User Interface Guide

Complete guide to navigating and using the Dropstone Agent interface

This guide covers all aspects of the Dropstone Agent user interface, including navigation, buttons, panels, and interactive features.

Accessing Dropstone Agent

Opening the Agent

Dropstone Agent is built directly into Dropstone Desktop and can be accessed in multiple ways:

Sidebar Icon - Click the Dropstone Agent icon in the Dropstone Desktop sidebar
Command Palette - Press Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+P (Mac) and search for "Dropstone"
Keyboard Shortcut - Use Ctrl+L (Windows) or Cmd+L (Mac) to add selected code to context

Agent Location

The Agent panel opens in the auxiliary bar (secondary sidebar), allowing you to keep your file explorer visible while using the agent.

Main Interface Components

The top bar contains primary action buttons for quick access to key features:

Primary Buttons

Button	Icon	Description	Keyboard Shortcut
New Task	`+` (Plus)	Start a new conversation or task	-
History	Clock icon	View previous conversations and tasks	-
More Menu	Three dots (`⋯`)	Access additional features and settings	-

Clicking the More Menu reveals:

Prompts (Notebook icon) - Access saved prompts and templates
MCP Servers (Server icon) - Manage Model Context Protocol servers
Open in Editor (External link icon) - Open chat in a separate editor tab
Settings (Gear icon) - Configure extension settings
Documentation (Question mark icon) - Access help and documentation
Workspace Options - Create, join, or manage shared workspaces

Chat Interface

The chat interface is the primary workspace for interacting with Dropstone Agent.

Chat Input Area

Located at the bottom of the panel, the chat input features:

Text Input Box

Auto-resizing textarea that grows as you type
Supports multi-line input (press Shift+Enter for new lines)
Syntax highlighting for code blocks
Drag-and-drop image support

Context Mentions Type @ to trigger context mention suggestions:

@file - Reference specific files
@folder - Include entire directories
@url - Add web page content
@problems - Reference VS Code problems/errors
@terminal - Include terminal output
@mode - Switch agent modes
@git - Git-related context

Navigation: Use arrow keys (↑/↓) to navigate suggestions, Enter to select.

Attachment Controls

Image Button - Attach images (up to 10 per message)
Send Button - Submit your message
Cancel Button - Stop ongoing agent operations (appears during execution)

Message Display

User Messages

Displayed with your profile icon
Shows attached files and images as thumbnails
Timestamp visible on hover

Agent Messages

Displayed with Dropstone Agent icon
Formatted with markdown rendering
Code blocks with syntax highlighting
Expandable sections for detailed information

Special Message Types:

Reasoning Blocks - Extended thinking process (for thinking-enabled models)
Tool Calls - Visual representation of agent actions
Progress Indicators - Real-time operation status
System Warnings - Important notifications or alerts

Task Actions Panel

During task execution, an actions panel appears with:

Retry - Retry the last operation
Continue - Resume a paused task
Cancel - Stop the current task

Model Selector

Located near the chat input, the model selector shows:

Current Model Display

Model name and provider
Status indicator (connected/disconnected)
Click to change models

Dropdown Menu

List of available models grouped by provider
Model capabilities indicators
Quick switch between configured models

Settings Panel

Access via the Settings button (gear icon) in the More Menu.

Settings Sections

1. API Configuration

Provider Selection

Choose from Dropstone, AWS Bedrock, Ollama, or Claude Code CLI
Each provider has specific configuration requirements

Model Selection

Browse available models for the selected provider
View model capabilities and pricing
Select primary and fallback models

Authentication

API key management
OAuth flow for Dropstone provider
AWS credentials configuration
Connection testing

2. Model Settings

Temperature Control Adjust model creativity (0.0 - 1.0):

Lower values (0.0-0.3): More focused and deterministic
Medium values (0.4-0.7): Balanced creativity
Higher values (0.8-1.0): More creative and varied

Thinking Budget (for thinking-enabled models)

