1. VEX Library
  2. VEXcode VR
  3. VR Features
  4. Load and Save

Loading and Saving a VEXcode VR Project on Windows

A project can be loaded and saved in VEXcode VR in a few ways.

Note: Due to browser limitations, different web browsers will display varying options for saving and loading. Be sure to follow the instructions specific to your browser. Don't see your browser listed? Make sure your browser supports VEXcode VR here.

Check for Autosave Compatibility

Browser compatibility for autosaving varies. To determine if your browser supports this feature, follow these steps:

A close-up of the VEXcode VR interface shows the project name section at the top center of the screen. The project is labeled as VEXcode Project and is highlighted with a red outline. To the right of the project name, the status Not Saved is displayed, indicating the project has not been saved. To the left, undo and redo buttons are visible, allowing the user to reverse or reapply recent changes.

Select the project's name.

A close-up of the VEXcode VR interface shows the project save dialog. The project name is VEXcode Project with an editable field. Below, the text Autosave Capable Browser is highlighted with a red outline, indicating that the browser supports automatic saving. Additional information such as the Class, Code, and Tier (Premium) is displayed.At the bottom, there are options for Saving help, Cancel, and a disabled Save button.

If the web browser can support autosave, it will say Autosave Capable Browser.

If autosave is available, VEXcode will automatically save all changes once you've opened or initially saved a project to your computer.

A close-up of the VEXcode VR interface shows the project save dialog. The project name is VEXcode Project in an editable text field. Below, the text Autosave Unavailable is highlighted with a red outline, indicating that the autosave feature is not active. Additional information such as Class, Code, and Tier (Premium) is displayed. At the bottom, options for Saving help, Cancel, and a disabled Save button are visible.

If the web browser cannot support autosave, it will say Autosave Unavailable.

If autosave is not available, you must manually save your project after each change to prevent data loss.

View the "Save Using the File Menu" section of this article to learn how to save your project.

Open an Existing Project

Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge

Screenshot of the VEXcode VR interface showing the Load and Save options, illustrating how users can manage their coding projects within the online programming environment for virtual robotics.

Load an existing project by selecting Open from the File menu.

A Windows file explorer window open to the Downloads folder. A file named Drive Forward.vrblocks is highlighted and selected. The file type displayed at the bottom is VRBLOCKS File. The left-side navigation pane lists locations such as This PC, 3D Objects, and other common folders, with the Downloads folder selected. There are buttons at the bottom of the window to either open the file by clicking Open or to cancel the selection by clicking Cancel.

Use the Windows interface to navigate and open your existing VEXcode VR project. 

Firefox

The menu in the image features a highlighted option in a red box labeled Load From Your Device, followed by a keyboard shortcut Ctrl + O. Other options include New Blocks Project, New Text Project, Open Examples, Save to Your Device, What's New, Logout, and Manage Licenses. The background shows the File and Tools options at the top, along with Tutorials and Learn buttons.

Load an existing project by selecting Load From Your Device from the File menu.

The image shows a file explorer window with a folder titled Downloads open. In the center of the window, a file named Drive Forward.vrblocks is highlighted inside a red box. The file type is listed as VRBLOCKS File, and there are options at the bottom to either Open or Cancel. Various navigation folders are shown on the left side, such as This PC, 3D Objects, and USB Drive (F:). The search bar is located at the top right corner of the window.

Use the Windows interface to navigate and open your existing VEXcode VR project.

Open an Example Project

Screenshot of the VEXcode VR interface showing the Load and Save functionality, featuring options for saving projects and loading existing ones, designed to facilitate coding practice in a virtual robotics environment.

Open an example project by selecting Open Examples from the File menu. This text is the same across all browsers.

To learn more about using Example Projects in VEXcode VR view this article.

Rename a Project

Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge

The image shows a section of a blue interface with the VEXcode Project button in the center, outlined by a red box. The button contains a small hexagonal icon next to the text VEXcode Project. To the left, there are Undo and Redo icons, and on the right, there is text indicating the project is Not Saved. The background behind these elements is a light blue gradient.

To rename a project, select the Project Name window.

A close-up of the VEXcode VR interface shows the project save dialog. The project name is VEXcode Project, displayed in an editable text field that is highlighted with a red outline. Below the project name, options such as Class, Code, and Tier (Premium) are visible, though some details are blurred. At the bottom, there are buttons for Saving help, Cancel, and a disabled Save button. The text Autosave Capable Browser is shown just below the project name.

The text inside the Project Name window will be highlighted. Type in the new name of your project.

A close-up of the VEXcode VR interface shows the project save dialog. The project name has been updated to Robot Drive, displayed in an editable text field. Below, the text Autosave Capable Browser is visible. Information about Class, Code, and Tier (Premium) is shown, though some details are blurred. At the bottom, there are buttons for Saving help, Cancel, and a blue Save button highlighted with a red outline, indicating that the project is ready to be saved.

Once the project name has been changed, the Save button will be enabled.

Select Save.

The image shows a file explorer window where the user is saving a file named Robot Drive.vrblocks in the Downloads folder. The file type is listed as Text file with several possible formats, including .vrblocks, .txt, and .text. The Save button, located in the bottom right corner, is highlighted with a red box, while the Cancel button is next to it. The left side shows common folders like This PC, 3D Objects, and Desktop. The search bar is located at the top right of the window.

Navigate to where you want to save your project and select Save.

