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Bracket MachinePublic information Projects
Counsel review draft

This public test copy explains current product behavior and review areas. It is not final legal terms, does not create legal protection, and does not replace advice from qualified counsel.

public-draft-2026.07
Production blocker: the operator legal name and monitored legal/privacy contact are still placeholders.
Public Help Center

Build the tournament.
Keep control of the project.

Short, task-first guidance for Bracket Machine’s current workflows. This public guide describes what ships without exposing private engineering notes, credentials, or internal architecture.

Browse help Service monitor Privacy and region

First: know where the work lives

The two canvas routes can look similar while using different persistence systems.

Server-backed

Projects

Named projects save through the application service, carry revision-aware updates, and can use project Live settings. They are owned by the active guest or linked account session.

Browser-local

Local canvas

The legacy Canvas stores its board in this exact origin and browser profile. Another host name, port, profile, or cleared browser storage can show a different board.

Help topics

Each card gives the current boundary and the shortest safe path through a workflow.

01

Projects and storage

Create, rename, duplicate, open, and recover tournament work without confusing browser-local Canvas data with server projects.

  1. Use Projects for saved server-backed work and its revision-aware save status.
  2. Use Local canvas for older browser-only boards or experiments tied to this browser origin.
  3. Export a board file or save a copy before clearing browser data or changing origins.
  4. Deleting a server project requires a second activation on the same row-menu action within four seconds; it does not open another dialog.
02

Canvas and Layers

Place, select, arrange, hide, lock, archive, delete, and restore brackets, notes, images, and Arenas.

  1. Use Layers for precise selection, ordering, Arena hierarchy, and per-item visibility.
  2. Use Properties for position, size, appearance, content, and selection-aware controls.
  3. Delete moves each eligible unlocked canvas item to the Recycle Bin; use Ctrl+Z, Board > Recycle Bin, or Settings > Storage to restore it.
  4. The Recycle Bin can restore one item or all items. Delete permanently and Empty Bin require a second activation on the same control and remain undoable only while the current editor history survives.
  5. Binned items remain part of the project document and travel with project copies, editable shares, and whole-board .md exports until permanently deleted.
  6. On a mouse with side buttons, hold Back while using the wheel to zoom. A Back or Forward press steps the selected item one visible layer even while it is not being dragged.
03

Brackets and results

Choose a bracket size and layout, place teams, record winners, and keep tournament structure editable.

  1. Create a bracket from the tool rail, then adjust its starting round and visual theme.
  2. Add teams from the catalogue, or use Custom team to preview and create a Club or National identity with generated artwork, a country flag, a monogram, or initials.
  3. Advance winners deliberately; simulation is a planning aid, not an official result source.
  4. Right-click a bracket for grouped Populate, Results, Appearance, Export, Arrange, archive, lock, annotation, duplicate, and Delete actions.
04

Arenas, notes, and media

Organize production regions, instructions, linked images, and project-scoped imported media.

  1. Arenas group canvas regions and can explicitly contain layers without rewriting their coordinates.
  2. Notes support plain and structured content plus selection-linked Review annotations.
  3. Local media bytes stay in this browser profile unless an explicit portable element file bundles them.
  4. Removing a Media Library source uses a second click on the same inspector action; deleting a canvas placement moves only that placement to the Recycle Bin.
05

Share and export

Distinguish an editable board copy from a poster image and understand what each route leaves behind.

  1. Editable share copies carry the board document, not account identity, Live credentials, or local media folders.
  2. Poster export creates a rendered image; it does not preserve editable objects.
  3. Check linked and local images before sharing because remote hosts and browser storage can be unavailable.
06

Live projects and accounts

Use the current event-access foundation without mistaking it for automatic bracket synchronization.

  1. Live enables bounded external event access for a server project; Not live prevents that event path.
  2. Go Live, Stop Live, Rotate, and Revoke ask for a second click on the same Settings control instead of opening another dialog.
  3. Current Live events do not automatically fill brackets, tables, or annotations.
  4. Email linking is optional for ordinary project use but required for creator package upload and sideload intake.
07

Settings and accessibility

Tune motion, cursor behavior, toolbar arrangement, typing feedback, regional preferences, and canvas safety.

  1. Reduced motion remains available independently of the app's motion preset.
  2. Region, language, and currency are presentation preferences; they do not prove residence or change legal eligibility.
  3. Manual region choice wins over browser-assisted detection, and raw coordinates are not a project field.
  4. Reset board runs immediately and can be undone with Ctrl+Z; Clear local data requires a second click on the same Settings action and then reloads.
08

Troubleshooting

Resolve the most common origin, save, media, account, monitor, and import problems.

  1. Confirm whether the board is in Local canvas or a server project before looking for it.
  2. Remember that localhost, 127.0.0.1, another port, and another browser profile have separate browser storage.
  3. Use the independent Service monitor for availability and preserve a board export before destructive recovery.