Views
Neon Pilot has a conversation layout with an optional workbench panel. Toggle the workbench with the right-side top-bar button or
Cmd+\ (or Ctrl+\).
Conversation View
The default layout when the workbench is hidden. A single conversation pane with the left sidebar for conversation navigation.
- Left sidebar — conversation list, toggle with
Cmd+/(orCtrl+/) - Center — transcript and composer
- Use this for focused single-thread work
Workbench
A tabbed panel for working alongside knowledge and tools. Available on conversation routes.
The new tab page includes:
| Tab | Shows when |
|---|---|
| File Explorer | Always — working directory file tree |
| Artifacts | Conversation has rendered artifacts |
| Browser | Opened by user |
| Chat | Opened by user |
| Terminal | Opened by user |
| Knowledge | Opened by user |
Knowledge also appears as a left-sidebar route. Extension-contributed workbench tools can appear on the new tab page.
For extension authors, an extension rail is for compact contextual tools inside a workbench tab. If a feature needs the rail to
select something and the main area to render the large detail view, pair the rail view with a
location: "workbench" detail view. See
Extensions
for the surface decision guide.
Workbench Behavior
- Panes are resizable by dragging the divider
- The File Explorer shows the workspace file tree
- Checkpoint diffs render inline in the transcript checkpoint card
- Artifacts render inline (HTML, Mermaid, LaTeX)
- Background commands and subagents render as inline transcript execution cards
- Browser loads pages alongside the conversation
Layout Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Hide workbench | F1 |
| Show workbench | F2 |
| Toggle left sidebar | Cmd+/ (or Ctrl+/) |
| Toggle workbench | Cmd+\ (or Ctrl+\) |
Default desktop shortcuts are configurable in Settings → Desktop. Host and extension command keybindings are configurable in Settings → Commands.