# Never Start from Scratch Again: Introducing the New Project Launcher The New Project Launcher helps your team improve efficiency by surfacing existing templates which simplify DFM and reduce mistakes. Written by [Jake Hertz](https://www.flux.ai/jakehertz) Published Feb 2024 - 3 min read ![Never Start from Scratch Again: Introducing the New Project Launcher](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/project-launcher/main.webp) ## At Flux, we believe that true innovation and efficiency in hardware design are only possible through collaboration and sharing. Why reinvent the wheel when you can build on the foundation laid by others? That’s why we’ve built Flux to be the most collaborative PCB design tool ever to exist, helping over 175,000 engineers work together to design the next generation of hardware. ## Now, we’re taking things one step further. This week, we're excited to introduce a paradigm shift in how projects are initiated and shared in Flux with the New Project Launcher. ### Never Start From Scratch Your team is burning time and money each time a new project has to start from scratch. The New Project Launcher is changing that by offering a selection of pre-existing templates to choose from every time you start a new project. Templates can be anything created and shared inside of Flux, whether it comes from the Flux community, your favorite manufacturer, or just from within your organization. Here are some of our favorite templates that you’ll have access to from the Launcher to get a faster and more informed start: - [Reference Designs](https://www.flux.ai/search?q=%23reference-design) templates in Flux set the industry standard for quality and ease of use. Dive right into your projects with ready-to-integrate schematics and layouts, or effortlessly transplant elements into your own designs with our seamless copy-paste functionality. - [Manufacturer design rules](https://www.flux.ai/search?q=%23manufacturer-design-rules) templates provide a robust foundation, incorporating specific design rules and stackups from leading PCB manufacturers like JLCPCB, Oshpark, Aisler, SEEED Studio, and PCBWay. These templates offer built-in guardrails to streamline your design process, ensuring compliance and manufacturability from the outset. - [Part Templates](https://www.flux.ai/ipc-7351-packages) simplify adherence to your organization's standards, ensuring every component you create is consistent and robust right from the start. With templates based on common [IPC standards](https://www.flux.ai/search?q=%22%23ipc7351b+generic-part-template%22), engineers can quickly initiate designs with confidence, customizing parts as needed—streamlining the path from concept to manufacturable component. - [Copilot Presets](https://www.flux.ai/search?q=Copilot+Preset) are specialized AI assistants designed for specific sectors, ensuring compliance and accelerating your design process with adaptable, expert-curated assistance. The New Project Launcher embodies our philosophy of collaboration by making it incredibly simple to leverage the work of peers, experts, and industry leaders. Whether you're seeking inspiration, aiming for compliance with organizational standards, or looking to adopt best practices, these templates guide you toward a successful project from the outset. ### For Every Role, A Benefit No matter who you are, if you’re involved in hardware, you can benefit from the New Project Launcher. **Engineers** gain the advantage of speed by starting projects with templates that encapsulate years of expertise and tested designs, directly from manufacturers or seasoned professionals. This means less time deliberating over the basics and more time refining and innovating. **Managers and stakeholders** can find value in the distribution of best practices and standards, ensuring their teams operate cohesively, risks are minimized, and projects are propelled forward with proven methodologies. That means less risk of errors and faster times to market. **Manufacturers** have the opportunity to amplify their reach and influence by making their reference designs readily available to the community. By driving the adoption of their hardware and simplifying the design-for-manufacture (DFM) process, manufacturers can help the world innovate. [Learn more](https://www.flux.ai/search?q=%23manufacture-design-rules). Anyone can create and distribute templates easily and limit access for just yourself, your team, or publish to the entire Flux community. [Learn more](https://docs.flux.ai/tutorials/reusing-community-projects) about creating and publishing templates.   ### Transforming the Design Landscape The introduction of the New Project Launcher is part of our commitment to simplifying the design process and reshaping the landscape of hardware design. Ultimately, though, this feature is for you, the builders, the dreamers, and the innovators. Your engagement and feedback are what drive us forward. We invite you to explore the New Project Launcher, build on the collective wisdom of the Flux community, and contribute your own insights. Together, let's push the boundaries of what's possible in hardware design. ## About the author [Jake Hertz](https://www.flux.ai/jakehertz) Electronics Engineer at Flux Jake Hertz is an Electrical Engineer who works with Flux. He has his M.S. and B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, and previously worked for MakerBot Industries where he worked developing the electrical systems for next-generation 3D printers. Find him on Flux [@jakehertz](https://www.flux.ai/jakehertz) Let’s start building Build your big idea together with Flux. All you need to do is describe what you want to make, or what problem you want to solve. Flux will work with you to make it a reality. ![Close-up photo of a PCB made with Flux, with an ESP32 module, buttons, and a microSD slot.](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/miscellaneous/sidebar-cta-pcb.webp) [Try it Free](https://www.flux.ai/signup) ## More in Step-by-Step Projects & Templates [ ![Two custom macro pads designed using Flux and powered by Raspberry Pi Pico. The pads feature 12 mechanical switches with per-key white keycaps, two rotary encoders for additional control, and a slide potentiometer for precise adjustments. Both boards are displayed with a vibrant purple PCB design, showcasing Flux's PCB editor and its newest AI Auto-Layout, and are compatible with popular manufacturer specifications.](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/rpi-macro-2/main.webp) ### Design Your Own Macropad With AI Auto-Layout 8 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/how-to-design-a-custom-macro-pad-with-flux)[ ![This image features two main components: On the left is a detailed layout design of an electronic circuit board named "GREEN DOT 2040E5," dated 2023.11.11, and marked as made with Flux.AI. This board includes an RP2040 microcontroller at its heart, surrounded by various electronic components like resistors, capacitors, a switch, and interface connectors for peripherals, labeled with GPIO pins, I2C connections (SDA and SCL), ground (GND), and power supply inputs (3.3V, 5V, 12V). On the right, there's a physical representation of the IoT device, which is an assembled and operational LoRa IoT Sensor Node powered by a battery pack and RP2040 microcontroller. The node is connected to a long, black antenna, indicating its capability to communicate over LoRa (Long Range) wireless networks, commonly used in agriculture for remote monitoring and control. The setup suggests its application in smart agriculture solutions, utilizing IoT technology to collect and transmit data for agricultural purposes.](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/green-dot-board-how-to/main.webp) ### How to design and deploy a LoRa IoT sensor node with RP2040 14 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/how-to-design-and-deploy-a-lora-iot-sensor-node-with-rp2040)[ ![Using copilot to help design a webcam based on Omnivision's image sensor. Half of the screen is about the schematic and half is about the pcb layout.](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/using-ai-to-design-webcam/main.webp) ### Using AI to Design a Webcam: An End-to-End Example 8 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/using-ai-to-design-a-webcam-an-end-to-end-example)[ ![40+ open-source hardware projects you can build over the holidays with Flux](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/projects-you-can-build-over-the-holidays/main.webp) ### 40+ Hardware Projects You Can Build Over the Holidays 7 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/40-plus-hardware-projects-you-can-build-over-the-holidays)[ ![How to Design a Custom Keyboard PCB](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/how-to-design-a-keyboard-pcb/main.webp) ### How to Design a Custom Keyboard PCB 12 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/how-to-design-a-keyboard-pcb)[ ![Arduino microcontroller board used in a home automation system project. Do it yourself or hobbyist level PCB board.](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/arduino-essential-guides/main.webp) ### Master DIY Electronics: Essential Guides to Arduino Projects 7 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/master-diy-electronics-essential-guides-to-arduino-projects)[ ![Two blurred Arduino boards placed at the background and an upcoming Arduino Matter Board at the foreground. Arduino and Silicon Labs team up to make the Matter protocol accessible to all](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/arduino-matter/main.webp) ### Revolutionizing IoT Design: Flux Brings Arduino-Based Matter Projects to Life 4 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/revolutionizing-iot-design-flux-brings-arduino-based-matter-projects-to-life)[ ![Different reference design PCB boards made with Flux](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/harnessing-power-reference-designs/main.webp) ### Harnessing the Power of Flux for Industrial Sensing Applications 8 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/harnessing-the-power-of-flux-for-industrial-sensing-applications)[ ![Ryan, an electronics engineer holding an AI pin he created using Flux with the help of Copilot.](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/ai-pin-tutorial/main.webp) ### PCB Design Tutorial: AI Pendant 3 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/pcb-design-tutorial-ai-pendant)[ ![Top 5 CES 2025 Hardware Projects You Can Build With Flux](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/ces2025-projects/main.webp) ### Top 5 CES 2025 Hardware Projects You Can Build With Flux 5 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/top-5-ces-2025-hardware-projects-you-can-build-with-flux)[ ![Why you should start designing your PCB from a template](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/start-from-a-template/main.webp) ### Why you should start designing your PCB from a template 3 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/why-you-should-start-designing-your-pcb-from-a-template)[ ![Flux app screenshot with raspberry pi pico schematic diagram](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/raspberry-pi-pico-in-20mins/main.webp) ### Raspberry Pi Pico Schematic in 20 minutes using Flux Copilot 4 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/raspberry-pi-pico-schematic-in-20-minutes-using-flux-copilot)[ ![Agri.iO revolutionizes farming with Flux](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/case-study-agri-io/main.webp) ### Agri.iO revolutionizes farming with Flux 4 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/agri-io-revolutionizes-farming-with-flux)[ ![Tilt Tracker smart sensor mounted on a door lock, with a phone app showing the door is locked](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/case-study-tilt-tracker/main.webp) ### He'd never designed a PCB. Now Tilt Tracker is taking pre-orders. 6 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/building-tilt-tracker-first-pcb-in-flux)[ ![Top 10 Popular Microcontrollers for Embedded Systems including STM32F103C8T6, ESP32, ESP8266, ATtiny85, PIC16F877A, ATmega32U4, ATmega328P, and more. Essential MCUs for IoT, DIY projects, and professional PCB designs with key features like Wi-Fi, USB, and Bluetooth support.](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/top-10-popular-mcu/main.webp) ### Design Your First PCB: 10 Popular Microcontrollers to Get Started 5 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/design-your-first-pcb-10-popular-microcontrollers-to-get-started)[ ![New NextPCB Templates For More Streamlined Manufacturing](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/nextpcb-templates/main.webp) ### New NextPCB Templates For More Streamlined Manufacturing 4 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/new-nextpcb-templates-for-more-streamlined-manufacturing)[ ![Flux + Seeed: From Template to PCB in Minutes](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/flux-to-seeed/main.webp) ### Flux + Seeed: From Template to PCB in Minutes 3 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/flux-seeed-from-template-to-pcb-in-minutes) See All (17) ## Let’s start building. Let’s build your idea together. All you need to do is describe what you want to make, or what problem you want to solve. Flux will work with you to make it a reality. [Try it Free](https://www.flux.ai/signup) ![Close-up of a Flux-designed printed circuit board](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/mission-visual.webp)