# Design Assistant Source: https://docs.arcweave.com/project-tools/ai-features/design-assistant Section: Project Tools > AI tools Description: How to use the AI assistant in your Arcweave projects The **Design Assistant** helps you explore, brainstorm, and edit your project. Ask it about your story or about Arcweave, or ask it to make changes, such as creating elements, connecting them, or reorganizing boards. The Design Assistant reads your project's live data whenever it needs it, so its answers reflect the project's current state. It also uses the open board and up to 50 selected items as context. A badge above the input shows the board's name and how many items are selected, for example _Main · 2 selected_. ## Video tutorial Context: Arcweave docs > Project Tools > AI tools > Design Assistant > Video tutorial Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9CS0Ihs1F8 ## Access the Design Assistant Context: Arcweave docs > Project Tools > AI tools > Design Assistant > Access the Design Assistant The Design Assistant follows the shared [AI access requirements](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-tools/ai-features/overview#access-requirements). To access the Design Assistant: 1. Click on the **Design Assistant** button (sparkles icon) on the right of the top menu. 2. Type a question or a request of up to **2,000 characters** in the chat interface. A character counter appears as you approach the limit. 3. Press **Enter** or click the **send** button (arrow icon). To add a new line without sending, press **Shift+Enter**. Press **Esc** while typing to close the Design Assistant. > ℹ️ Each Design Assistant message costs **1 AI credit** from your workspace's monthly allowance. See [AI credits](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-tools/ai-features/design-assistant#ai-credits) below. ### Suggested prompts Context: Arcweave docs > Project Tools > AI tools > Design Assistant > Access the Design Assistant > Suggested prompts When the conversation is empty, the Design Assistant suggests a few prompts. The suggestions depend on whether your project is blank: - **Blank project** (no elements, components, or variables yet): _Draft a short interactive story_, _Create a character_, _Set up an example quest_, and _How do variables and branches work?_ - **Project with content**: _Summarize this project_, _Check my story for issues_, _Summarize this board_, and _Suggest a better board structure_. Clicking a suggestion fills the input with a more detailed prompt, without sending it. Edit the prompt if you want to, then send it. ## Make edits Context: Arcweave docs > Project Tools > AI tools > Design Assistant > Make edits When you ask for a change, the Design Assistant applies it directly to your project. As the note below the input says, **edits apply immediately**: there is no preview or approval step. The Design Assistant is designed to change the project only when you clearly ask it to, not when you ask a question or for suggestions. The Design Assistant can create, edit, and delete: - [Boards](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/boards) and board folders - [Elements](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/elements), including their [covers](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/elements#element-covers), [attributes](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/attributes), attached [components](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/components), and [audio](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/assets/audio) - [Connections](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/connections) and their [labels](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/labels) - [Branches](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/branches) and their conditions, and [jumpers](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/jumpers) - [Notes](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/notes) - [Variables](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/variables/overview) - [Components](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/components), their attributes and covers, and component folders It can also move boards and components between folders, and reorder boards, components, elements, an element's choices, variables, attributes, attached components and audio, and else-if conditions. It can set the [starting element](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-tools/play-mode/using-play-mode#set-play-mode-start), edit the [Play Mode custom CSS](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-tools/play-mode/styling-reference), and rename, move, or delete existing [assets](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/assets/overview) and create asset folders. The Design Assistant works under your own project permissions, and only in the open project. It can read [comments](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/comments) but not write them. It cannot upload or download files, export, or delete the project. To use a new image or audio file, upload it to the asset library first, then ask the Design Assistant to use it. Edits go through the same validation as edits you make yourself, and collaborators see them as they happen. The Design Assistant checks Arcscript before saving it in element content, labels, and branch conditions; an invalid script fails without changing the project. Content edits are recorded in [History](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-tools/history), which is available in Team workspaces. Play Mode CSS is saved in the project settings instead, without a History entry; fully reload Play Mode to see the new styles. > ⚠️ Make your request specific, and check the result in your project. The Design Assistant can misread a request. To undo its edits, change the items back yourself or, if your workspace includes [History](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-tools/history), restore