Questions and answers

Short answers, with links to the details.

What is Glass Project?

A free Mac app that opens, edits and saves projects made in MacProject Pro 1.5, the Claris project manager of the 1990s. It has MacProject Pro’s menus, command keys and charts, and calculates schedules the same way. It can also save files that MacProject Pro still opens.

Which MacProject files does it open?

MacProject Pro 1.5 projects (file type MPRX) and Perspectives (MPRE). Files from MacProject II and earlier use older formats that it can’t read yet.

Will it change my original files?

No. A MacProject Pro file opens as a copy, and nothing is written back to it. When you save, Glass Project asks where to put the new document.

Can MacProject Pro open what Glass Project saves?

Yes, if you choose the MacProject Pro format in Save As, or use File ▸ Export ▸ MacProject Pro 1.5 File. Files saved that way were tested by opening them in MacProject Pro 1.5. Glass Project’s own documents (.glassproject) are for Glass Project only.

Does it calculate the same dates as MacProject Pro?

For the projects that shipped with MacProject Pro 1.5, it reproduces the dates MacProject Pro stored for 618 of 619 tasks and the costs for all 902 resource assignments. The research pages describe the rules and the one exception.

What does it run on?

macOS 15 or later, on Apple silicon or Intel. It doesn’t run on Windows, Linux, iPhone or iPad.

What does it cost?

Nothing. There is no price, no account, no subscription and nothing inside to buy.

Can I use it at work?

Yes. Its licence, PolyForm Shield 1.0.0, lets anyone use it for any purpose, change it and share it. What it rules out is selling Glass Project, or offering a version of it as a competing product.

Does it send anything over the internet?

No. Glass Project makes no network connections: no update check, no analytics, no account.

My projects are on old floppy disks. Can I still open them?

Usually, once they’re copied onto your Mac. Those disks are in the Mac OS Standard (HFS) format, which macOS hasn’t read since macOS 10.15. To copy the files off, you’ll need a program that reads HFS disks, or a classic Mac emulator with a shared folder. Then open them with File ▸ Open.

Is it from Claris or Apple?

No. Glass Project is an independent research project and isn’t affiliated with Claris or Apple. MacProject and MacProject Pro are trademarks of their respective owners.

Who made it?

Michael Sitarzewski, working with an AI coding assistant, Claude. The source is on GitHub.

How can I help?

Report files that don’t open (without attaching anything private), share what you remember about how MacProject worked, or send a fix. The Contributing guide explains how.