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Keeping your course projects up to date

When a new version of the course comes out, we update the Godot project files to fix bugs, make improvements, and provide new files to follow new course modules.
In this guide, you'll learn how to:
  • Update your course files for the latest version of the course.
  • How to preserve your code and editor settings when updating to the latest version.
In short, to preserve your editor settings, you will need to:
  1. Download and extract the ZIP file for the latest version of the course.
  2. Copy new project folders to your existing copy of the course files.
  3. Locate and copy the project list file.
You'll find more details and explanations for each step below.

Detailed guide

Download and extract the ZIP file for the latest version of the course

First, you will need to download the latest version of the course files. Look at the section Download the course files above.
Then, extract the contents of the ZIP file on your computer. It will create a folder on your computer containing the course files.
How do I extract a ZIP file?
On most systems, you can double-click a downloaded ZIP file to open it, then select and drag and drop its contents outside the ZIP to decompress the files.
Below are our recommended steps for extracting Godot from the ZIP file on Windows, Linux, and macOS.
On Windows
The file explorer in Windows comes with a tool to extract ZIP archives, but it is not modern and can have trouble with some files. We recommend using the free and open-source tool 7-Zip for more reliable and faster extraction.
To extract the files:
  1. Open the file explorer.
  2. Navigate to the folder containing the file you just downloaded.
  3. Right-click the file.
  4. If you're using 7-Zip, select 7-Zip > Extract Here. If you're using the built-in Windows tool, select Extract All...
If you face any issues with the built-in Windows tool, we recommend using 7-Zip.
On Linux
The most common Linux file explorers come with built-in archive extraction tools. Here's how to do it with Nautilus (Gnome file explorer), but the steps should be similar to those of other file explorers.
To extract the files in Nautilus:
  1. Open the file explorer.
  2. Navigate to the folder containing the file you just downloaded.
  3. Right-click the file.
  4. Select Extract Here
On macOS
To extract the files with the macOS Finder:
  1. Open Finder.
  2. Navigate to the folder containing the file you just downloaded.
  3. Double-click the file.

Copy new project folders to your existing course files

In the folder extracted from the ZIP archive, you will find a subfolder named projects.
The projects folder in the extracted ZIP archive
Enter it to locate the Godot project folders for the course modules. Each folder's name begins with the module number. For example, in Learn 2D Gamedev From Zero, the folders starting with "M04." contain the Godot workbook and solution project files for module M4. To Space and Beyond.
The M04. folder selected in the projects folder
You can copy any of these project folders to your existing course files to add or replace the project files for the new modules.
To do so:
  1. Open the folder containing your existing course files in a separate file explorer window or tab.
  2. Locate and enter the projects folder in your existing course files.
  3. Select and copy the project folders for the new modules from the extracted ZIP archive.
  4. Paste the project folders into the projects folder in your existing course files.
If you overwrite one of your existing project folders, your code will be lost!
If you copy a project folder that you already have over to your existing course files, the new files will replace your existing ones. If you've written code in the existing project, it will be lost.
So, in general, we recommend only copying new project folders to your existing course files unless you're blocked by a bug or issue in the existing project or you're okay with losing your code. Alternatively, you can create a copy of the existing folders to preserve your code.
Note that the completion marks for completed practices will be preserved in any case as they are stored separately.

Locate and copy the project list file

On Windows and Linux (currently, not on macOS due to macOS limitations), we provide a standalone copy of Godot. It comes with a predefined list of projects to display in the project manager.
To display new projects in the project manager, you will need to copy the projects.cfg file from the extracted ZIP archive to your existing course files. This file tells Godot how to list projects in the project manager window.
To do so:
  1. Move up a directory from the projects folder in the extracted ZIP archive.
  2. You should see another folder named editor_data. Enter it.
  3. It contains a file named projects.cfg. Copy it.
  4. Open the folder containing your existing course files in a separate file explorer window or tab, navigate to the editor_data folder, and paste the projects.cfg file. Replace the existing file if prompted.
And voilà! You've updated your existing course files with the new projects and the project list file. You can launch Godot to see the new projects in the project manager.
With these steps, your editor settings will be preserved, and you'll be able to continue with new course modules without losing your progress.
What if I'm on macOS?
On macOS, as you're working with a separate copy of Godot, you'll need to import the projects manually. You can do so by opening the Godot project manager, clicking the Scan button at the top, and navigating to the projects folder in your existing course files. Click Select Current Folder to add the projects to the project manager.
Check the guide Opening a project in Godot for more details.
Why is there a Godot executable in the ZIP archive?
The ZIP archive we provide comes with a copy of the Godot executable on Windows and Linux.
This allows us to control the Godot version and make sure the course is well tested for it, and it also gives you an environment and project manager dedicated to the course so you don't pollute your list of personal projects.
Will you provide course downloads with only the Godot projects or only the new Godot projects for each release?
For now, we've decided to provide only one download per platform to avoid any confusion. When we experimented with offering more granular download options in the past, it could be difficult for people to know what option they should go for.