Chat

Chat is where you ask crux to do things: onboard a bid, answer a question about the specs, run the takeoff, build the estimate, draft an RFI. Every chat works in one project folder (the job), or as a general chat with no job at all.

The sidebar#

The left side lists your chats.

• Project: pick the job this chat works on. The list holds the job folders crux knows. Pick No project (general chat) for a chat that never looks at any bid; crux then works in its own private folder.
• Browse for a project folder (the folder button): pick the folder that holds a bid's documents.
• New session: start a new chat in the picked project.
• Active and Archived list your chats. Click one to open it. Each chat's menu has Resume, Rename, Archive (or Unarchive) and Delete. Archived chats are deleted automatically 30 days after archiving.
• Drag the sidebar's edge to make it wider; double-click the edge for the default width. The panel button at the top hides or shows it.

Tip: Typing into an empty chat starts a new one in the picked project. Nothing is sent until you press Send.

Starting from a quick action#

A new chat shows a few starting points. Each one fills in the message for you; nothing is sent until you press Send.

• Onboard this bid: index the documents, reconcile the addenda, build the binder. See Onboard a bid.
• Quick takeoff: one quantity from the drawing lines, checked on an overlay.
• Review a supplier quote: read a material quote into the materials list, prices flagged by where they came from. See Supplier quotes.
• Answer this RFI: draft a cited reply for you to review before it goes out.

The message box#

• Press Enter to send, Shift+Enter for a new line.
• Attach files (the button in the message box) adds files to your message.
• Type @ to mention a file in the project.
• Type / for the command list: for example /new (a new session), /resume, /status (sign-in and session summary), /doctor (installation check), /update (check for a newer crux), /compact (summarise the conversation to free room), and /help.
• While crux is working, a Stop button appears (Esc also stops the reply), and Send becomes Queue: your message waits and goes after the current reply.

Below the box are two pickers:

• Model: the Claude model for the chat (Account default unless you change it). A new session starts with your choice.
• Permission mode: how much crux may do without asking. Ask before edits asks before it changes a file. Accept edits lets it write files in the job without asking. Plan only lets it read and plan but change nothing. Auto is shown only when your account and model offer it.

Permission cards#

When crux wants to do something your permission mode does not cover, a card appears in the chat: Allow once, Always allow this session, or Deny (you can give a reason). A card that gets no answer is denied automatically when its countdown reaches zero.

The header#

• The chat's title, its project, and the model.
• Pack pill: shown only when your license unlocks two or more trade packs. See Use another pack in one chat.
• Tool servers: the dots show crux's own tools for this chat. Click them for the list and each one's status.
• Context: how full this chat's memory is, plus your plan's 5-hour and 7-day limits. Compact the conversation summarises it to free room (available when crux is not mid-reply).
• Signed out and Sign in appear if Claude Code is signed out. See Claude Code and your sign-in.

The status line#

The bottom line of the Chat tab shows one dot and one plain sentence about crux itself, for example Everything's running. When something is wrong it says what, with a Fix it button and Send diagnostics. See Troubleshooting. The right end shows the chat's state: Session ready, Working, Reconnecting and so on.

Answers you can trust#

• Facts carry citations. Click one to open the cited page beside the chat. See Citations.
• When onboarding finishes, crux posts one wrap-up in the job's chat: the bid date and who it goes to, the sections found and missing, the open questions, and buttons for what to do next. Turn it off in Settings > Chat.
• A chat you are not looking at closes after a couple of idle minutes and picks up where it left off when you open it.

Keyboard#

• Ctrl+1 to Ctrl+9 open the tabs in order; Ctrl+, opens Settings.