## Send a message

Use the Chat input to ask about the active layout, selected object, or an
investigation question. Inspector sends the text to the selected chat session
and shows the answer in the timeline.

![Ask-mode Copilot Chat response showing the selected investigation tab, inline references to layout objects, a bar chart, a component-mix pie chart, and the message input.](https://inspector.4111778.xyz/assets/captures/copilot-chat-ask-rich-response-panel.png)

* Press **Enter** to send a message.
* Press **Shift+Enter** to add a new line without sending.
* Select the send button to submit the current input.
* While a response is running, select **Cancel response** to stop streaming.

The live Ask workflow can use the Inspector MCP connection to inspect the
selected VC object. For example, a question about the selected public-layout
Lifter returned its name and `ISimComponent` type without changing the layout.

## Manage sessions

Each chat is a separate session with its own timeline and mode.

![Copilot Chat with three session tabs, the new-chat action, and an active Ask-mode investigation conversation.](https://inspector.4111778.xyz/assets/captures/copilot-chat-multiple-session-tabs-panel.png)

1. Select **+** or **New chat** to create a session. New sessions start in
   **Ask** mode.
2. Select a chat tab to switch sessions.
3. If tabs overflow, open the **Chats** list and select the session to activate.
4. Select the **X** on a tab, the footer **Close chat** button, or **Close** in
   the Chats list to remove the selected session.

You can change the selected session's **Ask** or **Edit** mode while it is not
busy. The mode applies to that session, so keep investigation questions in Ask
mode and use Edit only for intentional edit-capable work.

## Open the Copilot workspace

Select **Open workspace** in the welcome screen or the folder button in the
Chat footer. Inspector opens the managed Copilot workspace folder in File
Explorer; it does not automatically open VS Code.

Open that folder in VS Code when you want to use the prepared workspace for
extended work. The local Chat session uses the same managed folder as its
working directory, and the installed workspace package supplies the VC-focused
workspace configuration. The add-on keeps the workspace under its local
application data area and provides a user-visible **Copilot workspace** shortcut
under the Visual Components documents area.

The workspace package is checked and updated by the Inspector installer for
supported Inspector versions. Existing user-modified files are preserved when
the package is updated; required packaged directories may be refreshed.

## Result

The active chat tab shows its own conversation and busy status. Opening the
workspace gives you the folder used by Chat so you can continue the work in
VS Code without relying on a private or temporary folder.