# AI Desktop

**Axilon AI Desktop** is an AI-powered development environment for Inductive Automation's Ignition platform. It combines a full Ignition Designer experience with an integrated AI chat assistant called **Axil**, enabling you to build, modify, and manage Ignition projects using natural language alongside traditional design tools.

The application is organized around these key concepts:

* **Ignition Designer** -- A remote Ignition Designer session running inside a Docker container, displayed directly in the application via noVNC.
* **AI Chat (Axil)** -- An AI companion that understands your Ignition project and can read, modify, and create project resources (tags, scripts, named queries, Perspective views, UDT definitions, and more) on your behalf.
* **Workbench** -- A local representation of your Ignition project that the AI operates on. Changes made by the AI are synced to the running Designer and vice versa.
* **Container Management** -- Tools for starting, stopping, reconnecting to, and deleting Ignition Docker containers.
* **Settings** -- Configuration for AI providers, workspace directories, user preferences, and user context files.

## Application Layout

The application uses a three-panel IDE layout:

| Area                             | What it contains                                                                                                                                                                 |
| -------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Left panel (Side Navigation)** | Expandable sidebar with navigation groups: Editor, Project operations, Workbench operations, and Settings. Hover to expand and see labels.                                       |
| **Center panel**                 | The main content area. Depending on the active view, this shows the Ignition Designer, Gateway Config, Perspective Preview, Container Management, or Settings.                   |
| **Right panel (Chat)**           | The Axil AI chat panel. Can be toggled on and off from the top navigation bar.                                                                                                   |
| **Top navigation bar**           | Quick-access buttons for switching center panel views (Designer, Gateway, Perspective, Containers), triggering a bidirectional sync, disconnecting, and toggling the chat panel. |

### Side Navigation Groups

| Group         | Items                                                                                                  |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| *(ungrouped)* | **Editor** -- Opens the main Ignition Designer view.                                                   |
| **Project**   | **Apply Project Change to Zip**, **Import Project Zip**, **Export Tags**, **Export to Gateway Backup** |
| **Workbench** | **Load Workbench**, **Save Workbench**                                                                 |
| **Settings**  | **Settings** -- Opens the settings page. **Logs** -- Opens the application logs folder.                |

On the web platform, a **Log Out** option also appears at the bottom of the sidebar.

## User Guide Index

| Guide                                                                                            | What It Covers                                                                           |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [Getting Started](https://docs.axilon.com/ai-desktop/getting-started)                            | Prerequisites, starting containers, reconnecting to existing containers.                 |
| [Editor Views](https://docs.axilon.com/ai-desktop/editor-views)                                  | Using the Ignition Designer, Gateway Config, and Perspective Preview.                    |
| [AI Chat](https://docs.axilon.com/ai-desktop/ai-chat)                                            | Chatting with Axil, @mentions, file attachments, AI plans, permissions, chat management. |
| [Syncing, Project & Workbench](https://docs.axilon.com/ai-desktop/syncing-project-and-workbench) | Bidirectional sync, project operations, and workbench operations.                        |
| [Container Management](https://docs.axilon.com/ai-desktop/container-management)                  | Managing, starting, stopping, and deleting Docker containers.                            |
| [Settings](https://docs.axilon.com/ai-desktop/settings)                                          | AI provider configuration, user preferences, context files, logs, and disconnecting.     |