Control extended thinking token allocation
Options: Default, Conservative, Moderate, Extensive

Reasoning Effort

Low: Quick responses
Medium: Balanced reasoning
High: Deep analysis

3. Auto-Approve Settings

Configure automatic approval for different operation types:

Read Operations

Auto-approve file reading
Auto-approve directory listing
Auto-approve code searches

Write Operations

Auto-approve file creation
Auto-approve file modifications
Auto-approve file deletion

Execute Operations

Auto-approve command execution
Allowed commands whitelist
Terminal integration settings

4. Browser Settings

Viewport Configuration

Width and height for browser screenshots
Device emulation settings

Screenshot Quality

Quality level (0-100)
Format options

Remote Browser

Connect to external browser instance
Puppeteer configuration

5. Checkpoint Settings

Version Control

Enable/disable automatic checkpoints
Checkpoint frequency
Maximum checkpoint history

Storage Management

Checkpoint storage location
Automatic cleanup settings

6. Notification Settings

Sound Notifications

Enable/disable sound effects
Volume control (0-100)
Sound selection

Text-to-Speech (TTS)

Enable/disable voice output
Voice selection
Speed control
Volume control

7. Context Management

Workspace Files

Maximum open tabs to track
File limit for context inclusion
Fuzzy match threshold (0.0-1.0)

Memory Settings

Context window size
Memory retention duration
Automatic memory consolidation

8. Terminal Settings

Output Configuration

Maximum output lines
Command delay (milliseconds)
Shell integration timeout

PowerShell Settings

PowerShell counter (Windows-specific)
Execution policy handling

9. Experimental Features

Toggle cutting-edge features:

New tool implementations
Beta feature access
Performance optimizations

10. Language Settings

Interface Language

Select display language
Supported: English, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and more
Restart required for language changes

11. About Section

Extension version information
Links to documentation
GitHub repository
License information
Contributors

History View

Access via the History button in the top navigation.

History Interface

Search and Filter

Search bar for finding specific tasks
Filter by workspace
Show/hide tasks from all workspaces

Sort Options

Newest first
Oldest first
Most relevant (based on current context)

Task List Each task entry shows:

Task title or first user message
Timestamp (relative or absolute)
Token usage and cost
Task status (completed, failed, in progress)

Batch Operations

Selection mode toggle
Multi-select tasks
Batch delete with confirmation
Export selected tasks

Task Preview Click any task to see:

Complete conversation history
Files modified
Commands executed
Performance metrics
Error logs (if any)

Task Actions

Resume task
Duplicate task
Delete task
Export task data

MCP Management View

Access via MCP Servers in the More Menu.

MCP Interface

Global Toggle

Enable/disable all MCP servers
Status indicator

Server List Each server entry displays:

Server name and source (global/workspace)
Status (connected/disconnected/error)
Available tools count
Available resources count

Server Details Panel Click a server to expand:

Tools Section

List of available tools
Tool descriptions
Enable/disable individual tools
Tool parameters and usage

Resources Section

List of available resources
Resource descriptions
Access controls

Server Management

Start/stop server
View server logs
Edit server configuration
Remove server

Welcome View

First-time users see the Welcome view, which includes:

Hero Section

Dropstone Agent branding
Quick overview of capabilities
Visual examples

Tips Section

Usage tips for beginners
Keyboard shortcuts reference
Best practices
Example commands

Quick Start Actions

Configure API provider
Run first task
View documentation

Right-click on code in the editor to access Dropstone Agent features:

Dropstone Agent Options:

Add to Context (Ctrl+L / Cmd+L) - Add selected code to chat
Explain Code - Ask agent to explain the selection
Improve Code - Request suggestions for improvement
Fix Code - Ask agent to fix issues

Dropstone Agent Options:

Add to Context - Include terminal output in chat
Fix Command - Get help with failed commands

Visual Indicators

Status Indicators

Connection Status

🟢 Green - Connected and ready
🟡 Yellow - Connecting or processing
🔴 Red - Disconnected or error
⚪ Gray - Disabled or offline

Progress Indicators

Loading spinner - Operation in progress
Progress bar - Multi-step operation with percentage
Pulsing dot - Background task running

Message Types

Information (ℹ️ icon)

General information
Status updates
Suggestions

Warning (⚠️ icon)

Important notices
Potential issues
User attention needed

Error (❌ icon)

Operation failures
Configuration errors
Critical issues

Success (✓ icon)

Completed operations
Successful validations
Confirmations

Keyboard Shortcuts Reference

Action	Windows/Linux	macOS
Add to Context	`Ctrl+L`	`Cmd+L`
Focus Input	Via command palette	Via command palette
Send Message	`Ctrl+Enter`	`Cmd+Enter`
New Line	`Shift+Enter`	`Shift+Enter`
Cancel Operation	`Esc`	`Esc`
Navigate History	`↑` / `↓`	`↑` / `↓`
Navigate Mentions	`↑` / `↓`	`↑` / `↓`
Select Mention	`Enter`	`Enter`

Workspace Collaboration Features

Shared Workspaces

Create Shared Workspace

Click More Menu → Create Shared Workspace
Enter workspace name
Copy workspace ID
Share ID with collaborators

Join Shared Workspace

Click More Menu → Join Shared Workspace
Enter workspace ID
Wait for connection confirmation

Workspace Management

View active workspaces (More Menu → List Workspaces)
Share current workspace (More Menu → Share Workspace)
Disconnect from workspace (More Menu → Disconnect Workspace)

Collaboration Features

Real-time synchronization
Shared task history
Collaborative editing
Presence indicators

Tips for Effective Use

Best Practices

1. Use Context Mentions Add relevant files, folders, and context using @ mentions to give the agent better understanding of your request.

2. Be Specific Provide clear, detailed instructions for better results. Include file paths, function names, and expected behavior.

3. Review Changes Always review agent-proposed changes before approving, especially for critical code sections.

4. Use Checkpoints Enable checkpoints for important projects to easily roll back changes if needed.

5. Configure Auto-Approve Carefully Start with manual approvals and gradually enable auto-approve for trusted operations.

Common Workflows

Code Review

Select code in editor
Right-click → Dropstone Agent → Explain Code
Review agent's analysis
Ask follow-up questions

Bug Fixing

Add error messages to context using @problems
Include relevant files with @file
Describe the issue
Review and apply suggested fixes

Feature Implementation

Describe the feature in natural language
Reference existing files for context
Let agent create implementation plan
Review and iterate on generated code

Documentation

Select code to document
Request documentation generation
Review and refine output
Apply to codebase

Troubleshooting UI Issues

Common Issues

Agent Panel Not Visible

Check if auxiliary bar is open (View → Appearance → Secondary Sidebar)
Look for Dropstone Agent icon in the sidebar
Restart Dropstone Desktop

Chat Input Not Responding

Check connection status indicator
Verify API provider configuration
Review logs (Help → Toggle Developer Tools)

Images Not Displaying

Verify image file format (PNG, JPG, GIF supported)
Check file size (max 10MB per image)
Ensure images are accessible

Slow Response Times

Check network connection
Verify API provider status
Reduce context size
Check VS Code resource usage

Screenshot Placeholders

The following screenshots should be added to enhance this documentation:

TODO: Capture Screenshots

Main Interface Overview - Full Dropstone Agent panel showing all components
Chat Input with Context Mentions - Example of @ mention dropdown
Settings Panel - Complete settings view with all sections
History View - Task list with search and filter options
MCP Management - Server list and tool details
Model Selector - Dropdown menu showing available models
Context Menu Integration - Right-click menu in editor
Task Actions Panel - Retry, Continue, Cancel buttons during execution
Workspace Collaboration - Shared workspace interface
Welcome View - First-time user experience

For additional help, visit the documentation or check the troubleshooting guide.

How to Use

Agent Modes