Screenshot of the VEXcode VR interface showing the Load and Save feature, highlighting options for saving and loading programming projects in a virtual robot environment.

The autosave indicator to the right of the project's name will now change to Saved.

A close-up of the VEXcode VR interface shows the project save dialog. The project name is Robot Drive, displayed in an editable text field. Below, the text Autosave Capable Browser is visible. Information such as Class, Code, and Tier (Premium) is displayed, though some details are blurred. At the bottom, there are buttons for Saving help, Cancel, and a Save As button highlighted with a red outline, indicating the option to save the project with a new name.

Now when you select the Project Name window, the Save button will have changed to a Save As button.

Firefox

The image displays a blue interface featuring a button labeled VEXcode Project, which is outlined by a red box. A small hexagonal icon is placed next to the text. On the left side of the image, Undo and Redo icons are visible. The background consists of a gradient light blue, with no further text or status indication on the right side.

To rename a project, select the Project Name window.

A close-up of the VEXcode VR interface shows the project save dialog. The project name is VEXcode Project, displayed in an editable text field that is highlighted with a red outline. Below, the text Autosave Unavailable is visible, indicating that the autosave feature is not active. Information such as Class, Code, and Tier (Premium) is shown, though some details are blurred. At the bottom, there are options for Saving help, Cancel, and a disabled Save button.

The text inside the Project Name window will be highlighted. Type in the new name of your project.

A close-up of the VEXcode VR interface shows the project save dialog with the project name set to Robot Drive. Below the project name, the text Autosave Unavailable is visible, indicating that the autosave feature is not active. Information such as Class, Code, and Tier (Premium) is displayed, though some details are blurred. At the bottom, there are options for Saving help, Cancel, and a blue Save button, which is highlighted with a red outline, indicating the option to save the project.

Once the project name has been changed, the Save button will be enabled. Select Save to apply the new name to your project.

The image shows a blue interface with a button labeled Robot Drive. A hexagonal icon is positioned next to the text. On the left side of the image, there are Undo and Redo icons. The background consists of a light blue gradient, and there is no additional text or status indication on the right side of the screen.

The project name will change at the top of the project.

Important: Firefox does not support autosave. Project name changes won't be saved until you manually save the project to your device.

Save Using the File Menu

Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge

Screenshot of the VEXcode VR interface showing the Load and Save functionality, featuring options to load existing projects and save current work in a block-based coding environment for virtual robotics programming.

Open the File menu and select Save or Save As.

The image shows a drop-down menu from the File tab of an interface. Options include New Blocks Project, New Text Project, Open, Open Examples, Save, and Save As. The Save option is highlighted in a red box, and its shortcut is shown as Ctrl + S. Above the menu, there are two tabs labeled Tools and File, with Tutorials and Learn buttons nearby. On the left, blocks related to Drivetrain, Magnet, Switch, and other options are visible in a column.

A dialog box will show. Navigate to where you want to save your VEXcode project and select Save.

The image shows a file explorer window with the Downloads folder open. A single file, VEXcode Project.vrblocks, is highlighted and surrounded by a red box. On the left side, common folders like This PC, 3D Objects, Desktop, Documents, Downloads, and Local Disk (C:) are visible for navigation. The search bar is located at the top right corner of the window, and there is a label indicating the file was added today.

Your file will be saved in the chosen location.

Firefox

The image displays a drop-down menu under the File tab of the interface. Options include New Blocks Project, New Text Project, Load From Your Device, Open Examples, Save to Your Device (highlighted with a red box and labeled with the shortcut Ctrl + S), What's New, Logout, and Manage Licenses. To the left, there are draggable code blocks for Drivetrain, Magnet, Switch, and other commands. The interface features the VR icon and navigation buttons like Tools, Tutorials, and Learn at the top.

Open the File menu and select Save To Your Device.

A web browser's download bar with a completed download labeled VEXcode Project.vrblocks. The file size is 651 bytes. To the right of the file name is a folder icon that allows the user to open the containing folder. Below the file, there is an option to

The save notification will appear at the top of the browser.

A file explorer window with the Downloads folder open. A single file, VEXcode Project.vrblocks, is highlighted with a red box, indicating that it was added today. On the left side of the window, common navigation folders such as This PC, 3D Objects, Desktop, Documents, and Downloads are visible. The search bar is located at the top right corner of the window, and the file path is displayed at the top, showing the file is in the Local Disk (C:) directory under the Downloads folder.

Your file will be saved in the chosen location.

Important: Firefox does not support autosave. Project changes won't be saved until you manually save the project to your device.

Common Issue when Loading/Saving

A Windows error message that notifies the user that a file does not have an associated app for opening it. The message suggests installing an app or creating an association through the Default Apps Settings page. There is an OK button in the lower right to close the message.

A common issue when using VEXcode project files is trying to select the project file to be opened directly by the operating system.

A file explorer window with a pop-up message in the center asking how to open the file. The options include looking for an app in the Store or choosing more apps. There is a checkbox to always use the selected app to open vrblocks files. The OK button is visible but not selectable. In the background, the Downloads folder is open with a file named Drive Forward.vrblocks, and common folders like Quick access and This PC are visible on the left side.

If you try to open a VEXcode project file by double clicking it, it will show this error message.

To open these files correctly, any VEXcode VR files must be opened in VEXcode VR.

For more information, help, and tips, check out the many resources at VEX Professional Development Plus

Last Updated: