Verifying Connection Status in the Dashboard

After configuring your AI client, let’s verify the connection is working.

Step 1: Check the Progress Bar

1. Open the GameCatalyst Dashboard in Unity
2. Look at the Progress Bar at the top
3. The “AI Client” stage should turn yellow or green
4. Yellow = connected but working on another project (“Away”)
5. Green = connected and actively working on this project

Step 2: Check the Status Tab

1. Click the Status tab in the Dashboard
2. Look at the “AI Client” card
3. Status should show “Connected” or “Away”
4. You’ll see the client type (e.g., “Claude Desktop via STDIO”)

Step 3: Test in your AI client

Open your AI client and try these commands:

1. “What projects are available in GameCatalyst?”
   Expected response: List of registered Unity projects
2. “Select the MyGame project”
   Expected response: Confirmation that project is selected, tool count
3. “What tools are available?”
   Expected response: List of 60+ commands

If these commands work, your connection is successful!

Troubleshooting connection issues:

Issue: AI client doesn’t show hammer icon (🔨)

• Restart your AI client completely (close and reopen)
• Check JSON syntax in your config file (use a JSON validator)
• Verify Python is on your PATH (run python --version in terminal)
• Check the Dashboard Activity Log for error messages

Issue: “No projects available” response

• Ensure GameCatalyst servers are running (Dashboard Controls → Start)
• Verify Discovery and Unity Instance stages are green in Progress Bar
• Check Triangle Trifecta — all three dots should be green

Issue: ChatGPT shows “connector unreachable”

• Ensure Web Relay is started (Dashboard Status tab → Web Relay card → Start)
• Verify the relay URL matches what you pasted in ChatGPT
• Check your internet connection

Once connected, the AI Client stage in the Progress Bar will stay green (or yellow when away), and you’re ready to start building.

What to do if connection fails:

The most common issues have simple fixes. If your AI client does not show the MCP tools icon: restart the client completely, check JSON syntax in your config file using a validator, and verify Python is on your PATH. If “no projects available” appears: ensure servers are running via Dashboard Controls and check that Discovery and Unity Instance stages are green. If ChatGPT shows “connector unreachable”: make sure the Web Relay is started in the Dashboard Status tab and verify the relay URL matches what is in your ChatGPT connector settings.

The Activity Log helps:

When troubleshooting, open the Dashboard and check the Activity Log in the Controls tab. Every connection attempt, error, and status change is recorded with timestamps. This gives you a detailed timeline of what happened and where the problem is. Common error messages include clear descriptions and suggested fixes.