diff --git a/PanoPainter-OSX/main.cpp b/PanoPainter-OSX/main.cpp
index 86e5f0f..89fd826 100644
--- a/PanoPainter-OSX/main.cpp
+++ b/PanoPainter-OSX/main.cpp
@@ -61,6 +61,26 @@ std::mutex task_mutex;
     }
     return ret;
 }
+- (std::string)pick_dir
+{
+    NSOpenPanel *panel = [NSOpenPanel openPanel];
+    [panel setCanChooseFiles:NO];
+    [panel setCanChooseDirectories:YES];
+    [panel setAllowsMultipleSelection:NO]; // yes if more than one dir is allowed
+    
+    NSInteger clicked = [panel runModal];
+
+    std::string ret;
+    if (clicked == NSFileHandlingPanelOKButton)
+    {
+        for (NSURL *url in [panel URLs])
+        {
+            LOG("selected path: %s", [[url path] cStringUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding]);
+            ret = [[url path] cStringUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
+        }
+    }
+    return ret;
+}
 - (instancetype)initWithFrame:(NSRect)frameRect
 {
     gl_ready = false;
diff --git a/PanoPainter-OSX/main.h b/PanoPainter-OSX/main.h
index ab49287..6a2d0a2 100644
--- a/PanoPainter-OSX/main.h
+++ b/PanoPainter-OSX/main.h
@@ -23,4 +23,5 @@
 - (void)async_unlock;
 - (void)async_swap;
 - (std::string)pick_file:(NSArray<NSString*>*)types;
+- (std::string)pick_dir;
 @end
diff --git a/data/layout.xml b/data/layout.xml
index b109021..367b375 100644
--- a/data/layout.xml
+++ b/data/layout.xml
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@
           <text id="message" text="Longer description for the error or the message." font-face="arial" font-size="11"></text>
           <node height="40" grow="1" dir="row" align="flex-end" justify="flex-end">
             <button id="btn-ok" text="Ok" width="50" height="30" margin="0 10 0 0"/>
-            <button id="btn-cancel" text="Cancel" width="60" height="30" pad="10"/>
+            <button id="btn-cancel" text="Cancel" width="60" height="30"/>
           </node>
         </border>
       </border>
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@
             <border width="50" height="30" grow="1" margin="0 10 0 0" color=".2">
               <border id="progress" width="50%" color="1 0 0 1" height="30"/>
             </border>
-            <button id="btn-cancel" text="Cancel" width="60" height="30" pad="10"/>
+            <button id="btn-cancel" text="Cancel" width="60" height="30"/>
           </node>
         </border>
       </border>
@@ -403,8 +403,8 @@
             <text-input id="txt-input" justify="center" pad="5" grow="1" height="30" color=".3"/>
           </border>
           <node height="40" grow="1" dir="row" align="flex-end" justify="flex-end">
-            <button id="btn-ok" text="Rename Layer" width="100" height="30" margin="0 10 0 0"/>
-            <button id="btn-cancel" text="Cancel" width="60" height="30" pad="10"/>
+            <button id="btn-ok" text="Rename Layer" width="110" height="30" margin="0 10 0 0"/>
+            <button id="btn-cancel" text="Cancel" width="60" height="30"/>
           </node>
         </border>
       </border>
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@
           </border>
           <node height="40" grow="1" dir="row" align="flex-end" justify="flex-end">
             <button id="btn-ok" text="Resize" width="70" height="30" margin="0 10 0 0"/>
-            <button id="btn-cancel" text="Cancel" width="60" height="30" pad="10"/>
+            <button id="btn-cancel" text="Cancel" width="60" height="30"/>
           </node>
         </border>
       </border>
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@
         <node id="footer" height="40" dir="row" align="flex-end" justify="flex-end" pad="10">
           <node grow="1"><button id="btn-delete" text="Delete Project" width="100" height="30" margin="0 10 0 0" color="1 0 0 1"/></node>
           <button id="btn-ok" text="Open Project" width="100" height="30" margin="0 10 0 0"/>
-          <button id="btn-cancel" text="Cancel" width="60" height="30" pad="10"/>
+          <button id="btn-cancel" text="Cancel" width="60" height="30"/>
         </node>
       </border>
     </border>
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@
         <node id="footer" height="40" dir="row" align="flex-end" justify="flex-end" pad="10">
           <node grow="1"/>
           <button id="btn-ok" text="Open Project" width="100" height="30" margin="0 10 0 0"/>
-          <button id="btn-cancel" text="Cancel" width="60" height="30" pad="10"/>
+          <button id="btn-cancel" text="Cancel" width="60" height="30"/>
         </node>
       </border>
     </border>
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@
           <node height="40" grow="1" dir="row" align="flex-end" justify="flex-end">
             <node grow="1"><button id="btn-delete" text="Delete Project" width="100" height="30" margin="0 10 0 0" color="1 0 0 1"/></node>
             <button id="btn-ok" text="Open Project" width="100" height="30" margin="0 10 0 0"/>
-            <button id="btn-cancel" text="Cancel" width="60" height="30" pad="10"/>
+            <button id="btn-cancel" text="Cancel" width="60" height="30"/>
           </node>
         </border>
       </border>
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@
           </border>
           <node height="40" grow="1" dir="row" align="flex-end" justify="flex-end">
             <button id="btn-ok" text="Save Project" width="100" height="30" margin="0 10 0 0"/>
-            <button id="btn-cancel" text="Cancel" width="60" height="30" pad="10"/>
+            <button id="btn-cancel" text="Cancel" width="60" height="30"/>
           </node>
         </border>
       </border>
@@ -562,8 +562,9 @@
           </border>
           <text os="win,osx" id="path" text="Workind dir: path" text-wrap-width="470" font-face="arial" font-size="11" margin="10 5 10 5"/>
           <node height="40" grow="1" dir="row" align="flex-end" justify="flex-end">
-            <button id="btn-ok" text="Create Project" width="100" height="30" margin="0 10 0 0"/>
-            <button id="btn-cancel" text="Cancel" width="60" height="30" pad="10"/>
+            <node grow="1" os="win,osx"><button id="btn-path" text="Set working dir" width="120" height="30" margin="0 10 0 0"/></node>
+            <button id="btn-ok" text="Create Project" width="110" height="30" margin="0 10 0 0"/>
+            <button id="btn-cancel" text="Cancel" width="60" height="30"/>
           </node>
         </border>
       </border>
@@ -601,7 +602,7 @@
           <!--footer buttons-->
           <node height="40" grow="1" dir="row" align="flex-end" justify="flex-end">
             <button id="btn-ok" text="Ok" width="50" height="30" margin="0 10 0 0"/>
-            <button text="Cancel" width="60" height="30" pad="10"/>
+            <button text="Cancel" width="60" height="30"/>
           </node>
         </border>
       </border>
diff --git a/src/app.cpp b/src/app.cpp
index ebb2769..b204524 100644
--- a/src/app.cpp
+++ b/src/app.cpp
@@ -182,6 +182,9 @@ void App::initLog()
         CreateDirectoryA(rec_path.c_str(), NULL);
 #endif
 
+    // TODO: save this path somewhere in the settings, don't overwrite every start
+    work_path = data_path;
+
     //LogRemote::I.start();
     LogRemote::I.file_init();
     LOG("%s", g_version);
diff --git a/src/app.h b/src/app.h
index ba28da1..e5c750a 100644
--- a/src/app.h
+++ b/src/app.h
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ class App
 public:
     static App I;
     std::string data_path{ "." };
-    
+    std::string work_path{ "." };
     std::string rec_path{ "." };
     std::thread rec_thread;
     bool rec_running = false;
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ public:
 #endif
     void pick_image(std::function<void(std::string path)> callback);
     void pick_file(std::vector<std::string> types, std::function<void(std::string path)> callback);
+    void pick_dir(std::function<void(std::string path)> callback);
     void display_file(std::string path);
     void showKeyboard();
     void hideKeyboard();
diff --git a/src/app_events.cpp b/src/app_events.cpp
index 8cdd2b9..58546d7 100644
--- a/src/app_events.cpp
+++ b/src/app_events.cpp
@@ -90,6 +90,27 @@ void App::pick_file(std::vector<std::string> types, std::function<void (std::str
 #endif
 }
 
+void App::pick_dir(std::function<void(std::string path)> callback)
+{
+    redraw = true;
+#ifdef __IOS__
+    // NOT IMPLEMENTED
+#elif __OSX__
+    dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
+        std::string path = [osx_view pick_dir];
+        if (!path.empty())
+            callback(path);
+    });
+#elif __ANDROID__
+    // NOT IMPLEMENTED
+#elif _WIN32
+    // TODO: to be implemented
+//    std::string path = win32_open_file();
+//    if (!path.empty())
+//        callback(path);
+#endif
+}
+
 void App::display_file(std::string path)
 {
 #ifdef __IOS__
diff --git a/src/node_button.cpp b/src/node_button.cpp
index 63c8b9c..522e935 100644
--- a/src/node_button.cpp
+++ b/src/node_button.cpp
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ void NodeButton::loaded()
 
 void NodeButton::parse_attributes(kAttribute ka, const tinyxml2::XMLAttribute* attr)
 {
+    Node::parse_attributes(ka, attr);
     switch (ka)
     {
     case kAttribute::Color:
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ void NodeButton::parse_attributes(kAttribute ka, const tinyxml2::XMLAttribute* a
         m_text->parse_attributes(ka, attr);
         break;
     default:
-        Node::parse_attributes(ka, attr);
+//        Node::parse_attributes(ka, attr);
         break;
     }
     //         m_border->parse_attributes(ka, attr);
diff --git a/src/node_dialog_open.cpp b/src/node_dialog_open.cpp
index b2b81dd..d42ee95 100644
--- a/src/node_dialog_open.cpp
+++ b/src/node_dialog_open.cpp
@@ -233,9 +233,18 @@ void NodeDialogNewDoc::init_controls()
             btn_ok->on_click(btn_ok);
     };
 #if defined(_WIN32) || defined(__OSX__)
-    working_path = find<NodeText>("path");
     static char path_buffer[256];
-    realpath(App::I.data_path.c_str(), path_buffer);
+    btn_path = find<NodeButton>("btn-path");
+    btn_path->on_click = [this](Node*){
+        App::I.pick_dir([this](std::string path){
+            LOG("change working path to %s", path.c_str());
+            App::I.work_path = path;
+            realpath(path.c_str(), path_buffer);
+            working_path->set_text_format("Working dir: %s", path_buffer);
+        });
+    };
+    working_path = find<NodeText>("path");
+    realpath(App::I.work_path.c_str(), path_buffer);
     working_path->set_text_format("Working dir: %s", path_buffer);
 #endif
 }
diff --git a/src/node_dialog_open.h b/src/node_dialog_open.h
index d128198..468fb2f 100644
--- a/src/node_dialog_open.h
+++ b/src/node_dialog_open.h
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ class NodeDialogNewDoc : public NodeBorder
 public:
     NodeButton* btn_cancel;
     NodeButton* btn_ok;
+    NodeButton* btn_path;
     NodeTextInput* input;
     NodeText* working_path;
     NodeComboBox* m_resolution;