Chat with the Canvas Agent
Ask an AI agent about the canvas in front of you: what’s in an image, how to improve it, or what to make next.
Before you start
- You need owner or editor access to the canvas. With view-only access you can open the chat, but you can’t send.
- Canvas chat runs on your own computer, through Codex. Connect a computer first: see Connect a computer. Until you do, the chat says Chat runs on your own computer. and offers Connect computer.
- Every message runs Codex on your connected computer and uses your Codex account’s allowance. If the agent asks to generate images, approving that may also incur a charge.
The whole flow
Watch it once, or click a step under the replay to jump to it.
5 stepsAsk the canvas agent about an image on your board
Open Canvas chat
Click the Gavana logo in the lower-right corner of the canvas (Open Canvas chat). The chat opens with two tabs, Chat and Activity, and an empty chat asks What would you like to create?
In a window at least 900 pixels wide, the chat docks as a column on the right and the board moves over to make room. In a narrower window it floats over the board instead.
Add images
Click an image on the board, or select several. Each one appears in the composer right away as a small preview, and the agent gets exactly the previews you can see when you send.
- Add to chat keeps the selected items attached even after you select something else. The + button next to Send (Add selected items to chat) does the same.
- Click the × on a preview to leave that item out.
- You can attach up to 8 items to one message.
Choose a model
Click the model name at the bottom-left of the composer (Choose chat model). The picker has three parts:
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Connection | The computer the chat runs on, if you have more than one |
| Model | The models that computer offers. Codex uses Codex’s default model. Type in Search models… to filter a long list |
| Reasoning | How hard the model thinks: Default or one of the levels the model offers, up to Extra high |
Click Done to close it. Manage connections opens your connected computers. Gavana remembers your choice for this conversation.
If Reasoning says Select a model that shares reasoning options. Update the companion if needed., the model you picked offers no levels, or the Gavana app on your computer needs an update. See Update the companion.
Send a message
Write in Ask about your Canvas or create something… and press Enter, or click Send message (the round arrow). Shift + Enter starts a new line.
While the agent works, a status line under your message says what it’s doing, such as Reading the canvas, Looking at image 1 or Thinking through your request…
Read the reply
The reply appears under your message. When it names an item on your canvas, the name is a link; images show a small thumbnail. Click one to find that item on the board.
If the agent wants to change your canvas or make images, it stops and asks you first. See Approve or decline the agent’s actions.
More you can do
Stop a reply
While the agent is working, the Send button turns into Stop reply (a square). Click it to stop the reply. The turn then reads Canceled in Gavana.
Stop replyEnd a reply that is still running
Stopping a reply doesn’t undo an image generation you already approved, or its charge.
Closing the chat doesn’t stop a reply. It keeps going, and you can open the chat again to see it.
Read earlier messages
Scroll up to read earlier messages; the chat stops following new ones while you do. Click Jump to latest to go back to the newest. In a long conversation, click Load earlier messages at the top to load more.
Resize or close the chat
Drag the chat’s left edge to make it wider or narrower (between 340 and 760 pixels). To close it, click Collapse Canvas chat (the – button at the top right) or press Esc. Your draft, attachments and conversation are kept.
If you can’t send
The composer shows one line that says what’s in the way.
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| Chat runs on your own computer. | No computer is connected. Click Connect computer and follow Connect a computer. |
| … is offline. Start Gavana Runtime on that computer, or choose another model. | Turn on the computer and start the runtime, or pick a model on another computer. |
| … is disabled. Enable it in AI connections. | Click AI connections and switch that computer on. |
| Edit access is required to chat with this Canvas. | Ask the canvas owner for edit access. |
| Choose up to 8 items per message. | Remove some previews from the composer. |
| Delivery unconfirmed | Your last message may not have arrived. Click Retry message before sending another. |
Keyboard shortcuts
Shortcuts work while the chat has focus. Board shortcuts don’t fire while you’re typing in the chat.
| Key | Where | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Enter | Message box | Sends the message |
| Shift + Enter | Message box | Starts a new line |
| Esc | Anywhere in the chat | Closes the open dialog or list, otherwise collapses the chat |
| ← / → | Chat and Activity tabs | Switches tabs |
| ← / → | Chat’s left edge | Makes the chat wider or narrower |
| ↑, Page Up, Home | Conversation | Stops following new messages so you can read |