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Quick Chat

In short: Quick Chat is a chat with the research assistant that doesn't need a project. Click Quick Chat in the left sidebar, type your question and press Enter. Use the project picker in the header to file the chat under a project; it then appears in that project's Research Assistants tab.

Start a Quick Chat​

  1. Click Quick Chat in the left sidebar, or go to app.scinodes.com/chat.
  2. Type your question in "Message the assistant…".
  3. Optional: pick an assistant and a reply language with the two buttons next to the message box.
  4. Press Enter to send. Press Shift + Enter for a new line.
  5. To start over, click New chat in the header.

The conversation stays on screen if you visit another page and come back.

File a chat under a project​

  1. In the header, open the project picker. It shows No project at first.
  2. Choose one of your projects.
  3. The chat moves to that project. While it moves, the picker's tooltip says "Moving the chat…".

You can pick the project before or after your first message. The chat then appears in that project's chat list in the Research Assistants tab. Your next New chat goes to the same project unless you change the picker.

Quick Chat compared with project chats​

Quick ChatResearch Assistants tab
Needs a projectNoYes
Attach publications or filesNoYes
Reads your PDFs and notesNoYes, for items in About
List and search of past chatsNo, one conversation at a timeYes
Choose assistant and reply languageYesYes

Quick Chat answers from the assistant's general knowledge. It doesn't see your projects, your library or this documentation. To ask about specific publications, use a chat inside a project. See Chats with the research assistant.

Get help using SciNodes​

For step-by-step help with SciNodes itself, use this documentation. Inside a project, you can also type a "how do I…" question into the Map queries bar. SciNodes recognizes a question about the product and answers it in a chat that draws on this documentation. See Create a map from a question.

Tips​

  • File a chat under a project before you click New chat if you want to find it again. Quick Chat shows one conversation at a time and has no list of earlier ones.
  • Credits work the same as in project chats. See Assistants and credits.

Troubleshooting​

  • "Could not reach the server. Your message was not sent." Check your connection and send again.
  • "The assistant could not answer (number)." Something went wrong on the server. Try again in a moment.
  • "Weekly complex compute budget spent. Resumes day at 00:00 UTC." Your weekly credits are used up. See Credits and usage.
  • "Could not reach the server. The chat was not moved." The chat stayed where it was. Pick the project again.
  • "You are not a member of that project." You no longer have access to that project. Pick another one.
  • I don't see Quick Chat in the sidebar. On your first visit, before you have any projects, the sidebar shows fewer links. Create a project and it appears.

FAQ​

Where do my Quick Chats go after I click New chat?​

They're kept on your account, but Quick Chat only shows the current conversation. A chat filed under a project stays findable in that project's Research Assistants tab.

Can Quick Chat read my publications?​

No. It has no project, so it can't see your library, PDFs or notes. Start a chat inside the project instead.

Can I move a project chat into Quick Chat?​

No. The project picker is part of Quick Chat. Chats started inside a project stay in that project.

Does Quick Chat cost credits?​

Yes. Every message draws on your weekly credit budget, the same as project chats.