This first exercise uses an invented note and a local canvas save, without an AI account. Connect a supported agent when its setup and permissions fit the work you want to do.
Choose a small first result
A useful first project does not have to involve an agent. Begin with a short brief you can read, save and find after reopening. This gives you a clear result before you spend time connecting a provider or deciding which model to use.
Use an invented example called Palette practice. Its goal is a three-color palette tool, but the first exercise only keeps its brief. You can follow it without building the tool or supplying private project material. Compare these control names with your installed version; releases can differ.
Name the project and add its brief
- From the desktop entrance, choose Open Project Canvas.
- Open the project menu in the top dock. It shows the active project name, or Select project. Choose New project, enter Palette practice as the project name, and choose Create project. Check that the menu now names your new project.
- Choose Notes in the Create group. If the dock has tucked that control away, press Ctrl+K on Windows or Cmd+K on macOS and search for Add note.
- Put the invented brief below in the note. Keep the two lines readable so you can check the same text after reopening.
Add a second line: Next step: choose an agent path or keep working by hand.
A project keeps its own canvas. An array is one page on that canvas; New array adds another page to the current project. A card is one note, document, tool or other work surface. Board shows the arrays together. You only need one note and one array for this exercise.
Check that the latest text is saved
- Press Ctrl+S on Windows or Cmd+S on macOS for an explicit save.
- Open your profile picture, then Account & Settings > Canvas > Save status.
- Look for Saved with a current time. Pending changes, Saving... and Save failed describe different outcomes. An old saved time does not confirm the note you just edited.
- After a successful save, close and reopen the canvas in the same application and profile. Select Palette practice again and read both lines.
Your first result is a named project with a brief you can find again. If the latest text is missing or saving reports a failure, keep the available copy open. Preserve essential text in a separate file before trying another action. Check the visible error and storage message; clearing application data can remove the copy you are trying to recover.
Save and reopen are checks you perform on your own version. A successful save message and a restored note tell you about that note, rather than every file, connection or process in a larger project.
Understand what is being kept
The Project Canvas saves locally on your device and in its application or browser profile. Some signed-in records, including saved snapshots and command-bar conversations, can also be mirrored to cloud storage. Those selective copies do not back up every canvas, file or setting.
A file shown beside a note may have its own storage location. A saved card, a reusable tool in your shelf and an exported file are also different copies. Check the copy you intend to rely on, and keep independent backups of valuable work before changing devices or clearing storage.
Reopening a saved conversation does not prove that its agent process is still running or that its task finished. Check the current task state and the actual output. Restoring a layout is different from reversing a file edit or an external action.
Connect an agent when the task needs one
CoLateral supports different agent paths. A local coding-agent workflow needs the selected provider's applicable installation and account access. Cloud and browser workflows have their own setup and capabilities; do not apply a local CLI recipe to every connection. Choose the path that fits the work, then read its setup and permissions before starting.
Supported agents use your own provider accounts. CoLateral supplies no model credits. Provider subscriptions, usage limits and any API charges are separate from the workspace licence and optional modules. Read the setup answers and current pricing before choosing a paid connection.
Local execution also does not mean local inference. An agent running on your computer can send prompts and material it reads to its model provider. Review the connected account's terms and the files you allow it to access before using sensitive material.
Ask for one output you can inspect
When you are ready to try Build a tool, use the invented brief rather than an important project. Check the available agent and model choices and the actual agent card that opens. Submit once, then inspect the existing task before repeating a request whose outcome is uncertain.
That request states the scope you intend. Permissions and confirmation behavior depend on the selected agent and action, so review the actual controls. A queued request, a delivery receipt or a success sentence is not the finished tool. Read the visible output and test the behavior yourself.
For this example, change one color and check its displayed hex code. Test the copy button and inspect the code if you need to understand what it does. Keep or share the result only after checking the behavior you need. If it is wrong, name the specific mismatch and request a focused revision. Saving the canvas is separate from saving a shelf copy or confirming that a downloaded file opens.
Keep source material beside the task
As the project grows, use a short task note to identify the current source files, the result you want and what you checked. The guide to agents and your files explains why checking what an agent read matters. Compare important output with its source rather than trusting a fluent account of the task.
If a later project includes PDF files, the PDF Sheet Indexer is one optional file-workflow tool to explore. Its public page explains its scope. It is separate from this note exercise and is not required to keep your first project.
Get help with a small reproduction
If a step fails, record your CoLateral version, operating system, selected execution path, attempted action and exact visible error. Say whether the latest note is saved. A short invented example is easier to inspect than an entire private project. Remove keys, private download links, account identifiers and confidential material from screenshots.
Use Contact for help, and check Download for the current installer and access instructions. If you have already bought CoLateral, use the private Download button in your licence email; the licence key goes in the installed app. A missing email or access problem is a reason to ask support, rather than purchase the same licence again.