What are Workspaces?
Workspaces let you save the current state of both panes—their locations, tabs, and view settings—as a named configuration. Later, you can restore this exact setup with a single click.
This is perfect for developers and power users who work on multiple projects and want to quickly switch contexts without manually navigating to the same folders every time.
What Gets Saved
When you save a workspace, Captain's Deck captures:
- Left pane location — The directory shown in the left pane
- Right pane location — The directory shown in the right pane
- Open tabs — All tabs in both panes
- Active tab — Which tab is currently selected in each pane
- Split orientation — Horizontal or vertical layout
Saving a Workspace
- Set up both panes with the directories you want
- Go to Window → Workspaces → Save Workspace...
- Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "Website Project", "Client Work", "Photos Backup")
- Click Save
Tip: Use clear, descriptive names so you can quickly identify workspaces later. Include the project name or task type.
Restoring a Workspace
To return to a saved workspace:
- Go to Window → Workspaces
- Click on the workspace name you want to restore
Both panes will immediately navigate to the saved locations, and any saved tabs will be restored.
Managing Workspaces
To rename or delete workspaces:
- Go to Window → Workspaces → Manage Workspaces...
- Select a workspace from the list
- Click Rename to change the name, or Delete to remove it
Workspaces are stored locally and persist across app restarts.
Use Cases
Project-Based Work
Create a workspace for each project you work on. For a web project, you might have:
- Left pane:
~/Projects/website/src - Right pane:
~/Projects/website/public
Regular Backup Tasks
Set up a workspace for your backup routine:
- Left pane: Source folder (e.g.,
~/Documents) - Right pane: Backup destination (e.g., external drive)
Client Work
Keep separate workspaces for different clients:
- "Client A" — Their project folders
- "Client B" — Different project structure
Development + Deployment
- Left pane: Local development folder
- Right pane: Remote server via SFTP
Tips
- Update workspaces: If your project structure changes, simply navigate to the new locations and save with the same name to overwrite
- Remote locations: Workspaces can include SFTP, S3, and other remote connections
- Start fresh: Create a "Home" workspace with your default starting locations for a quick reset