Files & artifacts
Working with Imaginne is, most of the time, working with files: you hand the agent an input file and it returns artifacts — a .pptx, a spreadsheet, a PDF, an image, or code. This page explains how to point files to the agent and where to find what it produces.
Referencing a file in context
The agent only "sees" a file if you bring it into context. How you do that varies by surface.
- Desktop
- Terminal (TUI)
- VS Code
- Web chat
@mention— type@followed by the path (e.g.,@docs/report.md) to insert a literal reference to the file in the message. Use it when you want to point to the file by name.- + Context — the + Context button (in the Files panel and the Preview dock) injects the file's contents into the conversation context. That's what you use when you actually want the agent to read the file. The limit per injection is about 100 KB.
@path— type@followed by the path so the terminal reads and injects the file's contents inline:@data.csv,@"path with spaces",@/abs/olute,@~/home/file.- The Tab key completes the path (path and fuzzy modes); the ↑/↓ arrows navigate the suggestions.
- Directories, binary files, and files over 100 KB are ignored.
- The extension attaches context automatically each turn: the workspace root, the active file, the selection, diagnostics, and open tabs. The pills above the input show what was attached.
@fileinjects the contents of a specific file.- Use Pin Active File/Selection to keep a file pinned across turns. See Using it in VS Code.
The web chat runs on the server and has no access to your disk — you attach files: with the 📎 paperclip in the composer, by dragging them onto the window, or by pasting into the message field. Documents, spreadsheets, presentations, images, text/code, and archives are accepted, up to 50 MB per file and 10 attachments per message. See Attachments & account files.
On the Desktop and the TUI, @ points to a file, but it's the injected contents (the + Context button on the Desktop; the automatic @ injection in the TUI) that the agent actually reads. If it replies "I don't see that file", confirm the contents made it into context, not just the name.
What artifacts are
Artifacts are the files the agent generates during a session. The most common types are:
| Type | Extension | Generated by |
|---|---|---|
| Presentation | .pptx | ppt_skill skill |
| Document | .docx | docx skill |
| Spreadsheet | .xlsx | excel skill |
.pdf | pdf skill | |
| Image | .png | /image (Desktop) |
| Code | various | the agent's edits in the workspace |
These artifacts include image artifacts: the agent creates images from prompts (for example, with /image on the Desktop) and they appear as artifacts, alongside presentations, documents, spreadsheets, and code.
Each type comes from one of the agent's capabilities (see Bundled skills). You don't need to invoke the skill manually: ask in natural language ("generate a deck about X") and the agent picks the right tool.
Where files live
On the local surfaces (Desktop, TUI, VS Code), artifacts are written to disk, inside the project workspace, in predictable folders:
| Folder | Content |
|---|---|
outputs/ | Skill outputs (.pptx, .docx, .xlsx, .pdf) |
generated-images/ | Images created with /image |
generated-canvas/ | Canvases (whiteboards) created with /canvas |
Because the files are local, they remain available after you close the app. See Local execution to understand why Imaginne is local-first.
In the web chat no disk of yours is involved: the run's file system is ephemeral and only two things survive — the attachments you sent (kept with the conversation) and the files the agent delivered (kept in your account, in the Files panel).
Open and download by surface
- Desktop
- Terminal (TUI)
- VS Code
- Web chat
- Files panel (sidebar): browse the project tree, click to open a file with the system app, or use the menu to move, rename, and delete.
- Preview dock (Alt+1): renders PDF, DOCX, XLSX, and Mermaid diagrams inside the app; from there you can Open with the OS, use @ Insert, or + Context.
- To create a file from scratch, use New file (Text, Markdown, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
Artifacts are written to the project directory. Open them with your system's tools (e.g., the file explorer or the corresponding app). The transcript reports the path of each generated file.
Code edits go through Proposed Changes (Composer) first: review the diff and use Apply / Reject per file or hunk. Binary artifacts (like .pptx) appear in outputs/ in the Explorer. See Using it in VS Code.
Artifacts appear in the transcript as cards (icon + name + type·size + Download button); images get a preview. The main artifact is highlighted with ⭐; the rest go under "Other files from this run".
Beyond the conversation, everything the agent delivers is kept in your account, in the Files panel in the sidebar — with 100 MB of storage per user, plus download and delete. See Attachments & account files.
Authorized read locations (Desktop)
By default, the agent operates inside the project workspace. On the Desktop, beyond the workspace, it can read (read-only) from some common folders in your user account:
- Documents, Downloads, and Desktop
- iCloud Drive and OneDrive (read-only)
Any write goes to the project workspace — the agent does not modify files outside it unless the policy authorizes it. This boundary is the vault described in Autonomy & permissions.
Artifacts and session state live as files on your disk, in readable text. Treat the machine the way you'd treat any folder with work documents. See Security & privacy.
See also
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