Project Management

V-Listen organizes all measurement data, analysis configurations, and display settings within project files. Projects provide a self-contained workspace that can be saved, shared, and reopened to restore the exact state of a measurement session.

Project File Format

Project files use the .vlproj extension. A project file contains:

Data references — paths to imported measurement files (HDF, WAV, UFF, etc.). The actual data files are not embedded; the project stores relative paths.
Analysis configurations — all analysis parameters (FFT size, window type, frequency range, etc.) for each active analysis.
Display layout — arrangement of panels, chart zoom levels, color schemes, and overlay configurations.
Channel assignments — DOF mapping, sensitivity values, and group assignments.
Notes and annotations — user-added text notes and chart annotations.

Project files store relative paths to data files. Keep data files in the same folder as the project file or in a subfolder to ensure portability. If you move data files, use File → Relink Missing Files to update the references.

Creating a New Project

Select File → New Project or press Ctrl+N.
If a project is currently open with unsaved changes, you are prompted to save it.
The workspace clears and a new empty project is created.
Import data files and configure analyses as needed.
Save the project with File → Save Project (Ctrl+S).

Saving a Project

Action	Shortcut	Description
Save Project	`Ctrl+S`	Save the current project to its existing file path. If the project has not been saved before, prompts for a location.
Save Project As	`Ctrl+Shift+S`	Save the current project to a new file path, creating a copy.

What Is Saved

All data file references and their current state (loaded/unloaded).
All analysis results currently in memory (cached for fast reopening).
Window layout, panel sizes, and display preferences.
Channel configuration: names, sensitivities, DOF assignments, groups.
Chart settings: axis ranges, cursors, color maps, overlays.

Loading a Project

Select File → Open Project or press Ctrl+O.
Browse to and select a .vlproj file.
V-Listen loads the project, restoring all data references, analyses, and layout.
If any referenced data files are missing, a dialog lists the missing files with options to relink, skip, or cancel.

If a referenced data file has been modified externally since the project was last saved, V-Listen will detect the change and offer to reload the data. Cached analysis results for that file will be invalidated and must be recomputed.

Auto-Save

V-Listen periodically saves a recovery copy of the current project to prevent data loss in case of unexpected application termination.

Setting	Default	Description
Auto-save Enabled	Yes	Toggle auto-save on or off.
Auto-save Interval	5 minutes	Time between auto-save operations (1–60 minutes).
Auto-save Location	`%APPDATA%\V-Listen\AutoSave\`	Folder where recovery files are stored.
Max Recovery Files	5	Number of recovery files retained. Oldest are deleted automatically.

Recovering from Auto-Save

Launch V-Listen after an unexpected shutdown.
If a recovery file exists, a dialog offers to restore the auto-saved project.
Click Restore to load the recovered project.
Review the restored state and save the project manually to confirm.

Recent Files

V-Listen maintains a list of recently opened projects for quick access:

Access via File → Recent Projects.
The list shows the last 10 projects with file name, path, and last-opened date.
Click any entry to open that project.
Right-click an entry to remove it from the list or open the containing folder.

The recent projects list is stored in user preferences and persists across application sessions. Pinned entries remain at the top of the list regardless of access date.

Project Organization Best Practices

Create one project per measurement campaign or test object.
Store the .vlproj file in the same directory as the measurement data files to maintain relative path integrity.
Use descriptive project names that include the test date and object identifier (e.g., 2026-05-30_MotorTest_Unit42.vlproj).
Before sharing a project, use File → Pack Project to bundle the project file and all referenced data into a single archive.
Periodically clean up unused data references with Project → Remove Unreferenced Data.