Hi Paul,
I think you might have run into a defect that occurs in some rare instances. Did you see a big, mostly black palette on the right side of the screen (after first launch) and close that palette? If so, then you might need to re-install the application to get your palettes back. As far as I know, that is the only way to fix the problem, but I will double-check with the rest of the team just to make sure.
If you do decided to reinstall Project Cooper, just close the application if you see the black palette again (don't close the palette). Once you restart the application, the black palette should be gone.
I'm really sorry that you have run into this problem - we are looking at fixing this defect asap.
Thanks,
Yan