: (projectFolder?: string) => Promise<ProjectFileResult>;
 	loadCurrentProjectFile: () => Promise<ProjectFileResult>;
 	loadProjectFileFromPath: (path: string) => Promise<ProjectFileResult>;
 	setCurrentVideoPath: (path: string) => ProjectPathResult | Promise<ProjectPathResult>;
@@ -164,7 +164,10 @@ export function registerNativeBridgeHandlers(context: NativeBridgeContext) {
 								),
 							);
 						case "loadProjectFile":
-							return createSuccessResponse(requestId, await projectService.loadProjectFile());
+							return createSuccessResponse(
+								requestId,
+								await projectService.loadProjectFile(request.payload?.projectFolder),
+							);
 						case "loadCurrentProjectFile":
 							return createSuccessResponse(
 								requestId,

electron/native-bridge/services/projectService.ts

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ interface ProjectServiceOptions {
 		suggestedName?: string,
 		existingProjectPath?: string,
 	) => Promise<ProjectFileResult>;
-	loadProjectFile: () => Promise<ProjectFileResult>;
+	loadProjectFile: (projectFolder?: string) => Promise<ProjectFileResult>;
 	loadCurrentProjectFile: () => Promise<ProjectFileResult>;
 	loadProjectFileFromPath: (path: string) => Promise<ProjectFileResult>;
 	setCurrentVideoPath: (path: string) => ProjectPathResult | Promise<ProjectPathResult>;
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ export class ProjectService {
 		return result;
 	}
 
-	async loadProjectFile() {
-		const result = await this.options.loadProjectFile();
+	async loadProjectFile(projectFolder?: string) {
+		const result = await this.options.loadProjectFile(projectFolder);
 		this.getCurrentContext();
 		return result;
 	}

electron/preload.ts

@@ -170,8 +170,8 @@ contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld("electronAPI", {
 	saveProjectFile: (projectData: unknown, suggestedName?: string, existingProjectPath?: string) => {
 		return ipcRenderer.invoke("save-project-file", projectData, suggestedName, existingProjectPath);
 	},
-	loadProjectFile: () => {
-		return ipcRenderer.invoke("load-project-file");
+	loadProjectFile: (projectFolder?: string) => {
+		return ipcRenderer.invoke("load-project-file", projectFolder);
 	},
 	loadProjectFileFromPath: (filePath: string) => {
 		return ipcRenderer.invoke("load-project-file-from-path", filePath);

src/components/launch/LaunchWindow.tsx

@@ -21,13 +21,18 @@ import {
 import { RxDragHandleDots2 } from "react-icons/rx";
 import { useI18n, useScopedT } from "@/contexts/I18nContext";
 import { getAvailableLocales, getLocaleName } from "@/i18n/loader";
+import {
+	getProjectFolder,
+	loadUserPreferences,
+	parentDirectoryOf,
+	saveUserPreferences,
+} from "@/lib/userPreferences";
 import { nativeBridgeClient } from "@/native";
 import { useAudioLevelMeter } from "../../hooks/useAudioLevelMeter";
 import { useCameraDevices } from "../../hooks/useCameraDevices";
 import { useMicrophoneDevices } from "../../hooks/useMicrophoneDevices";
 import { useScreenRecorder } from "../../hooks/useScreenRecorder";
 import { requestCameraAccess } from "../../lib/requestCameraAccess";
-import { loadUserPreferences, saveUserPreferences } from "../../lib/userPreferences";
 import { formatTimePadded } from "../../utils/timeUtils";
 import { AudioLevelMeter } from "../ui/audio-level-meter";
 import { Button } from "../ui/button";

src/components/video-editor/EditorEmptyState.tsx

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { AlertCircle, Film, FolderOpen, Upload, X } from "lucide-react";
 import { useCallback, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import { Dialog, DialogContent, DialogHeader, DialogTitle } from "@/components/ui/dialog";
 import { useScopedT } from "@/contexts/I18nContext";
+import { getProjectFolder, parentDirectoryOf, saveUserPreferences } from "@/lib/userPreferences";
 import { nativeBridgeClient } from "@/native";
 
