Your First Project

APM organizes your work into Projects - containers for related tasks, windows, and AI agents. In this guide, you'll create your first projects and explore APM's game-inspired HUD interface.

Understanding the HUD System

APM's interface is inspired by gaming HUDs (Heads-Up Displays) - persistent overlays that provide real-time awareness without disrupting your workflow. Think of them as your mission control panels.

Toggle the HUD Panels

Let's start by revealing the HUD interface:

1. Click the APM menubar icon (hammer in circle icon)
2. Select Toggle HUD Panels or press ⌘⇧H

You'll see two panels appear:

• Left Panel: Project sidebar showing your project hierarchy
• Right Panel: Project details and configuration (appears when a project is selected)

Create Your First Project

With the HUD panels visible, let's create a project:

Method 1: Using the Main Menu

1. Click the APM menubar icon
2. Select New Project or press ⌘N
3. The New Project window will appear

Fill in Project Details

In the New Project window:

1. Project Name: Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "Website Redesign")
2. Click Create Project

Your project will immediately appear in the left sidebar HUD!

Understanding Project Status

APM uses a priority-based status system inspired by gaming:

Projects are automatically grouped by status:

• 🔥 Hot - Blocked or pinned projects requiring immediate attention
• ⚡ Active - Currently working or ready to work
• 💤 Idle - Backlog or paused projects

Change Project Status

1. Click on your project in the sidebar
2. The right HUD panel will show project details
3. Click the ellipsis menu (...) to pin or unpin your project
4. Watch as your project moves between groups in the sidebar

Create Multiple Projects

Real workflows involve juggling multiple projects. Let's create a few more:

1. Click the Main Menu button at the bottom of the project HUD
2. Create 2-3 more projects with different purposes:
   • "Mobile App Development"
   • "Documentation Updates"
   • "Bug Fixes Sprint"
3. Set different statuses for each project

Your sidebar should now show projects organized by priority!

Project Hierarchy

APM supports nested projects for complex workflows:

Create a Sub-Project

1. Select a parent project in the sidebar
2. Right-click and choose "Add Sub-Project"
3. Name your sub-project (e.g., "Frontend" under "Website Redesign")
4. Click Create

Sub-projects help you:

• Break large initiatives into manageable pieces
• Track related work streams
• Maintain context while diving into details

The Project Panel Interface

Each project in the sidebar shows key information at a glance:

• Status Indicator: Colored dot showing project priority
• Project Name: Click to select and load context
• Live Status: Real-time text showing current activity
• Task Progress: Visual indicator of completion (when tasks exist)

Project Context

When you select a project, APM loads its full context:

1. Click on any project in the sidebar
2. The right HUD panel appears with project details
3. Here you can:
   • Edit project information
   • View and create tasks
   • Configure associated applications
   • Set up window arrangements

Managing Project Views

The sidebar HUD is fully interactive:

Collapse/Expand Groups

• Click the group header (Hot/Active/Idle) to collapse/expand
• Idle projects auto-collapse to reduce clutter
• Your preference is remembered per session

Hide/Show Panels

• Press ⌘⇧H to toggle both panels
• Press ⌘⇧L to toggle left panel only
• Press ⌘⇧R to toggle right panel only

What's Next?

Great job! You now have projects set up in APM. Let's connect AI to supercharge your workflow: