FAQ

This section answers frequently asked support questions from emails and the Discord forum. It is also used for troubleshooting. If this page does not help you, feel free to contact our support.

How does Anchorpoint handle files?

Anchorpoint functions as a file browser and Git client with an integrated metadata system. Production files—such as 3D models, audio, code, or images—are stored on your server, which can be GitHub, a self-hosted Git server, or a NAS. Metadata, including file locking information, tagging, and review details, is managed via our metadata cloud server. This server can also be self-hosted.

Where does Anchorpoint store its metadata?

Anchorpoint processes metadata (tags, file locks, attributes, or shared Git config values) in the Anchorpoint cloud. This enables team collaboration and synchronization across multiple computers. Anchorpoint stores a .approj file in your project so it knows where your project files are located. Anchorpoint never uploads any production data to the Anchorpoint cloud.

What are projects in Anchorpoint?

In Anchorpoint, each project requires a folder for project files. For Git, a project is equivalent to a Git repository.

How do I move a project?

Move the entire folder containing the .approj file to another location. Then, open the project by double-clicking the .approj file, and Anchorpoint will adjust to the new location.

How do I change the project folder?

If you connected Anchorpoint to the wrong project folder or Git repository location and want to fix it, the best approach is to remove your project in "Project Settings" and then select "Delete Project." Keep in mind that this will disconnect you from all previously created attributes, tasks, and comments. If you are using Git, you will also need to delete the hidden .git folder and the .gitignore and .gitattributes files.

What is the .approj file?

The .approj file contains all of Anchorpoint's metadata, so it should always be in the main folder of your project. When you archive your project (e.g., zip it), include the .approj file. This way, Anchorpoint can always restore your metadata in the future, and you will have all the information about your project alongside your project files.

Technically, the .approj file does not store any real data. It always retrieves data from the Anchorpoint cloud, where it is stored indefinitely.

Can I work offline?

Anchorpoint has an offline mode that is activated when there is no Internet connection or when the Anchorpoint server is unavailable. During offline mode, the following features are unavailable:

• Creating new projects
• Inviting members to your workspace and your projects
• File locking
• Changing workspace settings
• Creating an account and logging into the application for the first time

The following features are working, but will not sync in real time. Once issues has been resolved, syncing will be activated again.

• Attribute changes
• Reviews
• Tasks

All other features like Git, file browsing, or actions should work normally.

How to fix login issues

These are possible ways to deal with these problems. Here are some lessons learned from the past.

Antivirus software

Anchorpoint is a signed application (on Windows and macOS) that is usually allowed by antivirus software. We have found in the past that applications like Kaspersky often block Anchorpoint from accessing the Internet. Disable Kaspersky software and then try to log in to Anchorpoint.

Incorrect time in the operating system

Sometimes the login fails if the time in your operating system does not match the global time. Activate the synchronization of the time with the internet.

Cannot store credentials

This issue shows up when the Git is not able to store your credentials in the Windows Credentials Manager. One of the reasons might be that the Credential Manager has too many credentials and you have to remove some old unused ones. You can access it by pressing the WIN key and typing “Credential Manager”, then click on “Windows Credentials” and remove some older entries.

If this does not help, you can try to clear your app data for the windows credential manager. Type this in your Windows Explorer path: %localappdata%\Microsoft\Credentials

My web browser tells me that I am logged in but Anchorpoint does not start

Click on the website permissions and remove the entry: ap:// links

SSL-handshake-failed

An SSL handshake error happens when a secure connection between a client and server fails to establish, usually due to issues like certificate mismatch, protocol/version incompatibility, or network problems.

Check your firewall settings. The firewall might be intercepting HTTPS traffic using SSL inspection and presents its own certificate, which is not trusted by the client. However, Anchorpoint uses a valid public certificate, so the issue lies with the firewall's certificate not being trusted.

I see "Free Plan" or "Trial" while I am part of a licensed workspace. What should I do?

This problem can occur if you previously logged in with a different account. When Anchorpoint starts, it may use the wrong account to log in. Do the following:

1. Log out of Anchorpoint
2. Clear browser cookies
3. Re-login to Anchorpoint with the correct account

How to troubleshoot Anchorpoint startup problems?

The application does not launch after an update

In rare cases, the updater may fail to write certain files, rendering the application unusable. The solution is to simply download and reinstall Anchorpoint.

The application shows a white window and does not start (Windows)

Sometimes there are problems with multiple monitors that the application does not start properly. This is how you can fix the error:

1. Go to: C:\Users"USERNAME"\AppData\Local\Anchorpoint\app-"LATESTVERSIONNUMBER"\scripts\win
2. Double click on "clear_window_settings.bat"

The next time you can try to launch the application normally.

Syncing metadata from server timed out

In this case the desktop application could not get all metadata from the Anchorpoint cloud server. You can do the following:

1. Go to: C:\Users"USERNAME"\AppData\Local\Anchorpoint\app-"LATESTVERSIONNUMBER"\scripts\win
2. Double click on "clear_settings_and_database.bat"

The application freezes during login process

If you find that the application freezes during "Processing Login Information" or a similar step during login, there may be a server connection problem.

This can be resolved by completely reinstalling the application. You can also disable Windows Defender or any firewall during the installation process to ensure that all components are installed correctly.

How to reset the UI settings

Sometimes you can fix UI related issues such as freezing on resetting the local UI settings on your computer.

1. Go to: C:\Users"USERNAME"\AppData\Local\Anchorpoint\app-"LATESTVERSIONNUMBER"\scripts\win
2. Double click on "clear_settings.bat"