 interface EditorEmptyStateProps {
@@ -35,8 +36,14 @@ export function EditorEmptyState({ onVideoImported, onProjectOpened }: EditorEmp
 	}, [onVideoImported]);
 
 	const handleLoadProject = useCallback(async () => {
-		const result = await nativeBridgeClient.project.loadProjectFile();
+		const result = await nativeBridgeClient.project.loadProjectFile(getProjectFolder());
 		if (result.canceled || !result.success || !result.project) return;
+		if (result.path) {
+			const folder = parentDirectoryOf(result.path);
+			if (folder) {
+				saveUserPreferences({ projectFolder: folder });
+			}
+		}
 		onProjectOpened(result.project, result.path ?? null);
 	}, [onProjectOpened]);
 

src/components/video-editor/VideoEditor.tsx

@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import type { CursorCaptureMode, ProjectMedia } from "@/lib/recordingSession";
 import { matchesShortcut } from "@/lib/shortcuts";
 import {
 	getExportFolder,
+	getProjectFolder,
 	loadUserPreferences,
 	parentDirectoryOf,
 	saveUserPreferences,
@@ -719,7 +720,7 @@ export default function VideoEditor() {
 	}, []);
 
 	const doLoadProject = useCallback(async () => {
-		const result = await nativeBridgeClient.project.loadProjectFile();
+		const result = await nativeBridgeClient.project.loadProjectFile(getProjectFolder());
 
 		if (result.canceled) {
 			return;
@@ -736,6 +737,13 @@ export default function VideoEditor() {
 			return;
 		}
 
+		if (result.path) {
+			const folder = parentDirectoryOf(result.path);
+			if (folder) {
+				saveUserPreferences({ projectFolder: folder });
+			}
+		}
+
 		toast.success(t("project.loadedFrom", { path: result.path ?? "" }));
 	}, [applyLoadedProject, t]);
 

src/lib/userPreferences.test.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
-import { loadUserPreferences, parentDirectoryOf, saveUserPreferences } from "./userPreferences";
+import {
+	DEFAULT_PREFS,
+	getProjectFolder,
+	loadUserPreferences,
+	parentDirectoryOf,
+	saveUserPreferences,
+} from "./userPreferences";
 
 describe("parentDirectoryOf", () => {
 	it("returns the directory for a POSIX path", () => {
@@ -25,6 +31,62 @@ describe("parentDirectoryOf", () => {
 	});
 });
 
+describe("projectFolder preference", () => {
+	// jsdom's localStorage isn't exposed as a global in this vitest setup, so
+	// stub it with an in-memory shim before each test. Mirrors what the real
+	// browser localStorage exposes, scoped to the keys we touch.
+	beforeEach(() => {
+		const store = new Map<string, string>();
+		const stub = {
+			getItem: (key: string) => store.get(key) ?? null,
+			setItem: (key: string, value: string) => {
+				store.set(key, String(value));
+			},
+			removeItem: (key: string) => {
+				store.delete(key);
+			},
+			clear: () => store.clear(),
+			key: (i: number) => Array.from(store.keys())[i] ?? null,
+			get length() {
+				return store.size;
+			},
+		};
+		Object.defineProperty(globalThis, "localStorage", {
+			value: stub,
+			configurable: true,
+		});
+	});
+
+	it("defaults to null when nothing is persisted", () => {
+		expect(loadUserPreferences().projectFolder).toBeNull();
+		expect(getProjectFolder()).toBeUndefined();
+	});
+
+	it("round-trips a saved project folder", () => {
+		saveUserPreferences({ projectFolder: "/Users/me/Projects/demos" });
+		expect(loadUserPreferences().projectFolder).toBe("/Users/me/Projects/demos");
+		expect(getProjectFolder()).toBe("/Users/me/Projects/demos");
+	});
+
+	it("ignores non-string persisted values and falls back to the default", () => {
+		localStorage.setItem("openscreen_user_preferences", JSON.stringify({ projectFolder: 42 }));
+		expect(loadUserPreferences().projectFolder).toBe(DEFAULT_PREFS.projectFolder);
+	});
+
+	it("ignores empty-string persisted values and falls back to the default", () => {
+		localStorage.setItem("openscreen_user_preferences", JSON.stringify({ projectFolder: "" }));
+		expect(loadUserPreferences().projectFolder).toBe(DEFAULT_PREFS.projectFolder);
+	});
+
+	it("is independent of exportFolder", () => {
+		saveUserPreferences({ exportFolder: "/Users/me/Downloads" });
+		saveUserPreferences({ projectFolder: "/Users/me/Projects/demos" });
+		const prefs = loadUserPreferences();
+		expect(prefs.exportFolder).toBe("/Users/me/Downloads");
+		expect(prefs.projectFolder).toBe("/Users/me/Projects/demos");
+	});
+});
+
 describe("user preferences", () => {
 	beforeEach(() => {
 		localStorage.clear();

src/lib/userPreferences.ts

@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ export interface UserPreferences {
 	exportFormat: ExportFormat;
 	/** Folder used for the most recent successful export, if any */
 	exportFolder: string | null;
+	/** Folder of the most recently opened project, if any */
+	projectFolder: string | null;
 	/** Recording HUD control layout */
 	trayLayout: "horizontal" | "vertical";
 }
@@ -39,6 +41,7 @@ export const DEFAULT_PREFS: UserPreferences = {
 	exportQuality: DEFAULT_EXPORT_SETTINGS.quality,
 	exportFormat: DEFAULT_EXPORT_SETTINGS.format,
 	exportFolder: null,
+	projectFolder: null,
 	trayLayout: "horizontal",
 };
 
@@ -91,6 +94,10 @@ export function loadUserPreferences(): UserPreferences {
 			typeof raw.exportFolder === "string" && raw.exportFolder.length > 0
 				? raw.exportFolder
 				: DEFAULT_PREFS.exportFolder,
+		projectFolder:
+			typeof raw.projectFolder === "string" && raw.projectFolder.length > 0
+				? raw.projectFolder
+				: DEFAULT_PREFS.projectFolder,
 		trayLayout:
 			raw.trayLayout === "horizontal" || raw.trayLayout === "vertical"
 				? raw.trayLayout
@@ -132,6 +139,15 @@ export function getExportFolder(): string | undefined {
 	return loadUserPreferences().exportFolder ?? undefined;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Returns the remembered open-project folder as `string | undefined`,
+ * suitable for passing directly to IPC handlers that treat absence as
+ * "use the default".
+ */
+export function getProjectFolder(): string | undefined {
+	return loadUserPreferences().projectFolder ?? undefined;
+}
+
 /**
  * Persist user preferences to localStorage.
  * Only the explicitly provided fields are updated.

src/native/client.ts

@@ -84,10 +84,11 @@ export const nativeBridgeClient = {
 					existingProjectPath,
 				},
 			}),
-		loadProjectFile: () =>
+		loadProjectFile: (projectFolder?: string) =>
 			requireNativeBridgeData<ProjectFileResult>({
 				domain: "project",
 				action: "loadProjectFile",
+				payload: { projectFolder },
 			}),
 		loadCurrentProjectFile: () =>
 			requireNativeBridgeData<ProjectFileResult>({

src/native/contracts.ts

@@ -165,7 +165,11 @@ export type NativeBridgeRequest =
 	| {
 			domain: "project";
 			action: "loadProjectFile";
-			payload?: EmptyPayload;
+			payload?: {
+				/** Folder to pre-fill the open dialog with — typically the user's
+				 * last-opened project folder from userPreferences. */
+				projectFolder?: string;
+			};
 			requestId?: string;
 	  }
 	| {