What are Workspaces?
Workspaces let you save where both panes are—a folder on your Mac or a server—as a named configuration. Later, you can bring both panes back to those places in one step.
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 folder shown in the left pane
- Right pane location — The folder shown in the right pane
- Server connections — If a pane is showing a server, the workspace remembers the connection. Passwords are never stored in the workspace
Only the current location of each pane is saved. Other tabs and view settings are not part of a workspace.
Saving a Workspace
- Set up both panes with the directories you want
- Go to Window → Workspaces…
- Click Save Current
- 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…
- Select the workspace you want and click Open (or press Return, or double-click it)
Both panes will immediately go to the saved locations. A pane that was on a server reconnects, using the password saved in your Keychain.
Managing Workspaces
To delete a workspace:
- Go to Window → Workspaces…
- Select a workspace from the list
- Click Remove
There's no Rename button. To rename a workspace, save it again under the new name and remove the old one.
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: Saving with an existing name adds a second workspace rather than replacing the first. To update one, navigate to the new locations, click Save Current, then remove the old entry
- Remote locations: Workspaces can include server connections such as SFTP
- Start fresh: Create a "Home" workspace with your default starting locations for a quick reset