an earlier version. A single request can involve a limited number of steps. For a large request, such as copying a whole board, the Design Assistant may stop before finishing. Its edits so far are kept; ask it to continue. ## Activity list Context: Arcweave docs > Project Tools > AI tools > Design Assistant > Activity list While it works, the Design Assistant lists each step above its answer, for example _Reading element_ or _Creating connection_. For elements, boards, components, and variables, a step that changes the item also shows its name. - Once the request finishes, completed lookups, such as reading project data or searching the documentation, are grouped under **Looked up N sources**. Click it to expand the list. - Click a step that changed an item to show it in the project (tooltip: **Show in project**). Arcweave zooms to board items and opens the dialog of a component or variable. Steps for folders, assets, and Play Mode CSS don't link anywhere. A step can also show one of these labels: - **Failed**: the step didn't apply. Click the label to see the error details. - **Recovered**: the step failed, but a later step in the same request retried it successfully. Click the label to see the original error. - **Unconfirmed**: the request ended before this step reported back, for example because you stopped it. Check the project to see whether the change was applied. - **Deleted**: the item that this step changed no longer exists in the project, so the step no longer links to it. ## Interrupt the generation Context: Arcweave docs > Project Tools > AI tools > Design Assistant > Interrupt the generation If you want to stop the Design Assistant while it is working, click the **stop** button (circle icon). Stopping keeps everything the Design Assistant has done so far: edits that were already applied stay in your project, and the conversation shows **Stopped**, with any partial answer. A step that was still running is marked **Unconfirmed**. Requests are never retried automatically, so check the project before you send the request again. > ℹ️ The Assistant can make mistakes, so be sure to verify important information in advance. ## Copy and clear the conversation Context: Arcweave docs > Project Tools > AI tools > Design Assistant > Copy and clear the conversation Hover over a message, or move the keyboard focus to it, to show its **copy** button: - **Copy message** copies your question exactly as you typed it. - **Copy answer** copies a finished answer as plain text. To start over, click **Clear conversation** (eraser icon) at the top of the panel, then confirm with **Clear**. Clearing removes the conversation from the panel only: edits the Design Assistant already made stay in your project. You cannot clear the conversation while the Design Assistant is working. The conversation is also cleared when you switch to another project. > ℹ️ Each request includes your new message and up to four previous exchanges. For a follow-up on something older, repeat the details in your request. ## AI credits Context: Arcweave docs > Project Tools > AI tools > Design Assistant > AI credits Each message you send costs **1 AI credit**, however many steps the Design Assistant takes to handle it. The credit is charged when the first edit succeeds or when the answer completes. If the request fails or you stop it before either happens, no credit is used, unless an edit was still being applied: that edit may have been saved, so the credit is kept. Check the project before you try again. See [AI credit costs](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-tools/ai-features/overview#ai-credit-costs) for the other AI tools. ## Knowledge base Context: Arcweave docs > Project Tools > AI tools > Design Assistant > Knowledge base Ask the Design Assistant questions about the following topics, or ask it to make changes to your project: - Your project and story - Arcscript - Arcweave functionality - Arcweave documentation ## Prompt examples Context: Arcweave docs > Project Tools > AI tools > Design Assistant > Prompt examples ### Project-related Context: Arcweave docs > Project Tools > AI tools > Design Assistant > Prompt examples > Project-related With _The Castle_ (the built-in example project) in mind, here are some examples of questions you could ask the Design Assistant: - _How can the player find the Crusader's name?_ - _Where does the player defeat the Crusader, and how?_ - _Where is the element called "Battle?"_ - _What is the usage of the health variable, and what is its initial value?_ - _Do you have any recommendations on how I can continue the story?_ - _Do you find any plot holes?_ ### Edits Context: Arcweave docs > Project Tools > AI tools > Design Assistant > Prompt examples > Edits Ask for changes in plain language. You can refer to the open board or to the items you have selected: - _Add a choice to the selected element that leads to a new element where the player hides._ - _Create a `gold` variable starting at 0, and add 10 gold in the element called "Treasure."_ - _Rename the "Intro" board to "Prologue" and move it into a folder called "Act 1."_ - _Create a component called "Innkeeper" with attributes for appearance and personality._ - _Set the element called "Gate" as the starting element._ ### Arcweave-related Context: Arcweave docs > Project Tools > AI tools > Design Assistant > Prompt examples > Arcweave-related Please use Arcweave terminology where applicable. - _How can I [export my project to Unity](https://docs.arcweave.com/integrations/unity)?_ - _How does the [`visits`](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/arcscript#visits) function work?_ - _Give me a list of all the [elements](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/elements) in the Main [Board](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/boards)._ - _How do I attach an [audio asset](https://docs.arcweave.com/project-items/assets/audio)?_ - _How do these AI tools work?_